Notre Dame Joe

It's true, we probably lost to TCU because for some reason, we forgot that our primary strength is running the ball up the middle. If you watch Wisconsin's first and last drives of that game, that's exactly how the offense moved down the field easily. In between, we just tried to get too cute. That game was unbelievably frustrating to watch for that reason alone. But -- TCU's defense was really very good though, and they deserved a lot of credit for stopping Wisconsin's offense, which was quite the machine last season. We might not win the Big Ten next season, but I wouldn't count on an easy win over Wisconsin at Camp Randall. I saw you lost becaue you couldn't pass at all in between the running plays. You're supposed hit the WRs for 10 yards when they are perpetually in 1-1 coverage.

Manti Teo. After keeping us alive @ Southern Cal and stifling Utah, he should have some better help this year.

I agree with much of the above. But for a chance to talk about all things BCS It was less satisfying because the tie ins precluded a #1 vs #2, as in 1993 and 1997. But it had the suspense of New Year's Day when a few teams could go in wondering if they could win the national champion of everything worked out. It was like the NFL's annual flowchartof 9-7 teams making the playoffs, except people really cared. I posted in January: Rose -- (2) Oregon vs (4) Wisconsin Sugar -- (1) Auburn vs (6) Ohio St Cotton -- (3) TCU vs UConn Fiesta -- (10) Boise St. vs (5) Stanford Orange -- (9) Oklahoma vs (12) Virginia Tech Of course that is using some conferences and tie-ins that don't exist anymore [who was the other opponent in the Cotton?]. What a day it would be, even if it ended with Bama claiming the title. No Hopefully a plus 1 where all of the teams are recalculated after the bowls. It forces them to think about why one team is more deserving than another. that's a little harder telling the camera that the winner of a playoof game was better than the loser. I think most people are for it. However the decision makers could lose a lot of money that they are making now. A playoff would have most of the revenue derived from the end whereas now it is much more spread out.

I liked it better in Tempe. Still the Glendale location is easier to access. I want to see proof of those honest services in Dallas, Louisiana, and Miami before the rug is yanked out from under from Phoenix.

My understanding was that the Big# got to the 20 million number by double counting the bowl revenue. That I wasn't aware of. Did anyone in the media call them on that? --- . only as far as message boards are "media"

Should read: The projections of greater TV revenue were what the tool commissioner Dan Beebe used to keep the conference intact as teams considered moves to the Pac-10 , Big Ten and SEC. I lol'd. My understanding was that the Big# got to the 20 million number by double counting the bowl revenue.

I'd guess none of them. If it's not a trick question I guess Michigan who does well vs the SEC. Penn St had some close ones before they joined the suckhole. East OSU won a couple vs SEC-lite [Clemson and Miami]. Oversigning, sham academics, crime, bribery, and the Civil War.

I thought Penn St was your appointed rival? It won't be permanant end of the season? While we're here, did the Big10 reschedule the entire conference in just one year?

I'm glad if it's true. Our Oline play improved substantially throughout the year.

Despite the fact that teams with spread option offenses have won four of the last five national championships, McKewon apparently doesn't think they're that effective. He says they are systematically unsound because they lack the ability to score points in the red zone, even though Oklahoma State's passing spread offense led the nation in red zone scoring this year (link), and even though EVERY offense has a harder time moving the ball in the red zone than on any other part of the field. He indicts Auburn's and Oregon's offenses' performances in the national championship game. Last I checked, Auburn went undefeated in the SEC (pretty tough road...) with their spread offense, and Oregon played them to the final seconds, losing a nail-biter 22-19. By the way people talked about that game, you'd think the score was 3-0. I mean, 22-19 is a pretty normal score for the national championship game. Did Nebraska lose to Florida State 18-16 in 1993's national championship game because Tom Osborne's offense was fundamentally unsound, or was it maybe just a matter of they were a hair short of being the best team in the country? I know Nebraska finished the season in a slump. But people are questioning whether Bo Pelini is really good head coaching material when his start has been roughly equal to Osborne's first three years, and Osborne inherited a national championship contender while Pelini inherited a pushover. I'll be the first to say that as of right now, I don't think Watson is a good fit for the spread option offense we're trying to run. At the same time, he knows infinitely more about football than I do, and next year's offense isn't going to be the lousy doormat we saw in the Holiday bowl. All of our coaches (Watson included) are smarter than that, and they've got an entire offseason to try to work out the kinks. 2011 Nebraska has a tough schedule, and they have some problems they need to fix. But they return three all-conference players on defense along with plenty of talent to fill out the rest of the Blackshirts. Nebraska returns a starter at QB who as a freshman was a borderline Heisman candidate before he got hurt, they return RB Rex Burkhead, Kyler Reed at TE, and they should have better depth on the offensive line. What I found amusing about the national championship game coverage was that everyone said Oregon couldn block Fairley, when he was designated as unblocked in the zone read. I predict Nebraska will need to watch out for being one-dimensional in your new conference. About 8 teams in conference will be unable to keep up with a fast QB like Martinez. Bo could be beating the Purdues by 20 with little planning. But you will need more breadth in the CCG and the bowl game.

