Big XII to Nebraska: Fuck You

Victory Polka has obtained an email which was sent to the Big Ten offices and to the Nebraska athletic department from Dan Beebee after the Insight Bowl announced that it would forgo a match up between Iowa and Nebraska.  Instead, in a move of what any capitalist would describe as "lunacy", the bowl chose to pit the Missouri Tigers against the Hawkeyes.  What follows is the contents of that email

Dear Big Ten and Nebraska,

I see you driving 'round town
With the school I love and I'm like,
Fuck you!
Oo, oo, ooo
I guess the change in my pocket
Wasn't enough I'm like,
Fuck you!
And fuck her too!
I said, if i was richer, I'd still be with ya
Ha, now ain't that some shit? (ain't that some shit?)
And although there's pain in my chest
I still wish you the best with a...
Fuck you!
Oo, oo, ooo

Yeah I'm sorry, I can't afford a TV Network,
But that don't mean I can't get you on screen.
I guess he's more xbox,  and I'm more atari,
But the way you play your game is mean.

I picture the fool that falls in love with you
(Nebraska's a gold digger)
Well
(just thought you should know nigga)
Ooooooh
I've got some news for you
Yeah go run and tell your new conference

I see you driving 'round town
With the school I love and I'm like,
Fuck you!
Oo, oo, ooo
I guess the change in my pocket
Wasn't enough I'm like,
Fuck you!
And fuck her too!
I said, if i was richer, I'd still be with ya
Ha, now ain't that some shit? (ain't that some shit?)
And although there's pain in my chest
I still wish you the best with a...
Fuck you!
Oo, oo, ooo

Now I know, that  had to borrow,
Beg and steal and lie and cheat.
Trying to keep ya, trying to please ya.
'Cause making sure that the Horns don't leave ain't cheap.

I picture that fool who picked up your school
(oh shit she's a gold digger)
Well
(just thought you should know nigga)
Ooooooh
I've got some news for you
I really hate yo ass right now


I see you driving 'round town
With the school I love and I'm like,
Fuck you!
Oo, oo, ooo
I guess the change in my pocket
Wasn't enough I'm like,
Fuck you!
And fuck her too!
I said, if i was richer, I'd still be with ya
Ha, now ain't that some shit? (ain't that some shit?)
And although there's pain in my chest
I still wish you the best with a...
Fuck you!
Oo, oo, ooo

Now baby, baby, baby, why d'you wanna wanna hurt me so bad?
(so bad, so bad, so bad)
I tried to tell Texas but they told me
"shut the fuck up, damn"
(god damn, god damn, god damn)
Uh! Whhhy? Uh! Whhhy? Uh!
Whhhy Huskers? Oh! I love you oh!
I still love you. Oooh!

I see you driving 'round town
With the school I love and I'm like,
Fuck you!
Oo, oo, ooo
I guess the change in my pocket
Wasn't enough I'm like,
Fuck you!
And fuck her too!
I said, if i was richer, I'd still be with ya
Ha, now ain't that some shit? (ain't that some shit?)
And although there's pain in my chest
I still wish you the best with a...
Fuck you!
Oo, oo, ooo

Week 12: Rivalry Week Predictions

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game game as well asa few of the out of conference. As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.

As promised, this post will be slightly longer because of all of the rivalry games.

Bowl Predictions Week 12 (Expanded)

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is:

1) National Championship

2) National Championship

3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick

4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick
5) Sugar Bowl

6) Orange Bowl

7) Fiesta Bowl

Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school.

Predictions Week 12

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game game as well asa few of the out of conference. As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.

After two weeks hiatus I think we can dispense with the whole record thing since it wouldn't be completely accurate.  Only doing the Big Ten this week since I am short on time what with tests and a somewhat neglected Phil Steele blog to attend to.  This weeks' picks after the jump.

