Around the Big Ten

[iam416]

In 2015 MSU played them in the big ten championship game and it was a war. They are a good program and Ferenz is a great coach. Most of the fellas in here think Ferenz is a joke.

And that Sparty team wasn’t elite.

[iam416]

Yesterday illustrates why Franklin is not a great coach. You need more than one functional QB in your program, even if your backup is a true freshman and even if you are on the road. Freshman are stepping into starting roles and functioning all over the country, and they have been doing this for some time. And the guy who couldn't hit the ocean from the beach yesterday was a 2019 recruit. There's no excuse for your #2 guy to be that terrible. Even with the transfer portal in place. That's Harbaugh caliber ineptitude.

Correct re Franklin

[iam416]

I think there are at least 8 teams that I’d easily take over Iowa on a neutral field. Maybe more. Now, maybe 6-0 is 6-0, in which case Coastal is better than Ohio State. But to my eyes, Iowa is a borderline top 10 team at best.

[Dr. Strangelove]

On a different note, was thinking about this today and just throwing shit at the wall.

What if we eliminated the divisions entirely and went back to an 8 game conference schedule? Best two teams would play for the conf title at the end like the Big12 currently does.

With an 8 game schedule every team would get 3 permanent opponents, plus 5 rotating spots. Would mean other than those 3 mainstays you would play everyone in the conf twice every 4 years.

First swing at who would be permanently on everyone list

Illinois: Northwestern, Indiana, Maryland
Indiana: Purdue, Ohio State, Illinois
Iowa: Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Maryland: Penn State, Rutgers, Illinois
Michigan: Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota
Michigan State: Michigan, Purdue, Northwestern
Minnesota: Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan
Nebraska: Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern
Northwestern: Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State
Ohio State: Michigan, Penn State, Indiana
Penn State: Ohio State, Maryland, Rutgers
Purdue: Indiana, Michigan State, Rutgers
Rutgers: Maryland, Penn State, Purdue
Wisconsin: Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa

[Mike]

Yesterday illustrates why Franklin is not a great coach. You need more than one functional QB in your program, even if your backup is a true freshman and even if you are on the road. Freshman are stepping into starting roles and functioning all over the country, and they have been doing this for some time. And the guy who couldn't hit the ocean from the beach yesterday was a 2019 recruit. There's no excuse for your #2 guy to be that terrible. Even with the transfer portal in place. That's Harbaugh caliber ineptitude.

Yeah, they literally played 2.5 quarters without an offense.

[iam416]

And BARELY lost. Clifford was their leading passer and leading rusher. In 1.5 quarters.

[Mike]

On a different note, was thinking about this today and just throwing shit at the wall.

What if we eliminated the divisions entirely and went back to an 8 game conference schedule? Best two teams would play for the conf title at the end like the Big12 currently does.

With an 8 game schedule every team would get 3 permanent opponents, plus 5 rotating spots. Would mean other than those 3 mainstays you would play everyone in the conf twice every 4 years.

First swing at who would be permanently on everyone list

Illinois: Northwestern, Indiana, Maryland
Indiana: Purdue, Ohio State, Illinois
Iowa: Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Maryland: Penn State, Rutgers, Illinois
Michigan: Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota
Michigan State: Michigan, Purdue, Northwestern
Minnesota: Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan
Nebraska: Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern
Northwestern: Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State
Ohio State: Michigan, Penn State, Indiana
Penn State: Ohio State, Maryland, Rutgers
Purdue: Indiana, Michigan State, Rutgers
Rutgers: Maryland, Penn State, Purdue
Wisconsin: Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa

[froot loops]

And that Sparty team wasn’t elite.

Nope maybe not, but they won the Big Ten and beat the Buckeyes in Columbus. By the time they got to the playoff they were on fumes. Of the three best Dantonio teams that was number three

[Tslisher]

Again, people are comparing Iowa to some utopian top 5 team that doesn't exist. It's not like there are 4 teams getting screwed. They are all kind of flawed. These silly arguments in college football are why the National Football League is far superior. Penn State had their chance and they blew it, Iowa was better

Sorry, I still prefer the college game with all its warts to the NFL. That league is a bunch of soulless money suckers. Boring corporate football. Yawn…. Couldn’t care less about the NFL, would rather watch golf.

[Tslisher]

I’d say Iowa is about equivalent to Michigan right now. I’d give Iowa the slight edge in defense, but Michigan the slight edge in offense and special teams. No way they really deserve the #2 ranking. Top 10 barely.

[froot loops]

The best thing about the NFL is it is settled on the field, not by some out of touch committee and people who want the same old 4 teams every year. Three cheers for Roger Goodell and the NFL. It's a much better product.

[Tom W]

Fantasy football and betting are the only things that make the NFL regular season worth watching. Otherwise it's junk. At least with the college game, there's some accountability for wins and losses on a weekly basis.

[lineygoblue]

I’d say Iowa is about equivalent to Michigan right now. I’d give Iowa the slight edge in defense, but Michigan the slight edge in offense and special teams. No way they really deserve the #2 ranking. Top 10 barely.

I'd take Michigan 2 out of 3 on neutral fields. Iowa may luck into some plays in a 3rd game, or maybe a Harbaugh screw-up could help the Hawkeyes. But, head to head right now, I think Michigan is better. But, they'd lose in a night game at Kinnick. Not a doubt in my mind.

[Mike]

The best thing about the NFL is it is settled on the field, not by some out of touch committee and people who want the same old 4 teams every year. Three cheers for Roger Goodell and the NFL. It's a much better product.

College football is settled on the field too. And the committee selects the four best teams each year, not their favorites. That’s just how it’s gonna be until they start playing 60 game schedules with a 64 team tournament.

[iam416]

The implication in froot's wrongheadedness is that the "same 4" teams aren't the best 4 teams. Now, I don't know who those "4" are -- I know who the 3 would be. And UAT, Clemson and Ohio State have been the best teams, by and large as measured by obvious shit settled on the field. And when they weren't -- again, as measured by obvious shit settled on the field -- they didn't make it.

Froot is also completely fucking wrong about what makes the NFL so competitively great. Every professional league settles it on the field, so that's nothing special. What makes the NFL so great is the competitive balance imposed by the salary cap and the draft. That, and that alone, is the blindingly obvious reason why the NFL is different from CFB. The committee really doesn't have much of choice when the best teams get the best players and annhilate the competiton.

To blame this shit on the CFP committee or NFL settling it on the field is fucking moronic. I mean, FUCKING. MORONIC.