I was wrong about the B!G ………………

[Hercules]

ESPiN likes to say that the Big Ten needs to run spreads but they haven't payed attention because every team has run a spread-esque offensive attack in the past 10 years and Northwestern was one of the innovators of that offensive style.

 

This isn't a knock on NW, but I think they borrowed pretty heavily from the Mike Leach offensive philosophy. At least their base offense is really similar to what Texas Tech runs from what I've seen, minus some of the deep passing for a mobile QB (well, that's what they have).

I think Woody is talking about the late 90's Northwestern teams...

[Excel]

This kind of plays in to a question I've been pondering...how do you guys see Big Ten defenses compared to those of the Big XII. Just looking at the numbers....they're quite striking. I think Big 10 teams would do better than we give them credit against some of these teams.

 

Big Ten Defenses

 

Average Defensive rank - 43

Median Defensive rank - 26

Best Defense- 3 (MSU)

Worst Defense- 107 (Indiana)

Teams above 100 - 1

Teams in the top 10- 4

Teams in the top 25- 6

 

 

Big XII Defenses

 

 

Average Defensive rank - 84

Median Defensive rank - 90

Best Defense- 14 (Texas)

Worst Defense- 120 (Kansas)

Teams above 100 - 4

Teams in the top 10- 0

Teams in the top 25- 1

 

i understand what your trying to get at but you have to compare the offenses in the Big XII vs. the BIG offenses. OU OSU Baylor, aTm all have pretty darned good if not great offenses (OU & OSU), the conference styles are completely different, you dont see very many games that have upwards of 60 + points scored in a game from teams in the BIG but you do in the Big XII. IDK if it is really fair to compare the defenses or offensive numbers of these two conferences, the style of play is just to much different. i do think this will be a stronger conference from top to bottom when OSU Michigan and Penn State get back on their feet but when it comes to this year i do think that the BIG XII top teams are slightly better than the top teams in the BIG

 

Well you might have a point but look at some of these B12 teams' seasons vs. their bowls....it betrays what's really going on here...

 

Like 2008 Texas that was scoring heaps of points...low 40 or high 30's average...OSU keeps them in the low 20's.

OSU 2009...same kind of story outside of a game to OU. Ole Miss holds them to a single touchdown.

2008 Mizzou...just gobs of points, North-frickn-western holds them to 23 or so in regulation

2008 OU is a great example...scored over 60 points 5 times that season, held to 14 in the MNC.

2005 TTU- had an 80 point game that year held to 10 in a bowl.

 

 

Sure thats anecdotal evidence but you could find a lot more if you really got to digging...I'm sure there's also some that refutes it but I don't think its all together inaccurate to say that the Big XII is an offense-heavy league. The Big Ten at least tries to play Defense.

[Excel]

Woody's said it. I said it when you lost to Northwestern..."You're now officially in the Big Ten, Welcome" It's true. You'd think adding those teams would help greatly but you will lose to those teams at times and it will break your heart. The little guys in our conference don't often make runs but they sure make a point of tripping their bigger brothers up. Purdue for one, is a program that prides itself on this very fact. Google "Spoilermakers"...they've beat #1 teams seven times in their history, I think thats a record.

 

For UW its been Northwestern and it appears it could be for you as well. Apparently MN is Iowa's.

Sure, but every conference has teams like that. Nebraska lost to Iowa State in 2009. We've lost silly letdown games to Kansas and Missouri, and gotten tripped up at times by mediocre Colorado teams.

 

At the end of the day, Ohio State and Wisconsin > Illinois and Purdue. Does that mean we will win those games? No. We seem to lose to that type of team every year, regardless of whether we're in the Big Ten or the Big 12. It's still going to be an easier schedule than this year.

Yea, you're right I just wanted to get that out there...you'll get like me too after losing to those teams enough....just sour and bitter

[krill]

ESPiN likes to say that the Big Ten needs to run spreads but they haven't payed attention because every team has run a spread-esque offensive attack in the past 10 years and Northwestern was one of the innovators of that offensive style.

 

This isn't a knock on NW, but I think they borrowed pretty heavily from the Mike Leach offensive philosophy. At least their base offense is really similar to what Texas Tech runs from what I've seen, minus some of the deep passing for a mobile QB (well, that's what they have).

I think Woody is talking about the late 90's Northwestern teams...

 

Hmmm that's interesting, never really knew that the Randy Walker era was considered the beginnings of the rush oriented spread offense. I guess now when you think of NW it's Kafka and Persa.

[Creed]

Anyway the advantage of the B10 are tangible. Stability, more money, BTN, larger venues / crowds, way better bowl tie-ins, and no Texas.

 

This ^^^ I am a huge B1G fan but this year the B12 is better. OU, OSU, KSU are all very solid teams. But the B1G offers more money and you can't compare the venues (Big House, Horseshoe, Happy Valley, Camp Randal). B1G has much better bowl tie ins with many New Years Day games vs the SEC.

