The Rivalry, Esq.

Big Ten 2010 // Remembering an Indiana win from a decade ago

2010-03-17T17:06:41Z

As a Gopher fan, the Hoosiers have always been a bit of a breath of fresh air. There aren’t many "gimme’s" for my Gopher football squad (unless you’re talking about Mason-era non-conference foes… then it’s gimme-city), but in their last 10 meetings against Indiana, the Gophers have won 6. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re a Gopher fan, believe me, that feels like domination.

But Indiana has played the spoiler for Minnesota in the past. In 2004 the Gophers rolled into Bloomington with a 6-2 record, ranked in the top 25 in the nation, and feeling good about getting their 7^th win. Instead the Hoosiers handed the Gophers their 3rd loss of the season, which was the beginning of a 3-game losing streak to end the Gophers season.

But the game that sticks in my craw (no, I’m not from the south, but I do have a craw… don’t I?), happened on October 21, 2000. The Gophers walked into Memorial Stadium on that Saturday with a 5-2 record, and ranked 22^nd in the nation. More importantly, they had just come off of a potentially program changing win over the then 6^th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes IN Columbus… yes, you read that right, the Gophers really HAVE won a game in Columbus. Shocking, I know!

Can you even imagine the momentum that you’d have as a football team coming off of a win like that? You’re a perennial cellar-dweller in your conference and you’ve just beaten one of the top teams in the country and one of the top two teams in your conference year-in and year-out. How about that? You’d come out in your next game guns a-blazin’ wouldn’t you?

Instead it was the classic Gopher Football letdown game.

(See also Gophers v Michigan State, 2005, after the Gophers had won the previous week in Ann Arbor).

Indiana, or more specifically, Antwan Randle-El, absolutely tore the Gophers apart that day. If there was ever a game where a single player "stuffed the stat sheet," it was Randle-El against the Gophers in 2000.

Randle-El completed just 12 passes, on 21 attempts, but those 12 passes were good for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns. In addition, Randle-El did what he did best against the Gopher defense and ran for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns. All by himself he was responsible for 473 yards… a staggering 77% of Indiana’s total offensive output for the day.

Indiana finished the 2000 campaign with just 3 wins, but Randle-El’s performance on that day against the Gophers will always be stuck squarely in my craw (if I do, in fact, have a craw).

Big Ten 2010 // Your Team Almost Lost to Indiana in '09 - What the Hell is Wrong with You?

2010-03-16T06:35:03Z

The odd thing is, Indiana's designated chair in the basement was kept warm by the '09 Hoosiers. But there's more to the story - this four win team was a couple minutes away from a .500 record...or better. And YOUR tradition-laden, recruit-gathering school almost fell victim to this hard-working, high-spirited Indiana team. Tell us how it felt, TRE writers. Were you embarrassed? Were you ashamed? Do close losses mean Indiana football is on the rise?

YOUR TEAM ALMOST LOST TO INDIANA IN '09 - WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?

Michigan 36, Indiana 33

By GregGoBlue

For the University of Michigan Wolverines, the Indiana game was an inauspicious and ominous beginning to the Wolverine's Big Ten season. Still riding the high from the last-second, Forcier-led comeback against the mighty (well... at the time, right?) Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Wolverine fans quickly learned that the demons of 2008 could not be expunged so easily. Though our offense displayed the ability to score, the defense looked completely and repeatedly inept against a resilient and quick-scoring opponent. The game was a real back and forth nailbiter until a last-second Martavious Odoms touchdown pass from Tate Forcier allowed the Wolverines to scrape by Indiana. We would not be so lucky with the rest of our Big Ten schedule, making Indiana the sole Big Ten win for the Wolverines in 2009 (1-7, friends. That hurts).

Though putting up big numbers against Michigan's defense last season was by no means a rarity, the Hoosiers, especially with their quick pistol offense, are on the rise. The Hoosiers put up 467 total yards of offense against the Wolverines, which is more than Penn State, Michigan State, Iowa, or Ohio State hung on Michigan last season.

Penn State 31, Indiana 20

By Paterno Ave

November 14, 2009-

The Hangover Game. Another overplayed sports cliche but one that refuses die because, well, it's a fact of life in college football. Penn State fans may have thought "Senior Day" would be enough motivation to avoid a flat start a week after the crushing loss to Ohio State. No deal. Put together some turnovers (3 in the 1st quarter alone) with some questionable calls and you get a 10-0 Indiana lead, the most Penn State had given up in a first quarter all season.

Fortunately the PSU defense overcame the 4 first half turnovers and managed to put up 7 of their own with a Navarro Bowman pick-six. The second half saw Penn State string together 24 unanswered points to remain the Big Ten's only team to never lose to the Hoosiers.

...

Northwestern 29, Indiana 28

By Hmlee

So Graham asked a few of us to weigh in on how our teams nearly got beat by the doormat that is the Indiana Hoosiers football team. To be honest, at the time he asked, I couldn't really recall the game. Oh sure, I remembered something about the comeback, but I think I had intentionally repressed the memories of how horrible the vast majority of it was to protect my football psyche. Now if only I could do that with the Auburn loss...

Ah, er, anyway. How DID Northwestern nearly lose to the Hoosiers? Well, I had to revisit footage of the game and my own past recap to figure it out. The simple answer is, for the vast majority of this game, the Wildcats played like shit. Seriously. It's that simple. Some choice quotes from my recap notes that week:

"Ray Fisher punt return for 35 yards to Northwestern 28, rush for no gain, Ben Chappell complete pass to Troy Wagner for 13 yards, Northwestern 5 yard penalty, Mitchell Evans 3 yard rush, Tandon Doss 5 yard rush, Mitchell Evans 1 yard rush, Ben Chappell rush for 1 yard for a touchdown.

Okay, can somebody, anybody, PLEASE MAKE A TACKLE? IS IT THAT HARD? REALLY? HOW MUCH TEQUILA DID YOU GUYS DRINK LAST NIGHT?"

and

"Indiana was up 28-3 and it was looking like it might be a good day to go do some laundry during the 2nd half. I held on, however, partly because of irrational hope and partly because I really did not want to start working on my Crim Law outline."

It should say something about the play of Northwestern that day that the only thing keeping me from walking away from my TV was procrastination. Yeesh. Kafka was an interception machine during that game, and until Scott Concannon miraculously appeared in the 4th quarter, the NU running game was pretty much shit too. Northwestern's play improved dramatically in the 2nd half, and they got lucky a few times, but the biggest factor in their 29-28 comeback win was Bill Lynch. Lynch made several bizarre playcalls in the second half, and somehow also managed to use all of his timeouts before the 4th quarter was even half over. This would prove to be crucial as Indiana was forced to attempt and fail a 59 yard field goal as their last play. Had they a timeout or two... who knows what would have happened. Bill Lynch earned a coaching "B" from us this year, but in this game he sure didn't look anything close to that...

...

Iowa 42, Indiana 24

By grahamfiller10

This felt like the turning point of the Big Ten season. Iowa, surviving FIVE Dick Stanzi picks, was truly a team of destiny. How else do you explain the Tyler Sash Hot Potato touchdown? Or the consecutive broken coverages by a Hoosier secondary playing their best football all year? I think the Hawkeyes just shrugged their undefeated shoulders and chalked it up to a weird, hard fought game which they probably didn't deserve to win.

I usually follow a pretty strict "monster upset" regimen when I'm witnessing an underdog playing out of its mind. I start texting anyone I know might be vaguely interested, I set the DVR, and then I phone Law Buck to make sure he's watching it. I went through all these steps during this game as Stanzi imploded and the Hoosiers used their big wide receivers beautifully to take a two touchdown lead. But it was not to be and Indiana was left to ponder another blown opportunity to gain regional/national respect.

This week...

MONDAY: Spring Field Guide

TUESDAY: Your Team Almost Lost to Indiana in '09 - What the Hell is Wrong with You?

WEDNESDAY: Indiana's Greatest Strength

THURSDAY: MVP Profile

FRIDAY: Keeping the Enemy Close - Rival Blogger Interview

Big Ten 2010 // Indiana Spring Field Guide

2010-03-15T06:03:07Z

Did you notice anything different when you logged onto the site? You should have. Today is the beginning of Big Ten 2010, our comprehensive spring preview series. From now through the end of May, we'll be dedicating each week on TRE to individual programs, and providing daily team insight and analysis. We'll work in reverse chronological order from last year's conference finish. We hope that this approach will allow us to more completely appraise each club. We owe our organizational inspiration to our friends at Team Speed Kills, who pioneered the installment preview last year.

As our masthead reflects, the first stop on our virtual road tour is Bloomington, Indiana. Let's travel I-37 South to Monroe County to visit a perpetual Big Ten cellar-dweller: the Indiana Hoosiers.

FIRST IN A SERIES: THE INDIANA SPRING FIELD GUIDE

Indiana at a glance...

First Season: 1897
Head Coach: Bill Lynch (3rd Year, 14-23, .378 winning percentage)
All-Time Record: 433-591-44 (.426)
2009 Record: 4-8 (1-7 Conference)

Offseason Cliff Notes...

The Hoosiers ended 2009 on the heels of a five-game slide that irrevocably severed any aspirations of playing in the postseason. In a late-January decade in review feature, we called the Hoosiers the "whipping boy of the Big Ten," pointing to their one winning season in the Aughts, 0-21 record against Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan, a losing series record against every team in the Big Ten, and six 1-7 season in-conference finishes. Still, when we handed out coaching grades last month, we gave Bill Lynch a straight B for "patching up the talent mismatches the best he could and keeping the Hoosiers close against some top teams." Our writers were most impressed by Lynch's use of his tall wideouts to shield defenders on jump balls and slant passes, and offensive agression.

Is this the future of Indiana football?

The offseason has been relatively quiet to date. On National Signing Day Indiana announced a 25 member class that ranked last in the Big Ten, but was widely considered to be the school's strongest in years. Highlights included quarterback Kofi Hughes of Indianapolis Cathedral who earned honors as the state's Gatorade Player of the Year. The Hoosiers made a small splash early this month when they announced that star Indiana high school coach Mo Moriarity would join the staff as the team's offensive line coach. The move led the Crimson Quarry to speculate about Bill Lynch's future. As they reported:

Moriarty, who is 55 years old, walked away from one of the best high school jobs in the state to accept a job with a coach who will be on all of the preseason "hot seat" lists. Is Moriarty bullish about IU's chances in 2010, with a fine nucleus of skill position players returning? Has Bill Lynch been guaranteed 2011 by Fred "contracts mean something" Glass? Do he and his wife simply want to return to Bloomington, where they lived for nearly 20 years, even if it means he's back on the job market in December?"

If nothing else, the hire gives the Hoosiers some traction in in-state recruiting.

In the cupboard...

Total Returning Starters: 14 (8 Offense, 4 Defense, 2 Special Teams)

Indiana returns an average number of starters in 2010 -- the majority on the offensive side of the ball. The Hoosiers are set at skill positions, with senior quarterback Ben Chappell and talented running back Darius Willis returning to the field. Several anchors on the offensive line depart, but at least one source is confident that "the replacements that are in line are just as talented as the departed seniors."

If he can stay healthy Darius Willis (28) will ground the Hooiser attack in 2010.

The defensive side of the ball is an entirely different story. The Hoosiers are struggling to replace 7 contributors (including three defensive backs, two linebackers and both defensive ends) to a porous unit that ranked 10th in conference in 2009. Bill Lynch loaded up on defensive backs (6) and linebackers (6) in his incoming class to try and offset the fall out. Additionally, 2009 redshirt recruits, and junior college transfers like linebacker Jeff Thomas and cornerbacks Lenyatta Kiles, and JuCo Player of the Year Andre Kates will step up to the plate.

