Around the Big Ten

[hack]

It's an option. But if it's an option, do it NOW. Give it time to recover, and time to make a decision on him long-term before you kill a recruiting season.

I know that mgoblog and others will say that's like lighting a fire to the rest of the season, but so fucking what at this point? It's already been set on fire. Might as well learn while you burn by auditioning the guy.

[Optimus Prime]

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany would be well-advised to find a big pile of cash to lure Bob Stoops away from Oklahoma for his ability to take down SEC teams. After beating back a talented Bama squad last year in the Sugar Bowl, he can now boast about beating the SEC twice in the last 4 games.

[Wild Hoss]

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany would be well-advised to find a big pile of cash to lure Bob Stoops away from Oklahoma for his ability to take down SEC teams. After beating back a talented Bama squad last year in the Sugar Bowl, he can now boast about beating the SEC twice in the last 4 games.

Great QB play and speed and defense, both built on high-level recruiting and top ACs. OU isn't doing anything that the top teams in the BIG can't do...its just that they won't.

This league needs to collectively decide if it WANTS to compete and make the necessary changes to do so, or continue to be embarrassed and make excuses. And it needs to decide soon.

[hodgkal]

Stoops played for Iowa. Doubt if he'd take a job that would compete against his old alma mater, not that some coaches haven't done just that. I guess with the right amount of incentive ($) anything is possible. He sure has a glittering resume'.

Stoops played for the Hawkeyes when my son was in medical training there back in the early 80s. He was a real hero there. He is now around 54 years old, a bit on the down side of an illustrious career. I would have a similar problem with Les Miles and a number of other names that have been floated here, generally proven coaches but who are too old to take on the challenge of rebuilding a program at UM.

We got Bo when he was at the optimum age, just maturing into his prime, having been nurtured by Woody Hayes and risen in the "cradle of coaches", Miami of Ohio.
I think we need to find someone of similar background and age. Someone who is just emerging at a lower tier school with lots of ambition and energy, and of course demonstrated coaching potential.

[entropy]

The Teeny (formerly Big) Ten

If you want stoops in the BIG, offer OU a spot. That's the only way he's coming.


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[iam416]

Correct.

[Cody_Russell]

You could make a very good argument Navy is a bigger rival than Purdue and ND will NEVER pull out of that series. Purdue is #4 at best.

It was based on the argument NBC made... how Michigan has played ND the 7th most. Purdue is #2.

[Cody_Russell]

Well get ready to lose faith, because Utah is going to lay a double-digit loss on our guys.

Mark it down.

Utah 40
Mich 20

Utah looks like a good team. I wouldn't be surprised with anything in this game.

[Optimus Prime]

Wow, really that bad?

Remember how last week, we were talking about the "disaster" the Big Ten had just experienced? Well oh ho ho, did the Big Ten ever recalibrate that whole horror scale after Week 3, one of the most rancid weeks from a power conference that we've seen in years.

Here are the ugly numbers from the B1G:

3-6 in non-conference play in Week 3
0-5 against other power conferences' teams (including Notre Dame) in Week 3
1-10 on the season against power non-conference foes
and 12 of the 14 Big Ten teams already have at least one loss, only one of them in conference.
This can't continue if the Big Ten wants to keep any semblance of respectability and market share. Otherwise it's going the way of the dodo or the Big East, and that seems less than ideal. So here are some suggestions, in increasing order of desperation and implausibility.

[Hannibal]

The Big Ten's recruiting, by and large, has been really poor. We're paying the price for it now.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Just in the few games I've watched (MSU/Oregon, M/ND, Purdue/ND, Wisconsin/LSU, Iowa/Iowa State), defenders, esp. the LBs, are less athletic and have less speed than these opponent's offenses have. Receiver's get separation on the short routes, QBs extend plays and find open receivers deep or in the middle zones.

BIG run defenses seem adequate but the style of play of the opposing offenses allows QBs to advantage bad match-ups that OC's identify and exploit. It's one of the advantages of these spreads/hybrid spreads with pass plays designed to get the ball out of the QB's hands in less than 3 seconds. You can't get much of a pass rush so a good DL can be neutralized on the short stuff .... no need to run the ball or only run it sparingly and when the defense is right for it. The big play deep is made easier by QBs that can extend the play and BIG Corners and Safeties that just lack a touch of speed and technique compared to the opponent receiver. Their not bad but a good QB in these systems can make them look bad ..... e.g. Golston and Mariota.

So, yeah, recruiting and player development.

[entropy]

BIG is 20 yrs behind on LB play.. it's not just recruiting

[THE_WIZARD_]

The B1G needs more thugs.

End of story.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Thugs that are fast fuckers.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Most are...out of necessity.