Can the B1G be respectable next year?

[NUance]

Mailbag: On the Big Ten, the new FSU staff and Barkley's NFL stockBy Bruce Feldman | Senior College Football Columnist; March 1, 2013 3:01 pm ET

From @Purduefan61: Can the B1G be respectable next year?

With Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke running the conference's two traditional powerhouses, it's a good sign that things are trending up for the Big Ten. Ohio State is coming off a 12-0 season, returns a budding star in QB Braxton Miller and a lot of young talent for a team that should open in the preseason top 6.

Michigan has upgraded its D, has a capable dual-threat QB in Devin Gardner and arguably the nation's top RB coming in to fit Hoke's system in Derrick Green as the Wolverines look more comfy going forward. And as we've observed from the SEC going on this spectacular run of having won seven BCS titles in a row, a conference's worth is gauged by the heavyweights at the top more than anything else. It also doesn't help that the Big Ten has won only one Rose Bowl is the past dozen years with a record of 1-9 and 1-10 if you add in Nebraska's blowout loss to Miami.

But there are other encouraging signs in the Big Ten: Gary Andersen worked wonders at Utah State and should be a good fit for a strong Wisconsin program. Pat Fitzgerald has elevated Northwestern, and the Cats keep improving.

The downside: Iowa has lost its momentum. Nebraska has to replace almost its entire defense.

LINK

Respectable? Yes. On par with the SEC? Not yet.

 

[Decked]

Mailbag: On the Big Ten, the new FSU staff and Barkley's NFL stockBy Bruce Feldman | Senior College Football Columnist; March 1, 2013 3:01 pm ET

From @Purduefan61: Can the B1G be respectable next year?

With Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke running the conference's two traditional powerhouses, it's a good sign that things are trending up for the Big Ten. Ohio State is coming off a 12-0 season, returns a budding star in QB Braxton Miller and a lot of young talent for a team that should open in the preseason top 6.

Michigan has upgraded its D, has a capable dual-threat QB in Devin Gardner and arguably the nation's top RB coming in to fit Hoke's system in Derrick Green as the Wolverines look more comfy going forward. And as we've observed from the SEC going on this spectacular run of having won seven BCS titles in a row, a conference's worth is gauged by the heavyweights at the top more than anything else. It also doesn't help that the Big Ten has won only one Rose Bowl is the past dozen years with a record of 1-9 and 1-10 if you add in Nebraska's blowout loss to Miami.

But there are other encouraging signs in the Big Ten: Gary Andersen worked wonders at Utah State and should be a good fit for a strong Wisconsin program. Pat Fitzgerald has elevated Northwestern, and the Cats keep improving.

The downside: Iowa has lost its momentum. Nebraska has to replace almost its entire defense.

LINK

Respectable? Yes. On par with the SEC? Not yet.

Agreed. Im starting to feel like the Big 12 isn't as strong as we thought either.

 

[Mavric]

Mailbag: On the Big Ten, the new FSU staff and Barkley's NFL stockBy Bruce Feldman | Senior College Football Columnist; March 1, 2013 3:01 pm ET

From @Purduefan61: Can the B1G be respectable next year?

With Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke running the conference's two traditional powerhouses, it's a good sign that things are trending up for the Big Ten. Ohio State is coming off a 12-0 season, returns a budding star in QB Braxton Miller and a lot of young talent for a team that should open in the preseason top 6.

Michigan has upgraded its D, has a capable dual-threat QB in Devin Gardner and arguably the nation's top RB coming in to fit Hoke's system in Derrick Green as the Wolverines look more comfy going forward. And as we've observed from the SEC going on this spectacular run of having won seven BCS titles in a row, a conference's worth is gauged by the heavyweights at the top more than anything else. It also doesn't help that the Big Ten has won only one Rose Bowl is the past dozen years with a record of 1-9 and 1-10 if you add in Nebraska's blowout loss to Miami.

But there are other encouraging signs in the Big Ten: Gary Andersen worked wonders at Utah State and should be a good fit for a strong Wisconsin program. Pat Fitzgerald has elevated Northwestern, and the Cats keep improving.

The downside: Iowa has lost its momentum. Nebraska has to replace almost its entire defense.

LINK

Respectable? Yes. On par with the SEC? Not yet.

Remember when everyone was drooling over how fast Michigan turned their D around two years ago?

Yeah, perhaps not so much.

 

[Mavric]

Agreed. Im starting to feel like the Big 12 isn't as strong as we thought either.

I thought it was a "better" conference to be in but I thought it was over-rated for years. After we switched, I starting hoping for the best but it's obvious we have a ways to go.

tOSU seems to be rolling and Wiscy has been good the last several years so if NU and MU can pick it up, that will go a long ways. MSU and NW are decent middle-of-the-pack teams - along with PSU if they can keep it together - but there is way too much at the bottom right now.