$60,000 Questions

1. Last year, the Hoosier attack finished 9th in the conference overall. This underscores the fact that Indiana had the 4th best passing offense in the Big Ten. Can a new offensive line, and the aforementioned Darius Willis, achieve better production on the ground?

2. Will Bill Lynch's decision to move receiver/wildcat quarterback Mitchell Evans to the defensive side of the ball pay dividends? Keep in mind that Evans will miss all of spring practice while recovering from hip surgery.

3. Can Indiana put together a working defensive depth chart?

4. Can the Hoosiers stay healthy? (If you think this is axiomatic, consider that "Two years ago the offensive line was so depleted IU couldn't run a legitimate spring game [and] [l]ast year the defense was visited by the injury bug."

The Road Ahead...

2010 Schedule

Date	Opponent
9/02/10	vs. Towson
9/18/10	@ Western Kentucky
9/25/10	vs. Akron
10/02/10	vs. Michigan
10/9/10	@ Ohio State
10/16/10	vs. Arkansas State
10/23/10	@ Illinois
10/30/10	vs. Northwestern
11/06/10	vs. Iowa
11/13/10	@ Wisconsin
11/20/10	vs. Penn State
11/27/10	@ Purdue

Indiana's 2010 schedule does it no favors. Although its out of conference diet is manageable (Towson, WKU, Akron, Arkansas State), the Big Ten slate is downright formidable -- especially the month of November. Games against Iowa, at Wisconsin, Penn State, and at Purdue, make a four-game losing skid to close the season quite likely. That's the last thing Bill Lynch needs.

This week...

MONDAY: Spring Field Guide

TUESDAY: Your Team Almost Lost to Indiana - What the Hell is Wrong with You?

WEDNESDAY: Indiana's Greatest Strength

THURSDAY: MVP Profile

FRIDAY: Keeping the Enemy Close - Rival Blogger Interview

Keep Mining the Greg Robinson Comedy Gold

2010-03-12T19:21:53Z

We normally don't pay attention to basketball, but when the two institutions of this site's name face off in the Big Ten tournament, and Michigan ~~hits the game winning shot with 2.2 seconds left~~ has their heart ripped out and shown to them on a platter by Evan Turner, it's worth noting.

And when Bruce Feldman puts it in perspective, it's definitely worth a post.

Still more than five months to go people...

Summation: Illinois in the Aughts

2010-03-12T18:15:10Z

This concludes our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

I. Overview

I was trying to think of the best comparison for the amazing decade that the Illinois Fighting Illini just completed. 10 seasons - only two with winning records. But those two good seasons landed the squad in two BCS bowls. That makes them great. After looking through other sports, I finally found the right match. Illinois spent this decade as the Cincinnati Bengals. Let's go to the tape.

Illinois: 10 years, 2 winning seasons, 2 BCS Bowls, 0 minor bowls, 0 winning seasons without a bowl

Cincinnati: 10 years, 2 winning seasons, 2 Division Titles, 0 wild cards, 0 winning seasons without making the playoffs

If you add in the fact that the two squads combined to lose their 4 bowl/playoff games, it's a really good match. Go big, or stay home. In the NFL, it's not quite as odd to have teams rising up for one season and falling back to mediocrity. The rules are stacked to encourage that. But in college football, recruiting, easy non-conference schedules, and the overall arc of programs are designed to limit one year blips. Yet, Illinois managed two in a decade. It's odd; it's not necessarily good. Let's take a look...

The Big Ten Decade in Review Series:

Purdue

Wisconsin

Indiana

Penn State

Ohio State

Michigan State

Minnesota

Iowa

Michigan

Northwestern

II. Year By Year

Year	Overall	Big Ten	Bowl	Opponent/Results	Notes
2000	5-6	2-6	None
2001	10-2	7-1	Sugar	LSU - L - 47-34	Big Ten Champion
2002	5-7	4-4	None
2003	1-11	0-8	None
2004	3-8	1-7	None
2005	2-9	0-8	None
2006	2-10	1-7	None		Two Big Ten wins over four seasons is the worst stretch for any school this decade
2007	9-4	6-2	Rose	USC - L - 49-17
2008	5-7	3-5	None
2009	3-9	2-6	None

III. The Worsts

A. Most Painful Loss

Where do you go with this for Illinois? Do you pick a merciless beating? Like maybe the 45-0 loss to Minnesota (Minnesota?) in 2004. Or do you pick a loss that kept you from a bowl game. Like maybe the 27-23 loss to Western Michigan in 2008. Or do you pick the bowl losses, that kept Illinois from elevating their two great seasons to historic? It's probably that. The 47-34 Sugar Bowl loss to Nick Saban's LSU Tigers prevents the 2001 team from having a strong argument as to being the best team in the post-Zuppke era (it's still 1951).

B. Worst Team

It's 2003, and Illini fans hate that there are so many others to choose from. That squad went 1-11, with the lone victory coming over in-state rival Illinois State. At least they beat their riva---wait, Illinois State is a I-AA school that isn't a rival? Yeah, that's a bad year.

By the way, if you want to choose the 2005 squad that went 2-9, but was outscored by 248 points on the season (that's more than 20 points a game) including a combined 77-5 showing in back-to-back weeks against Ohio State and Purdue, I won't argue with you.

C. Program's Low Point

No, it's not now. It's December 2003. After the 1-11 season, the Illinois administration surveyed the carnage and decided that, yes, Ron Turner should remain as the head coach. Finally, after a 3-8 debacle the next year, the plug was finally pulled.

IV. The Bests

A. Biggest Win

This is the easiest one in the article. On November 10, 2007, Illinois went on the road to Columbus to face the undefeated and top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. A touchdown right before half put the Illini up 7. Another in the third made it a fourteen point lead. Ohio State cut the lead to seven and had the ball with 8 and change left in the fourth. The Illini picked off Todd Boeckman at the Illinois 24 yard line. When Juice came onto the field, there was 8:09 on the clock. In one of the most impressive individual drives you will ever see, Ohio State never saw the ball again. Final score, Illinois 28, Ohio State 21.

B. Best Team

There are two choices - 2001 and 2007. I'm going with the 2001 squad. It won the Big Ten title (the last non-Michigan or Ohio State squad to win an outright title). It finished 10-1, and became the first Big Ten outright champion to not go to the Rose Bowl in almost a half-century. Yes, the Sugar Bowl loss to LSU dampened the season, but those Illini were a great team.

C. Program's High Point

It's December 2007. Illinois has just finished the season at 9-3. They didn't win the Big Ten, but they stunned Ohio State, which is headed to the BCS Championship game. Despite three losses, the Illini are ranked highly enough to go to the Rose Bowl - their first trip to Pasadena in 24 years. Juice Williams has harnessed his immense talent. Ron Zook has shown that he can not only recruit talent, but coach it, too. It looks like the perpetually sleepy giant of the Big Ten was awake and ready to become a serious player in the Big Ten.

Yes, we know how this story goes. USC pummels Illinois. Rashard Mendenhall leaves early for the NFL, and Ron Zook, for all of his recruiting abilities, can't seem to find a back to replace him. The Illini start losing. A lot. Again. We know that now. But in December of 2007, it looked like the Illini had finally figured out the formula for their success.

V. Play and Player

A. Play of the Decade

Even in the victory over Ohio State, there wasn't one defining play that makes your jaw drop. So, I'm going with my favorite Arrelious Benn play. It's the last week of September 2007, and the unranked Illini are hosting #19 Penn State. Watch the kickoff after Penn State scored a field goal on the game's first possession. It's impressive, but that's not the play.

Move ahead to the 2:07 mark and watch the catch and the run. Yes, we see players break tackles and keep going. But those are typically running backs - not speed receivers. Amazing.

B. Player of the Decade

I know that I may be excommunicated by a certain blog that has an unending fascination with J. Leman for not selecting the initialed one. But I don't know that one player has ever embodied an entire program more than Isiah "Juice" Williams has embodied the Illini. Talented? Yes. Able to consistently harness that talent? Not on your life. Does a previous game's performance have any bearing on the next one? Never.

In the aforementioned Ohio State game, Juice was transcendent down the stretch. Getting a first down on 4th and Inches at the Illinois 33 was the key play as Illinois was able to run out the clock (I would be remiss in not mentioning the three third down runs that Juice executed, each gaining a new set of downs). In that game, Juice showed he was the player that every Big Ten opponent feared when he was recruited to Illinois.

Two years later, when Illinois returned to the Horseshoe, Juice went 13 of 25 for 77 yards (that's 3.1 yards per attempt) with no touchdowns, two interceptions, and 15 carries for 18 yards. He was benched for the following week's game. I can't think of two games (or performances) that more accurately depict Illinois this decade.

Here's the video proof. Watch the beautiful throws in the highlights as Juice torches Syracuse. Then notice the stats of the current game against an Iowa squad that would finish the season 6-7. Ladies and gentlemen, that is Illinois/Juice.

VI. The Rivalry Notes

Two things about Illinois. First, we're all in agreement that Ron Zook can't coach, right? That said, if he was fired tomorrow, wouldn't you hope that your head coach called him immediately and offered him a role in the program as a recruiting guru. He's the Big Ten's Ed Orgeron. There is a role for those guys in college football. It's just not heading a squad.

Second, if you think you know what the next decade will be like for the Illini, you're lying. Could they finally get the right coach who is able to not only lock down the ample Chicagoland talent but coach it as well? Will they hire two more mediocre coaches that lead them to sporadic greatness? You just don't know. There is no reason that Illinois can't be as successful as Wisconsin and Iowa have been over the last two decades. If you look at the recruiting bases, Illinois should be better. Yet decade after decade, they can't pick themselves up. I'd love to be able to say that I had reason to believe that this was the decade that changes. But it would only be a wish.

Big Ten Prospectus - What Is Your Team Really Worth to the Conference?

2010-03-12T07:17:35Z

In a world where conferences hire investment banking firms to evaluate potential acquisitions, it's incumbent for us to take a look at the Big Ten portfolio as it currently exists. Have you ever asked yourself what you're really worth to the conference? Now you can find out.

Using the same variables that are in play in conference expansion, I've tallied the roster in four key areas: 1. Revenue, 2. Demographics, 3. Competitiveness, and 4. Academics. Who are the league's true high rollers? The results may surprise you.

As always, a few ground rules. First, it's important that we're impartial in our evaluations. To remove any measure of subjective bias, our analysis will be anonymous. I've assigned each school a random number which will carry over from category to category until we reach our ultimate conclusions. Second, each category will be weighted equally and the rankings will be derived from commercially recognized figures. The formulas will be explained in each individual section. Finally, to evaluate the league's members in the open marketplace, I've selected three representative controls from outside the conference. They are fair competitive congeners that (albeit subjectively) have met and exceeded national expectations.

Let's get started.

