That was Quick

The Big Ten Conference was the subject to ridicule around the time of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Then the Big Ten came within a few points of winning the challenge and people thought the conference might be stronger than it was first believed to be. Then people realized that Michigan beat Duke and UCLA, Minnesota beat Louisville, Michigan State beat Texas, and other teams earned impressive wins.

Suddenly the Big Ten was a conference to be feared. ESPN's "Bracketologist" Joe Lunardi had seven Big Ten teams in the tournament last week; a total second to only the Big East. So the other day when Big Ten Network announcers said “Big 10 basketball is right up there … arguably, could be the best conference in basketball right now,” you can't just call them wrong. Right?

Well the Big Lead laughed at them, then gave their hard sell for why the Big Ten wasn't that good. First, how do you laugh the validity right out of this point? Not only did the announcer qualify his statement as pointing out that one could make an argument for the Big Ten, he was redundant about it. He tried to point something out twice that the Big Lead either missed, or brushed over. There are arguments for the Big Ten as the best conference.

Now, I don't agree with these arguments, but they're out there. To me, the Big East is the best conference in basketball this year, with the ACC and Big Ten coming in right behind it. It was wrong to laugh at the argument right off the bat, considering the announcer obviously wasn't saying the Big Ten was the best.

Secondly, we have the case made by the Big Lead as to why the Big Ten isn't that good. I'm not going to rehash it much, but suffice it to say there are seven main points and they all have to deal with the teams' records within the conference. When the post ends after these seven points I am lost and confused.

So the Big Ten is mediocre because when they play each other they come out of it with even records? So if the Celtics, Lakers, Cavs, and Magic were to play each other all year and came out with approximately the same records, they would be just okay? Well, that's an extreme case, but what I'm saying is, how does this mean they aren't very good?

Seems to me that if MSU, Michigan, Minnesota, and others all had impressive non-conference wins (some on the road) and the conference holds the #1 strength of schedule and the #2 RPI rating, then they are pretty damn good. And if these teams that had great pre-conference records and are struggling against other teams in the conference, then I'd say those other teams are pretty damn good too.

I know it's fun to beat up on the Big Ten. Actually, I'm not sure why it's fun, but I just assume it is because so many people love to. Anyway, the Big Ten went from mediocre to great pretty fast this season; I'm just saying maybe we should wait a little while before yanking them back down with the likes of the SEC, Pac-10, and Big 12. Is it homerism when an announcer on the Big Ten Network says the Big Ten is arguably maybe one of the best conferences in basketball? Well...maybe, but I wouldn't laugh at the idea that he may be onto something. Was this post homerism by me? Absolutely.

**Update** Sparty & Friends offer their take on the subject.

Week 13 Big Ten Wrap-up

We seemed to find out a little more each week about the Big Ten. Minnesota and Northwestern confused everyone with great starts, Wisconsin baffled onlookers with a dominant non-conference trio of wins, then tanked in conference play, and Penn State just wouldn't stop losing for most of the year. As the year went on, we figured out that Minnesota wasn't that good, Northwestern was for real, even without their star running back, Wisconsin was not nearly as good as everyone thought, and Penn State and Ohio State ruled the conference. All of these revelations left one team that we couldn't get a handle on.

Michigan State had a bit of an odd season. Sparty started off with a loss at Cal, then won 9 of 10 coming into the Penn State game and had a chance to share the Big Ten title with a win. On Saturday, Michigan State looked like a team that was happy to have that chance, not a team ready to take advantage of it. Penn State ran up 557 total yards and held Javon Ringer to 42 yards rushing en route to a blowout win. MSU put up some points late, but after losing 49-18, the Spartans lost to Ohio State and Penn State by a combined score of 94-25. Penn State is heading to the Rose Bowl to face either Oregon State or USC, while MSU will probably be in the Outback Bowl against an SEC opponent.

