Excel

Interesting stuff about the "image" of different conferences...here is the record of each conference against P5 OOC opponents this year so far: PAC 12: 6-2 Big Ten: 7-5 ACC: 8-9 SEC: 7-9 Big XII: 3-6 ...and we're favored in 6 of 8 bowls. We're not as bad as the media acts like we are.

I also hope Frost does well, most Big Ten fans do, or at least they should. The Buckeyes have had Nebraska's number the last few meetings but it won't last forever. Ohio State has a tremendous football history and is an elite program right now, you can pick at particulars but they've been in the top 1-10 teams at the end of the season for years now, that's very difficult to do....but Ohio State is not Texas and the Big 10 is not the Big 12, it's far deeper. In football we have other blue chip programs; Michigan, Penn State, and you guys. Right at their heels we have Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Iowa who are perennially good and can compete for titles every 3ish years. Even Minnesota and Illinois have robust Football traditions with 12, albeit old, National Titles between them. We are far deeper both currently and historically speaking than the Big XII was in Football. Looking at it more broadly there was a lot more than Longhorn Football that drove NU, TAMU, CU, and MU to bail on the Big XII, I'm sure the Nebraska fans understand that better than I could ever explain it but Ohio State is not the Texas of the Big Ten in those areas...revenue, conference decision making, other sports etc. Ohio State is a powerful voice but not the only voice and the Big Ten is much more egalitarian than the Big XII ever was and we don't have any of the revenue sharing arguments. As to image, If we look at College sports and say that there are four very popular ones; Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Hockey probably in that order, the Big Ten has to be one of the most if not the most competitive and successful conference in the country if you accept Hockey as a substitute for Baseball. I'm talking team sports that are spectator friendly, the Pac 12 claims the most NCs overall but many are in obscure sports. - Football: Most National Championships at 38 fairly evenly spread between 9 teams...the SEC is 2nd at 29 between 9 teams but Alabama has 3x the next closest - Men's Hockey: Most National Championships at 23 spread between 4 teams - Men's Soccer: Second Most NCs at 14 behind ACC at 16 - Men's Basketball: Fourth Most NCs at 10 but again, much more evenly spread across the conference than others like UCLA with the PAC 12 and Kentucky with the SEC - Baseball: Fourth most NCs at 6 in a sport we barely try at ...and then in to the less popular sports - Women's Hockey: Most NC's at 10 - Women's Lacrosse: Most NCs at 22 - Men's Wrestling: Second behind Big XII but have dominated the last 10 years - Women's Volleyball: Second behind Pac 12 15 to 11 That stared happening almost 15 years ago. It isn't starting, I think we hit rock bottom and are working our way up. Ohio State won an NC. Wisconsin beat LSU, there are bright spots. What hurts us is these SEC teams that generally refuse to travel outside the SE (UF is a perfect example) and the ridiculousness of the bowl games. Wisconsin is playing a bowl game...against Miami...in Miami's home stadium. Imagine how different our bowl records would be if Ohio State played USC at Soldier Field or Wisconsin played Miami at Lambeau, this is a complaint every year but it's a valid one. As far as football goes we now sort of live in this bi-polar CFB world. As Big Ten fans we talk about it all the time (traveling, media attention, so on) and you're starting to hear louder and louder voices from the PAC 12 talk about it like Petersen and Shaw. It's really a region of the South and everyone else. Football has become (or always has been) this very regional sport and even if our image was great it's not like Southern eyeballs would be turning off SEC games to watch ours. There are many reasons for that...demographics and population shifts, pro-sports, weather, sports emphasized in HS and so on...I"m not sure that the other 3/4s of the country will ever over take that one corner. I personally don't care that much. This past year is up there with 2006 as far as the most interesting and entertaining Big Ten seasons I've watched...I enjoyed it WAY more than the SEC season and I say that as a grad of an SEC school...I really only watched my team's games and UGA-Auburn-Alabama. The rest of that conference is terrible and I grow more and more sick of it every year. I'm very happy with where the Big Ten is as a conference...and that's not even touching on the academic side of the house where the CIC is without peer against the other big conferences. I think it's the best conference when looking at all aspects of athletics, traditions, attendance, academics and so on. There are regrets, I would have liked to have added ND and Mizzou instead of RU and MD. I wish we could find a way to balance our divisions a little better. But overall we've done quite well.

