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.)