DETROIT - A month ago, Rich Rodriguez expected the Big Ten to go big in expansion. Not any more.

A week after Nebraska joined the conference, Rodriguez said Thursday he expects the Big Ten to settle in at 12 teams.

“I did think (the league would grow to 14 or 16 teams), but now maybe not,” Rodriguez said during a break at the Sound Mind, Sound Body football camp. “But I also thought at the time, if the Big 12 imploded I think there would have been more of a domino effect. I think this probably just slowed everybody down.”

Despite the threat of college football Armageddon, just four schools, including Nebraska, have switched conference affiliation since the end of last season. Colorado and Utah joined the Pac-10 from the Big 12 and Mountain West, respectively, and Boise State left the WAC for the MWC.

Rodriguez applauded the Nebraska addition as great for the Big Ten - “A great program, a great tradition, and it’ll be exciting,” he said - and said he’s looking forward to having a conference championship game.

“I know the players have (wanted it),” he said. “For the coaches, I think it’s pretty exciting if you’re going to have something at the end there to play for. But I guess it’s going to happen sooner than anticipated, too. I think that probably is the most surprising part, that it’s going to happen so quick.”

Nebraska is scheduled to begin play in the Big Ten next fall, a timetable that’s forced the league to examine divisional play and re-do schedules.

Rodriguez said he and Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon have talked “a little bit” about what Big Ten divisions could look like.

“But I think there’s a lot to think about geographically and there’s a lot to think about competitively,” he said. “They’ll tell us what it is and then we’ll go.”

Rodriguez didn’t express a preference on whether Michigan and Ohio State are in the same division. The Wolverines and Buckeyes would still play annually in opposite divisions, but the Big Ten might insist on moving their game from the end of the season to prevent a championship game rematch on consecutive weekends.

“Either way, the way it works we’re going to play them every year, we’re going to play Michigan State every year,” Rodriguez said. “I’m sure every school will have maybe two rivalries that they say we have to have those no matter how it works out. We have our two there.”

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.