Buying in to our Big 10 Identity

grandpasknee

grandpasknee

All-Conference
I've notice a couple times this last year that I have a much different feeling about the Big 10 than I did the Big 12.

Big 12, even though I begrudgingly cheered for most of them when they played against non-conference foes, I really dislike the whole lot of them. A few of them I cheered against every week, like Texas and Misery and Colorado.

I found myself being embarrassed and even a bit defensive of Ohio State during their public ordeal. (Just plain embarrassed and disgusted at Penn State). But watching the other teams play this weekend, and seeing fans from other Big 10 teams on this chat board, I kind of feel a kinship. I don't hate them (well, except Iowa, which I have always hated and likely always will). Maybe it comes down to feeling a little bit prouder of being part of the Big 10 than I felt about the Big 12.

Check with me in a year or two to see if this holds.....heh heh heh.

 
I think a lot of Big Ten fans are VERY happy to have Nebraska in the conference. You guys just fit in on so many levels. We were worried for a while there because a lot of reports were indicating Rutgers was going to be the 12th team. No offense to Rutgers -- a fine academic institution, but they just do not move the needle from a football standpoint. Nebraska brings a lot more credibility to this conference which often gets blasted by pundits in the media for being weak.

 
grandpasknee said:
I've notice a couple times this last year that I have a much different feeling about the Big 10 than I did the Big 12.

Big 12, even though I begrudgingly cheered for most of them when they played against non-conference foes, I really dislike the whole lot of them. A few of them I cheered against every week, like Texas and Misery and Colorado.

I found myself being embarrassed and even a bit defensive of Ohio State during their public ordeal. (Just plain embarrassed and disgusted at Penn State). But watching the other teams play this weekend, and seeing fans from other Big 10 teams on this chat board, I kind of feel a kinship. I don't hate them (well, except Iowa, which I have always hated and likely always will). Maybe it comes down to feeling a little bit prouder of being part of the Big 10 than I felt about the Big 12.

Check with me in a year or two to see if this holds.....heh heh heh.
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My sentiments exactly. I find myself pulling for the BIG a lot more than I ever did for the Big 12. Oklahoma and Baylor were the only teams I was every happy to root for and I only rooted for Baylor because they sucked and poised no threat.

I find that I pull for all of the BIG even those who poise the biggest threat to Nebraska and their chances. I will never be able to root for Iowa just because they were annoying before we were in the BIG and they feel a sense of superiority I just don't understand. I really don't care for Urban Meyer, but it is still good to see them do well and I hope them the best, until we go to the Horseshoe. Just hope to see the BIG put up better performances this week because the competition gets much stiffer as a whole for the league.

 
grandpasknee said:
I've notice a couple times this last year that I have a much different feeling about the Big 10 than I did the Big 12.
Big 12, even though I begrudgingly cheered for most of them when they played against non-conference foes, I really dislike the whole lot of them. A few of them I cheered against every week, like Texas and Misery and Colorado.

I found myself being embarrassed and even a bit defensive of Ohio State during their public ordeal. (Just plain embarrassed and disgusted at Penn State). But watching the other teams play this weekend, and seeing fans from other Big 10 teams on this chat board, I kind of feel a kinship. I don't hate them (well, except Iowa, which I have always hated and likely always will). Maybe it comes down to feeling a little bit prouder of being part of the Big 10 than I felt about the Big 12.

Check with me in a year or two to see if this holds.....heh heh heh.
Click to expand...
Me too. It's 10,000 times easier to root for Big10 teams than the BigXII. In a way, like the Big8. The Big10 simply has our kind of people.

 
It was naturally easy for me, because I grew up around the Big 10 anyway. I've been around all those Badgers for years and year. I feel like there is more of a brotherhood in this conference. I feel like everyone respects each other, save for maybe the Michigan-Ohio St thing.

It's been fun for me because I would wear my Nebraska shirts back in the day, and they'd kind of ignore it. Once in awhile, they'd go "that's cute". But it was never anything mean-spirited or nasty. Perhaps more curiosity. I enjoy showing my Huskers off a little bit to them.... maybe some of my old friends back there can say "I get Nebraska" now.

 
I'm glad we added Nebraska, I think they're a perfect fit.

That spring of 2010 was an interesting one. So many schools were floated out there; Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland, Connecticut, Cincinatti, Pitt, Texas, Missouri. Thank God none of that happened. Its great we stayed away from the East and added NU. They fit both geographically and culturally and their addition should inject new life in to our conference, hopefully as soon as this year.

Benefits for the B1G

We can claim much of NU's success in B1G record books

Addition reaffirms cultural identity and commitment to Midwest

More Moneys

Ability to divide into divisions and create conference championship game

Conference now has four CFB powerhouses. That's as many or more than any other conference depending on how you want to count

One to two more easy wins in basketball for most teams

They're supposed to be good in that baseball thing. Being a UW fan I have absolutely no idea what that sport is.

Drawbacks for the B1G

We have horribly named divisions

Academic identity slightly tarnished

Lil Red is creepy

Oh and Notre Dame, depending on how you look at it and how this continuing realignment pans out but adding NU may make it more difficult to add ND, or it may make it easier. That may be a good thing or it may not. Personally I've always wanted ND in the conference. I'd swap PSU for them.

Benefits for NU

Better Hockey (if they ever get it)

I think our volleyball and wrestiling are better?

Better Basketball (debatable)

More Academic support through the CIC

I personally think the B1G schools are in better areas to visit than those in the Big 12 but that's just me.

More Moneys

No Texas

No Colorado

Football is a wash

Drawbacks for NU

Are the roadtrips farther? I can't tell.

