Five teams Michigan would kick out of the Big Ten if they had the power to

3. Northwestern

The Wildcats aren't much of a threat to Michigan football. They have had some good basketball teams over the years but the Wildcats probably don't belong in an elite conference.

Northwestern is sort of like Vanderbilt. They have history on their side. Yes, I know that the Wildcats won seven games last year. They even made the Big Ten title game a few years back, as well as the Rose Bowl in the 1990s.

But Northwestern is going to struggle to ever win like that again. I could be wrong, but now that the Big Ten West is no longer a thing, teams like Northwestern and Purdue will probably never see the Big Ten championship game. It's going to be tough for Michigan to make it.

It's not that Michigan would necessarily want Northwestern out, but the Wildcats are kind of like Rutgers. They don't really add much to the league, especially from a football perspective which tends to drive the conversation when it comes to conference affiliation.

I mean let's be honest, who has a better program: North Dakota State or Northwestern? If we ever get to a Big 40 or something with divisions or a league just based on football strength, there's a good chance Northwestern will get left out.