The Big Ten is favored in 6 of 8 bowls. Big Ten went 3-7 last year. Iowa vs. Boston College NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL on ESPN Wednesday, December 27th, 5:15 PM ET Yankee Stadium, New York, NY ESPN: Iowa by 56.5% Vegas: Iowa -3 Previous Meetings: Never Played Iowa in this bowl: Never Played Boston College in this bowl: 0-1 Purdue vs. Arizona FOSTER FARMS BOWL on Fox Wednesday, December 27th, 8:30 PM ET Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA ESPN: Arizona by 59.1% Vegas: Arizona -3.5 Previous Meetings: Purdue leads series 2-0, last met 2005, Purdue won 31-24 Purdue in this bowl: Never Played Arizona in this bowl: Never Played Michigan State vs. Washington State SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION HOLIDAY BOWL on FS1 Thursday, December 28th, 9:00 PM ET SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, CA ESPN: Washington State by 57.1% Vegas: Washington State -3.5 Previous Meetings: Michigan State leads series 5-2, last met 1977, WSU won 23-21 Michigan State in this bowl: Never Played Washington State in this bowl: 1-2 Northwestern vs. Kentucky FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL on ESPN Friday, December 29th, 4:30 PM ET Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN ESPN: Northwestern by 69.9% Vegas: Northwestern -8.5 Previous Meetings: Northwestern leads series 1-0, last met 1928, NW won 7-0 Northwestern in this bowl: Never Played Kentucky in this bowl: 2-2 Ohio State vs. Southern California GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC on ESPN Friday, December 29th, 8:30 PM ET AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX ESPN: Ohio State by 76.3% Vegas: Ohio State -6.5 Previous Meetings: USC leads series 9-13, last met 2009, USC won 18-15 Ohio State in this bowl: 1-0 USC in this bowl: 1-0 Penn State vs. Washington PLAYSTATION FIESTA BOWL on ESPN Saturday, December 30th, 4:00 PM ET University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ ESPN: Penn State by 53.3% Vegas: Penn State -2.5 Previous Meetings: Penn State leads series 2-0, last met 1983, PSU won 13-10 Penn State in this bowl: 6-0 Washington in this bowl: Never played Wisconsin vs. Miami CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL on ESPN Saturday, December 30th, 8:00 PM ET Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL ESPN: Wisconsin by 62% Vegas: Wisconsin -6.5 Previous Meetings: Series tied at 2-2, last met 2009, Wisconsin won 20-14 Wisconsin in this bowl: Never Played Miami in this bowl: 6-3 Michigan vs. South Carolina OUTBACK BOWL on ESPN2 Monday, January 1st, 12:00 PM ET Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL ESPN: Michigan by 60.3% Vegas: Michigan -8.5 Previous Meetings: South Carolina leads 2-1, last met 2013, South Carolina won 33-28 Michigan in this bowl: 3-2 South Carolina in this bowl: 3-1

I almost feel like I would have rather lost mid-way through the season than gone undefeated and then lost Saturday night. I still feel ill. No matter what happens against Miami (I sort of expect to lose because it's a home game for Miami and their defense will feed on Hornibrook) it was still a great season, even if it was against a weak slate. I'm looking forward to what Chryst and Co. can do in the future, I think we'll keep rolling and hopefully Fleck and Frost can get UM and NU solid for some West battles in the future. Good game jaws and Woody and good luck to you against USC.

Brent needs to hold out for K-State. He's made for that job and would be a perfect successor to Snyder.

Hopefully it's a good one, it feels like forever since we've beaten you guys. Do you think this Tennesee stuff will affect Schiano's defense? Haskins scares me a la 2014.

