Around the Big Ten

[hack]

The Big Ten's eyes are unfortunately bigger than it's stomach. It'll eat whatever it gets its hands on, no matter what digestion issues arise.

[Optimus Prime]

Therefore B1G = Al Borges ?

[hack]

Yup. The Borges 14 For Now. B1FN.

[Whitley]

The financial forecast for Maryland over the next decade looks pretty grim

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports...637_story.html

not to belittle their $$$ status, but the vast majority (at least in the year to year) is the ACC withholding revenue from Maryland. When the exit fee gets taken care of a lot of that problem will go away. In addition, I am sure that the BIG Ten new TV revenue (even at less than a full share) has not been added in either (or has been underestimated). When those two things happen it will change the picture significantly.

[hack]

ACC def screwing MD. Basketball home sked this year doesn't incl UNC, Duke or even friggin NC St. Sucks for me, being a local here in the Heart of Big Ten Country.

[entropy]

new OC at Rutgers


whoops.. wrong picture

[Wild Hoss]

Well there's one guy in the league that Pelini can outcoach. Its a start.

[Rob F]

Wilford Brimley ?

[Tony G]

Craig Stadler?

[entropy]

http://btn.com/2013/08/22/dienhart-best-of-the-2013-btn-football-tour/?cmp=user+shared+twitter

Best of the BTN tour

[iam416]

I think it's time for everyone to start posting their B10 predictions in as much or as little detail as they wish. I, for one, am looking forward to Buchanan's page long breakdown of the Goofers.

I will start with very general first:

Leaders -- I honestly don't see how OSU doesn't win this division if the season stays within the the fat part of the bell curve of possible outcomes. If they beat Wisky at home they will have to lose at least two other conference games.

Legends -- what a clusterfuck this is going to be. Personally, I think M has the best team. Hokattison have been great at home and dogshit on the road. My preliminary take is: Nebraska at 7-1; Michigan at 6-2 (MSU, OSU); MSU at 5-3 (UNL, NW, Someone else). I like NW, but I think their schedule is too much. I think they'll lose at least one to OSU, @ Wisky and I think they'll lose @ UNL. I think they'll split with the Michigan teams at home at go 5-3.

So, I see UNL @ PSU and OSU @ M as the key late season games. If UNL loses at PSU, then M should win the division. If not, M will have to beat OSU to, well, play OSU again.

[Hannibal]

OSU cakewalks into the championship game.

If Michigan beats Nebraska, then I think that we see the shitty scenario of the UM-OSU rematch having been decided before the first game is played. Bleh.

I've got NW at 4-4, with losses to OSU, UNL, UM, and one other. They might go 5-3, but I don't see them being much better than that. I recently reviewed the stats from some of their games last year. 596 yards surrendered to Syracuse, but they were +2 on turnovers and they scored a TD on a punt return. 443 yards and 30 first downs surrendered to Penn State. 543 yards surrendered to Nebraska, a game that was only close because they were +3 on turnovers. 419 yards surrendered to Michigan. 419 yards surrendered to Michigan State, a game that they won because they were +4 on turnovers. 425 yards given up to Indiana. Those are RichRod numbers. Even Minnehaha outgained them 327 to 275, but NW won because they were +3 on turnovers. Their only non turnover-fueled win against a team that didn't suck was their bowl game, because Mississippi State's QB was so bad that I suspect he was point shaving. On the year, NW ended up +14 on turnover margin, including +8 on fumbles, which is mostly (if not all) luck.

PSU is a big wildcard. They might have one more pleasant year before armageddon hits. Their combination of fifth year senior, overachieving QB + awesome defensive coaching staff will probably keep them in every game. They might beat us, and they could beat Nebraska too.

[Hannibal]

Actually McGloin is gone (I thought he had one more year). Things could get really rough there, as Penn State doesn't have the talent to play Tresselball.

[iam416]

I have M beating UNL, but I think UNL will go 7-1. I think M will lose twice. Or, put another way, I don't think M will be 11-0 when they play OSU (I think they'll beat ND). But, I do think they'll be 6-2 with a win over UNL. So, if UNL stumbles, M goes.

[Hannibal]

I think that UNL will be 6-1 in their non-Michigan games. Not sure who that loss will be to, but I think that there will be one.

Penn State will be interesting to watch. A few key injuries could send them spiraling into Michigan 2008 territory.