ESPN's "experts" pick conference winners, the final four and the national champion

[StPaulHusker]

B1G predictions: records and standings

Brian Bennett picked us 3rd in the West at 9-3 (5-3)

Josh Moyer picked us to win the West at 10-2 (7-1)

Rittenberg picked the same as Bennett

Mitch Sherman picked us 3rd in the West at 8-4 (5-3)

Austin Ward picked us 2nd in the West at 10-2 (6-2)

Clearly Josh Moyer is very intelligent

Does 10-2 with no blowouts keep the fire Bo wolves at bay?

yes.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Are you kidding? I'd be thrilled.

But wait...wasn't Nebraska 10 - 2 in 2012, going into the Big 10 Championship game against an unranked opponent, with a Top 10 ranking and BCS bowl hanging in the balance?

I'm kind of blanking on how that all turned out, but I do recall some baying of wolves.

This - very much this. The wolves would be at bay between thanksgiving and the first week of December though....

 

[StPaulHusker]

Are you kidding? I'd be thrilled.

But wait...wasn't Nebraska 10 - 2 in 2012, going into the Big 10 Championship game against an unranked opponent, with a Top 10 ranking and BCS bowl hanging in the balance?

I'm kind of blanking on how that all turned out, but I do recall some baying of wolves.

This - very much this. The wolves would be at bay between thanksgiving and the first week of December though....

Just so we are discussing the same thing, GSG said 10-2 with NO BLOWOUTS. Ohio State handled us pretty well.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Are you kidding? I'd be thrilled.

But wait...wasn't Nebraska 10 - 2 in 2012, going into the Big 10 Championship game against an unranked opponent, with a Top 10 ranking and BCS bowl hanging in the balance?

I'm kind of blanking on how that all turned out, but I do recall some baying of wolves.

This - very much this. The wolves would be at bay between thanksgiving and the first week of December though....

Just so we are discussing the same thing, GSG said 10-2 with NO BLOWOUTS. Ohio State handled us pretty well.

Yeah, but a 10 - 2 season usually earns you two more games. And from past experience, those next two games can be real mood swings.

No point in stopping the evaluation at 12 games.

But sure, no blowouts certainly helps Bo's case.

 

[kchusker_chris]

This - very much this. The wolves would be at bay between thanksgiving and the first week of December though....

Just so we are discussing the same thing, GSG said 10-2 with NO BLOWOUTS. Ohio State handled us pretty well.

Don't remind me. We definitely got our a$$es kicked (yet another turnover filled game), and that one stung for a little bit - compounded by the head-scratching UCLA loss earlier in the season. But that was a road game at the shoe, to an eventual number #2 (iirc) undefeated, well coached team. I put that blowout well below UCLA/Iowa last year, and well below Wisconsin that year. Plus, Bo followed the loss throwing down the "win out", which they did to make it 10-2. I think everyone was feeling pretty good about the program going into that Wisconsin game. Losing by 6 to OSU that year doesn't make the Wisconsin loss look any better IMO. That will haunt Pelini for years.

 

[papersun87]

current state of husker football: is it okay to get blown out?

 

[Count 'Bility]

Mostly safe picks. Why wouldn't you? You'd sound crazy -- or biased -- to pick anyone else.

But you know an even safer bet?

A team that's not on anyone's list will crash the party. Because it happens every year.

Maybe even two teams. Or three.

And a team left out of these inagural playoffs will have everyone screaming conspiracy.

Bank on it.

When the SEC only gets in 1 and not 2 or even 3 in, there will be a meltdown of epic proportions among all national media, and ESPN will be in total damage control and spin mode.

Odds are better that the SEC gets zero teams in than two. There is a very strong possibility that they have a 2 or 3 loss champ. If the other four power conferences have undefeated or 1 loss teams, too bad, for the SEC.

100% clueless bro. Did you say this crazy thing to pi$$ of some poster(s) here? Some other reason?

He's not saying the SEC won't get a team in, just that under the playoff scenario there's not much chance they'll get two. The possibility of the top SEC teams knocking each other out of contention isn't hard to comprehend, unless you're addicted to any/all SEC conspiracy theories. Don't know if it's a strong possibility, but it's far from clueless. No idea why it would actually piss someone off.

This is why the other day on SVP they discussed in depth that there is actually a much MUCH higher probability that even the Big 10 could get two in before the SEC, over the possibility that Ohio St and Mich St could each run the table, only one losing to the other in a highly contested reg season game with the the winner winning the conference. They thought that was much more possible than two SEC teams not getting beat up by themselves to get two in. Of course, that was before Braxton's injury of course.

 

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

Are you kidding? I'd be thrilled.