Category 1: Revenue

In this first economic category we'll look to the following hard factors: 1. Athletic Department total revenues (as determined by the Orlando Sentinel's 2007-08 survey, and 2. Total league attendance (as determined by the NCAA in 2009). Total revenues comprise 75% of the ranking composite, while attendance makes up the other 25%. The eleven current Big Ten members, and three control schools stack up as follows:

Rank	Program No.	Revenue	Attendance
1	11	$117,953, 712	105,261
2	Control No. 1	$106,030,895	90,635
3	2	$99,027,105	108,933
4	10	$91,570,233	107,008
5	8	$93,452,334	80,109
6	Control No. 3	$83,352,439	80,735
7	9	$81,148,310	70,214
8	6	$77,738,746	74,741
9	4	$63,782,454	50,805
10	5	$62,093,614	50,457
11	3	$57,167,843	59,545
12	1	$54,839,398	41,833
13	7	$41,835,733	24,190
14	Control No. 2	$21,777,002	32,782

Category 2: Demographics

In an attempt to measure native television audiences, I've taken the population of the state the school is located in (as determined by the 2009 estimates of the U.S. Census Bureau), and weighed it against the size of the nearest metropolitian area (as measured by this list of the most populus incorporated areas in the United States). Both factors are considered equally at this step in the analysis. Here are the rankings:

Rank	Program No.	State Population	Metro Population
T-1	7	12,910,409	2,853,114
T-1	3	12,910,409	2,853,114
2	Control No. 1	18,537,969	807,815
T-3	6	9,969,727	912,062
T-3	2	9,969,727	912,062
4	Control No. 3	6,423,113	2,853,114
5	11	11,542,645	754,885
T-6	1	6,423,113	798,382
T-6	5	6,423,113	798,382
7	10	12,604,767	310,037
8	8	5,654,774	604,477
9	4	5,266,214	197,052
10	Control No. 2	1,545,801	205,314
11	9	3,007,856	197,052

Category 3: Competitiveness

From here on out the analysis gets a bit more straightforward. To determine a program's historical competitiveness, I've turned to ESPN's Prestige Rankings.

Rank	Program No.	Prestige Ranking
1	11	3
2	Control No. 3	4
3	2	8
4	10	11
5	Control No. 1	15
6	6	26
7	9	30
8	4	33
9	8	34
10	3	49
11	5	50
12	Control No. 2	54
13	7	80
14	1	102

Category 4: Academics

Again this category is cut and dry. I've used U.S News and World Report's Best Colleges rankings.

Rank	Program No.	National Rank
1	7	12
2	Control No. 3	20
3	2	27
T-4	3	39
T-4	8	39
T-5	10	47
T-5	Control No. 1	47
6	11	53
T-7	5	61
T-7	4	61
T-8	1	71
T-8	6	71
T-8	9	71
9	Control No. 2	Tier 4

It's finally time to reveal each Big Ten school in order of its conference worth:

|11. Indiana University (Program No. 1)

With an average rank of 10 across all four categories, Indiana is the least valuable program in the Big Ten Conference. If there's a silver lining for the Hoosiers, it's that this analysis only considered the school's worth on the football side of the aisle.

10. Purdue University (Program No. 5)

With an average rank of 8.5, Purdue can at least revel in the fact that they didn't place dead last. Like the Hoosiers, Boilermaker fans will complain about the fact that their basketball program wasn't part of the methodology.

9. University of Minnesota (Program No. 4)

The Golden Gophers averaged an 8.25. Try not to confuse that with the number of points they averaged in 2009 (20.9 ppg).

8. University of Iowa (Program No. 9)

Guess who's never going to let Minnesota fans forget that they're worth more to the conference? Then again, 55-0 is just plain catchier. The Hawkeyes averaged a 7.75. But...

7. Northwestern University (Program No. 7)

Guess who's never going to let Iowa fans forget that they're worth more to the conference? With its average category rank of 7, just Northwestern is just more valuable.

T-6. University of Illinois (Program No. 3)

Buoyed by top numbers in demographics, the Illini averaged a 6.5 across the board.

T-6 University of Wisconsin (Program No. 8)

This one actually surprised me a bit. Strong academic marks couldn't overcome poor population demographics, and the Badgers finished in the bottom half of the Big Ten (6.5 average).

4. Michigan State University (Program No. 6)

The Spartans squeeze in front the Illini and the Badgers thanks to overall program revenue, and the school's historical competitiveness (6.25 average).

3. Penn State University (Program No. 10)

They may still be the new kid on the block to some, but the Nittany Lions are one of three most valuable schools in the Big Ten. Having a monster athletic department and a No. 11 Prestige Ranking certainly didn't hurt (5 average).

2. The Ohio State University (Program No. 11)

It really is The Ohio State University. Ohio State is an absolute force to be reckoned with across the board. The Buckeyes posted an average rank of 3.25, earning them runner up status in the value department.

1. The University of Michigan (Program No. 2)

As much as it pains me to say it, Hail to the Victors. On paper That School Up North is That School The Big Ten Needs Most. Despite its recent struggles, college's football's winningnest program is best of show in conference. With an average rank of 3, the Wolverines stormed all four categories. This just might be the best news Ann Arbor has received in 2 years.

Control Rankings

If you're still reading this, I'm sure you're wondering: who were the controls and how do they measure up?

Control No. 1 was The University of Florida, and with an Average Rank of 3.5 the Gators would tie Ohio State for second most valuable program in the Big Ten.

Control No. 2 was Boise State University, who with an Average Rank of 11.5 would supplant Indiana for the title of least valuable in the Big Ten. Suffice it to say the Broncos' performance on the books looked nothing like their 2009 regular season. In all fairness, though, the traditional expansion framework is heavily stacked against mid-majors. Still, if you think the Pac 10 will be knocking down Chris Petersen's door any time soon, you're dead wrong.

Last, but certainly not least, Control No. 3 was The University of Notre Dame. Its average rank of 3.5 makes it clear that the Golden Domers are exactly who we thought they were: expansion material.

In the future I'll examine where other Big Ten expansion candidates stack up using this rubric. For now, let's call it a night.

Revisiting Big Ten Bowls in 2009-10: A sweet BCS win for OSU in the Rose Bowl

2010-03-11T16:47:02Z

It's the Rose Bowl! Herbie and Musburger welcome us in. Most explosive offense in America? Oregon. Vince Young comparison for TP? Three minutes in. Pryor averaged 17 attempts against PSU, UM, and Iowa. Go downfield TP, says Herbie.

F-14s! I love when jets fly over me at stadiums but in the back of my mind I always think - So that's what it's like to be attacked by jet airplanes.

I was not watching this game...sorry. I was driving through the lovely state of Ohio on my way down to DC, so I heard it via radio. This is my first time watching this game and OH MY

Oregon's white pants, White helmets, green jerseys are probably their best combination. I'm excited for this game and I already know the outcome.

O's all over the place.

Chip Kelly says "Teams need more than two weeks to prepare for our offense."

Keith Jackson...I miss Keith Jackson. Just sayin'.

First Drive and the Bucks are looking sharp baby yeah. Pryor scrambles easily for 25 yards as he murders a safety, completes a nice out, completes a nice slant, completes a flanker screen, and it's first and goal. Devier Posey drops a perfectly thrown out, but it doesn't matter as Pryor checks down to a running back for a 7-0 OSU lead.

Bigger, faster, stronger is what the Bucks look so far. Two negative plays lead to a Duck punt - Your read-option is nothing to Cameron Heyward. Oregon isn't chopped liver here - an incredibly athletic sack by an Oregon DE crushes another promising Buck drive. But OSU is winning the field position battle.

Luke Wilson and the AT&T commercials are especially humorous here in Michigan, where Verizon coverage is so much superior to AT&T. Everyone loves to see those commercials in bars and then turn to their friend with an impotent, serviceless IPhone and shrug their shoulders...

Biggest play of the game so far is an incomplete pass. Jeremiah Masoli puts the ball into Anderson Russell's breadbasket, 15 yards from another OSU touchdown, and the ball clangs off Russell's chest. That would have blown this wide open.

Law Buck diagrammed this beautiful play - Pryor's pocket comfort is apparent as Saine picks up 46 yards. Three Pryor runs later and a FG make it 10-0 OSU.

Tough OSU D helps slow Oregon inside the Buckeye 10. It's 10-3 OSU and we've finally seen some life out of the Duck O. Oregon got it's RB's outside easily on that drive and I'll revisit that point later. Looks like the Oregon D found out how to slow Pryor - blitz and put moving people in front of him. Looks like the Bucks found out how to slow Oregon - keep the ball in Masoli's hands. A gutsy 4th and 9 conversion and a couple tough runs by LeGarrete Blount and LaMichael James put the ball in the endzone and tie the game at 10-10.

Blount just did the "tattoo on each arm, cross arms together to make a saying" thing as Lisa Salters explains how he made it from punching a Boise State player to playing in this game. It's complicated, Chip Kelly explained, and I'm inclined to agree.

TP is really zipping the ball today and dumping the ball down to his backs. See? God does perform miracles. The Bucks are moving again, throwing on any down/yard situation. I guess this is what happens when TP is confident in his throwing motion. Pryor has thrown the ball 13 times and run it another 7. Tress is putting the game on TP's shoulders and it's working so far. A drive stalls deep in Oregon territory, but Devin Barclay swishes a 30 yarder for a 13-10 OSU lead. In my notes, I have this written next to Doug Worthington: "Tall." That scribbled note becomes relevant as he deflects a Masoli pass into Ross Homan's arms toward the end of the half. Another sweet TP pass and Barclay FG make it 16-10 OSU at the half.

Pryor's stats at the half: 15-24, 149 yards, 1 TD. Huh??! I know we shouldn't be wetting ourselves because TP has learned to look off primary wide receivers...but we are, so get used to it.

OSU's cheerleaders are wearing outfits that deserve to be worn at an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Picture...following...now.

The second half has begun and Oregon picks up 7 yards on another successful first down run! Every single time...unfortunately, Kelly cannot harness this first down success throughout the game as most Duck drives will sputter out on incomplete passes. Masoli's 81 yards passing will be his fewest of the year.

Then the ref calls a phanton PI call on Antwon Chekwa for...not turning his head. Herbie explains: "It doesn't matter if the CB makes contact with the WR; if the ref doesn't see a head turn, he's going to call that." Now this is sounding like the NBA.

0-5 on third down for Oregon and make that 0-6. But they're 2-2 on fourth down, so the Ducks march on. MORE tough inside running - it's 17-16 Oregon. The Ducks are making their money on tough, hard nosed plays, not the flash and dash they're known for.

But who cares really because OSU is driving again after some incredibly accurate passes. Let's stop here - We at TRE have shredded Jimmy T all year for keeping TP in the pocket. It seemed that he was breaking out of it though v. Michigan though, utilizing his star's running power and ability to improvise. Tressel has tapped into these attributes again today. 18-28, 200 yards, a TD for Pryor, but another Buckeye drive stalls and Devin Barclay knocks a 38 yarder through for a 19-17 OSU lead. Musburger just called this game "a dandy" and somewhere, Keith Jackson smiled.

Kickoff Coverage? The Bucks have been giving up chunks of yardage to the Oregon kick returners. Absolute chunks. Barner has rushed for 60 yards and picked up hundreds more in the return game. Oregon is absolutely gashing OSU until LaGarrette Blount boots the ball through the endzone. But TP decides, to hell with it, I'll make my first arm punt of the day...and promptly throws a pick while Brandon Saine streaks wide open deep.

PUT FOUR FINGERS UP! PUT FOUR FINGERS UP! The Bucks are clinging to a lead and Oregon is picking up 5-7 yards on first down every time. The ball sits around midfield but Oregon's third down problems (2-10 as of now) are killing any chance of success. What's at the root of those issues? An inaccurate Masoli is being asked to throw slants and sit down routes into tight coverage - this is not his specialty.

But apparently, that is EXACTLY what TP wants to do today. The Oregon defenders are extremely athletic and fast, but TP is giving them fits with short, effective passes mostly to Dane Sanzenbacher.

Jake Ballard, former basketball star and the heir apparent to David Tyree when it comes to "Oh He Couldn't Possibly Catch That High Pass OH HE DID GDMN" catches in big games. Touchdown Posey and lots of people are going O-H-I-O! Yay! OSU 26-17.

Blahblahblah Great kickoff return, missed field goal, game over. Musburger wins mucho respect for his "now, the Ducks are under the gun" comment which makes me think of...

ABC just ran a Terrelle Pryor stiff arm video collage. That was nice. Ohio State is running the clock out with option runs, bootlegs, dives, just an big array of runs.

