So now that you have been part of the B10 for a year

[The Dude]

I'd go back in a heartbeat if it was up to me. However, that's purely from a football fan point of view. The university has other bigger interests to look out for and the B1G is the better place to be in terms of that. So overall, the move is good. But looking at the football landscape - I'd prefer the Big 12. I've maintained that from the very beginning and the recent scandals and Delaney debacles have only strengthened my feelings.

 

We're so hypocritical to make fun of the B1G for decades, yet when we join all of a sudden it's the best conference ever. I still despise it. Bring on Texas and OU imo.

I never really made fun of the Big Ten. I thought that was an SEC thing.

[sd'sker]

I'd go back in a heartbeat if it was up to me. However, that's purely from a football fan point of view. The university has other bigger interests to look out for and the B1G is the better place to be in terms of that. So overall, the move is good. But looking at the football landscape - I'd prefer the Big 12. I've maintained that from the very beginning and the recent scandals and Delaney debacles have only strengthened my feelings.

 

We're so hypocritical to make fun of the B1G for decades, yet when we join all of a sudden it's the best conference ever. I still despise it. Bring on Texas and OU imo.

I never really made fun of the Big Ten. I thought that was an SEC thing.

i did bash the big 10, but when i thought about it, it was really because of an inflated view of the big 12. i always thought the big 12 was so much better, but top to bottom, when you really think about it, it just is not the case (especially after colorado left).

[austinhusker]

The Big 12 is now a joke of a conference. They lose a few valuable members in NU, CU (kinda), Mizzou, and A&M and add two in WVU and TCU. That goes to show what the national perception of the Big 12 is. The Big 10 is a much better fit for Nebraska regardless.

[kchusker_chris]

The Big 12 is now a joke of a conference. They lose a few valuable members in NU, CU (kinda), Mizzou, and A&M and add two in WVU and TCU. That goes to show what the national perception of the Big 12 is. The Big 10 is a much better fit for Nebraska regardless.

i don't know if I'd go that far. They just inked a deal w/ the SEC. And really when you think about it, only recently has the Big12 been down and a lot of that can be placed at the feet of Nebraska. We sucked it up through the mid-2000's and a division that we owned all of a sudden became wide open. If theBig12 was a joke, its because of how unbalanced it was - and most of that lies at our feet. The championships became a joke because sub-par teams were being sent to KC and Dallas to battle top 3 teams in Texas and Oklahoma.

 

Today you can throw in Oklahoma State into the top 10 discussion as well. I'd say Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Texas could hold their own against the B1G. And TCU has proven they aren't some mid-major. Maybe you forgot the Rose Bowl a couple years ago.

 

...you can hate the Big12 (Texas) - but they certainly aren't a conference to be written off as a joke.

[sd'sker]

The Big 12 is now a joke of a conference. They lose a few valuable members in NU, CU (kinda), Mizzou, and A&M and add two in WVU and TCU. That goes to show what the national perception of the Big 12 is. The Big 10 is a much better fit for Nebraska regardless.

i don't know if I'd go that far. They just inked a deal w/ the SEC. And really when you think about it, only recently has the Big12 been down and a lot of that can be placed at the feet of Nebraska. We sucked it up through the mid-2000's and a division that we owned all of a sudden became wide open. If theBig12 was a joke, its because of how unbalanced it was - and most of that lies at our feet. The championships became a joke because sub-par teams were being sent to KC and Dallas to battle top 3 teams in Texas and Oklahoma.

 

Today you can throw in Oklahoma State into the top 10 discussion as well. I'd say Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Texas could hold their own against the B1G. And TCU has proven they aren't some mid-major. Maybe you forgot the Rose Bowl a couple years ago.

 

...you can hate the Big12 (Texas) - but they certainly aren't a conference to be written off as a joke.

good point. i think perception is always off. you are never as good as you think, they are never as bad as you think. i have switched my position since we joined the B1G, but basically i realized the B1G was not as bad as i thought and the big 12 was not as good as i thought. it is, and has been, more level than we care to admit.

[BlueInTheFace]

I agree with a lot of what the previous three posts say. In my ignorant opinion, the Big10 is a step down in every sport except volleyball from a competition aspect. Not that we have been close for a decade, but getting to the BCS title game has never seemed so far away as it did after we joined the Big10.

 

But at least our new conference has some great marketing gurus and that kumbayah spirit

 

 

Really? You don't think the B1G might be a step up in basketball?

[Caven]

I don't think anyone really thinks of basketball as a sport around here Blue.

