[NU Sports] What's the magic number?

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> Iowa, Penn State, and Indiana sure
> looked like an almost-certain 6 wins a couple of weeks ago,
> but there are no gimmes in the Big Ten this year.

Exactly - nothing is a gimme in this league. Great coaches all around. We just have to take it one game at a time.

> I saw some network had the Big Ten rated as the fifth or
> sixth toughest conference.  Hard to believe.

Well, that network clearly is run by morons.:)

Seriously ... the only league that comes close to the Big Ten this year is the Big East ... maybe the Big XII, but like football, they're top heavy. The ACC is in a down cycle, early NBA entries have decimated the Pac 10 and the SEC is once again Kentucky and ???. The Big East and Big Ten have unmatched depth and while not having the megapowers at the top the Big XII does, I wouldn't be surprised to see a team from either league make it to Indy.

Would have been nice for the league if OSU had beaten West Virginia, but between the ACC challenge, Michigan's win over UConn, our win over ND and the rest, I think the league will be respected by the committee come tourney time.

GO CATS!!!
GEAUX SAINTS!!!
-SjT