Wow I had no idea that the Big10 performed so well this year. That 3-5 bowl record is decieving. We must have been lucky this year. :LSU231: :milesmic: :geauxtige :crystal: :crystal: :crystal: http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/7661744
The one game I will agree on is the Michigan State - Boston College game. Overrated BC won by 3 against a 7-5 Big Ten team. And that game was basically given away by Michigan State, thanks to turnovers and terrible playcalling by Mark Dantonio (The Michigan State head coach). Either way, the Big Ten may be better than the ACC, Big 12, and Big East (Depth wise). But, our top still can't beat the top of the SEC. And, that will always be our main problem, until it is fixed.
IMO the Big Tens problem is the fans don't hold these middle of the pack school accountable for their crappy records. These schools don't seem to want to spend the money on good coaches. If South Carolina can afford Spurrier the middle of the pack team in the Big Ten can afford better coaches as well. I don't think the fans really care, other than tOSU and Michitgun fans. Until this way of thinking changes they will always be thought of as weaker than the other big three conferences. Until Penn State gets a new coach they will be mediocre too. Their is a ton of talent that come out of Pennsylvania every year that goes to other schools.
I don't know, Penn State's four losses don't look too bad to me when you consider that Illinois and Ohio State both played in BCS bowls and Michigan made a strong showing against a team we struggled with (UF). Surely wouldn't call them an elite team but I wouldn't dismiss their last season based on coaching either.
Wisconsin does indeed care. But, they are stuck in the middle of nowhere. And, Alvarez wanted his successor to be hand picked. I don't blame them for what they did, because they are 21-5 and 1-1 in bowl games under Bielema. But yeah, despite the fact that 8 Big Ten teams have changed coaches or have coaching changes in progress since post-2004 season, a lot of people schools definitely don't care about going to get big name coaches. And yes, Penn State has a million issues I could list. And the first part comes from having an 81-year old football coach. Who, btw, is a great guy, and a grandpa figure, but is losing control of his football team.
I for one would love to see the Big 10 come back. But in this day of political correctness and academics being prized at some of the schools (Michigan and Northwestern, and maybe Purdue) above allowing a few football players to major in something less strenuous than those who aren't holding the full-time job of "playing" for the entire athletic department's budget, I'm not sure they will. The weather up there makes basketball very popular, and it's easy to say that basketball is a "nicer", less "savage" endeavor--remember that Columbia's president who invited Iran's prez to speak used to be head at Michigan, so you're definitely dealing with left-wing academics there more than you are in the South. In fact, I think that's part of why Michigan didn't court Miles--their female prez didn't like the stories of Miles when he was a young coach being quite the party guy. The same is probably true of some of the administrations in the PAC10, too. Obviously Berkeley has had that bent, Stanford is a given, and there is a constant battle over the issue at USC, but they're lucky to have stumbled upon Pete Carroll and had quick success...now their appetite is whetted for good football. All of these teams, however, both Big 10 and Pac 10, MUST recruit nationally, while SEC schools can stay at home and field wonderful teams. That's hard, too. Convincing Texas, Florida, and Louisiana kids who need scholarships to attend college to go halfway across the country where parents can't afford to follow to see them play is rough. All in all, football is just easier for the SEC to excel in, and I can't imagine a scenario in which the whole Big 10 would really upgrade their programs. The only way would be outside influences, like if the BCS forced them to do stuff like a conference championship game.
I didn't read one word after this: Uhhhh...No. That would be LSU with that crystal thing and all. And isn't that Booty boy something? USC's 3rd string should run a team like Stanford out of the Coliseum, so don't give me that injury crap. Someone earlier said to "let it go". I can't. The media won't allow it.