[sd'sker]

I don't think anyone really thinks of basketball as a sport around here Blue.

if that is a burn, just you wait.

[mrandyk]

I still don't think the Big 10 is all that good of a football conference, aside from Wisconsin lately. I think our team last year was just that bad, and may be worse this year.

[In the Deed the Glory]

I like the B1G. I don't love it yet, and I can't root for Michigan or Ohio State no matter who they are playing unless it is the SEC.

 

I am really sick of Iowa fans already, I am curious as to why they feel like they belong in the conversation with Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State (historically), and recently Wisconsin. I just don't get it. They act like they are the ones that gave us a "rude awakening" into the conference.

 

I guess they forgot we beat them last year...

[robsker]

I still don't think the Big 10 is all that good of a football conference, aside from Wisconsin lately. I think our team last year was just that bad, and may be worse this year.

 

 

Well... the B10 has historically not won many football championships and while often pretty deep and having an array of pretty good teams, the B10 has not that often had heavyweights. Of late --- the last 6 years or so, only the SEC has been relevant (so saying the B10 is not all that good recently is something that can be said about every other conference too --- relative to the SEC). I really think it is tough to hang with the SEC giants like LSU, Alabama and then the return of USC. No B10 program will crack into that elite status any time soon.

 

That said, I think the B10 is headed in the right direction. Michigan in particular is moving rapidly up and may become relevant quite soon (again, not at the elite level of the top 3... but the next level down perhaps). Ohio State has the talent, the recruiting base, and now the coaching staff to become relevant again. Wisconsin --- the team you point out is not one that appears to me to be very relevant and is not pointing up -- that is, I do not see them getting better. NU is an unknown... but it too seems to be like Wisconsin --- that is, decent.. but not trending towards being better than that. MSU is not overly different from NU or Wisconsin.

 

The summary is that I think the B10 is headed back to where it was --- a couple of pretty strong programs (Michigan & OSU) that fall just short of the elite status --- and a few (Wisconsin, NU & MSU) decent solid programs that give conference depth. So... perhaps the conference will return to its "normal" state soon --- but the conference is very, very unlikely to produce any national champion program in the foreseeable future. Perhaps Michigan's assent will continue and they may, in time, become elite --- but that would be quite the extrapolation at this point.

[Comish]

Glad we made the move (if nothing else, at least espn has to acknowledge our existence within their BIG lovefest); Glad to put Bevo in the mirror; Glad to have the opportunity to make Iowa fan live with reality.

[robsker]

correction from my last post --- I meant to say that Wisconsin is not relevant now and is not seemingly trending towards relevancy.

['SkersRule]

ran into an Iowa fan at the bar here in KC a couple days ago. he let me know that we aren't very welcome in the B1G, and that we are about to get a dose of reality to what football really is. that's likely what's been the most tiring thing about the move personally...listening to all these B1G people talk crap on how weak the Big 12 is and how we are just now going to find out how to play real football. I think that Wisconsin showing hurt us from a perception standpoint far more than we could have imagined.

 

But the Big 12 had 3 different teams in 7 of 14 BCS title games, and won 2 of them. The B1G had 1 team in 3 title games and only has a single championship. No one claims the Big12 is the SEC, but I get tired of hearing about how the B1G measures up to the SEC and the Big12 we were a part of was a second or third tier conference. Disfunctional yes. But not competitive...hardly.

 

He then went on to lump Iowa in with Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State when he talked about the "tough" teams so he lost all legitimacy...but still it's the same song and dance from most of the other fans I've talked to. Like we crashed their party. I asked him if he though Frerentz was going to get him over the hump in an effort to have a legitimate conversation. (same question we ask of Pelini after winning 9,10,10,9 games). He asked me what hump - as if there is nothing wrong with their program, asked if I meant beating Nebraska. I let him know that hasn't been done in some time, I was just talking about maybe winning 8-9 games consistently. He didn't say much after that.

 

It certainly makes you realize

a) how lucky we are to have the 9 and 10 wins each year,

b) either how delusional we are as a fan base to think that we are stuck in a rut, or how delusional Iowa's fan base is to think that they aren't. (I'll go with the latter, and maybe a small dose of the former.)

 

A couple of months ago, while out with some friends one night, I actually saw an Iowa fan as well. He looked at my Nebraska hat and said, "Nebraska sucks." I looked at him and said the following: a) not as much as your mom, and b) when was the last time Iowa beat Nebraska? He pretty much shut up after that. LOL.