Bowl Predictions Week 11

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is


1) National Championship
2) National Championship
3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick
4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick
5) Sugar Bowl
6) Orange Bowl
7) Fiesta Bowl


Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school.

Week 10: Bowl Discussion

I normally post my bowl picks around this time but the past few weeks have made that seem superfluous.  I am not as reactionary as a lot of other people and that means my bowl projections honestly will not have changed much over the last few weeks.  So rather than rehashing my bowl predictions, I am going to go through my logic of what is going to happen the remainder of the season point by point.

Picks Week Nine

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game game as well asa few of the out of conference. As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.





My record: Overall 56-23, Big Ten 44-13

Going with the Halloween theme this week, more or less anyway.

Picks Week Eight

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game game as well asa few of the out of conference. As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.



My record: Overall 51-19, Big Ten 40-12


Minnesota v Penn State

This is a program defining moment for both teams.  This game has the potential to permanently cripple one of these teams for the rest of the season and send the other into its' next weekend with a little momentum.  In a game this important, I will take the program with a head coach.
Pick: Penn State

Illinois v Indiana


Football is all about being able to run the ball and stopping the run.  Illinois does those things well, Indiana not so much.
Pick Illinois

Nortwestern v Michigan State

Like many people who wear purple on a regular basis, Prince was never really that good at football.
Pick: Michigan State

Ohio State v Purdue

Don't worry Purdue.  You may lose the football game, but at least your school hasn't stooped to the position of using Glee songs in promotional materials yet. 
Pick: Ohio State

Iowa v Wisconsin

I like you Wisconsin.  I will miss this rivalry being an annual matchup.  And for one last time, well, to paraphrase the video, sure as the stars above I'd really like to screw you......out of a Rose Bowl berth.
Pick: Iowa

Missouri v Oklahoma

Bob Stoops may be a little bitch, but if he is constantly making Gary Pinkel his bitch, what does that make Gary Pinkel?
Pick: Oklahoma

Oklahoma State v Nebraska

Oklahoma State has a great passing offense....but against some of the most statistically terrible passing defenses in the country.  The other teams they have played may have been garbage, but the Huskers are not.
Pick: Nebraska

Auburn v LSU

LSU just has the better Tiger.
Pick: LSU

Bowl Predictions: Week 7

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is


1) National Championship
2) National Championship
3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick
4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick
5) Sugar Bowl
6) Orange Bowl
7) Fiesta Bowl

Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school.

Week Seven Predictions

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game game as well asa few of the out of conference. As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.


My record: Overall 47-15, Big Ten 37-10

Bowl Predictions Week 6

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is

1) National Championship

2) National Championship

3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick

4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick

5) Sugar Bowl

6) Orange Bowl

7) Fiesta Bowl

Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school.

Week Six Predictions

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game game as well asa few of the out of conference. As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.

My record: Overall 43-11, Big Ten 35-7

Yeah I know I was sick last week and this didn't happen.  Oh well, we will move on.  No Iowa game this week but plenty of intriguing matchups.  More after the jump.

Bowl Predictions Week 5

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is


1) National Championship
2) National Championship
3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick
4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick
5) Sugar Bowl
6) Orange Bowl
7) Fiesta Bowl


Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school.

Week 4: Real Picks of Genius

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game game as well asa few of the out of conference.  As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.


My record: Overall 33-8, Big Ten 27-5

Only predicted one game incorrectly on the blog last week.  Too bad it was the only game I really wanted to be right about. 

This week I am actually doing my youtube videos all from one source: the Bud Light Real Men of Genius/ Real American Heroes Commericals.  Face it, not only does this conference slate really suck, but there is not much commentary I can make about these games that is different since the vast majority should be blowouts.  So instead of tediously finding something that vaguely communicates that each Big Ten team will (likely) win this I chose the Bud Light commercials. 

