10 ways college football has changed since Michigan football last played Wisconsin

Michigan, Wisconsin last played in 2010

College football was completely different the last time Michigan and Wisconsin met on the football field. Incredibly, it's been six years since their last meeting, which ended with Wisconsin winning 48-28 in the Big House.

Here are 10 ways college football has changed since that matchup.

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College Football Playoff

Yep, this is a big one. Bowl games are what they used to be -- at least as far as the national championship is concerned. Now the top four teams in the College Football Playoff rankings duke it out on the field to decide a champion. In 2010, the controversial BCS standings still ran the show.

Divisions

The main reason Michigan and Wisconsin have gone so long without playing each other is the Big Ten's split into East and West divisions. The divisions have even been renamed since the last matchup, after just one year of Leaders and Legends.

READ: Week 4 Big Ten power rankings

Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland, oh my!

How did divisions come about? The Big Ten greatly expanded its reach. When Michigan last played Wisconsin, there were 11 teams in the Big Ten. Now, there are 14, with the solid addition of Nebraska and the somewhat less successful additions -- so far -- of Maryland and Rutgers.

Jim Harbaugh came home

Despite nationwide belief from NFL circles that Jim Harbaugh would never leave the pros to return to Michigan, that's exactly what the head coach did. Since taking over in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh doubled Michigan's wins in one season and has the Wolverines in the top five partway through 2016.

MORE: National radio host calls Michigan football fans 'pathetic'

Bret Bielema jumped ship

In one of the most shocking coaching changes of the decade, Bret Bielema left Wisconsin and took over as the head coach at Arkansas. Bielema had one of the most secure jobs in the nation, leading Wisconsin to a 68-24 record in seven seasons. In four years at Arkansas, Bielema is 21-21 overall and just 7-18 in SEC games.

Michigan State became a national power

Before 2010, Michigan State hadn't won 10 games in a season since 1999. Since 2010, the Spartans have won at least 11 games five out of six seasons, won two Big Ten championships and appeared in the College Football Playoff. Michigan State was an afterthought in the Big Ten the last time Michigan and Wisconsin met, but now MSU is one of the top programs in the conference.

Losing teams play in bowl games

The number of bowl games continues to grow. Last season, three teams with 5-7 records -- Minnesota, Nebraska and San Jose State -- accepted invitations to bowls. Of course, all three teams proceeded to win their bowl games and finish 6-7.

Alabama formed a dynasty

The Crimson Tide were on the rise when Michigan last played Wisconsin, coming off a national championship and a decent 9-3 season. But in the five seasons since, Alabama has won three more national titles and never dropped more than two games in a year.

Urban Meyer leaves Florida, "retires" and goes to Ohio State

Urban Meyer announced his retirement from college football in December 2009, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family and pay attention to his health. It didn't last long. Less than two years later, Meyer accepted the head coaching job at Ohio State.

Big Ten takes over

For the majority of the last six years, the SEC has clearly been the best conference in college football. But the Big Ten has been making moves over the last few years, and now -- with Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska joining the ranks of top teams -- the conference looks like the best in the country.

Despite everything that has changed, Michigan and Wisconsin will face off Saturday as they almost always have: with a chance at the Big Ten title in the backs of their minds and potential national championship hopes hanging in the balance.


About the Author:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.