kinch

It seems so much more real now! I (Ohio State alum) am so very excited! FWIW, I was just describing to my main college football friend here, a BC guy, how awesome and rational your fans are, and how you applaud other teams etc. as well. (BTW, living in NYC makes strange bedfellows for college football fans. . .) This is pretty rare for power programs. We are very psyched for the new Big Ten. Anyway, I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about college football but did not realize the Friday after Thanksgiving thing for Nebraska was important historically. As someone said earlier, what these schedules really show right now is the weekend of the games, the day can change. Ohio State plays Marshall tonight (the season freaking begins!) and Ohio State always plays on Saturdays. I think 1997 was our last Thursday game. Anyway, this seems to show a willingness to mix things up, so I bet you get your Friday game given its importance.

This would be perfect. Obviously, as you know or could guess, the Big Ten fans are pulling for you hard this year. We want you to leave as a powerhouse. If any school wins the MNC other than Ohio State, I would hope it would be you. But beating Texas, the architect and master of their league, would be fine winnings enough.

While it's true that once the action gets going the love fest will calm a bit, you can also see that we respect each other and each team in the league for their various unique qualities, even here-- it's not like suddenly things will turn to hate. Their also are no "little brothers" in the Big Ten. Every school has its qualities. A simple example: I get along most badly with Penn State, I'd say, right now. However: I recognize that there is no other school in the nation that can turn out a color game like they can, and that they are the hardest road game in the conference. I respect them, I respect their coach, and I respect their fans. I just hope to kick their asses on a Saturday.

I think you're right. I consider myself to be knowledgeable in college football and I found that I barely knew any of your traditions or history. The Big Ten has always received a lot of coverage, so your Huskers probably know more about us than we do about you.

Tufftiger = best poster ever. His post is full of win, if not proper English. I have no idea what he was saying yet I am somehow fascinated. . .

The Big Ten also gets "lesser" teams into BCS bowls because of the fan support, so typically you have a lower ranked Big Ten team facing a higher ranked "other" team. And we still do quite well.

Please, there is no reason to shout.

As a lawyer I am offended by your comment. I can often stand for as much as ten minutes at a time.

I remember reading once that two sports teams from the USA are known around the world: the Yankees and Notre Dame.

One thing is certain: you guys fit right in. I am sure at some point I will find a reason to have distaste with Nebraska about something. You'll assume a certain "identity" that others in the conference will dislike you for (you already have it, we just don't know). I'll ask the Iowans.

Hey. I am kinch. 34-36-34. Okay I made those measurements up. I am an Ohio State fan and I am impressed by your board. I am very happy to have your team in our league. I also like, for the most part, brunettes. Is there something else I should say?

Don't trust that jWinslow guy. I know him. He's shady. Trust me you'll get service soon. As Fox owns 49% of the Big Ten Network, and all of DirectTV, the ploy is to get so many people to switch to DirectTV for the games that eventually every other broadcaster adds the Big Ten Network. Shrewd and a bit callous, but that is how it has worked so far.

I do something similar. I tune in to 1460 online, a Columbus station, for Ohio State games. There is a bit of a lag, so I pause the DVR on the game and play when it lines up. Many television announcers are bad, though some are getting much better. I may be biased, but I like Spielman, who announces "lighter" match ups. He speaks much more about the Xs and Os and reality of the game than about Erin Andrew's good looks or the latest sob story going around. For what it's worth, in NYC on Time Warner we get the Big Ten Network in HD with I think four other channels, though they typically broadcast the exact same programming unless a number of events are going on at the same time.

Hey now: those teams are trying. Northwestern with Fitzgerald may be much better than people expect very soon, and Indiana wants very badly to join the "big boys" in football. They are on the way up now (not that there was any other direction to go). I was especially impressed with my visit to Northwestern. The fans are knowledgeable and the administration is trying very hard to field a continuously winning program.

I guess I meant the year of your first season in the Big Ten, which I understand to be 2011. We may, I'm not sure, just catch a game in Lincoln this year instead of going to an Ohio State game (we go to one away game a year). Ohio State also doesn't have that "one crazy weird awesome grub" place like many universities do. It may be more prominent in small college towns. And I am more than happy with a good steak, which I can only assume is better out there than here (NYC). Actually, if you want a laugh, when NYC restaurants that aren't steak only places have steak on the menu, it is usually skirt steak or hanger steak. WTF? At least NYC invented the porterhouse. I would have thought the Reuben was an NYC or Chicago thing. Good to know.