Nearly 6 months to the day after releasing its 2024 and ’25 football schedule formats, the B1G re-released the 2024 and ’25 football schedule formats — as well as the schedule formats for the next 3 years after that.

Everything has changed in those 6 months, of course, which is why the conference had to blow things up and start (mostly) from scratch.

Incoming members UCLA and USC are now joined by Pac-12 cohorts Oregon and Washington, creating an 18-team scheduling nightmare.

Simply looking at the new schedules is enough to make one cross-eyed. Putting it together must have caused hallucinations.

Despite the inherent difficulties involved in shoving 18 teams spanning the distance of the United States into an equitable 9-game slate, the conference seems to have done about as well as expected.

But being the B1G, they couldn’t help but give the schedule a ridiculously grandiose name: the Flex Protect XVIII model. Complete with Roman numerals for maximum pomposity. The magnificent legacy of Leaders and Legends will never die.

As before, the rivalries that matter most will be played annually, but the addition of Oregon and Washington brings a slight tweak to the model.

With the exception of annual rivalry games, each team will play home and away against every B1G opponent at least once (and no more than thrice) in a 5-year span. In the 16-team version, everyone would have played each other twice in a 4-year span.

So who are the winners and losers of the newest version of the schedule?

Given the nature of the transfer portal and continued conference realignment, we’re going to look at things with a primarily 2024-focused lens. However, there are also some clear long-term winners and losers in this arrangement.

Winner: B1G Playoff chances

The schedule strikes a happy balance.

The B1G’s traditional powers see enough of each other, boosting their schedule strength (and TV ratings.)

But none of the schedules are so overloaded that they’ll be detrimental. The standard is likely to be 3 or 4 B1G teams in the 12-team CFP field.

As the sleuths at RedditCFB figured out, as many as 5 B1G teams could run the table next year since they all avoid each other.

Winner: Fans of traditional B1G programs

The travel arrangements are friendly for fans who enjoy traveling to opposing stadiums. Established Big Ten programs will only make 1 trip to the West Coast each season.

Whether fans decide to make that their 1 trip a year or stay closer to home, they won’t be overextended. And more important, neither will their team.

Of course, this also eliminates the likelihood of too many late kickoffs for fans of schools in the Eastern Time Zone who are watching at home.

Winner: 2024 Iowa

Nothing is static in college football. But at the moment, there are 6 members of the 2024 B1G ranked in the top 10 nationally. Avoiding as many of them as possible seems good for your schedule’s health.

And in that regard, the 2024 Hawkeyes are looking quite robust. Iowa only faces 2 of those top 10 teams: at Ohio State, and a home game against a Washington team replacing Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback.

Winner: 2024 Rutgers

After years of being boxed in by Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, freedom will be sweet for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers doesn’t face any of those teams in 2024.

Rutgers gets 2 home games against teams that have to cross the country — UCLA and Washington. There are also 3 winnable road games — Maryland, Michigan State and Nebraska — in addition to the season’s biggest test at USC.

Loser: 2024 Indiana

It wouldn’t be Big Ten football without Indiana football losing in improbable and/or extremely painful fashion.

In the original iteration of the 2024 schedule, the Hoosiers ducked both Ohio State and Michigan. Now Indiana has to face both of them.

It’s not a complete loss, however. Indiana no longer faces Penn State, which is likely to be next year’s preseason conference favorite.

Loser: 2024 Michigan

Michigan’s weakling of a schedule in 2022 and ’23 looks like Barry Bonds circa 2004 next season.

In addition to a nonconference game against Texas, the Wolverines have 4 against teams currently ranked in the top 10. Michigan visits Ohio State and Washington, and has home games against Oregon and USC.

But there’s still a favor in that mix: no Penn State.

Loser: 2024 UCLA

The Bruins are another team saddled with 4 current top 10s on their schedule.

UCLA travels to Penn State and Washington. The Bruins also have to visit Rutgers next season, giving them a pair of games on the East Coast.

At least the top 10s coming to the Rose Bowl are familiar faces — Oregon and USC.

Loser: 2024 Washington

The Huskies should be grateful they aren’t sled dogs next year — they’ll be traveling nearly 10,000 miles round-trip when all is said and done. Such is the fate Washington chose for itself when pulling the fatal pin on the Pac-12.

But distance isn’t the only challenge facing the Huskies next year. Nor is replacing Penix. This is a genuinely difficult schedule.

Though Washington gets Michigan and USC at home, the Huskies have 5 road games in Year 1, including major tests at Oregon and Penn State.

Loser: Sanity

In some number of years — 10? 20? 40? — people will look back at this whole arrangement and wonder, “What the hell were they thinking putting all these schools together?”

Some of us already are.