My defensive MVP's are Worthington and Kenny Rowe of Oregon. Worthington dominated the interior all game while Rowe's chased down TP about three times from behind, which is no small feat.

What were my keys to the game? The Buckeye pass coverage was flawless, never allowing open lanes for Masoli and aggressively blanketing the receivers. I know that Chip Kelly was not used to be forced into a one-dimensional running attack and his playcalling suffered. The field goal and field position battles were soundly won by the Bucks also. Each time it seemed OSU would be pinned deep, Pryor would complete a pass or pick up a first down with his legs. Time of possession dominance followed these timely first downs.

Golden Opportunity - Has Expansion Always Been About Notre Dame?

2010-03-10T07:13:10Z

I've got to confess. Covering expansion is exhausting. Just eight days ago, I published a graph covering trends in media exposure for the most popular candidates.

It was immediately out of date.

A report prepared by the Chicago-based investment firm William Blair & Company that leaked to the public put new wind into the sails of three Big East candidates (Rutgers, Syracuse, Pitt). Two of the three weren't even on my graph.

Notre Dame made the list. Barely. The simple act of placing the Irish on the grid prompted this response from one commentator:

How many times does the school have to come out and say they want nothing to do with the Big Ten until someone understands? They are NOT coming to the conference. That’s not a maybe, oh if the money is right, possibly later on, etc. That is a straight-up NO. Not going to happen. They shouldn’t even be on the ECG whatsoever. That wave is dead. Absolutely no conductive potential at all. If anything, repeatedly mentioning Notre Dame in every blog I read just makes us come off as desperate, as if we need ND for some reason. We don’t need them, they don’t want us (even though they could probably use a conference…whole other debate), the deal is over. Get over it. Bring on Big Red, Pitt, Mizzou, etc.

I don't think it's much of a stretch to say most Big Ten fans have adopted a similar attitude towards the conference's great white whale. The Irish are like a hot girl who dumps you after three dates. You have a lot in common, and think she could be the one. So you stand outside her door for a minute after she shows you out, just in case she opens it back up. And you call a couple of times that week, praying she'll change her mind.

But after she says no a certain number of times, your pride takes over, and you resign yourself to never thinking or talking about her again. You tell yourself she wasn't really that great. You focus on her flaws. You convince yourself that you didn't lose anything at all. But deep down inside...

You know they don't get any better.

Today Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick admitted that the Irish might not be able to stay independent in the new conference order. As he told a small group of reporters, "You can each come up with a scenario that would force our hand."

And just like that, "no" becomes "maybe." The door opens a crack.

Is this an accident, or is it the work of a highly skilled professional? By carefully staging press releases, offering open-ended answers, and misdirecting attention to decoy programs (Missouri, Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, Texas), Jim Delany has created an unprecedented air of instability across the FBS landscape. The preshocks of Big Ten expansion are so strong they've prompted the Pac 10 to pick up a hammer as well. When the dust settles, it just might be that Delaney's slight of hand has accomplished in eight months what 20 years of traditional diplomacy could not: Notre Dame to the Big Ten.

Go right ahead, call it a conspiracy theory. But answer me this one question: What does it take to start a nuclear chain reaction?

A: One neutron.

Summation: Penn State in the Aughts

2010-03-09T03:19:21Z

This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

via pennstategameday.com

I. Overview

The last ten years have been a tale of two programs for Penn State. From 2000-2004 Penn State went through the worst stretch of the Paterno Era, widely regarded as "the Dark Years." That five year span saw a record of 26-33, with just one bowl appearance (and a loss at that). Calls for Paterno's retirement/head were loud. In fact, Paterno felt compelled to publicly address the criticism:

Speaking first to a small table of media members, Paterno suggested that he would consider retirement if this [2005] season -- one he believes is filled with promise -- instead leads to disappointment.

"If we don't win some games, I've got to get my rear end out of here," Paterno said. "Simple as that."

The man delivered on his word: the 2005 season was a renaissance following the Dark Years, and the team posted a record of 51-13 in the second half of the decade with two Big Ten Championships and three top-10 finishes.

More of the Big Ten Decade in Review:

Purdue

Wisconsin

Indiana

Ohio State

Michigan State

Minnesota

Iowa

Michigan

Northwestern

II. Year By Year

Year Overall Big Ten Bowl Opp/Results Notes

2000 5-7 4-4 - -
-

2001 5-6 4-4 - -
-

2002 9-4 5-3 CapOne Auburn, L 9-13
Larry Johnson wins Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, and Doak Walker Award

2003 3-9 1-7 - - -

2004 4-7 2-6 - - -

2005 11-1 7-1 Orange FSU, W 26-23
Big Ten Co-Champs, Paul Pozluszny wins Chuck Bednarik Award and Dick Butkus Award, Michael Robinson wins Chicago Tribune Silver Football

2006 9-4 5-3 Outback Tennessee, W 20-10 Paul Pozluszny wins Chuck Bednarik Award

2007 9-4 4-4 -
TAMU, W 24-17 Dan Connor wins Chuck Bednarik Award

2008 11-2 7-1 -
USC, L 38-24
Big Ten Co-Champs, AQ Shipley wins Rimington Trophy

2009 11-2 6-2 -
LSU, W 19-17
Darryl Clark wins Chicago Tribune Silver Football

III. The Worsts

A. Most Painful Loss

There were some painful times in the 2000's. Many of them preceded by an announcer saying the words "Morelli back to throw..." or "the Iowa Hawkeyes take the field." The worst though? 2005, Penn State at Michigan.

Henne to Manningham (via bguman)

I'm on October break of my senior year at Penn State, sitting in a bar in Boston watching the game. Carr has 2 seconds added to the clock with :30 left in the game. Penn State is winning 25-21. Our waitress comes over and starts congratulating us on the win with a Boston accent. We are wearing Penn State jerseys and Yankees hats. Words were exchanged. With :01 on the clock, Henne tosses a TD and wins the game. More words were exchanged. Louder. We leave shortly thereafter.

Most painful loss I have experienced in my life as a sports fan. Easy.

B. Worst Team

Probably the 2003 team. I think the contributors on Wikipedia described it well enough:

Penn State finished a miserable season with a 3-9 record, 1-7 in the Big Ten, Paterno's worst ever at Penn State. It was the third losing season in the past four, and just Paterno's fourth losing season since joining the coaching staff in 1950. Nine losses were the most ever for a Penn State team, breaking the record set by the 1931 2-8 team, and did not win a road game for the first time since 1936.

Ouch.

C. Program's Low Point

Iowa at Penn State, 2004. 6-4. Losing a bunch of games in a row is bad. Losing a bunch of games and then being humiliated like this, well, that's your low point of the decade. Unlike the 2005 Michigan game, which is the kind of loss that gets you fired up, this just makes you sad. Why? Well, because Iowa thought so little of the PSU offense that rather than punt out of their own endzone, they elected to give Penn State a free safety. Penn State then received the ball and, on cue, Michael Robinson threw an interception to end the game. Sigh.

IV. The Bests

via blockonation.com

Good thoughts good thoughts.....feeling better already...

A. Biggest Win

Another easy one: October 8, 2005. #6 Ohio State at #16 Penn State. The first Paternoville. The first White Out. Kirk Herbstreit anoints the Penn State student section as the best in the country. Second highest-rated regular season college football game ever on ESPN at the time. Highest-rated GameDay ever at the time.

2005 Penn State Vs Ohio State (via vinnymckee)

And after all the hype, the game lived up to its billing. See 8:52 of the above video: Down 17-10, Ohio State had the ball with 1:28 left on the clock. Tamba Hali breaks free and turns Troy Smith into a scarlet-and-grey skidmark, the ball comes free and Penn State recovers. The good guys run out the clock and I "may or may not have" rushed the field.

The win signaled a return to national relevance for a once-proud program. After winning only three Big Ten games in the previous two seasons, the fans were finally rooting for the legendary Nittany Lions they had once known. Despite the aforementioned loss to Michigan that still lay ahead, the 2005 season, specifically the Ohio State win, reinvigorated both the program and the fanbase and was a unforgettable chapter in Penn State's long history.

B. Best Team

This is probably the toughest one to pick of the bunch: 2005 or 2008? Reasonable minds will differ, but to me it's gotta be 2008.

via blog.pennlive.com

This is the kind of comparison that could easily be its own post. Both years featured tough defenses, resilient spread offenses, and last-second heartbreakers that kept them out of the Mythical National Championship. The 2008 team was a bit more impressive on paper: averaging 38.9 points scored and only giving up an average of 14.4, while the 2005 team scored 34.4 on average and gave up 17.0.

Really, though, I think the difference lay in the competition each team faced. 2005 beat a very good Ohio State team, but really had no impressive nonconference wins. The #23 Florida State team they defeated in the Orange Bowl was no powerhouse. In 2008, the squad beat another top-ten Ohio State team, but also managed to thrash Pac Ten runner-up Oregon State and end-of-season top-25 Michigan State. The USC team they lost to in the Rose Bowl may have had as good a claim to play in the title game as any other team, and until PSU put 24 up on them was being hailed as one of the best defenses in college football history.

Hit me up in the comments with your opposition.

C. Program's High Point

I would have to say either the 2005 Ohio State win or at the conclusion of the season when Paterno bested Bowden in the Orange Bowl, leading Penn State to an end-of-season #3 ranking. Miami = awesome? Miami = awesome.

IV. Play and Player

A. Play of the Decade

The Tamba Hali sack is in the running here. I think there are probably only two other plays from the past decade that are on that plane of awesome. First, the runner up (see 2:50):

2005 Penn State vs Northwestern (via vinnymckee)

This play was really the moment that the 2005 season started to take on a special quality. After the last two years of losing, our new, #1 in the nation recruit makes an incredible play to come from behind and win the game. Penn Staters started looking at one another and thinking "maybe we can be awesome" for the first time in a long time. It was a very special play, but really it was more setting the scene for the rest of the season.

For the play of the decade, I'm going with the Terrell Pryor fumble in 2008 (see 1:25):

Penn State vs. Ohio State 2008 Short Highlights (via mmp121)

It's recent enough that it probably doesn't need much introduction. But, well, it deserves some explanation, right? Their #1 in the nation recruit, trying to make a play to win the game, bumps outside and fumbles the game away. Oh wait: he actually could have put them back in the game later, but he threw an interception to completely seal the deal. And then he cried on the bench. And then ~~we won the conference~~ had to share the conference title with them.

Anyway, first win for PSU in Columbus since 1978, and in front of a stadium record crowd. A low scoring, defense-dominated game, and this one play really made all the difference. Thank you, ~~"LiC"~~ Mark Rubin!

B. Player

There were a lot of players in the "Aughts" that will live on in Penn State history: Larry, Tamba, Paul, Dan, Michael, Deon, and Darryl, just to name a few. But no one player meant so much to the program as Derrick Williams:

Williams has been part of a remarkable turnaround at Penn State. Before his arrival, the Nittany Lions had suffered four losing seasons in five years. Since he first suited up for the team in 2005, they have amassed four winning seasons and three bowl victories and head into their regular-season finale against the Spartans with a chance to claim their second Big Ten title and second Bowl Championship Series berth in four years.

Individually, Williams is on pace to have his fourth consecutive 40-catch season and ranks third in school history with 153 career receptions. He’s caught 36 passes for 400 yards as a senior and has scored two receiving touchdowns. His impact on special teams has been, if anything, even greater. He’s scored three touchdowns on kick returns (two kickoffs, one punt) and was named a Mid-Season All-America kick returner by SI.com and CBSSportsline.com.