 

[WoodyHayes1951]

Mailbag: On the Big Ten, the new FSU staff and Barkley's NFL stockBy Bruce Feldman | Senior College Football Columnist; March 1, 2013 3:01 pm ET

From @Purduefan61: Can the B1G be respectable next year?

With Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke running the conference's two traditional powerhouses, it's a good sign that things are trending up for the Big Ten. Ohio State is coming off a 12-0 season, returns a budding star in QB Braxton Miller and a lot of young talent for a team that should open in the preseason top 6.

Michigan has upgraded its D, has a capable dual-threat QB in Devin Gardner and arguably the nation's top RB coming in to fit Hoke's system in Derrick Green as the Wolverines look more comfy going forward. And as we've observed from the SEC going on this spectacular run of having won seven BCS titles in a row, a conference's worth is gauged by the heavyweights at the top more than anything else. It also doesn't help that the Big Ten has won only one Rose Bowl is the past dozen years with a record of 1-9 and 1-10 if you add in Nebraska's blowout loss to Miami.

But there are other encouraging signs in the Big Ten: Gary Andersen worked wonders at Utah State and should be a good fit for a strong Wisconsin program. Pat Fitzgerald has elevated Northwestern, and the Cats keep improving.

The downside: Iowa has lost its momentum. Nebraska has to replace almost its entire defense.

LINK

Respectable? Yes. On par with the SEC? Not yet.

Remember when everyone was drooling over how fast Michigan turned their D around two years ago?

Yeah, perhaps not so much.

Not a fan of their back 7. Ryan is fine but I don't see a ton of exciting plays coming from everyone else.

They need work on the Dline too but at least they will have a 5* noseguard to plug up the holes.

 

[Creighton Duke]

Mailbag: On the Big Ten, the new FSU staff and Barkley's NFL stockBy Bruce Feldman | Senior College Football Columnist; March 1, 2013 3:01 pm ET

From @Purduefan61: Can the B1G be respectable next year?

With Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke running the conference's two traditional powerhouses, it's a good sign that things are trending up for the Big Ten. Ohio State is coming off a 12-0 season, returns a budding star in QB Braxton Miller and a lot of young talent for a team that should open in the preseason top 6.

Michigan has upgraded its D, has a capable dual-threat QB in Devin Gardner and arguably the nation's top RB coming in to fit Hoke's system in Derrick Green as the Wolverines look more comfy going forward. And as we've observed from the SEC going on this spectacular run of having won seven BCS titles in a row, a conference's worth is gauged by the heavyweights at the top more than anything else. It also doesn't help that the Big Ten has won only one Rose Bowl is the past dozen years with a record of 1-9 and 1-10 if you add in Nebraska's blowout loss to Miami.

But there are other encouraging signs in the Big Ten: Gary Andersen worked wonders at Utah State and should be a good fit for a strong Wisconsin program. Pat Fitzgerald has elevated Northwestern, and the Cats keep improving.

The downside: Iowa has lost its momentum. Nebraska has to replace almost its entire defense.

LINK

Respectable? Yes. On par with the SEC? Not ever.

FIFY

 

[husker_99]

I have a feeling Delaney is turning the Big Ten into the Ivy League where we only play teams within our conference. If we go to more conference games and can't schedule fcs teams we are gonna have to schedule sun belt or mac teams just to get ready for the Big Ten. Less chance of marquee matchups when you only have 3 out of conference games. Sure Delaney is making more money but it's not making the conference any better which is where it needs to go.

 

[Creighton Duke]

I have a feeling Delaney is turning the Big Ten into the Ivy League where we only play teams within our conference. If we go to more conference games and can't schedule fcs teams we are gonna have to schedule sun belt or mac teams just to get ready for the Big Ten. Less chance of marquee matchups when you only have 3 out of conference games. Sure Delaney is making more money but it's not making the conference any better which is where it needs to go.

I agree, but with the new playoff in place, I feel like you're gonna see a lot more of this. Sure, the CCG is an intra-league game, but it's still (in theory) the two top teams in each respective conference. Throw is the first "round" of playoffs and the NCG game and you have 3 straight marquee games (2 OOC) for the conference champion. Sucks that we'll now longer get the killer weekends in September, but I guess we'll have to settle for interesting confernece slates and some tit weekends in December and January.

 

[WoodyHayes1951]

I have a feeling Delaney is turning the Big Ten into the Ivy League where we only play teams within our conference. If we go to more conference games and can't schedule fcs teams we are gonna have to schedule sun belt or mac teams just to get ready for the Big Ten. Less chance of marquee matchups when you only have 3 out of conference games. Sure Delaney is making more money but it's not making the conference any better which is where it needs to go.