Notre Dame was very close to joining the B10 last round and if not for about 2 or 3 people would have been. I still don't think its done. Their AD even went so far as to free up their schedule cancelling the Army game for 2013. This would've/will allow them to keep important rivals like USC, Navy and be in a conference with an 8 or 9 games. More like if not for 3 persons in one Being. Anyway that's likely to be news from the last time or early in the latest Big# attempt. It ended with Jack Swarbrick, our AD, reaching some kind of deal with Texas [errr I mean the big 12] that we could join for everything except football if we had to. The debate seems to have reversed polarity, as now instead of conferences growing, schools seem to be wondering if they could do without them.

Rose -- (2) Oregon vs (4) Wisconsin Sugar -- (1) Auburn vs (6) Ohio St Cotton -- (3) TCU vs UConn Fiesta -- (10) Boise St. vs (5) Stanford Orange -- (9) Oklahoma vs (12) Virginia Tech Of course that is using some conferences and tie-ins that don't exist anymore [who was the other opponent in the Cotton?]. But what a day it would be. Then they could add a +1

I doubt their safety valve had a safety valve.

They should be watched together and have the talking heads explain why which one got the death penalty.

I guess I'll nix my belated thanks to the Big12 for calling a square game for the last Okla-Neb game [until a natonal title]. Also cheating the college football fan by making two bowls not really worth watching. Reminds me of why Reagan said, "Conferences are not the solution to our problems, confereces are the problem."

this coming from a guy whose school schedules from all over the country. a bit ironic, dontcha think? i mean, you guys just got back from California after being in Massachusetts and new jersey. although i must say getting miami to come to soldier field is pretty smooth. We don't have a conference, although if forced we'd join the Pac12 to spite your future masters. With luck we can push them across to Mexico first.

Ahh Geographic absurdity. Central Florida was in the MAC conference for a while. BC and USF in the wrong conferences. Nebraska and PSU may not be strictly outliers but they are almost outliers in the Big#

You have reached the highest level of response, and you're going to need it in the coming years.

This

And into grandpa's conference.

I salute coach Pellini for telling it like it is. And I dread the day he has to do it again in your new conference.

Has the BYU network launched? I heard something about it but whatever. I guess Texas would be a little better off because they win football games, well that is, until this year. I 100% agree with you on the going independent, last I saw the were estimating 20 million a year from B12 TV, I dont think they see anywhere near that with the troubles they are having. Regardless of that, I think the build a war chest for 3-5 years, get football back on its feet and tell the B12 to shove it. I dont know about them getting picked u anwhere else, Pac10 wants nothing to do with schools having their own network, and I dont know about the SEC. I'm sure they will try to toss there weight around, but honestly they would be able to make a good run on ther own. Yes, in 2000. Channel isn't used much for sports. The fact that most people do not know that it exists, is proof to its popularity. Yes I just got digital cable. I think it is grouped with religious programming in the mid 100s. Sure sounds like more schools are going to try to retain ownership over their programming.

omg I thought I'd be reading some obscure Big12 joke. I nearly fell out of my chair

I dunno. A late loss by Aubrun might knock them down to low.

Not sure what thread to put it in. I think the fake was a good call. And the WR looked open if the throw had been out in front. Of course ND got nailed by it by MSU earlier and at the time we thought it was a terrible playcall, but further analysis suggested it was correct. Espec if the other team is not watching for it, we weren't.