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

[neonrye at aol.com]

Stephen:

I love your optimism and spirit, but I think most of us will worry about BCS bowl slots AFTER we climb that big mountain and get to 10 wins.?? Even in our great Gary B. run, we only did it the Rose Bowl year, if memory serves.? I'll take 8-4 and a decent bowl and a WIN there any time.? I'm not greedy.? And I still want the others to lose.? I really was worried when everyone is also 3-0, because the tie always go against NU in the bowl hunt.

Paul Levinson


-----Original Message-----
From: SjT (Stephen J. Truog) <sjtruog at yahoo.com>
To: NUSPORTS <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
Sent: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 2:14 pm
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. I
t 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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