Sheesh, the B1G Has Some Very Weak Teams...

[Charles Fischer]

Washington looked to have a whole grade level above Northwestern, and after we dominated Oregon State last week--they looked stronger than Purdue?  Michigan State losing to Boston College? (And I have not got to Maryland, Rutgers, UCLA, etc.)

 

Perhaps I am just looking at the bottom of the conference because I thought Illinois and Nebraska had good teams, but not great. Obviously there are great teams at the top, and seems like it might top-heavy?

 

Perhaps many of you have seen more B1G games, and can give me perspective?

 

 

[JabbaNoBargain]

There’s a reason 2 teams have dominated the conference lately with a rotation of other teams rounding out the top 5. If USC had been USC the last 10 years, the PAC would have been the better conference imo. People couldn’t wrap their heads around a team like Utah being every bit as good as say, PSU for at least the last 5 years.

 

Your perspective is right on from my view point. The 4 additions will help a lot…but there are a lot of Mississippi State or Cal equivalents in the conference. Teams that are solid when senior dominated, but very mediocre most other years.

Edited September 22 by JabbaNoBargain

[Solar]

With so many teams there are bound to be some really good and really bad teams. I do think that the days of parity we were used to in the PAC12 are over. They live on in the Big 12, but who cares.

 

Our new reality is weekly exposure to wildly varying quality of teams. Losses to the bottom half of the league will be unfathomable upsets, while games against the top of the league will be national games of the year.

 

Purdue is a well known steaming pile this year.The fact they kept it as close as they did with the Beavers makes me think the Beavers aren't worse than I thought.

 

 

Edited September 22 by Solar

[DanLduck]

Seems like most conferences have a few great teams, a bunch of middle teams and a few stinkers.

Maryland has been improving each of the last few years, but Illinois has been a bit of a surprise this year. Is Nebraska really improved or CU just bad. I think Wisconsin is having an off year.

 

I've been wondering if the portal is helping to make more teams improved, or make more teams mediocre. 

There seems to be more parity among the mid-level teams.

 

Btw, Purdue was on the road 2 weeks in a row and had been beat pretty bad by ND (66-7) so a let down could be expected. 

 

Udub is in a rebuild. But WSU is the surprise team to me. I'm very curious to see how they do this week against BSU. 

 

I guess Charles, I don't think the B1G has any more or less "stinkers" then any other conference. Unless you're in the SEC. As everyone knows, ALL their teams are top tier.

 

 

[30Duck]

Nebraska and Illinois both looked good, and I was watching through my Oregon colored glasses, but neither looked like they should be a problem for OBD. Utah & Penn State is a great comparison, Wisconsin reminds of Stanford, under Harbaugh or Shaw.

 

Rutgers was a power a110 years ago. USC still looks like USC post Carroll. Michigan State reminds me of Cal. UCLA, more than ever is a basketball school. A team that can force Michigan to be 2 dimensional will beat them, Washington just needs to be beat 12 times in a row again, a rivalry with Thee Ohio State will be fun. 

[Jon Joseph]

 

As many a B1G pundit has asked: 'Where does all of that money go?'

 

Nebraska is 3-1 and if in the SEC an OT loss to a top 25 team would not have knocked it out of the top 25. Illinois is one of two teams nationally that has two wins over ranked top 25 teams when the games were played and has another top 25 game Saturday at Penn State. If the Illini was in the SEC it would be ranked at least in the top 15. 3-1 TX A+M defeated Bowling Green at home by 6 points and moved up from 25 to 24. 

 

Rutgers is 3-0 with a road win at VA Tech, a tough place to play. Indiana is 4-0 and not ranked. Maryland is 3-1. Iowa is 3-1. BC is 3-1 this season and gave Mizzou a tough game in CoMO. 3-1 MI State had BC on the ropes in Chestnut Hill but was not able to hang on for the win.

 

Ole Miss is No. 6 and has played against thin air. Penn State is No. 9 with a win on the road at W VA. Michigan played Texas this season and Wisconsin played Bama. Ole Miss misses Bama and Texas in the regular season.

 

Only 5 B1G teams have Blue Chip Rosters. More than half of the SEC have blue-chip rosters. And 9 not 8 conference games means 1 more loss for half of the B1G.