[robsker]

This kind of plays in to a question I've been pondering...how do you guys see Big Ten defenses compared to those of the Big XII. Just looking at the numbers....they're quite striking. I think Big 10 teams would do better than we give them credit against some of these teams.

 

Big Ten Defenses

 

Average Defensive rank - 43

Median Defensive rank - 26

Best Defense- 3 (MSU)

Worst Defense- 107 (Indiana)

Teams above 100 - 1

Teams in the top 10- 4

Teams in the top 25- 6

 

 

Big XII Defenses

 

 

Average Defensive rank - 84

Median Defensive rank - 90

Best Defense- 14 (Texas)

Worst Defense- 120 (Kansas)

Teams above 100 - 4

Teams in the top 10- 0

Teams in the top 25- 1

 

 

Well... the Big 12 offenses are light years ahead of the Big10 offenses --- and that is a contributor to the bleak Big 12 defensive numbers. Of course, the questions are... are the Big 12 defensive numbers so bad because the offenses are so good --- or are the offensive numbers so good because the defenses are so bad? The same questions for the Big 10 --- do the defenses look good merely because the offenses are so bad?

 

In any event, the use of the defensive statistics alone tell only a partial story.

[scarletNcream]

The whole Big Ten football thing is a myth.

 

There is such a thing as Big Ten style football but alot of the teams have moved away from it.

 

ESPiN likes to say that the Big Ten needs to run spreads but they haven't payed attention because every team has run a spread-esque offensive attack in the past 10 years and Northwestern was one of the innovators of that offensive style.

 

In the BIG maybe, but N ran a spread style in the late 70's, abandoned it because of the wishbone and forever became known as an option team.

[kchusker_chris]

Give it a couple years huskers.

 

2 traditional powers who were fantastic in the 90s and early 2000s are down. One because they had a coach who stayed too long and the other because they sold their soul and destroyed everything they ever believed in for 3 years.

 

The scandal will hamper the return of one but the other will be back in 2-3 years.

 

And Urban might be coming to town in the next couple of months

I can't wait until Meyer turns down tOSU before even interviewing. I haven't come accross a single Ohio State fan that doesn't already consider his employment a done deal. Why the confidence?

[junior4949]

The Big 12 has two teams mentioned in the NC race. The Big 10 has none. It would appear right now that the Big 12, SEC, and the Pac 12 will each send two teams to a BCS game. According the pundits, the Big 10 will get one just like the Big East. I'm not sure I'd say the Big 10 is more competitive especially when you consider KState nearly took Okie State into overtime and they did take A&M into overtime. If you take one of the poorest Big 12 teams (Iowa State) and put them into the Big 10, they would actually be competitive. As others have said, belonging to the Big 10 comes with definite advantages over the Big 12. However, the Big 12 is a better football conference this year.

[VectorVictor]

I'm also a bit worried about your recruiting just from what I've heard (not from NU fans). By that I mean that I'd heard that many of your best recruits are from Texas and with your departure from the Big XII I don't know how easy it will be to get those kids in the future...that could be complete bullsh#t though...maybe you don't recruit that much there, the kids won't care or you'll find players else where...like I said this is based on what I've heard from other fans. Could be completely false.

 

Don't be. This was just prattle from the Texass fans who were shocked that someone stood up to them and called them out for the vermin and cowards they truly are.

 

Nebraska has always recruited nationally--look at our rosters, both recently and in the past: FL, NJ, NY, CA, CT, AZ. We're all over the place.

 

As long as Ma and Pa Kettle can see their son play on Saturday via the TV, Nebraska will always have an in, which is why the Big 10 Network is so crucial and fit Nebraska like a glove. We can realistically go to recruits and say you will see your son on TV every single Saturday.

 

Plus, Texas has more talent than they do quality FBS schools. Simple math means there will be kids leaving Texas--it's the only reason OU has maintained their success over the years. Nebraska will always be in play for those kids, even in spite of the SEC coming in and taking over South Texas.

[Cy the Cyclone]

This kind of plays in to a question I've been pondering...how do you guys see Big Ten defenses compared to those of the Big XII. Just looking at the numbers....they're quite striking. I think Big 10 teams would do better than we give them credit against some of these teams.

 

Big Ten Defenses

 

Average Defensive rank - 43

Median Defensive rank - 26

Best Defense- 3 (MSU)

Worst Defense- 107 (Indiana)

Teams above 100 - 1

Teams in the top 10- 4

Teams in the top 25- 6

 

 

Big XII Defenses

 

 

Average Defensive rank - 84

Median Defensive rank - 90

Best Defense- 14 (Texas)

Worst Defense- 120 (Kansas)

Teams above 100 - 4

Teams in the top 10- 0

Teams in the top 25- 1

 

Bah...give the teams in the Big 12 and extra non-conference game like the Big 10 has and everybody in the conference could be padding their defensive stats against powerhouses like McNeese State too.

