[NU Sports] Big Ten losses and why I love them

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

I'm just not sure novelty works again for us - especially if we're just winning in a "weak" league. We're pretty much going to be passed over in favor of anyone except Indiana (who beat us last year on novelty, but now that's gone for them) because of attendance and TV ratings.

The BCS at-large spot is the big argument here - losing that extra berth sends everyone down a rung in the bowl choices.

* There's still a good chance for two BCS busters this year (ECU and the winner of BYU/Utah), but Wisky's win in Fresno helped lessen those odds a bit. Still, I'd say at least one of the open spots goes to a "mid major" again this year. It's a great story and there are three in the running right now.

* Of course, continued Big Ten stumbles against the Evil Empire (along with that super soft schedule between their Big Ten foes and SC) could mean that Notre Dame is again in the B(C)S. So GO BIG TEN there!

* The SEC and Big XII will almost certainly get two of the additional at-large spots this year.

* That leaves our league spot in jeopardy. Purdue beating Oregon would have been HUGE - not just to boost the Big Ten but to eliminate a possible contender for that slot (you know that if SC heads to the title game, the folks in Pasadena will LOVE to replace them with another Pac 10 team -- as they've done for the Big Ten recently -- so Oregon is looking good right now).

I guess I just don't see what we get out of other Big Ten teams losing aside from those two extremes (Big Ten title tiebreak and 6-6 bowl tiebreak - and really, we won't get chosen over anyone at a 6-6 tie besides IU). Bottom line is that we need to win our league games whether they win or lose.

Yesterday, a Big Ten sweep would have eliminated the Evil Empire and a BCS buster from taking the extra spot, hurt the Pac 10's chances of getting a second spot and boosted the chances of one of our teams in the title game again - making Pasadena a likely spot for the #2 finisher.

Besides, our own hopes and profile are boosted much more by knocking off a top-ranked OSU team in November than a #20 Buckeye squad. Or a ranked Purdue and Michigan team instead of an unranked one.

I guess I just don't get it.:)
In any case, 3-0 is nice but we gotta get that 4-0 start vs. Ohio to really put ourselves in good postseason position.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


--- On Sun, 9/14/08, Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal) <Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com> wrote:

> From: Abrahamson, Alan (NBC Universal) <Alan.Abrahamson at nbcsports.com>
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Big Ten losses and why I love them
> To: sjtruog at yahoo.com, nwu-sports at tssi.com
> Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 11:27 AM
> Competing argument: novelty, intrigue of another
> 'storybook' Wildcat team would make it a compelling
> choice. 
> 
> I say emphatically: every other team in the league can lose
> every week. All I care about is Wildcat 
> victories. 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com
> <nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com>
> To: NUSPORTS <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
> Sent: Sun Sep 14 14:14:02 2008
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Big Ten losses and why I love
> them
> 
> The only case where those Big Ten losses help us is when
> we're 6-6 and on the bubble to get into a bowl. Or if we
> tie for the Big Ten title and it comes down to the overall
> record tiebreak.
> 
> But if we have 9 wins and Michigan or OSU has 8 or 7 wins,
> they're still going to get chosen over us for a bowl
> game - just the way fan bases and TV ratings are.
> 
> I think the Big Ten needs to learn from the SEC on this -
> conference strength makes your team look better as well. The
> Pac 10's had the best team over the past decade or so in
> SC, but it hasn't helped the perception of the
> conference (days like yesterday don't help either). 
> 
> Meanwhile, would Florida or LSU have even MADE the title
> game the past two years if there wasn't this perception
> - real or not - that the SEC is miles ahead of the other
> leagues? I still believe that neither Florida or LSU were
> the best team in their own league the year they won the
> title - but because of those silly tiebreaker rules and bye
> scheduling, UGa never had a shot at LSU last year and LSU
> never got to play the Gators in the title game two years
> ago.
> 
> So here's where it hurts us ... if NU should get to 10
> wins or so this year and be in the hunt for a BCS at-large
> berth, the rep of our league will definitely factor into it.
> The SEC will surely get two BCS teams. The Big XII likely
> will as well. And we could have a BCS buster (though
> Wisky's win helped narrow that pool a bit - go Big
> Ten!). That could leave NU competing with teams like Oregon
> ... who helped their league by beating Purdue yesterday.
> 
> I know there are deep-seeded rivalries in the Big Ten ...
> as there certainly are in the SEC ... but Big Ten fans need
> to look at the big picture like SEC fans do. When Bama
> crushes Clemson, it's not just good for Bama but for SEC
> teams in the rankings, in extra BCS berths, in the title
> game chase and in national attention/recruiting (playing
> against the best and all that stuff).
> 
> When OSU, Michigan and Purdue all drop marquee games in a
> weekend, it weakens our league. It could be the difference
> between a BCS bid for a 10-win league team like Northwestern
> and losing the BCS slot to another league, meaning EVERYONE
> gets dropped down a rung and there's one less bowl slot.
> It hurts us in money, rep and exposure ... so while it may
> be fun to watch the Bucknuts self-implode or Big Blue to get
> some comeuppance, it is bad for NU in the short and long
> run.
> 
> Come conference play, we'll be rivals ... but for now
> ...
> Go Big Ten!
> GO CATS!!!
> - SjT
> 
> * * * * * * * * *
> STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> sjtruog at yahoo.com
> GO CATS!!!
> 
> 
>       
> 
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