If Michigan beats ND they'll make a playoff run. I think next year is the year Harbaugh turns it on and wins the East. Penn State is losing a lot on Defense. I see what you're saying on OSU, this is about the year that Meyer gave up at UF.

How so? Almost all of Michigan's players look to return. Ohio State will lose a lot on Defense but won't miss a beat at QB. I don't see either team having "bad" years.

That's a brutal conference schedule. Akron - Win Colorado - Win Troy - Toss Up @Michigan - Loss Purdue - Win @Wisconsin - Loss @Northwestern - Toss Up Minnesota - Win @Ohio State - Loss Illinois - Win Michigan State - Toss Up @Iowa - Toss Up Anywhere from 4-8 to 8-4.

Just for kicks here is what the committee looks like as far as potential biases. I highlighted any problematic areas I could find. Several Miami and Clemson connections that people didn't recuse themselves from, maybe it could impact things. Kirby Hocutt - Chariman FOCUS: None CURRENT JOB: Texas Tech AD aka the guy dumb enough to hire Kingsbury FROM: Texas PLAYED: Kansas State COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Ohio, Miami (FL) OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Texas Tech Tyrone Willingham FOCUS: ACC, AAC CURRENT JOB: Retired HC FROM: North Carolina PLAYED: Michigan State COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Michigan State, Stanford, Notre Dame, and Washington OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Duke, Stanford Gene Smith FOCUS: Sun Belt, Independents CURRENT JOB: Ohio State AD FROM: Ohio PLAYED: Notre Dame COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Arizona State, Iowa State OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Ohio State Steve Wieberg FOCUS: ACC, Mountain West CURRENT JOB: Retired Journalist FROM: Missouri? STUDIED: Missouri COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Basketball Journalist OFFICIAL RECUSAL: None Dan Radakovich FOCUS: Big XII CURRENT JOB: Clemson AD FROM: Pennsylvania PLAYED: Indiana University of Pennsylvania COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Georgia Tech, LSU, South Carolina, Miami OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Clemson Rob Mullens FOCUS: Mountain West, Big Ten CURRENT JOB: Oregon AD FROM: West Virginia STUDIED: Miami (FL) COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Maryland, Kentucky OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Oregon Jeff Long FOCUS: Pac 12 CURRENT JOB: Unemployed AD (formerly of Arkansas) FROM: Ohio PLAYED: Ohio Wesleyan University COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Arkansas, Missouri Bobby Johnson FOCUS: SEC, Independents CURRENT JOB: Retired HC FROM: South Carolina PLAYED: Clemson COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Clemson, Vanderbilt OFFICIAL RECUSAL: None declared Tom Jernstedt FOCUS: Big Ten, Sun Belt CURRENT JOB: Retired FROM: Oregon PLAYED: Oregon COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Former NCAA executive, instrumental in NCAA Basketball Tournament development OFFICIAL RECUSAL: None Christopher B. Howard FOCUS: C-USA, AAC CURRENT JOB: University President FROM: Texas PLAYED: Air Force COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Unrelated corporate or charitable endeavors, Oklahoma OFFICIAL RECUSAL: None Herb Deromedi FOCUS: C-USA, SEC CURRENT JOB: Retired HC and Adminisrator FROM: Michigan PLAYED: Michigan COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Central Michigan OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Central Michigan Jeff Bower FOCUS: MAC, Pac 12 CURRENT JOB: Retired HC FROM: Georgia PLAYED: UGA, Southern Miss COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Southern Miss HC OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Southern Miss Frank Beamer FOCUS: MAC, Big XII CURRENT JOB: Retired HC FROM: North Carolina PLAYED: Virginia Tech COACHED AT/PREVIOUS JOBS: Virginia Tech HC OFFICIAL RECUSAL: Georgia, Virginia Tech Sources: Recusals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Football_Playoff#Selection_committee Focuses or "point person" as the committee calls it: http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20354984/college-football-playoff-selection-committee-members-assigned-monitor-two-conferences-each