In the same article on scout.com, Williams is quoted regarding his legacy at Penn State:

"The thing is, when I was getting recruited, I had a chance to go pretty much anywhere I wanted to. But my main goal was to make a mark on a program, leave my legacy on a program and do some special things for a program to turn a program around. I think that I’ve helped out a lot as far as getting Penn State back to where it used to be. If we win this game on Saturday, that’s 40 wins in four years. There aren’t a lot of people in the country who can say that. So I definitely accomplished everything I wanted to do."

He and Justin King helped rejuvenate Penn State's recruiting. His stats don't properly describe his impact on the field; he provided a game-changing, explosive threat every time he was on the field, and was utilized in a variety of ways by the staff. Even now, Penn State fans speak of who will take over the "Derrick Williams Role." Williams is synonymous with both the overhauled PSU offense that returned the program to relevance and with the "success with honor" mantra espoused by Coach Joe.

Five Reasons Big Ten Football Will Be Even Better in 2010

2010-03-08T20:01:18Z

Reason No. 4: Our Defense > Your Offense

Now that the snow piles built up along streets and in parking lots have shrunk into soft carbon heaps, and mid-day temperatures are mild, it's time to turn our attention to new beginnings. Starting next Monday, we'll debut Big Ten 2010, an eleven-week, comprehensive look at the conference. We'll preview each team in reverse order of last year's conference finish, starting with Indiana and ending in late-May with Ohio State. It will be the largest project we've ever taken on.

To get the juices flowing, let's look at five things the conference has going for it heading into 2010.

5. The Big Pieces Are in Place

The Big Ten posted four wins over Top 15 competition in the postseason. No other conference can say that. But the real prize is what's still in the cupboard. Together, the four Big Ten bowl winners return 60 of 88 starters. That's 13 for Penn State, 14 for Iowa, 15 for Ohio State, and 18 for Wisconsin. While most clubs put stock on the talent that's in the pipeline, Big Ten teams can consistently count on leadership and experience in the huddle.

4. Our Defense > Your Offense

Option Killer.

If nothing else, 2009 was the year momentum in the eternal struggle of offense versus defense shifted back to the D. After half a decade of wreaking havoc with spacial attacks, offensive coordinators from coast to coast were frustrated by fundamentally sound defenses that had their number. No where in the country was this more evident than in the Big Ten, where three top ten defensive units (No. 5 Ohio State, No. 9 Penn State, No. 10 Iowa) routinely chewed quarterbacks up and spit them out.

But wait, they just looked good because Big Ten offenses are bad, right? Wrong. When put to the test, Big Ten defenses squeezed the life out of several of the country's premiere attacks (Oregon, Georgia Tech, Miami), proving that defense still wins championships.

That's good for us, because the aforementioned defenses return 19 of 33 starters, including Iowa's Adrian Clayborn and Ohio State's Cameron Heyward.

3. Veteran Quarterbacks

The only shivering Miami did in the Champs Sports Bowl was on the sideline.

It's been a while since we got to say this, but the best teams in the Big Ten are flush behind center in 2010. Experienced league quarterbacks like Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor, Iowa's Ricky Stanzi, and Wisconsin's Scott Tolzien should continue to push Big Ten offenses in the right direction. Minnesota and Indiana also return familiar faces.

On the other hand, Purdue, Northwestern, Penn State, and Illinois will miss their experienced signal callers.

(Michigan and Michigan State were intentionally omitted from this list. If you can figure out where to put them, be my guest).

2. Star Power

You might not have heard too much about Ohio State's Ross Homan. You will. As the Buckeye Battle Cry artfully demonstrates Homan's potential:

Just for fun, here are two stat lines.

Tackles Solo TFL Sacks Int FF

108 57 5 2 5 1

115 53 8.5 4 5 3

One is from James Laurinaitis' 2006 season, the other is from Ross Homan's 2009 season. Not much of a difference... is there?

Laurinaitis was a 1st Team All-American in 2006 and was named the best defensive player in college football, Homan wasn't even 1st Team All-Big Ten.

The same goes for Cameron Heyward, Brian Rolle, Adrian Clayborn, Tyler Sash, John Clay, Greg Jones, Evan Royster and a host of other soon-to-be national names that litter the conference's rosters.

1. Title Condenders

Sure, we love our conference. But let's face it. The Big Ten hasn't had a legitimate national championship contender since Ohio State ran through the regular season in 2006. That's bound to change this year as no less than three Big Ten teams will be in the title hunt. Think that's a little too optimistic?

Ohio State will likely start the season in the driver's seat in the Top 3. If they can get by a wounded Miami Hurricanes team at home, only the conference slate stands in their way. Jim Tressel has demonstrated a knack for getting the best of Big Ten opponents.

Consider that Wisconsin, predicted to start the season in the Top 10, doesn't have to play Penn State and gets Ohio State at home. Their toughest non-conference opponent is Arizona State.

Iowa is primed to start the season in the Top 15. They'll get Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Penn State at home.

It's not a far stretch to think that one of these clubs will be undefeated heading into November. Will they finish the job?

Revisiting Big Ten Bowls in 2009-10: Turmoil in Texas as MSU gets dropped in the Alamo Bowl

2010-03-08T00:45:07Z

Enjoying this year's bowl season from a Big Ten perspective was an easy task. But the Spartans of East Lansing probably didn't have time to pay attention to these highs and lows. Mark Dantonio's squad was enveloped in criminal investigations and suspensions that would leave them hamstrung against the nations #2 pass offense. ESPN sagely listed MSU as the team LEAST likely to win their bowl matchup. So just keep that all in mind as I review this back and forth Alamo Bowl. Maybe, with the knowledge that Big Ten teams were better than anyone knew, we shouldn't be surprised that MSU was able to hold its own against Texas Tech, even under bad playing circumstances.

Kickoff...MSU with a 40 yard run back and the entire bench jumps on Keshawn Martin like he ran it back for a touchdown. I read similar emotions in the press conference via the teams body language - the Spartans know they're an underdog, they're shorthanded, but dammit, they are going to come out inspired. That's the mark of a team with good leaders (Blair White, Kirk Cousins).

Ruffin McNiel, Interim Head Coach...and he wanted the head coaching job. Not happening. Mike Leach has turned TT into a better place to coach at, so the Red Raider admins were going to go after a big name. Tommy Tuberville got the job and is in the process of slowly dismantling the Air Raid principles. I'm going to miss Leach and the pure Air Raid; he made that team worth watching.

Keshawn for 25; makes the catch while hitting the ref, throws in a couple jukes, ...It's going to be fun watching him next year. His maturation is a key for replacing Blair White

Note to all Big Ten teams who lack a capable QB - It's really fun having a guy with a laser arm. Kirk Cousins...has one of them. There is a flip side to having this laser arm though, as Cousins believes he can throw fadeaway bullets into the middle of the field. An early pick gives the Red Raiders good field position.

Swing pass. You run it in Madden when you don't feel like surveying the secondary. TT runs it approximately 20 times with great success. The Spartan secondary never is able to adjust, but that's just one problem for this embattled unit. 7-0 TT, the Red Raiders move the ball easily down the field, running effectively between the tackles.

Mike Leach. TT says "it's your fault for getting fired." Leach says "they don't want to pay me and they want to have more power." ESPN follows TT's side, not surprising at all considering Craig James is an ESPN announcer who threatened to sue the school if Leach wasn't fired for allegedly mistreating Adam James, Craig's son.

Edwin Baker: Lots of positive discussion about Michigan State's young backfield of Baker and Larry Caper. Baker shows some straightline speed on a 50 yard touchdown run. 7-7, I remember my night was turning into bar hopping and partying...and amidst this haze, I was surprised to see MSU making tackles and holding Texas Tech from running away with a game. 10-7 TT after a Red Raider field goal, 17-7 TT, after TT runs a 5 wide formation from the two yard line and a WR breaks free.

MSU Secondary: I wrote so many negative articles about these poor souls, so it's almost not worth shredding or whining about their play anymore. They can't play man, so the one-on-one issues are coming to a hilt. Texas Tech has about 250 yards in a quarter in a half. Big question for 2010 - How will Narduzzi change his defensive strategy after the entire Big Ten lit up his secondary?

Keshawn Martin...Again: MSU effectively runs a scramble drill when the play breaks down. Cousins is flushed, Martin breaks deep...and a 40 yard touchdown results. 17-14 TT, and the Spartans get a stop and then get a field goal blocked. The Big Ten had real FG problems during Bowl season.

Spike Dykes: Greatest coach name ever. The announcer changes the name of the bowl to "The Controversy Bowl." Makes sense. MSU stiffens again on defense and it's 20-14 TT at the half.

FUMBLE on the opening kickoff and the Spartans pick it up. Cousins scrambles again, picks up a shocking first down and takes a helmet to helmet shot. Quarterback draw with Nichol, whose resemblance to Cousins confuses everyone, and holy God the Spartans are leading 21-20 with 12 minutes left in the third quarter.

"No one within 3 steps of him," and this is of course referring to WR Jacoby Franks, scoring from 30 out on a simple head fake that turns into a post route. TT 27, 21 and Sparty is driving, gets stopped but then Aaron Bates the punter completes a 10 yard duck to Chuck Gant on a fake field goal and then GOOD GOD, how deep can you go in the playbook!!! as Keshawn Martin fakes run and then throws a dart to Blair White for a 20 yard touchdown, MSU 28-27. Three different players complete a pass and Don Treadwell, the OC for Dantonio, is showin' me something.

Start of the 4th Quarter and MSU is leading! Do you believe in miracles? Ross Weaver, the Sparty DB, picks off Taylor Potts in MSU territory and the mo has officially turned. MSU is driving again until left tackle Rocco Cironi holds on a trick play and kills the drive. Brett Swenson, who is a little guy with a huge leg, kicks the Spartans to a 31-27 lead.

Play of the Game happens on 3rd and 12 with 6 minutes to go when Steven Sheffield throws a "you turn around at 15 yards" route perfectly and Lyle Leong picks up 40 yards. Remember Sparties momentum? Me neither. Detron Lewis, 9 catches for 109 yards, makes another fantastic catch and backs into the pylon for a touchdown. TT 34-31.

Pouting is exactly what Taylor Potts is doing. 29-43, 372 yards, 2 touchdowns...and he's sitting on the bench while his backup sparks the crowd and the team.

Backbreaking Pick, Version 2.0...Cousins, who is having a fantastic game, throws an unconscionable pick into triple coverage. And this game is toast as the Red Raiders walk away with a 41-31 win...The Spartans will be loaded offensively in 2010 and under Don Treadwell's guidance, I have nothing by confidence in Cousins et all. This game furthered my faith in Treadwell and his understanding of how to use Cousins, Baker, and Martin. But this game was utterly winnable and another heartbreaking loss in a season filled with them.

Summation: Northwestern in the Aughts

2010-03-04T20:30:20Z

This continues our series recapping the last ten seasons in the Big Ten.

I. Overview

If I could pick a word to define the decade of the Aughts for Northwestern, it would be "resilience." The Aughts weren't a remarkable decade for the Wildcats. While they had ups and downs like every other Big 10 team, their highs weren't quite as high as those of the 90's, and their lows (fortunately) weren't quite as low as the pits of the program in past decades. And yet... If any Big 10 team of the Aughts could lay claim to representing that old adage of, "It's not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up" it would have to be Northwestern. You could see this in their many stunning comeback victories, in their season saving win streaks, in their perseverance in the face of tragedy, and in their year-to-year records. It would have been easy, after the decline in 2001 for the 'Cats to return to their old losing ways and finish the decade in the bottom of the Big 10 barrel. But they didn't do that. They got back up. Over and over again.