I agree, but with the new playoff in place, I feel like you're gonna see a lot more of this. Sure, the CCG is an intra-league game, but it's still (in theory) the two top teams in each respective conference. Throw is the first "round" of playoffs and the NCG game and you have 3 straight marquee games (2 OOC) for the conference champion. Sucks that we'll now longer get the killer weekends in September, but I guess we'll have to settle for interesting confernece slates and some tit weekends in December and January.

pardonne moi?

 

[husker_99]

I have a feeling Delaney is turning the Big Ten into the Ivy League where we only play teams within our conference. If we go to more conference games and can't schedule fcs teams we are gonna have to schedule sun belt or mac teams just to get ready for the Big Ten. Less chance of marquee matchups when you only have 3 out of conference games. Sure Delaney is making more money but it's not making the conference any better which is where it needs to go.

I agree, but with the new playoff in place, I feel like you're gonna see a lot more of this. Sure, the CCG is an intra-league game, but it's still (in theory) the two top teams in each respective conference. Throw is the first "round" of playoffs and the NCG game and you have 3 straight marquee games (2 OOC) for the conference champion. Sucks that we'll now longer get the killer weekends in September, but I guess we'll have to settle for interesting confernece slates and some tit weekends in December and January.

But how is playing in our own conference going to get us ready to play an SEC team come playoff time? We need to play against good different offenses.

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

I have a feeling Delaney is turning the Big Ten into the Ivy League where we only play teams within our conference. If we go to more conference games and can't schedule fcs teams we are gonna have to schedule sun belt or mac teams just to get ready for the Big Ten. Less chance of marquee matchups when you only have 3 out of conference games. Sure Delaney is making more money but it's not making the conference any better which is where it needs to go.

how do Div IAA schools help us in any way, other than a likely win? Those games don't strengthen the team, just costs us a cool mil.

 

[husker_99]

I have a feeling Delaney is turning the Big Ten into the Ivy League where we only play teams within our conference. If we go to more conference games and can't schedule fcs teams we are gonna have to schedule sun belt or mac teams just to get ready for the Big Ten. Less chance of marquee matchups when you only have 3 out of conference games. Sure Delaney is making more money but it's not making the conference any better which is where it needs to go.

how do Div IAA schools help us in any way, other than a likely win? Those games don't strengthen the team, just costs us a cool mil.

the fcs teams provide a purpose. They let us fine tune the basics and see what we have in backups. FCS teams are also starting to move up to FBS more frequently thus providing a greater challenge than in years past. You don't want to start conference play and not find out everything you can about your team. Starting out against a higher caliber you may not have the chance to find out because you can't put your backups in cause of a closer game.

 

[Flood]

In Delaney we trust . . .

Seriously, he seems the best commissioner in the NCAA.

I suspect there is more than meets the eye with the FCS decision. I think an endgame is yet to be released.

Or I am a bit dumb and behind the curve. That would not surprise me either.

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

I have a feeling Delaney is turning the Big Ten into the Ivy League where we only play teams within our conference. If we go to more conference games and can't schedule fcs teams we are gonna have to schedule sun belt or mac teams just to get ready for the Big Ten. Less chance of marquee matchups when you only have 3 out of conference games. Sure Delaney is making more money but it's not making the conference any better which is where it needs to go.

how do Div IAA schools help us in any way, other than a likely win? Those games don't strengthen the team, just costs us a cool mil.

the fcs teams provide a purpose. They let us fine tune the basics and see what we have in backups. FCS teams are also starting to move up to FBS more frequently thus providing a greater challenge than in years past. You don't want to start conference play and not find out everything you can about your team. Starting out against a higher caliber you may not have the chance to find out because you can't put your backups in cause of a closer game.

I won't expound on this too much, as I see the subject already has a thread in the football forum, but you are simultaneously arguing that we should be able to schedule a D1AA school, but complaining that 3 games is not enough to schedule any marquee matchups. Doesn't the D1AA school take away one more opportunity as well? I know the paying fans don't appreciate the cupcake games as much. And if you think there is such a huge risk in having to go to the sun belt or the MAC, then this conference is in dire straights indeed.

 

[Creed]

The only way the B1G gains respect is

1. Strong OOC showing in the regular season. Unfortunately, the B1G does not schedule many good OOC games. Name more than 5 great B1G OOC games in the last 10 years - probably can't. (OSU vs Texas, OSU vs USC). Also If Mich and/or Mich State beat ND in 2013, does that really gain respect nationally given ND poor performance vs Ala and really the last 20 years?

2. Need to have winning bowl record, win Rose bowl and winning record vs SEC in bowls