Some Perspective From a Big Ten Fan

[Blackshirts007]

Beautiful, just beautiful

Husker Nation accepts and welcomes you!! Go Northwestern!

[omahahusker]

That brightened my day, thanks zeek, glad to hear the Big 10 was behind us

[Eric the Red]

Hey Husker fans, just came by to offer some thoughts on the Big 12 CCG, your bowl game, and next year.

 

You guys showed a lot of heart out there in the CCG, and it was impressive that you guys managed to have a majority of the crowd at JerryWorld. The result was tough, but you have to know that the whole Big Ten was behind you, and you ended up on the short end of a classic. OU-NU matchups tend to mostly be of that variety, and they're the kind of games you never want to end although you know one team has to come up short. And so even though Oklahoma won and defended the Big 12's "rep", any objective viewer would look at the 2009 and 2010 Big 12 CCGs and realize that the Big 12 has lost it's anchor in the north. Those two Nebraska-Texas and Nebraska-Oklahoma games simply can't be replaced by any of the remaining squads as compelling national matchups, which is why Texas tried to bluff to keep you in the Big 12.

 

As for the bowl game, Beebe is forcing the Insight Bowl to play politics, and they know where their bread is buttered (at the heel of Texas like everything else in the Big 12). The Big Ten's premiere matchups are the Rose Bowl and our matchups with the SEC for the most part. Most squads fight for the right to get to Florida first (after the NC/Rose), since the Capital One Bowl and Outback Bowl tend to grab marquee opponents more often and get the highest TV ratings (of any non-BCS bowl) and money as they're on New Years' Day. Just finish off Washington strong and prepare for the transition, since you guys will have your eye on the Big Ten CCG and a possible BCS NC bid or the Rose Bowl bid in your first year.

 

So let Mizzou get their gloating in for a few weeks about how they finally got picked over you for the Insight Bowl. For the most part, it's irrelevant; the Big 12 CCG was your bowl game; the Holiday Bowl is just a reward for your players for their 10-3 season and a set of practices in order to prepare you for the Big Ten. We'll see how well Mizzou thrives in a Big 12 where they have to go up against the entire Big 12 South every year. They managed to peep out during your down period earlier in the decade, but they're doomed to irrelevance in a Big 12 that will resemble the Big Ten before Penn State joined, when it was just Michigan and Ohio State competing for the Rose Bowl.

 

Just think, no more PPV games, new annual matchups with Michigan, Penn State, and Iowa. You guys were never respected enough in the Big 12 to get an East-West setup or some other way to preserve your rivalry game with OU. We don't even have to get into the money. The Big Ten CCG will earn over $22M per year for just the TV rights. For comparison the SEC's version earns $13.5M and the Big 12's earns even less. That doesn't even get to how big the earnings of the Big Ten Network will be after Nebraska adds viewers across the country to increase penetration and increases ratings by bringing marquee matchups to the Big Ten Network. Once the Big Ten reloads its ABC/ESPN contract in 2015-2016, the whole country will be amazed at the earning power of the Big Ten with Nebraska; we're talking over $30M per year per school easily. The Big 12's schools will be earning far less, especially the 7 dwarfs serving Texas. That doesn't even get to the academic benefits that you will experience over time.

 

I speak to you as a Northwestern fan. What other conference could get Northwestern nationally televised games on the ABC/ESPN family of networks for a half of its games every year? Right now, it seems a bit raw to be leaving behind the Big 8 (and OU especially), but over the next couple of decades, your team will compete for national championships, Big Ten championships, and Rose Bowls as you create a new tradition in the Big Ten. I'm looking forward to seeing Ryan Field turn red every other year (hopefully we'll have the stadium renovated before your first visit but probably not) and making the trip out to Lincoln to experience gameday at Memorial Stadium.

 

Either way, congratulations on your season. Even though you came up a bit short of your goals, I enjoyed watching your games to get a preview of what the Big Ten will look like with Nebraska in the fold. Go out there and blast Washington again (even though Bo'll have to be a miracle worker to get your players excited for that matchup), and we'll be waiting to see you guys in the Big Ten.

This could very well be a top 10 post of all time.

[Nexus]

 

Thanks for the kind words, zeek. Hope to see more posts from you in the future. Best of luck to you guys in the bowl game. I'll be rooting for you to beat Texas Tech.

 

Here's to the Big Ten having a successful bowl season.

 

Go Big Red!!

 

Go Big Ten!!

[WYHusk]

Good one, zeek. Much-needed. Thanks.

[General Blackshirt]

I like you. Keep posting.

[zeek]

Thanks for the welcome guys.

 

I've been lurking on this forum as a guest for the past half year since you decided to join the Big Ten. I wanted to get the pulse of the Nebraska fanbase, and I just figured that this was as good a time as any to add my thoughts given the way the season ended. Your team and its fans proved over the past 6 months that the Big Ten made the right decision by inviting your school into the conference. I'll stick around as a lurker for the most part, but I did want to make sure that you know that every Big Ten fan out there is proud to have your past, present, and future joining our tradition.

[Hujan]

Zeek, any chance you have a sister?

[Caven]

Aw man - a Northwestern fan? I can't even come here to hide from you guys!

 

 

[Enhance]

POTY? I think yes.

 

Welcome, zeek.

[shyndy]

mizzou can gloat all they want, we beat their asses

[krill]

Great post, there needs to be a little perspective around here. So much emotion put into the Texas game...disappointment. Again with OU...disappointment. We still had a respectable season though and are making off like bandits from the SWC version 2.0.

 

Husker fans gobble up everything that's throw at them...I cannot wait for stuff like BTN's tailgate to come to Lincoln. It won't take long at all for people to forget all the disappointments of the Big 12 era and be excited about the Big 10.

[TuffTiger]

Comparing this post to what we see out of the B12, is there any question as to where the academic superiority lies? Correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and he even made sense!!! This is going to be great for the University.

Weel, he ain"t no Tuff Tiger

 

 

[melscott62]

Comparing this post to what we see out of the B12, is there any question as to where the academic superiority lies? Correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and he even made sense!!! This is going to be great for the University.

Weel, he ain"t no Tuff Tiger

 

 

Lol

[hdomn8]

Great post Northwestern. Welcome. Having lived in Columbus Ohio for 6 years, I can attest that Big 10 fans know and appreciate college football. Taking in my first NU-NW game and Chicago nightlife is high on my list.