 

Of course the defensive stats are better in the Big 10...you get to play against juggernaut offenses like Penn State...or Iowa....or Indiana. How do you think the numbers would look if you had to play OSU...OU...KSU...Baylor? Not so good.

 

The Big 10 is good at mediocrity competiting against mediocrity and running up big numbers against the members who are less than mediocre, getting decent bowl bids based on records by people who actually never see the games, and then getting pummeled by opponents from real football conferences.

 

But hey...the money is great!

[WoodyHayes1951]

Give it a couple years huskers.

 

2 traditional powers who were fantastic in the 90s and early 2000s are down. One because they had a coach who stayed too long and the other because they sold their soul and destroyed everything they ever believed in for 3 years.

 

The scandal will hamper the return of one but the other will be back in 2-3 years.

 

And Urban might be coming to town in the next couple of months

I can't wait until Meyer turns down tOSU before even interviewing. I haven't come accross a single Ohio State fan that doesn't already consider his employment a done deal. Why the confidence?

 

 

 

 

What's with the petty hate?

 

Do you live Cbus? I thought so.

 

From what I hear from reliable sources inside the program, Urban wants it. It's his dream job(no new revelation).

 

If he wants the its then he gets the job. There is plenty of interest in the job since it's one of the top jobs, but NO ONE would be welcomed over Urban.

[WoodyHayes1951]

This kind of plays in to a question I've been pondering...how do you guys see Big Ten defenses compared to those of the Big XII. Just looking at the numbers....they're quite striking. I think Big 10 teams would do better than we give them credit against some of these teams.

 

Big Ten Defenses

 

Average Defensive rank - 43

Median Defensive rank - 26

Best Defense- 3 (MSU)

Worst Defense- 107 (Indiana)

Teams above 100 - 1

Teams in the top 10- 4

Teams in the top 25- 6

 

 

Big XII Defenses

 

 

Average Defensive rank - 84

Median Defensive rank - 90

Best Defense- 14 (Texas)

Worst Defense- 120 (Kansas)

Teams above 100 - 4

Teams in the top 10- 0

Teams in the top 25- 1

 

Bah...give the teams in the Big 12 and extra non-conference game like the Big 10 has and everybody in the conference could be padding their defensive stats against powerhouses like McNeese State too.

 

Of course the defensive stats are better in the Big 10...you get to play against juggernaut offenses like Penn State...or Iowa....or Indiana. How do you think the numbers would look if you had to play OSU...OU...KSU...Baylor? Not so good.

 

The Big 10 is good at mediocrity competiting against mediocrity and running up big numbers against the members who are less than mediocre, getting decent bowl bids based on records by people who actually never see the games, and then getting pummeled by opponents from real football conferences.

 

But hey...the money is great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't a synonym for a Cyclone a coattail rider?

[JJ Husker]

I was wrong about the B1G also. It is a bit more smash-mouth oriented as expected but what has surprised me the most is that the lower level teams are generally much better than the lower level of the Big 12. I really see no evidence to suggest that either conference is light years ahead of the other. The top couple Big 12 teams this year may appear stronger than the top of the B1G but put them through the same gauntlet of a schedule you get in the B1G and I think things even up a bit. I now understand why the B1G has trouble getting teams through the regular season unscathed. No more KU's, ISU's, CU's, and Baylors to roll. Historically, you could even add Mizzou, KSU, & OSU to that list as well. Minny, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern are just not that bad. Other than OSU's offense, I am not overly impressed with the Big 12 this year. Give me our defense from 1 or 2 years ago and I'll show you how to shut down Okie lite as well. I love being in the B1G, it is where a team like Nebraska belongs. Unfortunately, we will not be able to skate by like we could in the Big 12 north when our team is down a bit as it is this year. The SEC is strong no question. And if you take Oregon and Stanford out of the Pac whatever, you are left with nothing. Those of you who think the Big 12 is all that apparently don't watch enough football and/or you get too much ESPN spin. Personally I think NU ends with a similar or better record playing Big 12 teams than going against the likes of Wiscy, tOSU, Michigan, Penn St, MSU, & Iowa. There may be more flash in the 12 but there is wider, deeper substance in the B1G.

[gratefullred]

In the Big12 everyone recruits TX. In TX they have 7 on 7 camps year round. Nobody hits anybody, the QB dosen't get hit, why would anybody want to play D?

 

In the B1G we mostly recruit the midwest. It snows and we still play football, no one passes becasues it is cold as s**t, we run the ball and beat the hell out of one another for 3 yards. I love it.

 

For the record NU handled those touted Big12 offenses pretty well.