I can't bring myself to believe they'd dare snub the Big Ten like that, especially with Ohio State's AD on the committee and Barry Alvarez probably still retaining significant influence. The real question is what happens to Ohio State if they beat Wisconsin, and Oklahoma beats TCU. Then you'll have: - 1 loss ACC champ who has a win over Clemson/Miami - 1 loss Oklahoma -1 loss Alabama - Either 2 loss Auburn with three powerful wins late in the season or a 1 loss UGA Does OSU get left out in this scenario? They shouldn't be, they're a conference chanp, but I would imagine they do...and to me this is likely to happen. You're right about expanding the playoffs, they should look at a 6-8 team bracket with auto bids for P5 champs and 1-3 at-large bids....but that would kind of suck because it would make the regular season mean less.

Because it's hard and he's retired.The only program that's "made" it in the Big Ten in the last 20 years has been Ohio State and only just barely. This is a hard conference to succeed in at a national level for so many reasons, Harbaugh is learning that now. If he felt like Lady Luck was teasing him at OU he'll hate the Big Ten.

Yep, Haskins was very impressive today, I learned to respect OSU's backups after our last meeting in the B1G CG. Minnesota's Croft was the most mobile QB we've played this year and while that went well he's not on the level of either Haskins or Barrett. I do not have a good feeling about this game and I won't until Chryst proves he can beat a truly good blue-chip team for a signature win. I thought he had it with LSU but that team didn't pan out, Michigan and Nebraska have both been down so they don't count. Hopefully this is it.

Who do you guys want as Defensive Coordinator? UCF-USF was the first UCF game I've watched but I've seen the box scores from the other games and how he turned around that program. Frost looks downright scary and if he can get the recruits he'd need I think he'd do extremely well in Lincoln...but I'm curious about the Defense. One thing I've always admired about you guys is the blackshirt tradition, it would be cool to see that make a come back. It'll be interesting when Bielema eventually takes Iowa and we'll have 4/7 West schools coached by guys who played at their schools.

Sooooooo Nepotism. I joke....almost everything in college coaching is nepotistic in nature.

...yea you can feel the argument coming already. Alabama and Auburn/UGA. ESPN and Heather Dinich will lobby for it hard. I'm cool with their champ making it but Bama needs to stay home, Ohio State's precedent from last year be damned. At least Ohio State played and beat tough teams last year. Alabama's resume this year is weak.

...and now that sinking feeling of unease I've had all season has finally crystallized. I'm glad Ohio State beat Michigan even though I usually pull for the Wolverines in the Game....you don't want your team to have to face mad-Ohio State. ESPN's little FPI predictor has Ohio State by 66% but I don't know. It will depend on how many interceptions Hornibrook decides to throw and which Ohio State shows up. I don't think we've played a QB like Barrett in a while, he has me worried, hopefully whatever freak camera-injury he had will have him tweaked weird for the game, no offense jaws.

I'm not gay, not that there'd be anything wrong with that if I were, but I am not....but Diaco is one handsome man. Like moviestar photogenic. McElwain isn't THAT bad. He's not in the Mangino/Weiss/Bielema bracket. I sill can't believe how much weight Bielema has gained. I mean...daaaaaaaamn: Southern food will kill you.

This should be discussed more. I think you're a little off with some of it but not by much. Spurrier wanted to try his hand at the NFL and Meyer left because he was losing control of his program and couldn't keep up with Saban but I think you're generally correct. The facilities there are lacking compared to the rest of the SEC and what you might expect UF to have. Fan expectations are uber high despite very little historic success outside of Spurrirer and Meyer. Competition is stiff with FSU, Miami and the entire SEC raiding the state. UF is a damn tough job, not as bad as Tennessee but still no cake walk. I think UF should target Mullen.

Are you guys really comparing how coaches look? If that's your criteria just promote Diaco. I mean, Paul Chryst very clearly cuts his own hair with a pair of wal-mart clippers in front of his bathroom mirror and I am a-ok with that.