No Oklahoma

Ability to recruit Texas may be hindered

B1G baseball is like ACC football

Anyhow, to reiterate; I'm happy with NU. I liked them in the Big 8 and Big XII, they were kind of my team. I don't root for them near as much now since the realignment and having joined this board but I still like the program/school. Their people are alright, we're already familiar with their kind. It's as if Iowa brought a better looking sister to the party.

 
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I agree. The feelings of kinship are stronger, at least for me.

As I think about this, I wonder about some things.

In the Big 12, it seemed there were only a couple of truly elite teams from a historical standpoint. It was Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Texas became a power, for a decade or so, but was really iffy for so long it is hard for me to include them in this conversation. They were VERY strong, when they were strong, but the consistency was never equal to NU and the Sooners. These two have been national powers for decades, in the championship hunt consistently, and affecting it directly nearly every year.

Down years at Nebraska, historically, meant we were in the lower part of the top 25.

I mention all these obvious things because it matters to our current B1G partners as well. Nebraska just seems to fit better with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and so on. Our league has a huge percentage of the elite teams in CFB history. In the Big 12, it was NU and Oklahoma, with Texas as an occasional also-ran for the most part. Sure, Texas had our number, and certainly were good for that decade or so, but the wheels fell off, and bad, as they usually do at Texas. With all that money, they simply never held a candle to Oklahoma and Nebraska, over a long term.

When the Big 12 took away the NU/OU rivalry, I was ready to leave. Only a few games in CFB history have the same credentials and meaning as that rivalry did.

I feel more at home in the B1G because of the people, too. Some underestimate it, but I have many friends, good friends from the SW US. Our outlooks on many things are very different, our view of the world is different in many ways. Not to say better, just different. NU fits better in the B1G, in my mind, and I am damn glad to be part of it.

Also, for a school perspective, the CIC is an amazing benefit.

 
Bucky said:
I'm glad we added Nebraska, I think they're a perfect fit.

That spring of 2010 was an interesting one. So many schools were floated out there; Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland, Connecticut, Cincinatti, Pitt, Texas, Missouri. Thank God none of that happened. Its great we stayed away from the East and added NU. They fit both geographically and culturally and their addition should inject new life in to our conference, hopefully as soon as this year.

Benefits for the B1G

We can claim much of NU's success in B1G record books

Addition reaffirms cultural identity and commitment to Midwest

More Moneys

Ability to divide into divisions and create conference championship game

Conference now has four CFB powerhouses. That's as many or more than any other conference depending on how you want to count

One to two more easy wins in basketball for most teams

They're supposed to be good in that baseball thing. Being a UW fan I have absolutely no idea what that sport is.

Drawbacks for the B1G

We have horribly named divisions

Academic identity slightly tarnished

Lil Red is creepy

Oh and Notre Dame, depending on how you look at it and how this continuing realignment pans out but adding NU may make it more difficult to add ND, or it may make it easier. That may be a good thing or it may not. Personally I've always wanted ND in the conference. I'd swap PSU for them.

Benefits for NU

Better Hockey (if they ever get it)

I think our volleyball and wrestiling are better?

Better Basketball (debatable)

More Academic support through the CIC

I personally think the B1G schools are in better areas to visit than those in the Big 12 but that's just me.

More Moneys

No Texas

No Colorado

Football is a wash

Drawbacks for NU

Are the roadtrips farther? I can't tell.

No Oklahoma

Ability to recruit Texas may be hindered

B1G baseball is like ACC football

Anyhow, to reiterate; I'm happy with NU. I liked them in the Big 8 and Big XII, they were kind of my team. I don't root for them near as much now since the realignment and having joined this board but I still like the program/school. Their people are alright, we're already familiar with their kind. It's as if Iowa brought a better looking sister to the party.
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LOL at the "better looking sister" blast. That's just plain funny. And thanks for not poking us about our Basketball program...though it would have been deserved.

 
I agree, before I couldn't give two sh*ts about the misanthropes inhabiting the Big XII, but Thursday night, I was rooting for Minnesota to beat UNLV...

 
walksalone said:
I agree, before I couldn't give two sh*ts about the misanthropes inhabiting the Big XII, but Thursday night, I was rooting for Minnesota to beat UNLV...
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Some one said 4 national power house schools! Michigan, Ohio St, Nebraska. I take it that Penn St can wash out to the sea and no one would care now. Screw them. So is it Wisconsin or Michigan St? Serious Question is all. But I am glad to be in the Big Ten also. To bad my wife is in graduate school at texas.

 
akita said:
Some one said 4 national power house schools! Michigan, Ohio St, Nebraska. I take it that Penn St can wash out to the sea and no one would care now. Screw them. So is it Wisconsin or Michigan St? Serious Question is all. But I am glad to be in the Big Ten also. To bad my wife is in graduate school at texas.
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Penn State has taken a hit and will continue to slide, that's undeniable. They still have the 17th most wins in the FBS, top ten if you count the vacated wins. Two very large cities in their footprint, the second largest football stadium in the world and a massive alumni base. They'll be fine.

 
Bucky said:
Drawbacks for the B1G

Academic identity slightly tarnished

Oh and Notre Dame, depending on how you look at it and how this continuing realignment pans out but adding NU may make it more difficult to add ND, or it may make it easier. That may be a good thing or it may not. Personally I've always wanted ND in the conference. I'd swap PSU for them.
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ouch on the academic identity. hopefully NU will improve because of the B1G.

i do not really care for nd, but it would be awesome to have them in the conference. all those all-time winningest programs and national championships, pretty impressive.

 
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