[NU Sports] Win one for Rutgers (fwd)

[Joe Thiegs]

Mike wrote:

 

> Louisville's rise to a Top 10 team has been interesting to watch, as well.

 

I agree.  I almost mentioned Louisville, but remembered that it was John L.
Smith at the helm when they broke through.  Comparing the results at MSU and
Louisville the last few years, I kind of wonder whether Bobby Petrino might
have more to do with the Cardinals' surge than John L.  In any event, throw
Bobby Petrino into that group of good, young coaches as well.  (I hope we
can say the same about Pat Fitzgerald in retrospect after a few years; I'm
confident we will be able to.)  It also appears that Bret Bielema could be a
thorn in the sides of Big Ten opponents for years to come.

 

<snip>

 

> Personally, I'm not a snob, and I would have enjoyed seeing a school

> like Louisville make it to the national championship game, regardless of
the

> outcome.  I doubt Rutgers will pull that trick off, even if they win their


> last two games (which I think they well might!)

 

Agreed again.

 

> Maybe we should hope for losses by both Ohio State and Michigan so there 

> are just two undefeated schools left--Rutgers and Boise State.  The
football 

> world as we know it might end!

 

If it were two SEC, Big 12, or PAC 10 schools, then definitely, but with two
Big Ten schools, definitely not!  I'm all for just about anything that
improves the perception and prestige of the conference (not to mention the
extra shared revenue).  A Rutgers-Boise State matchup would not serve that
end very well--although I admit I wouldn't mind seeing that play out some
year.  :)

 

> Oddly enough, fans seem to relish it when a Cinderella school makes it to 

> the Final Four, but I don't see that attitude in 1-A football.  Too much

> money on the table, I suppose.

 

I think the difference is that the Cinderella hoops teams have to make it
through a gauntlet of four usually higher-rated Tourney teams--including at
least one or two giants--in a playoff to make it to the Final Four.  All
Boise State has to do is make it through the non-conference schedule and
then hold serve in the WAC.  It's no small accomplishment to go undefeated
at any level, mind you, but I think it's fair to say that a one- or two-loss
team from, say, the Big Ten probably might still be a better team than an
undefeated team from a mid-major conference, or even the Big East (or, this
year, the ACC).  That's not to say that Boise State or Rutgers can't be the
best team in the nation in a given year, just that many fans--including me,
I admit--will be skeptical without big wins against teams that are
recognized as powers.  Rutgers' win over Louisville certainly helped on that
front, but I've heard others who say that just goes to prove how overrated
the Cardinals were.  Very few people were on the West Virginia bandwagon
until they dominated (but still almost lost to) Georgia in the bowl game
last year.  Northwestern didn't really get much respect in 1995, despite the
win at top-10 Notre Dame, until we went into the Big House and won there
too.  That we also won against a very stingy Illinois defense, blew out
Wisconsin, and beat a very good Penn State squad just one year removed from
one of the most dominant offenses of all-time removed any doubt that the
Wildcats were just lucky a couple of times or the beneficiary of a weak
schedule (Ohio State absence notwithstanding--we would have beaten the
Buckeyes too!).

 

If we had a 16-team seeded playoff and Rutgers made it to the title game, I
don't think anyone could rationally argue that they didn't belong there.

 

-Joe

 

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