But wait...wasn't Nebraska 10 - 2 in 2012, going into the Big 10 Championship game against an unranked opponent, with a Top 10 ranking and BCS bowl hanging in the balance?

I'm kind of blanking on how that all turned out, but I do recall some baying of wolves.

This - very much this. The wolves would be at bay between thanksgiving and the first week of December though....

Just so we are discussing the same thing, GSG said 10-2 with NO BLOWOUTS. Ohio State handled us pretty well.

You mean Jarvis SPH, I'm Jarvis.

 

[Minnesota_husker]

The Michigan State love affair is adorable.

I am not saying they wont be good, but i just think people are over hyping the loss of braxton miller.

 

[Count 'Bility]

The Michigan State love affair is adorable.

I am not saying they wont be good, but i just think people are over hyping the loss of braxton miller.

I disagree.

Ohio St lost their 2 best defenders. Their workload RB. And they have a pretty young and inexperienced Oline. It was set up well that a phenomenal talent and 4th year starter in Miller could carry the load so to speak until the younger guys at those key position came along. Now theyre stickin a freshman in that spot. Mark it. At the end of the year, we'll be able to blame 2 of Ohio st's losses (if theyre more) to the loss of Braxton Miller. I believe his presence is worth 21 points a game. Hence, Michigan St's road just got quite a bit easier.

 

[StPaulHusker]

Are you kidding? I'd be thrilled.

But wait...wasn't Nebraska 10 - 2 in 2012, going into the Big 10 Championship game against an unranked opponent, with a Top 10 ranking and BCS bowl hanging in the balance?

I'm kind of blanking on how that all turned out, but I do recall some baying of wolves.

This - very much this. The wolves would be at bay between thanksgiving and the first week of December though....

Just so we are discussing the same thing, GSG said 10-2 with NO BLOWOUTS. Ohio State handled us pretty well.

You mean Jarvis SPH, I'm Jarvis.

I'll call you whatever I want to call you, Nancy.

 

[Saunders]

If the stupidest thing someone says on a podcast now counts as "the media" then I guess the media will always be stupid. But when a national pundit says something to support your argument, you forfeit the right to post it.

It was Ivan Maisel, Rece Davis, Gene Wojciechowski, Paul Finebaum, and one other I can't remember. Not exactly media scrubs.

 

[Saunders]

The Michigan State love affair is adorable.

I am not saying they wont be good, but i just think people are over hyping the loss of braxton miller.

I disagree.

Ohio St lost their 2 best defenders. Their workload RB. And they have a pretty young and inexperienced Oline. It was set up well that a phenomenal talent and 4th year starter in Miller could carry the load so to speak until the younger guys at those key position came along. Now theyre stickin a freshman in that spot. Mark it. At the end of the year, we'll be able to blame 2 of Ohio st's losses (if theyre more) to the loss of Braxton Miller. I believe his presence is worth 21 points a game. Hence, Michigan St's road just got quite a bit easier.

But it's still absurd that pundits think they're gonna waltz through the B1G schedule, undefeated. Last year was the first time MSU's ever done it, and there's been an undefeated B1G champ about 20-25% since 1990, twice in the last 11 years. MSU's a flawed team, they aren't going 8-0 in the conference.

 

[admo]

The Michigan State love affair is adorable.

I am not saying they wont be good, but i just think people are over hyping the loss of braxton miller.

I disagree.

Ohio St lost their 2 best defenders. Their workload RB. And they have a pretty young and inexperienced Oline. It was set up well that a phenomenal talent and 4th year starter in Miller could carry the load so to speak until the younger guys at those key position came along. Now theyre stickin a freshman in that spot. Mark it. At the end of the year, we'll be able to blame 2 of Ohio st's losses (if theyre more) to the loss of Braxton Miller. I believe his presence is worth 21 points a game. Hence, Michigan St's road just got quite a bit easier.

I really hope you are right. They do have Urban Legend as commander.

 

[BigRedBuster]

The Michigan State love affair is adorable.

I am not saying they wont be good, but i just think people are over hyping the loss of braxton miller.

I disagree.

Ohio St lost their 2 best defenders. Their workload RB. And they have a pretty young and inexperienced Oline. It was set up well that a phenomenal talent and 4th year starter in Miller could carry the load so to speak until the younger guys at those key position came along. Now theyre stickin a freshman in that spot. Mark it. At the end of the year, we'll be able to blame 2 of Ohio st's losses (if theyre more) to the loss of Braxton Miller. I believe his presence is worth 21 points a game. Hence, Michigan St's road just got quite a bit easier.

I'm interested in who you think OSU is going to lose to. Right now, they only have MSU as a ranked opponent. I can't find the article now but I saw a ranking of schedules and they were something like 9th or 10th in toughest.