Early on it looked like Michigan may have been ready to make it a game against Ohio State. However, a stagnant offense and big plays from Ohio State turned this into the game many expected. Except the few times wide receivers ran wide open behind their safeties (Michigan should really think about renaming this position), UM shut Terrelle Pryor down. The freshman QB was 5-13 for 120 yards, but Chris Wells picked up the slack with big plays. Wells only rushed 15 times, but went for 134 yards and a score. Ohio State's defense held UM to just 198 yards and forced 12 punts. The 42-7 victory is the fifth win in a row for Ohio State, making it the longest streak for the Bucks in the history of the rivalry.

Northwestern had been more impressive than Illinois all season long, yet the Cats were still underdogs going into the match-up with the Illini at Ryan Field Saturday. The result was a 17 point win, denying Illinois a bowl berth, just a year removed from a Rose Bowl bid. The Wildcats will be pulling for Ohio State to get into a BCS bowl so they can grab a spot in a New Year's Day bowl. The 9-3 record makes this the fifth Northwestern team to finish with nine or more wins.

Wisconsin's disappointing season almost got a final kick to the face Saturday as the Badgers trailed almost the entire game and needed overtime and three missed extra points to beat Division I-AA Cal Poly Saturday. After a PJ Hill touchdown and a two point conversion run by Hill tied the game and Cal Poly missed a field goal, the game headed to OT, where the Mustangs scored on the first play, then missed the extra point. John Clay scored for UW from six yards and the extra point was good to win the game. We'll see where this performance lands Wisconsin for a bowl game. Probably Detroit.

Purdue blew out Indiana 62-10 and Iowa shut out Minnesota 55-0.

Big Ten Preview: Michigan

College football season is approaching and for the next couple of weeks I'll be giving you some quick previews of the Big Ten. All ten....ummm eleven teams will be featured. Today it'll be the Wolverines of Michigan.

Where to start with Michigan? The so called Bo Schembechler Era, which lasted over 30 years, is over. Lloyd Carr was carried off the field by his players and pushed away by some of the fans. It was time for a change. So now it's Rich Rodriguez's turn, as he left West Virginia allegedly shredding documents, stealing recruits, and raping all the women and children.

The challenges ahead are many for the new era of Michigan football. A new system, of which none of the players are familiar, two quarterbacks with just as much combined experience as me and Martha Stewart, and an offensive line with about 13 combined starts, all from one guy.

As of now, it looks as if walk-on Nick Sheridan will win the starting job. Great. The wide receivers are inexperienced as well, with only Greg Mathews sporting significant playing time. The bright spot on the offense is without a doubt the running back position. Juniors Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown return after impressive showings against Illinois and Minnesota last year, and freshmen Michael Shaw and Sam McGuffie (mixtape please) will see ample playing time. Do they have a chance to be good? Sure. The freshmen will have to play like upper-classmen and one or both quarterbacks will have to prove he isn't completely incapable.

Michigan's 33 year bowl streak will ride on the defense this season. The defensive line will be good, there is no question. Tim Jamison and Brandon Graham will get after the quarterback, while Will Johnson and Terrance Taylor will try and plug the middle. The linebackers should play offense for Michigan they are so inexperiened. Obi Ezeh in the middle is the only LB to start a game; and he's a sophomore. The corners form one of the top tandems in the Big Ten with senior Morgan Trent and last year's B10 Freshman of the Year Donovan Warren. Two new safeties will need to fill in.

The defense will be good, maybe even great, but the offense will need to grasp the new spread offense to do anything that will make Michigan fans happy this season. The non-conference schedule starts with a home date against Utah. The Utes are ranked by the experts anywhere from around 30 to around 13th. It won't be an easy opener. Then a trip to South Bend is the only other test. The Big Ten schedule starts with a doozies against Wisconsin and Illinois. A couple weeks later it's at Penn State followed by Michigan State at home, and of course the finale with Ohio State. What is a success for Michigan this year? If you ask this humble Michigan fan, it's beating two of the three rivals and keeping the bowl streak alive. We'll see.