[NU Sports] Bad day for the Big Ten ...

[Michael Vance]

I have a hard time rooting for dOSU, too.  (That probably something to do 
with growing up in Detroit.)  But I'd rather have NU (you forgot them on 
your list, but I'll take it as a given), Purdue, Minnesota, or Michigan 
State win championships by beating previously unbeaten, highly regarded 
Michigan, dOSU, and Iowa teams in conference play as opposed to beating 
teams that just beat up on the MAC and Big East but couldn't win one 
against the Big XII or Notre Doh.  Whenever a Big Ten team loses a big 
non-conference game, it lowers the standing of the conference in the eyes 
of the national audience.

My key point was that since subjective polls essentially decide who gets to 
play where in the post-season, the perception of the national audience is 
extremely important.  Whether we, as NU and Big Ten fans, agree with that 
perception is irrelevant because none of us get to vote in the polls.  For 
Michigan and dOSU to drop big games, against potential BCS teams, both at 
home, hurts the entire conference.  Iowa at least had the excuse of being 
on the road against an in-state rival, but that one was pretty pathetic, too.

-Michael

At 9/11/2005 01:54 PM, warneradams wrote:
>I always find this an interesting debate.  I ALWAYS cheer against OSU and
>Michigan unless they are playing USC or Notre Dame.  I get a great deal more
>pleasure out of watching OSU lose than hearing the media tell me if the Big
>Ten had a good or bad day.    The Big Ten will always get a lot of respect
>no matter who wins the conference so why cheer for Michigan or OSU.  Twenty
>years of Purdue, Minnesota and Michigan State championships would be great!
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
>Behalf Of Michael Vance
>Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 12:12 AM
>To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
>Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Bad day for the Big Ten ...
>
>At 9/10/2005 11:20 PM, Jim Bendat wrote:
> >When Northwestern wins while Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa lose, it is a
> >great day.  Period.
>
>If it was conference play, I'd agree with you 100%, Jim.  But all you are
>going to see and hear on the highlight shows and the national media
>coverage is that it was like Stephen's original subject line, a "bad day
>for the Big Ten."  Even though the other eight teams won, it's the
>performance of the Big Three, the ones who were on national broadcast
>television, that will shape the perception of the conference for the rest
>of the country.  Winning non-conference games, especially against the other
>BCS teams, is too important.  Since the bulk of the BCS is decided by
>polls, which are based on the collective perceptions of a national
>audience, today was not a great day.
>
>Besides, no day on which Notre Dame wins can be a great day.  But the 'Cats
>won.  So that at least makes it a good day.  :-)
>
>-Michael
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: "SjT (Stephen J. Truog)" <sjtruog at yahoo.com>
> >Sent: Sep 10, 2005 10:51 PM
> >To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
> >Subject: [NU Sports] Bad day for the Big Ten ...
> >
> >Well, at least the Big Three of the Big Ten.
>
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