JabbaNoBargain

Fun article! For me, my "love" of CU, ASU, etc. dies with the conference. My conference love has always revolved around how it helps OBD. More macro than anything...I want OBD to win the best conference, but really couldn't care less about the actual individual success of the other members. So you can bet I'll be rooting for all B1G teams to kill it out of conference this year. Good example. I'll be rooting for Utah or Arizona to take the B12 this year, but again, to reflect well on us. Once we clear 2024, if Utah/Arizona go 3-9 in 2025 I really won't care or feel a shred of nostalgia.

B1G was actually the first thing I looked for! I also went to a local Duck Store yesterday to see if there was any new gear with the B1G logo, can’t get it soon enough I really like the court design, very sharp. There is a chance the trees will look too busy for me after a while though.

New territory and unanticipated consequences. This is what happens when you “rush” into something. I say “rush” because they could have been planning the mechanics of this for 5+ years, but clearly they were not. There isn’t another North American sport that has pre-championship playoff games (I consider the Final 4 a singular event) at true neutral sites that have capacities of 50,000+, probably with good reason. For football fans, bowl games were the end of the road and a way to take a family vacation someplace nice. Most families don’t take two vacations in a row, so they need to ditch anything related to “bowl thinking”, it won’t work. Really reminds me of how half-baked the old playoff was with the bowl rotation nonsense. We’re giving up traditions left and right, time to let this one go.

Thanks for the info. Thats a solid explanation. So is it just coincidence that there are always 25-30 5 stars? Never 40, or just 10?

By knucklehead I was meaning “busts”, more than intelligence. Bad word choice. That being said, I always thought stars were a reflection of the pecking order of the current class? 5 star = top 30, etc. BTW the fact this is a relative and not absolute ranking also diminishes the value of being 5 star imo. Is getting a low end 5 star in a below average class really a “5 star”? If the system is based purely on the physical specs of a 16-17 year old, then being a 5 star versus a 4 is greatly overrated imo. Motor, drive, intelligence…somewhat important So I’ll go full circle to the original question, and like my original answer. With the portal, we don’t really need more 5 stars out of HS. I get excited when it happens, absolutely. But a roster with more 4 star dudes out of HS, up front on D and at WR will get us there.

Are the old SWC or BIG8 naming rights available? We could start a collective to buy the rights and “form a league”.

The high school evaluation game is dubious. Seen too many knuckleheads get 5 stars, especially the last 5 years or so. I appreciate the sentiment, but we’ve really only lacked in two areas in recent history IMO. The trenches on D, and WR. Getting some of the best and more depth in those two areas, no matter how many stars, is what will push us to the next level.

Additionally, what does it mean if we go win the B1G and Utah wins the B12, in year one? It’s saying something, not sure what, but it is something. Maybe Cal will win the ACC as well

Why would you do anything that highlighted you’re in shambles? Having a league that can only retain 2 members probably isn’t something you want to take pride in when trying to con some new members to join up.

Beavis did win the 1942 Rose bowl, which was played in Durham NC due to uh, Pearl Harbor. The only Rose victory between the PIG2 was held on the east coast when everyone was signing up to join the military, but hey, they’re power teams.

Market something that doesn’t exist that you retained the rights to. Hello Napster! What up MySpace?

Will be curious to see how good the B1G really is. Historically it seems like their depth hasn’t been as good as the P12 in any given year, but their top/big 3 has been consistently the same programs always elevated to the top 10, and generally worthy of that ranking. Thanks to USC not doing their part, the P12 has had a pretty inconsistent top 3, but a top 2-3 has alway emerged that was pretty legitimate and underrated due to USC failing as poster child for the conference. The conference failed because USC sucked, full-stop. Thats a long way of saying, I think this transition adds a couple of big boy games for everyone involved, them included. The rest of the schedule isn’t going to be anything that shocks the system. Going undefeated is difficult no matter how good you are, I’m predicting 11-1, same as I would have predicted if the P12 still existed!

I have to assume those B12 games on our schedule were scheduled prior to joining the B1G and we’re doing everything we can to cancel them?

Their win total for UW specifically probably has the greatest chance to be accurate, but to think they’d be top-10 at 8-4 is just nuts.

That’s actually hilarious on multiple levels. First of all, that top 10? Second, that’s a lot of top 10 with 8-9 wins. I’m confident that isn’t how it will turn out.

Fun thoughts and story. It’s interesting to watch reality catch up with history. A few examples: State of Indiana has 3 “power teams” with a population 6.8m. Oklahoma has 4.0m population. Nebraska has been eating a reality sandwich for a while now. There are a lot of schools out there where homegrown is going to get you 5-7.

I can’t believe how much credit UW is getting in some corners, they’ll be lucky to hit 7-5. For some context, they’re rated just ahead of Colorado for national title odds. Caesars has their over/under at 7 even. Their roster was gutted, they lost their coach, and their final class rating (portal included) to replace that talent landed #30, between Purdue and Michigan State…and that ranking was pumped up from signing 32 3 stars.

ND is part of the long play here, I believe they can never get a bye? But yeah, conference championship should get you in, not an auto-bye. If a P2 runner up is like 13-1 and has to go play a fresh 9-4 KSU, there could be some alterations down the road

I would never predict any team to go undefeated. UW should have lost to ASU at home last year, the same team we beat without breaking a sweat on the road. Going undefeated is a huge accomplishment but also takes luck.

Isn’t this impossible to know? Have to think there will be some portal churn of 4 star guys that leave because of playing time. Could be 5, could be 25.

Yeah I think it’s ridiculous how many years they’re handing out lately, but be consistent…Dante’s request is middle of the road these days

Never too early! I think our number is actually set at 10.5, which is exactly where it should be. I’d take the over at 11-1. Between tOSU, UM, and Wisconsin, 2-1 would be a good accomplishment. Going 1-2 with that group would be disappointing but not shocking at all. That or some other random loss, 10-2 doesn’t stretch the imagination at all. Frankly, I’d put UW on par with Boise State at this point, especially since we play them early and UW late when their depth will be tested.

More bluster. Beavis’ upcoming budget is making the media rounds and they seem to be very proud that they still have a big boy budget for FY25. Awesome! Money well spent! Thank goodness the state threw them an extra $10M! Rosters are all cratered, coaches leaving, signed a sweet deal with CW, can only make expanded playoff by going 12-0, still playing G5 schedules in all sports….but, but, other conferences will take note that they have a low end P4 budget for FY25 and magic will happen.

Cat is out of the bag, if it wasn’t already…doesn’t this just encourage the more valuable leagues to beat the lesser leagues to the punch? Who would you invest in? The P2 aren’t interested in more money?

Not me personally. I thought there would be a legitimate TV deal and that we’d add SDSU and Fresno/CSU/UNLV. The playoff expansion adding access would make it workable. I definitely like this outcome more.