More of the Big Ten Decade in Review:

Purdue

Wisconsin

Indiana

Ohio State

Michigan State

Minnesota

Iowa

Michigan

II. Year By Year

Year	Overall	Big Ten	Bowl	Opp/Results	Notes
2000	8-4	6-2	Alamo	Nebraska, L 17-66	Big Ten Co-Champs. Damien Anderson finishes 5th in Heisman Trophy balloting, Doak Walker Award finalist.
2001	4-7	2-6
2002	3-9	1-7
2003	6-7	4-4	Motor City	Bowling Green, L 24-28
2004	6-6	5-3
2005	7-5	5-3	Sun	UCLA, L 38-50
2006	4-8	2-6
2007	6-6	3-5
2008	9-4	6-3	Alamo	Missouri, L 23-30 (OT)
2009	8-5	6-3	Outback	Auburn, L 35-38 (OT)	Northwestern sets NCAA record for most offensive plays in a bowl with 115, Mike Kafka also sets NCAA individual record for most offensive plays at 98.

III. The Worsers

While the Aughts had many low points for Northwestern, none of them can come close to matching the futility of past decades, so I've decided to name this category "the worsers." Yes, I know it's not a word, but just go with me on this one.

A. Most Painful Loss

Northwestern had a lot of losses in the Aughts. A lot of bad losses. Yet, my most painful loss comes in a recent game... the most recent in fact. Oh, I know, it's not quite standard to pick your worst loss as a bowl game, but this one still smarts. Therefore, I pick the Northwestern loss to Auburn in the 2010 Outback Bowl as the worst loss of the decade.

At this point you might be scratching your head. How can a bowl game qualify for worst loss? It's the post-season! And it came from a year with a winning record! I know I know... but I can't recall any other game where the 'Cats came back so many times... raised my hopes so many times... and then failed spectacularly. I guess I should have expected a bowl loss, it is after all, what we seem to be good at. Yet, this year felt different. We salvaged the season with the game at Iowa. We somehow hopped over Wisconsin to grab a spot in the Outback bowl. We came back from being down by 14 points twice! We went to overtime! We ran three end game plays! And we lost... on a fake field goal. A missed block. All that, all that for a missed block? I'm getting angry all over again just thinking about it.

B. Worst Team

2002 gets to snag this honor. 3-9 overall and 1-7 in the conference. 493 total points allowed. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse after 2001. Blech.

C. Program's Low Point

June 29th, 2006. The day Randy Walker died. It's true... my low point didn't occur during the season. And it wasn't really a game moment. Walker was a great coach. He wasn't officially the best at Northwestern, but he was great. He was 2nd in career victories, and went to 3 different bowl games. He introduced the spread offense. and even though the program was a bit uneven from 2001-2004, 2005 had looked up with a 7-5 record and a trip to the Sun Bowl. It seemed like things could only get better in 2006... but it wasn't to be. The Northwestern community and college football in general was robbed that day.

IV. The Bests

Because there's got to be some in the decade, right?

A. Biggest Win

I'm going to cheat a bit here, and nominate two games. Minnesota, 2000 and Michigan, 2000. The games occurred back to back and were part of Northwestern's only Big 10 championship season in the Aughts. In the Minnesota game, Northwestern did what they do best and bounced back for an absurd comeback capped off by a last play Hail Mary tipped touchdown pass. That play is so amazing it even has a name. More on that later.

The Michigan game, the very next on the schedule, was notable for different reasons. Northwestern would eventually share the Big 10 championship in 2000 with Michigan, but even though they had to be content with a co-championship, they at least got to revel in a head-to-head victory. Northwestern managed to put up 54 points on a good Michigan team. That was nearly the most points that Michigan had ever given up. Oh, and I almost forgot, Northwestern DID set the record for most yards given up by Michigan in a single game, at 654. Take that, tradition.

B. Best Team

I kind of have to go with the 2000 squad on this one. While they weren't as great as the '95 or '96 editions, they did give us a co-championship, a record breaking rusher, and a few amazing games. Let's just ignore that 66-17 bowl loss, shall we?

C. Program High Point

This one is sort of tough. Northwestern didn't have any bowl victories in the Aughts... so there's no obvious contender there. They didn't appear in the BCS. While there were many memorable games, it's hard to say that any individual game is head and shoulders above the others... Given all that, I'm just going to be completely arbitrary and select the end of regulation of the Michigan game in 2000. Sure, Northwestern would split the last two games of the season and it would take a gift from Purdue to even earn that co-championship... but... keeping your hopes alive in such a spectacular fashion over a great team? Awesome. Just awesome.

V. Play and the Player

A. Play of the Decade

Could I really put anything here other than Victory Right? The name comes from the playbook, but the legend comes from the result of the game and the season. A four score comeback against Minnesota. An eventual co-championship. All because of a last play, hail mary, tipped touch down catch. Whew.

The set-up: Northwestern reeled off four scores in the 4th quarter against Minnesota to tie the game at 35. Three seconds left on the clock. One last offensive play. Just past midfield. Too far out for a field goal so... might as well throw the hail mary. Everyone knows it's coming. Going to be a jump ball in the end zone. The ball is heaved in the air... Northwestern's receivers and Minnesota's defenders jump for it and....... well you'll just have to watch the clip to see how it ends.

B. Player of the Decade

A case could be made for Tyrell Sutton, but I'm giving the award to Damien Anderson. It's true, he played only two season in the decade, but one of those seasons just happened to be his best. In 2000 he entered his name in the record books as one of the few players in Big 10 history to rush for 2,000 or more yards in a single season. His Northwestern records of rushing yards in a season (2,063) and rushing TDs in a season (23) still stand and don't look to be broken anytime soon.

He also managed to finish 5th in the Heisman voting that year, and was a runner up for the Doak Walker award (best RB). It is also worth noting who exactly Anderson finished behind for the Walker award. The winner of the award that year was none other than LaDainian Tomlinson. I'd say that's pretty good company.

VI. The Rivalry Notes

As noted above, the theme for this decade has been resilience. The 'Cats seem to be on an upswing, despite the terrible loss to Auburn in the Outback bowl. Hopefully we can continue this trend and snag that elusive bowl win in the 2010s.

Counterpoint - Rutgers Doesn't Deserve the Big Ten

2010-03-04T06:21:36Z

The thing that fascinates me the most about the expansion race is our tendency to pre-commit to the program a la mode. A month ago it was Missouri, then Pitt, Texas, and Nebraska. Now? Well, according to one influential columnist Rutgers is the Big Ten's knight in shining armor.

As Mr. Greenstein sees it the State University of New Jersey has everything the Big Ten wants: revenue from an enlarged television demographic, geographic connectivity, academics, and a deep new pool of talent for recruiting.

Here's one thing the the Scarlet Knights don't have: athletics worth a damn.

Sure, that's a little harsh -- but give me a break. The football program's high water mark is a win over a No. 3 Louisville team in 2006 that catapulted it to a 10-0 start and a No. 6 BCS ranking. The Scarlet Knights would go on to post an 11-2 season, earning them a No. 12 ranking in the final polls. The last time Rugters football finished in the Top 15 before that? 1961. Rutgers football all time is just 6 games over 500. Current Maverick head coach Greg Schiano has a losing record. The Scarlet Knights have only had one player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft.

Sure, they have one national championship. In 1869.

Don't even get me started on the basketball program.

Articles like Mr. Greenstein's flow from an interesting swing in expansion discourse. In the beginning pundits bent over backwards to encourage people to think less like fans and more like university presidents -- including items like AAU membership, research endowment size, and population demographics in their evaluations. Be careful what you wish for...

Today, you can't read an article about expansion without wading through a myriad of soft factors, and big picture rationalizations. In an attempt to be humanely Renaissance, we're lost sight of a simple truth: this is sports we're talking about. Conferences are born to compete.

Still not convinced? Let's compare the resumes of the last two schools to join the Big Ten:

Michigan State (1953)

During the 1950s when Detroit was known as the world's leading automobile manufacturer, Michigan State was often referred to as the nation's "football factory." In 1951, Biggie Munn led the Spartans to a perfect record and a national title. The following year, MSU defended its crown -- finishing undefeated and claiming a second national championship in as many years.

The school joined the Big Ten in athletics in 1953. It won the conference in its first year and went on to beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl. That's a program on a major upswing.

Penn State (1993)

The Nittany Lions won concensus national championships in 1982 and 1986. At the time the Big Ten extended an offer, Penn State had six undefeated untied seasons -- and was one of the nation's great independent elites.

Rutgers (????)

In its three seasons before being invited to join the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights beat Ball State, North Carolina State, and UCF in the International, PapaJohns.com, and St. Petersburg Bowl.

New York must have been enthralled.

Sure, the Big Ten wants a paycheck, but it also wants to incorporate a program that's proven itself on the gridiron. Rutgers simply isn't there yet.

Revisiting Big Ten Bowls in 2009-10: Iowa Dominates the Orange Bowl

2010-03-02T23:14:27Z

Seeing EDSBS reconstruct the famous "Herschel Walker steps on the face of the entire state of Tennessee" run gave me an idea. Why not pull up the 2009-2010 bowls with Big Ten contestants and give a blow by blow with commentary? Welcome to the 2010 Orange Bowl, featuring Iowa and Georgia Tech...and the rise of Adrian Clayborn's 2011 NFL Draft stock.

Weather: 49 degrees, the coldest Orange Bowl ever. Frankly, 49 doesn't sound half bad right now. Kirk Ferentz looks like an aged James Bond, some kind of Connery/Dalton combo.

Georgia Tech Jerseys: I don't know. That yellow is pretty diluted. +1 for Iowa sticking true to the pee yellow. Wait, a quick wiki search of GT says their colors are old gold and white. So the dilution was purposeful.

Commercials: The Flaming Lips sold "Do You Realize" to an investment company, Howie Long pushes his arrogance on GMC buyers, and Ryan Seacrest has tears in his eyes, probably from hearing too many horrendous auditions.

Kickoff: Most of you readers picked Iowa to win. So what follows should be no surprise, right? Marvin McNutt's success this year might be one of the Big Ten's biggest surprises this year...oh wait...

Fumble! McNutt fumbles after a successful slant reminiscent of the MSU game winner. Okay, now I'm watching Iowa's linebackers. They are trying to maintain their position pre-snap, but they love having no pass coverage responsibilities, so they keep inching forward. And Shaun Prater is limping after picture perfect bump and run coverage. GOD I LOVE PHYSICAL CORNERBACKS AND THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS WHO ROLL THEM UP TO THE LOS.

IOWA offensive success: I actually thought Brandon Wegher would break more tackles than he did this year; physical runner with a low center of gravity and all. Maybe he'll add some weight? Ended up with 113 and a touch v. the Yellowjackets anyays. Whoops Bulaga just tossed Derrick Morgan around. Whoops there goes Moeaki for 54 yards on a groundbreaking play action dump down. FOX announcers are terrible, by the way. TOUCHDOWN McNutt. McAwesome catch in the back of the endzone. You know, the Georgia Tech defenders look like football players, featuring ripped muscles and menacing stares...but they don't play that tough. Iowa 7, GT 0.

Howie Long: "If you buy a Ford, you suck in the bedroom. If you buy a truck from Toyota, you hate America. Honda? Go **** a lawnmower, you're not a man."

Vaunted Triple Option: What's the problem? Too much backside pursuit, too many men in the box, too much sideline pursuit.

Taco Bell's Diet Menu: Has anyone tried things on this menu? When you're almost passing out at 2 in the morn in the back of your friends LeSabre, you are not thinking about a light meal. When you apologetically weasel yourself into a TBell, you're not thinking about dieting.

Iowa's Back: And driving. DJK catches a 31 yard pass on a double move post corner. GOOD GOD touchdown SandMan on another perfectly thrown pass from Ricky America. Iowa 14, GT 0. I was laid out on a DC couch thinking, you know, I predicted Iowa to win, but this seems surprising just the same.

