Around the Big Ten

[Jamie H]

How ESPN trying to lowball the Big Ten directly led to the creation of the BTN and Expansion...very good stuff

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,5568175.story

In general I don't like Delany, but I have to admit, he had balls of steel to launch the Big Ten Network and it has been very successful against some big odds.

[Roaring20]

I personally thin people picking Nebraska to win the Big 10 are nuts. Look they are a small team. Fast but small. It's easy to beat Kansas, Kansas state & teams like that.

It's a different beast all togather to beat MSU, Michigan, Penn State, the Badgers week in & week out.

I like MSU to win the Big 10 this season based on the fact they return a ton of starters.

[entropy]

How ESPN trying to lowball the Big Ten directly led to the creation of the BTN and Expansion...very good stuff

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,5568175.story

The regift comment had me lol

[*JD*]

I like MSU to win the Big 10 this season based on the fact they return a ton of starters.

I would've gone with "I predict" (not that I would pick spartie) instead of "I like". That just sounds dirty.

[lineygoblue]

I still think MSU is smoke and mirrors. They got where they were last year by catching teams at the best time. Everything good that could happen to MSU last year, happened. Well, until they played Alabama, that is ...

Their days are numbered.

[SeattleLionsFan]

The regift line was classic!

[SeattleLionsFan]

I still think MSU is smoke and mirrors. They got where they were last year by catching teams at the best time. Everything good that could happen to MSU last year, happened. Well, until they played Alabama, that is ...

Their days are numbered.

This. Plus they avoided the better teams in the conference

[WM Wolverine]

They overachieved last season to go 11-2 but this year they return most all their important players and even have young players at positions where they need help. IMO they are more talented this season than last, even though I don't expect them to win 11 games this season. Still, I see them as right with Nebraska or M to win the 'west.' Its hard for me to pick one team of those three that separates themselves from the other two.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Michigan winning the West? Uhhhhh...this team needs to prove they're better than Northwestern and Iowa first

[Jeff Buchanan]

Still, I see them as right with Nebraska or M to win the 'west.' Its hard for me to pick one team of those three that separates themselves from the other two.

No way ...... First, MSU's schedule is going to make it hard for them not to suffer 3 losses in conference. I can't see a team being a Division Champ with 3 conference losses.

@ ND

@ osu

@ neb

@ Iowa

@ NWU

Second, while its going to be a big match-up and an away game for Hoke's Wolverines, Brady is not going to let this game slip away. Too important on a gut level for him ..... and that emotion will transfer to the players. If I were going to pick an away game this season for the sheer enjoyment of watching two teams get after it on the field, this would be it.

[WM Wolverine]

ND is OOC and I was only talking about the B10. Two, Iowa is imo the 5th best team in the 'west' and one of the most overrated teams in the nation. I can't see Iowa winning 4 conference games, they'll struggle their way to 7 wins...

Agree w/ you on @NW, @Neb, @OSU; M plays those teams too and Neb plays an even tougher schedule; playing M, PSU & Wisky... The 'west' winner might be a 3-loss team and the winner decided based upon head-to-head. Without looking at NW schedule, they might belong in the conversation too.

[Hannibal]

I like MSU a lot this year. Well, I don't like them, but they didn't seem to me to get really lucky last year. They were just really good. They lost some big guys from their front 7, but their recruiting has been very good the past few years.

[Jeff Buchanan]

ND is OOC and I was only talking about the B10. Two, Iowa is imo the 5th best team in the 'west' and one of the most overrated teams in the nation. I can't see Iowa winning 4 conference games, they'll struggle their way to 7 wins...

Agree w/ you on @NW, @Neb, @OSU; M plays those teams too and Neb plays an even tougher schedule; playing M, PSU & Wisky... The 'west' winner might be a 3-loss team and the winner decided based upon head-to-head. Without looking at NW schedule, they might belong in the conversation too.

Points taken ..... you're right, ND is OOC but I think they are going to be a legitimately good team this season if their defense makes any improvement and it will. I like Brian Kelley's coaching resume. He's one of the best organizers and optimizers of talent and as good on field/game day coach in the business. So, Dantonio loses this one in SB. Why is this important? I'll get to that.

I can agree with your assessment of Iowa. I think MSU wins this one

But MSU is not going to go 3-1 against osu, neb, NWU and Iowa. 3-2 is more likely.

So, with my prediction that M will beat MSU in EL this season, MSU ends up with 3 conference losses.

According to the Big Ten, here are the basic tiebreakers for determining division winners:

1. Conference record

2. Head-to-head record

3. Record within the division

4. BCS ranking

So let's say M, Neb MSU and NWU all have 3 conference losses. Head to head then comes into play. M beats out MSU there by virtue of winning in EL and assuming M beats NWU and Neb, M goes to Indianapolis.

Lets say M loses to Neb and NWU but still beats MSU and MSU beats both Neb and NWU but loses to Wisky, Iowa and/or osu. This is where the ND game becomes important because if they lose to the Domers in SB as well as lose 3 conference games, they'll be 8-4 and not ranked in the BCS. One of the contenders among NWU, Neb and M will be and therefore one of them will go to Indianapolis.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Michigan's last 4 games are @ Iowa, @ Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio State. They could easily lose all four. No one's mentioned that game in Champaign yet but squeezed between a game in Iowa City and home against the Huskerz, it'll be tough. Illinois will also be coming off a bye week.

It also remains to be seen if the conference's worst defense can turn competent in just one season.

[Hannibal]

Michigan won't lose all four. If they do, it's time to start speculating about who the coach is going to be in 2015.

Michigan's last 4 games are @ Iowa, @ Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio State. They could easily lose all four. No one's mentioned that game in Champaign yet but squeezed between a game in Iowa City and home against the Huskerz, it'll be tough. Illinois will also be coming off a bye week.

It also remains to be seen if the conference's worst defense can turn competent in just one season.

"can" or "will"? "Can" has been demonstrated by other shitty defenses in recent memory who benefitted tremendously from returning lots of starters. Michigan is in more favorable position to improve than some of these other teams, because last year, our defense was coached by a pack of monkeys.

NW is overrated IMHO. Being talked about as a "dark horse" without much justification besides a great QB. Their defense last year was arguably as bad as Michigan's (and you can't chalk this up to terrible coaching which will be upgraded this year) and I'm sure that they have less of a supporting cast on offense than Michigan. They went 3-5 in the conference just like us, but they got to play Minnehaha instead of Ohio State.