 

Northwestern is Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State is putrid. South Carolina has never won an SEC title. A+M has done less with more than almost any team in the nation. Kentucky hasn't won the SEC since Bear Bryant was the head coach. Auburn lost a home game to Cal. Arkansas was not bowl-eligible last season and may not be this season. That's 7 of 16 SEC teams that are not all that.

 

The SEC deserves praise based on titles won. The SEC has football budgets that dwarf most of the B1G schools and the SEC, even the weaker schools, have well-run NIL programs. In this respect, it does just mean more. The SEC is the only conference that the B1G is behind in football. The B1G top to bottom is better than the ACC and the B12.

 

In last season's PO, two "B1G" teams defeated two "SEC" Teams and played for the title won by Michigan. Not a trend but a sign of hope for the B1G.

 

One place the B1G is No. 1 and the SEC No. 2? $ MONEY $. Which is nice. 

 

[Nevada Dawg]

I think that Charles's premise for this article is spot on. If you have followed my posts on OBD, you know that I think that the B1G is the most overrated conference in the country. And the discussion we are having here kinda bears this out.

 

Having said that, the addition of the four west coast schools will improve the conference. Rather than there being maybe three relevant schools in the football mix, I think there will be four or five, with OBD firmly in that mix for the foreseeable future. I expect Whisky to improve under their new coach Fickell and for Nebraska to show a true resurgence under Rhule. 

Even Michigan State could become relevant again under J. Smith.

 

The B1G actually needed the infusion of new blood as much as the new blood needed a good conference tie up.IMHO.

[30Duck]

On 9/23/2024 at 10:29 PM, Nevada Dawg said:

you know that I think that the B1G is the most overrated conference in the country

Just to clarify, the B1G is the most "overrated" because everybody knows what the ACC is, except for Clemson and media darling Miami, though Cal did beat Auburn, and the Big 10 is bigger than the Big 12.

Edited September 24 by 30Duck

[Jon Joseph]

Nevada Dawg, thanks for your thoughts. To the list of coaches you named, I'd add Curt Cignetti at Indiana whose Hoosiers are 4-0. As a head coach, Cignetti has never had a losing season. Noteworthy for the B1G is a 'basketball school' stepping up with millions to buy out Tom Allen's contract and to bring in Cignetti. 

 

The SEC has a built-in advantage over the B1G, with more and better players in the Southeast footprint than in the B1G footprint. And with it just meaning more from the university presidents and trustees on down, the SEC has placed a greater emphasis on football financially and institutionally and in other sports than the B1G. The investment in athletics has paid off.  Applications for admission are up across the SEC including out-of-state applicants who pay full tuition. 

 

Institutionally, the B1G like many of the Pac-12 presidents, takes perhaps excessive pride in academics and at least in part, continues to do so today. All four Left Coast newbies are AAU member institutions. Nebraska was an AAU member when it was invited to join the B1G. Nebraska would not be invited today. However, every SEC school from Vandy to Mississippi State has produced graduates who succeed in every facet of life. 

 

When Urban Meyer was hired by Ohio State his recruiting style which was the norm in the SEC shook up the B1G. More B1G schools are 'getting it.' If you want to compete at a championship level in the Moneyball sports you have to invest in CFB and Men's CBB from the coaches on down. The B1G is strong in volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and diving, and other indoor sports but has a geographic disadvantage when it comes to spring outdoor sports like baseball, softball, track and field, and golf. 

 

In 2023-24 the New B1G defeated the New SEC in both football PO semifinals. An aberration but also possibly a trend? I think the B1G will produce more competitive football teams at the top. Never the top-to-bottom strength of the SEC but teams able to go toe-to-toe with the best of the SEC. 

 

Ruin the Bruins! And Go You Hairy Dawgs and Win on Saint Nick Field! 

 

 

[Nevada Dawg]

Forgot about Indiana his year. And I did say that the addition of the four West Coast schools will make the B1G stronger and more interestingly competitive in the years ahead. I think the future looks a heck of a lot more intriguing football- wise than the conference's rather staid past.

[OregonDucks]

Every conference is top heavy, including the SEC where Alabama and Georgia have dominated for a decade.  It’s what those teams do in the post season that matters and those two teams have won a lot of championships.  
 

If USC was able to live up to their potential and/or we added Texas and Oklahoma, when we had the chance, the PAC-12 would have been viewed very differently and commanded more TV money. It’s a shame that the PAC-12 isn’t around anymore, as it was a strong conference.