Vaunted Triple Op..Nevermind: Pat Angerer makes three straight tackles. GT cannot get a lineman to the 2nd level. 3rd and 22. And Clayborn picks up a sack after beating two linemen to the edge, pressuring Nesbitt, pivoting back, and then tackling the frantically scrambling QB. Fun, fun times.

Pick 666: Ricky Stanzi has a perfect delivery. He throws a soft ball. He loves America. But he chooses to give the ball to the other team once a game for a score. Iowa 14, GT 7.

SEE???!! Another beautiful throw to the sideliness. Stanzi is 9-10 for 100something yards, 2 touchdowns and a pick6. Not one of his passes has touched the ground.

Stops, stops: Iowa punts, GT...punts again. Iowa has outgained GT 196-24. Still a long way to go though...One thing I'm noticing that I did not see before? Iowa is dominating up front on offense; the guards are pushing DT's around, the fullback is getting to the 2nd level easily.

With 7:20 left in the 2nd quarter: GT gets their initial 1st down. Angerer and Clayborn are just dominating. Clayborn is shedding blockers and tackling Nesbitt in every manner imaginable. This is like watching high school football highlight tapes on YouTube when one person is just that much better than everyone else on the field. Someone needs to make a highlight tape of all his plays in this game. I would watch that. Clayborn ends the half with a sack.

Stanzi's Wristbands: He has 10 of them, read again, 10 of them. Or more. And he's wearing them for an inspirational cause. So for all of you jerks who make fun of wristbands, I give you Ricky's Bands. Let's get a picture of that.

Robert DeNiro: Why does he make such bad movies now? Did he lose Martin Scorcese's phone number?

Halftime...there was a performer, but all I heard was "Ladies Night" and I kept pushing fast forward.

Running Away From AC: First 5 runs...all to the opposite side of Clayborn. That's called an adjustment folks. So then Paul Johnson goes after Clayborn, gains no yards, gets his QB smacked, and picks up a holding penalty. That'll teach ya.

Moeaki/Clutch: Tony Moeaki, currently strutting his stuff at the NFL Combine, makes a high-pointed catch for 23 yards on 2nd and 19. This is a VITAL play for this Orange Bowl. So much momentum was gained here; Iowa is driving and keeping the Yellowjackets offense on the sidelines, Stanzi is looking confident even after the pick6 and most importantly, the Hawkeyes are eating clock with first down after first down. Derrick Morgan, the All-American, is not being contained at all; instead he is being dominated by Bulaga, Moeaki, whomever. Sandeman drops a pass which would have resulted in a sure first down and goal to go. Kicker Daniel Murray says: Iowa 17, GT 7.

Running Away From AC 2.0: Nine runs away from AC result in 5 first downs and an eventual score. I watched a bunch of GT games this year and I don't remember the Yellowjackets abandoning one side of the field like this. Iowa 17, GT 14. I still feel like Iowa is in absolute control of this game.

Time to worry: 8:53 left in the game and GT is within a score. 90 yards from pay dirt...What will GT do? Throw a pick. On first down. Deep in their own territory. Not a great play call against the Big Ten's best pass defense. A large problem with the triple option is, of course, the inability to make a sustained attack via the passing game.

Oh God Fake Field Goal: The Big Ten's other fake field goal that went bad this postseason. Murray gets pulled down uncomfortably and GT takes possession.

OH GOD Jonathan Dwyer running backwards: Georgia Tech's running backs never got comfortable during the Orange Bowl. Their cuts weren't authoritative (because the LB's were waiting to kill them). The dives lacked that falling forward power (because Hawkeye defenders were cutting across the middle running lanes).

Well, that was satisfying: Iowa's running game helped change the field position in the 4th quarter and Brandon Wegher put the game away with a long TD run. Iowa 24, GT 14. I had discussed game strategy with a relative right before the game. He asked me for my two keys. My #1 key? Norm Parker, the Iowa defensive coach. Parker had healthy and talented players who fit his system perfectly this year. I didn't know if that would translate to slowing the triple option, but I hypothesized that if Parker can slow a Spread HD (PSU), an option read attack (UM), and a power run game (Wisky), why couldn't he successfully gameplan against Georgia Tech? My #2 key? Iowa's need to dominate the highly hyped Tech front 4. If Ricky got pressured early and the underwhelming Iowa halfbacks (read: Not Shonn Greene) didn't have lanes, I thought it might turn into a rout.

Both of my keys turned in Iowa's favor and this game capped an outstanding week for the Big Ten. I think I'll do Ohio State's Rose Bowl win next week, as we watch Terrelle Pryor possibly turn a corner in his development into a big-time quarterback.

Investment Firm Greenlights Big Ten Expansion

2010-03-02T17:37:06Z

Investment Firm Greenlights Big Ten Expansion

A report has leaked that Chicago-based investment firm William Blair & Company has concluded that the economics come out overwhelmingly in favor of Big Ten expansion.

As noted a few weeks back, the conference hired William Blair & Co. to analyze what, if any, combination of additional schools would bolster the Big Ten's bottom line. Blair looked at just five "obvious suspects" (Missouri, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Rutgers), but noted that other universities could "earn consideration."

If you're wondering how in the world the study leaked, check out Frank the Tank's take.

Big Ten Expansion - Six Weeks Under the Influence

2010-03-02T06:45:15Z

Ever since expansion became a "front burner" issue, rumors have swept across the college football landscape like wildfire. From the mundane (Pittsburgh to Big Ten), to the spectacular (Texas to Big Ten), to the outrageous (Brazil to Big Ten), ethics in journalism have been cast aside in a race to make much adieu about nothing...or something.

Barry Alvarez's comments last week that the Big Ten hired a third-party to conduct its search, and the conference had received an initial report with 15 names on the list, fueled a parade of speculation that has reached fever pitch. Jim Delaney's follow up that a recommendation might be made to the Council of Presidents/Chancellors by summer, keeps an answer so close, yet so far away.

Murmurs on Big Ten Expansion are sensitive creatures. What better way to measure them than elecrocardiography? Sadly, we can't attach electrodes to the mainstream media. But we can keep our ears to the ground. What follows is the first edition of an ongoing series tracking expansion hype on a weekly basis. Let's go to the board:

Click to get a closer look.

I've taken the five most popular targets for Big Ten expansion and charted six weeks of developments relating to popular perceptions. The index works on a zero to 1,000 point scale -- the former signaling a team is completely off-the-radar, and the later indicating a program is ready to sign on the dotted line. I think we can learn a lot about large-scale trends from this kind of seismographic approach.

Here's what the last month and a half has taught us...

1. Big Plans for the Big Plains?

Sure, the Big East put its name on the map after several student-athletes claimed via Twitter that Pittsburgh had agreed in principle to become the Big Ten's twelfth member in late-January, but since then the switchboard has been dominated with reports that the conference is looking to rob the Big Twelve's cradle. Missouri has been a featured, if not fervent candidate since day one. Early last month, Texas was linked to expansion plans. Not to be outdone, Nebraska AD Tom Osborne went on the record shortly after stating that if the Big Ten called, the Big Red would listen. If you believe everything you read, Big Twelve teams hold three of the top five spots on the Big Ten's wish list.

2. Burnt Orange Bridges?

No rumor reached the relative level of certainty over the past six week as Texas to the Big Ten. A reputable print source's report that the Longhorns had been directly approached by the conference sent shock waves across the country and resulted in an avalanche of editorials. Fans on both sides of the aisle debated the pros and cons ad nauseum, to the point where it felt like it just might happen. Then, Texas spoke, denying that it had been contacted by the Big Ten, and swearing that it was happy in the Big 12. While the Longhorns certainly aren't out of the question, their curt response let a lot of air out of the bag.

Not surprisingly, Texas and Missouri seem to be inversely related on the ECG. When the Longhorn-hype was at its peak on February 22nd, Mizzou was a distant third in coverage. As soon as Texas turned a cold shoulder, pundits went back to the tried and true Tigers.

3. Big Red Sleeper

Although much has been made about shortcomings in population, the media continues to talk about the possibility of a Nebraska move to the Big Ten. The Cornhuskers are currently the highest rated school on the ECG because there have been no real developments since Tom Osborne spiked their stock in early February. Although Missouri is closing the gap quickly, the two schools seem to be inextricably linked in the press. In fact, this edition of the ECG reflects the media's belief that Nebraska and Missouri might be a pair deal.

4. The One That Got Away

Notre Dame wasn't exactly high on press confidences heading into the past six weeks, and Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez's comments that the Irish want to continue to play a national schedule -- and that he doesn't blame them -- put this ill-fated relationship on ice. That's where it's bound to stay for the indefinite future.

5. Rankings

On February 1st, Pittsburgh was the most talked about candidate in the nation followed by Missouri, Texas, Nebraska, and Notre Dame. By the middle of the month Texas was on top, followed by Nebraska, Missouri, Pitt, and Notre Dame. Entering March, the pack has again traded places, with Nebraska and Missouri in the limelight and Texas, Pitt, and Notre Dame taking a back seat.

Also, there appears to be a recent resurgence in Big East candidate mentions, probably having something to do with the exposure the league gets in basketball. It's very likely that by the time we release our next table, Rutgers, Connecticut, or Syracuse will have passed Notre Dame in honorable mentions.

Additionally, there's new talk of Maryland, and even Colorado joining the fray.

Stay tuned for more monitoring under the influence...

Surviving the Offseason Talks NFL Combine, Myron Rolle

2010-02-27T16:40:14Z

Combine Thoughts

I took a frosh year history class at Miami (OH) and my study partner was the starting OLB for the football team, Terna Nande. Terna is a solid guy from Grand Rapids, Michigan; he was smooth with women, helped me understand some confusing rap lyrics in the song "Mo Money Mo Problems,"and graduated in three years with an education degree. Most importantly (for this blogs sake), he was well known for putting up impressive numbers in the weight room. Rumors began flying around sophomore year that he had broken the school bench press record by maxing out on something like 515 lbs and then subsequently put up the 2nd highest squad ever (620 lbs). For a 220 lb man, that's nuts, so I just figured he was a physical freak and left it at that.

But the NFL Combine wouldn't let me leave it at that. At the Combine, Nande benched 225 lbs 41 times, the second best amount for any player that year and the most of the LB group. He also ran a 4.54 and sported a 39 inch vertical leap. Good times...I almost touched the rim last year.

I love the combine though - Individuals you invested in are put under a spotlight and asked to perform. Maybe you'll witness an incredible feat (Trindon Holliday running a 4.27 and being mad because he didn't break Chris Johnson's Combine record of 4.24)...or maybe you'll see Brian Bulaga bench 225 only 26 times. I also understand the "meat market" criticism. Those combine haters have even more to complain about now; if you go to this video of the offensive linemen benching, there are actually bleachers for people to sit and watch. I don't ever remember a raised platform of bleachers. Unfortunately, if you go to the above video, you'll have to hear the NFL commentators discussing how these numbers should be judged, as if anyone can gauge that.

Myron Rolle

For people with no background on Rolle, he was the All-American safety for Florida State who skipped his senior season at FSU because he was chosen to be a Rhodes Scholar. It's a script that Hollywood writers would pass up for being "too unbelievable," but that's not the end of it. Many people have went far, too far in my opinion, and called him the future of Black America while heaping praise his way.

You can read the latest Outside the Lines article on Rolle here. The writer (Wright Thompson) probes the psychological battle that Rolle endures, questioning whether Rolle's tremendous ambition stems from a want to help people or from a need to fulfill others expectations. It's a great read, mostly because Thompson really gets into the head of an intriguing character and refuses to follow standard ESPN schlocky emotion-filled reporting.

But read these quotes and lines from this article below:

Myron, who doesn't fail.

Rolle sings along -- except when the rappers curse. He skips those words.

