Would your rather lose a Playoff game or win the Rose Bowl?

[Thanks_Tom RR]

If you are not winning championships, what the hell are you here for? Win the B1G title game and play for it all (even if you lose the first playoff game).

[Kiyoat Husker]

This is an interesting question because the playoff has bumped the Rose Bowl down a notch or two in status IMHO. As time goes on, all of the bowls' statuses are slowly eroding and I am OK with that. Their viewership numbers are evidence of this. Expand the playoff to 8 teams, and the bowls are even less relevant.

 

I think we could have had a playoff for much longer if it were not for the power the bowl system held. The BCS was the "compromise" that proved to be a long baby step to a playoff. Now the lower tier bowls will have a harder time legitimizing their existence, and I'm OK with that.

 

Hopefully the major bowls that actually have history and tradition might spearhead a reduction in the number of bowls. Then we could have our playoff "cake" and a meaningful Rose Bowl too.

[BigRedBuster]

Conference Championship all the way baby!!!!!

[BigRedBuster]

 

I'm not sure an 11-1 Husker team makes the playoffs. A 12-0 one does, for sure.

 

Neither a 11-1 or 12-0 Husker team makes the playoff. But a 12-1 (w/ CCG win) or 13-0 Husker team would.

 

Yep.....go 12-1 with a conference championship or better and we are in the playoff.

[jjamuss]

Win conference title and get to playoff, it's not even a question. You get like a month publicity of being one of the final four teams. Would totally change narrative around the program.

 

The other option would be like Iowa's season last year, but with the bowl win. Would that really have changed much in the grand scheme of things?

Spot on... Iowa got to the Rose bowl and had nothing to show for it... that sucked so bad for Iowa they had to make "feel good" 12-0 rings, they would have been better off with ring pops, those big babies!

[GBRFAN]

either would be the best we have finished in a long time...but a bowl victory would leave us fat and happy for the offseason. losing a playoff game would lead to an entire offseason long bitchfest that would be unbearable.

 

If you can find a single person that would bitch about losing a playoff game I would be shocked!!!! ...... Well maybe there are a couple, however, doubt that could be characterized as "an entire offseason long bitchfest"

[Blackshirt96]

 

Unless Wisconsin improves dramatically or Oregon performs better in the P12 than has been predicted by their analysts, I'm not sure an 11-1 Husker team makes the playoffs. A 12-0 one does, for sure.

 

So far, the best win among our opponents not named OSU is the Wisconsin win over LSU. Since then, LSU hasn't looked great, and if they struggle through the SEC, that will significantly diminish the perception of Wisconsin and its win over them.

 

Bad losses among our slated B10 opponents, including the following, probably mean that none of those opponents can rehabilitate themselves enough to help a 1-loss Husker team's case, even if they pull off wins over MSU, Michigan or OSU.

• Northwestern's two losses to WMU and Illinois St
• Illini's large deficit losses to WMU and UNC
• Purdue's large deficit loss to Cincinnati
• Iowa's loss to NDSU

None of the other slated B10 opponents had any significant wins in the non-conf, and Maryland and Indiana both struggled with non-P5 teams. Unfortunately, their perception won't improve as much with a win over a top B10 team as it will simply hurt the loser's (and B10's) reputation.

 

 

I'm still going with the "playoff" option above because it lists winning the conf. championship, which is attainable this year, but realistically, a two loss season with a Rose Bowl birth (and win) would be a really great accomplishment for this team.

I think Big Ten champ with 1 loss is guaranteed in. Big ten champ with 2 losses is 90% in.

 

Gets tricky with 1 loss team that only loss came in conference title game (Iowa last year). I think they would be out, unless it's OSU.

 

 

I don't see a 2 loss Big Ten Champ getting into the playoffs. A 1 loss B10 Champ has a very good chance & I would have to imagine a 1 loss champ who revenged their only loss would have an even better chance.

[Kiyoat Husker]

 

 

Unless Wisconsin improves dramatically or Oregon performs better in the P12 than has been predicted by their analysts, I'm not sure an 11-1 Husker team makes the playoffs. A 12-0 one does, for sure.

 

So far, the best win among our opponents not named OSU is the Wisconsin win over LSU. Since then, LSU hasn't looked great, and if they struggle through the SEC, that will significantly diminish the perception of Wisconsin and its win over them.

 

Bad losses among our slated B10 opponents, including the following, probably mean that none of those opponents can rehabilitate themselves enough to help a 1-loss Husker team's case, even if they pull off wins over MSU, Michigan or OSU.

• Northwestern's two losses to WMU and Illinois St
• Illini's large deficit losses to WMU and UNC
• Purdue's large deficit loss to Cincinnati
• Iowa's loss to NDSU

None of the other slated B10 opponents had any significant wins in the non-conf, and Maryland and Indiana both struggled with non-P5 teams. Unfortunately, their perception won't improve as much with a win over a top B10 team as it will simply hurt the loser's (and B10's) reputation.

 

 

I'm still going with the "playoff" option above because it lists winning the conf. championship, which is attainable this year, but realistically, a two loss season with a Rose Bowl birth (and win) would be a really great accomplishment for this team.

I think Big Ten champ with 1 loss is guaranteed in. Big ten champ with 2 losses is 90% in.

 

Gets tricky with 1 loss team that only loss came in conference title game (Iowa last year). I think they would be out, unless it's OSU.

 

 

I don't see a 2 loss Big Ten Champ getting into the playoffs. A 1 loss B10 Champ has a very good chance & I would have to imagine a 1 loss champ who revenged their only loss would have an even better chance.

 

 

I kind of agree, but really it depends on the year. Some years there are more undefeated teams or 1-loss teams. Also, the Playoff Committee has shown that they are not simply bound by number of losses, like the more traditional poll have been. SOS counts in a major way, so I see the ACC and SEC being punished for their 8-team conference schedules in the near future.

[junior4949]

 

either would be the best we have finished in a long time...but a bowl victory would leave us fat and happy for the offseason. losing a playoff game would lead to an entire offseason long bitchfest that would be unbearable.

 

If you can find a single person that would bitch about losing a playoff game I would be shocked!!!! ...... Well maybe there are a couple, however, doubt that could be characterized as "an entire offseason long bitchfest"

 

 

There's half a state or more filled with them between KS and TX.

[RunMickeyRun02]

I'm one of the few who went for the 2nd one, by math (which is usually terrible) it would mean 1 fewer loss. I'm all about wins.

[MichiganDad3]

The conference championship (and making the playoff) is always better.

Also my reasoning. It has been too long without a conference championship.

[Redux]

Lose one game but win the conference. Pretty much any Big Ten team gets into the playoff with that record. The Big 12 is damn near already eliminated from contention.

[Johnny Eutaw]

Gotta go w/ playoff. Rose Bowl doesn't mean much to me, to be honest. Just another bowl game. Playoff is where we want to be.

[zoogs]

The "playoff" is a semifinal round to begin with. Heck yeah bring on the semifinals.

[HuskerMav11]

Gotta go w/ playoff. Rose Bowl doesn't mean much to me, to be honest. Just another bowl game. Playoff is where we want to be.

 

It'd be nice not to be reminded that we haven't won a conf championship since 1999 every time I go to the game.