Are we improving or is the big 10 west getting worse?

We’ve lost so many 1 score games the last 6 yrs, I don’t really care how we get the wins or against whom. you play who you play and wins are hard to come by anyway so I’m just enjoying this so far. My heart isn’t racing so much and I have all my fingernails. I kinda like all the s#!tty teams and this bad play. At least it’s interesting, which I can say cuz we are WINNING. 

 
We're getting better for sure, even if that's in no ways other than the fact that we know how to win a little bit more than we did last year or the year before.

The division this year is the worst it's been, maybe since it's existed? But it's still not easy, par se. While Wisconsin, Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota all have had and do have occasional years of top 15 or top 25 level, the difference between their years with those squads compared to this year's squads is not a big one.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
ND Joe has a fair point, but Frost’s ineptitude led to losing so many close games, that it was beyond anything statistically related.  With this year, Rhule has a close loss with Minnesota, and two “close wins”’ with Illinois and Northwestern.  Rhule’s coaching has helped NU have the confidence to win the last 2.

Regarding the original post, the Big Ten West has always been the weaker division, but this year is even worse due to QB injuries, coaching changes, and other factors. I do believe that NU’s play has improved, most significantly on defense. The special teams and game management has also improved, which has helped with the offense getting slightly worse and turnovers continuing to be a problem. 
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I just checked.  It says your yards per play and avg points appear to be the same as last year, about 80/120.  

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/2023-team-offense.html

 
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Mavric said:
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The keep-away style of play certainly limits points. Teams aren't really trying to score 40 points.

Nebraska during a 9 minute during drive last week exemplified the goal of B1G West offenses.

I also think, frankly, that this division just can't attract skill position talent. Talented receivers will go to other programs and it becomes self fulfilling. 

 
Dr. Strangelove said:
The keep-away style of play certainly limits points. Teams aren't really trying to score 40 points.

Nebraska during a 9 minute during drive last week exemplified the goal of B1G West offenses.

I also think, frankly, that this division just can't attract skill position talent. Talented receivers will go to other programs and it becomes self fulfilling. 
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Play style, lack of skill positions relative to other geos, I also think the decline of qb quality is a big part.

outside of Ohio state, big ten been rather meh with qbs for a while now and this year tosu seems more vulnerable than ever. Todays level of qb talent is a far cry compared to the likes of cousins, Wilson,  and any OSU qb from 2012-2022 

 
I'm assuming the West/East Divisions won't be a thing next year, but perhaps in the future it will come back again.  If that happens, We will be part of the West with the new teams from the Pac 12, and some of the teams we currently play each year would move towards the East.  Just guessing.

But yeah, this year the West is really, really bad.  And I am not going to apologize for their bad play.  I am enjoying this rare Husker success  chuckleshuffle

 
admo said:
I'm assuming the West/East Divisions won't be a thing next year, but perhaps in the future it will come back again.  If that happens, We will be part of the West with the new teams from the Pac 12, and some of the teams we currently play each year would move towards the East.  Just guessing.

But yeah, this year the West is really, really bad.  And I am not going to apologize for their bad play.  I am enjoying this rare Husker success  chuckleshuffle
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Divisions aren't coming back.

The only possible way is if you have an 18 team conference spit into two nine-team division such that you only play your division each year.  That would basically be two separate conferences under one umbrella.  But even that is a very remote possibility.

 
I think it is both

but I believe the B1G West takes a lot of flack, and is better than many perceive it to be because of the style of football.

I'm truly VERY interested to see how USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Wash fair the next couple of seasons. I really believe all four of those teams will have a rough time transitioning to the style of play in the B1G, weather, etc. 

 
I have a theory that the lower & middle tier B1G teams focus more resources on defense than on offense compared to a couple of the other Power 5 conferences. I can't prove that in any way but that's just my eyeball test take.

So, if you play teams who consistently have better offenses or have proportionally better defenses, does it matter? I don't think it does, it's the same. You kind of have to wait until bowl season to get more clarity as teams from different conferences play each other (but even that's a small sample size of data).

But I do think Minnesota, Illinois, & Purdue are worse than last year. By how much? Eh, not by that much, outside of Purdue. Northwestern is actually better.

 
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