A lifetime of unqualified successes...

Myron Rolle, it can safely be assumed, not only eats vegetables, he likes them.

He is a vessel for other people's dreams.

While Rolle was in D.C. for the inauguration, Princeton professor and African-American leader Cornel West spotted him on the street and bowed. Literally bowed down and said this: "You are the future of black America."

When he was in high school, riding on the New Jersey Turnpike with his dad, he asked one day, "What would it be like to be normal?" He's thought about that a lot.

A lot of things ran through his head: People want me to come back and save their country? I don't know if that's in my plan. I never thought of politics. This isn't me.

Building hype is one of the things America does well, really well, sometimes too well. So when Rolle does something "normal" like sing the cuss words or relax during the offseason, the same people bowing and making Rolle an unassailable character are going to go nuts. Myron Rolle is an amazing athlete (the #1 rated football player in the country coming out of high school), not to mention a brilliant student. But I always urge caution in putting so much pressure on an individual.

I Am Speechless

2010-02-27T15:32:48Z

Though not at all surprised. Via FanIQ:

Surviving the Offseason Talks Thrilling CFB Experiences

2010-02-25T18:31:42Z

Law Buck and I share quite a few similarities and interests (legal field, cigars, golf, cfb), but our closest bond is more philosophical than an actual tangible thing. We both like taking the most flavor out of life, making an experience out of normally dull or regular activities. Case in point - Out in Columbus one night for a routine beer, we stumbled upon old Miami friends. Instead of smiling our way through hurried "howareyas" and taking off, we ended up meeting their entire group of friends, knocking down a cigar outside and then retiring back to a townhouse where I tried Absinthe for the first time during an argument about the philosophical problems with Soviet Russia's government.

I say that to say this - College football is all about experiences. Downs and points are important, sure, but the 1000 other things that go into CFB is what makes it such a powerful drug. So in lieu of actual news, here are a couple of my favorite college football experiences that I witnessed live. Leave your own experiences, stories, cigar recommendations (those will be taken very seriously)...

Big Ben runs over a linebacker

Showing up late at Yager Stadium to see a Miami (OH) football game..typically doesn't pose a problem for seating. So imagine my surprise when I showed up five minutes after kickoff and saw 30,000 odd fans packing Yager for a chance to see Ben Roethlisberger and the ranked RedHawks play a night game on ESPN. Game details are sketchy in my mind (we won), but I remember one play like it was yesterday.

4th and 14, Miami is stalled around the opposing teams 35 yard line. Too close to punt, but too far to kick a field goal. Roethlisberger took the shotgun snap, avoided a blitzer, and crossed the LOS to scramble. Our section groaned, seeing a linebacker converging on Big Ben. To our surprise, the 240 lb Heisman candidate lowered his shoulder and punished the defender while his legs churned angrily. Skidding over the knocked down LB, Roethlisberger fell forward for the back breaking first down. We exploded in celebration, fueled by a feeling of surprise (he can run that fast?) and the general exuberance that envelopes college crowds.

Having a superstar on campus was nuts - I still remember seeing him get assessed two technical fouls during an intramural basketball game at Withrow Court for arguing calls. Or maybe I've stolen that memory from someone else; the story lives on either way.

A Big Blue comeback in the rain

The clouds had been threatening to explode all day, unlike the horrendous Michigan offense. But somehow, with two minutes left in East Lansing, the Wolverines were 92 yards away from tying their hated rivals in the 2009 edition of this annual rivalry game. The score sat at 20-13, which is vitally important because the lot of us were gambling with the "Squares" game and my stepdad had the MSU 0 and the Michigan 3. If you don't know what this game is, see below.

In deference to my stepdad's possible $300 jackpot, God allowed the clouds to furiously begin spitting rain into Spartan Stadium. An impossible comeback had just become a bit more improbable. But Forcier willed the Wolverines down the field and just when the moment couldn't get any more intense, a continuous wind began whipping the rain sideways. An entire crowd, unbowed and even encouraged by the sudden rainstorm, stood to scream at the young Wolverine quarterback, who responded by tossing a tying touchdown pass with seconds left. $300...gone. Lead...gone.

Michigan, NCAA Allegations, The Media, etc...

2010-02-24T17:04:24Z

In case you haven't turned on the TV or fired up the ole' interweb (which is impossible, since you're reading this esteemed blog), you may have missed that the news about my beloved University that is being splattered across the ESPN bottom line. The University faces 5 NCAA violations, and has 90 days to respond. A recap of these violations:

• Football players were required to participate in more than the maximum allowed practice hours by anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours a week.

• Graduate assistant coach Alex Herron provided "false and misleading information" to NCAA enforcement staff on whether he monitored summer workouts he was not allowed to attend.

• Head coach Rich Rodriguez "failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program and failed to adequately monitor the duties and activities" of his quality control staff.

• The athletic department "failed to adequately monitor its football program to assure" NCAA compliance.

Not that we didn't know this was coming. Back in August when the Detroit Free Press's own joke of a journalist Michael Rosenberg broke his leaky and woefully underresearched, unsubstantiated, hyperbole-laden shot at Rich Rodriguez (but of course, I'm not biased), we knew this day would come. Admittedly, the charges are worse than many, including myself, had assumed them to be. However, it appears that many of the violated guidelines in question delineated by the NCAA are vague, misunderstood, and are commonly believed to be violated by pretty much every other major NCAA team. In terms of the violation, there are only a handful of REALLY bad charges in here (the dishonest grad student is shameful, but that's why he's not a coach). The blame lands squarely on Rodriguez for poor record-keeping practices by his subordinates, as well as a misinterpretation of the grey-areas in the NCAA guidelines concerning allotted stretching time and the roles of our "quality control staff." There certainly was no malicious intent. With this in mind, Michigan should emerge fairly unscathed from this whole ordeal. [Edit: the skinny on what exactly the allegations mean and their likely consequences are put in layman's terms here].

Let's just hope this is the end of it, and no backlash incident occurs that would further destabilize the already-fragile program. What kind of incident, you ask? Well, let's just hope somebody doesn't think it's an excellent idea to poll disgruntled former players on the matter for a bias-free opinion, blowing this whole thing out of proportion. D'oh! Ladies and gentlemen, Morgan Trent:

Morgan Trent, former U-M cornerback, played one year under Rodriguez: "I'm not surprised because I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken. I couldn't see how they were going to get out of that.

"Whatever steps need to be taken (to restore Michigan's winning tradition), I'm all for it. What is happening right now obviously is not working. I don't know how long they're going to let this last until changes are made. This year is going to be the tell-all what's going to happen. We can't have three losing years in a row. Not at Michigan. To lose seven of last eight games (in 2009) is an embarrassment."

So much for promoting an environment of unity. You know what I think is an embarrassment? Former players who got regularly smoked during their career as a woefully average defensive back, then dish on a coach they only had for one year. Well, this is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into.

What does everybody want here? The answer has been painfully clear since the Detroit Free Press villified Rich Rodriguez as soon as he was hired for the whole buyout shenanigans: the Detroit Free Press wants Rich Rodriguez out at all costs, and they're willing to burn their university to the ground in order to get it.

The Freep's agenda is unfair, and it's irresponsible as a (formerly) respected "news" source. The worst part: it's obvious. Consider, for example, the Freep's all out indictment of Practice Gate 2009, with front page spreads about Rodriguez mistreating his players, making them practice for hours and hours (Rosenberg reported 9 additiona hours of practice on sunday. The actual amount of time exceeded was 20 minutes. Stretching.). Then, on signing day earlier this month, the Freep immediately persecuted Rodriguez, demonizing him as sullying the good name of the University, by signing the "criminal" mega-athlete Demar Dorsey (who was acquitted--read: all charges dismissed, not guilty--of crimes he was accused of committing when he was 16). Meanwhile, the freep relegates to the back page the news about MSU's Glenn Winston, who was released from 180 DAYS IN PRISON and was practicing the following week; reinstated immediately by Mark Dantonio. And it's not like this kid was drinking or smoking pot. Winston broke another human's skull. He spends 180 days in jail over the summer, and is back on the field in the fall. The lack of even any attempt to conceal the obvious double standard is laughable. To make matters worse, Michael Rosenberg, the Freep's king of anti-RR propoganda, is a Michigan grad. How's that for a laugh? But I digress.

What does this obvious anti-RR agenda accomplish? The answer may not be clear to those who wish to see RR fail, but it is painfully clear to the impartial observer, who is laughing as our program devours itself. The answer, of course, is nothing.

Allow me to illustrate. After several stellar recruiting classes, Rich Rodriguez finally has his type of players in the system and is building the program in a way that he sees fit. The consensus, especially amongst those of the elite coaching ranks, is that Rich Rodriguez has this program poised for a breakthrough. Logically, Rodriguez has consistently won big at every level with his type of players--which, by the way, he has been lacking his first two years at Michigan--running his type of system. Given a few years for these players to mature, there is little doubt that Rich Rodriguez will start to win.

Now, let's hypothetically say that Rosenberg et al succeed in ousting the embattled Rodriguez after 3 consecutive losing seasons. Let's say optimally, best case scenario, Meech hires Bo's former All American QB and current Stanford wonder-coach Jim Harbaugh to take over the reigns. What then? Harbaugh runs a pro-style offense, and finds the personnel recruited for Rodriguez's spread n' shred ill-suited for his needs. Another losing season as Harbaugh scrambles (ha!) to assemble his recruits. Then another disappointing season for good measure as Harbaugh's super recruiting class are all freshmen and need to mature. That will be a total of 6 years since Lloyd left that the program begins to win. Wheras in the first place if everybody had kept their mouths shut, Rodriguez would have had this program winning in a total of 4 years at the helm. Another coaching change only brings more instability, more uncertainty and more losses.

Doesn't Rosenberg realize that this is realistically the best situation that he can hope for? If he succeeds, his beloved University will stumble for more than half a decade and emerge a battered mess with it's integrity barely intact, a shadow of its former self, ruined by his own hand. And who suffers the most from this whole ordeal? Rodriguez? Think again. The student athletes. For example, it wasn't enough for Rosenberg to ruin one of most important days in young Demar Dorsey's life, the day he announces which University he will be attending for the next four years, for his own agenda. Now, thanks almost exclusively to Rosenberg, 18 year old Demar Dorsey will be scrutinized to a harrowing degree as soon as he arrives on campus. His every step will have the critics poised for him to screw up (or even appear to screw up) so that they can leap at the chance to indict Rodriguez again. That can't be a good feeling for an 18 year old (or anybody, really). But who cares, right? Score another tally for Rosenberg and the Freep. What about the athletes that RR has recruited, those that have bought into the system. If RR goes, these kids are hung out to dry as collateral damage until the next crop comes in. The impact on these kids' lives is insignificant when it comes to the agenda of the media, the boosters, disgruntled former players and the fans. They just want Rodriguez out at all costs. And apparently they're willing to compromise moral and ethical integrity by lying and exploiting young men in the program for their own gain (welcome to college football), all the while dragging their University's name through the dirt if that's what it takes. That's dastardly, if you ask me.

Like it or not, the pressure for Rich Rodriguez to win has now been dialed up a notch. Though new AD and all around badass David Brandon has specifically stated that RR's job is not in jeopardy, many wonder if RR is worth the trouble he's brought. Whereas previously, many fans agreed that in all fairness Rodriguez should be allotted four to five years to prove himself. Now in light of these recent allegations, that wiggle room has shrunk dramatically to be, what many believe, entirely dependent on the team's performance this season. This added element of desperation, for both RR and the team, will make this upcoming season a very, very interesting one to watch. Michigan fan or not.

Tackles	Solo	TFL	Sacks	Int	FF
108	57	5	2	5	1
115	53	8.5	4	5	3