Why those Bud Light commercials?  Well, think of it as an ode the the REAL men of genius who made this boring as hell conference slate.  So crack open a Bud Light you sultan's of scheduling, because of you my Big Ten Saturday will be every bit as soul crushing as my 9:30 am Globalization and the Media Class.

Bowl Predictions Week 3

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is

1) National Championship
2) National Championship
3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick
4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick
5) Sugar Bowl
6) Orange Bowl
7) Fiesta Bowl

Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school.

Week Three Predictions

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game as well as a few of the bigger out of conference clashes. As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.


My Record: Overall 20-7, Big Ten 17-4

Need to do better this week after a very poor showing last week.  Picks are after the jump.

Bowl Predictions Week 2

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is



1) National Championship
2) National Championship
3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick
4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick
5) Sugar Bowl
6) Orange Bowl
7) Fiesta Bowl


Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school.

Quick Notes and Videos

Just a few quick notes today.  First I wanted to make sure everyone was following me on PhilSteele.com and at KRUI (you can listen live at kruiradio.org or 89.7FM in Iowa City).  You can normally catch me 12-1pm on the radio on Thursdays and Fridays filling in the panel for Mike Rabon's Sports Issues show and Alex Solsma's College Football show.  I will also be hosting at noon on Sunday in an around the horn style show so you should check that out.  I will post links to Phil Steele as my articles for them get out but since I don't put them up on the website there is a delay.

Second note, Alex Solsma's new blog http://solsmaonsports.blogspot.com/ is a must see for Iowa fans.  Alex does a ton of stuff with video and radio and he gets far more access to the football team than most students do so it is certainly worth checking out.  I will add it to the Blogroll so the link will be with the rest of the daily reading from now on. 

Finally, for those of you who follow on faebook you probably have noticed the copious amount of hate week videos that have gone up on my facebook page.  Well in case you missed any of them they are all embedded after the jump.  Enjoy, and BEAT STATE.

Week Two Predictions

Each week I will be posting my predictions for every Big Ten game as well as a few of the bigger out of conference clashes.  As always these will be accompanied by related (not really) YouTube videos.

My Record: Overall 12-2, Big Ten 10-1

What I Still Want to Know About Boise State

Last night's game between Virginia Tech and Boise State has brought back a question that has dominated college football for almost half a decade now: Does Boise State belong in the National Title game?

While a lot of the articles I am seeing this morning are attempting to answer this question, I think I will take a different approach.  Here are five things I want to know before I feel like we can answer this question.

Bowl Predictions: Week One

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is



1) National Championship
2) National Championship
3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick
4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick
5) Sugar Bowl
6) Orange Bowl
7) Fiesta Bowl


Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BCS National Championship: Ohio State v. Alabama

The Gators will be better than their horrible performance against Miami of Ohio but the Tide were incredibly impressive with how cleanly they executed.  They will face Ohio State who didn't do anything to change my opinion of how talented the Buckeyes are this year.

Rose Bowl Game: Boise State vs. Oregon

I am writing this before the Broncos play Virginia Tech so this could change pretty quickly.  If Boise falls then I would probably bet that either TCU or Utah will fill that void.  Oregon gave New Mexico a 72-0 beatdown on Saturday and answered any questions people had about how their offense would be following the loss of Jeremiah Masoli.

Sugar Bowl: Florida v. Iowa

I still don't see anyone beating Florida in the SEC East.  The Hawkeyes still have some question marks to deal with but they still look like they have the horses to grab a BCS at large bid.

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech v. Oklahoma

Miami is the only team in the ACC who I think looks like it could give the Jackets and Paul Johnson a run in the conference but right now I am sticking with Tech.  OU looked vulnerable Saturday but I still think they have the horses to earn a BCS bid.

 Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska v. South Florida

Word out of Lincoln is that the QB situation looks much better.  It may be too early to tell but if new starter Taylor Martinez brings a spark Big Red should win the Big XII.  The Bulls put up some big numbers against Stony Brook and they are still my pick to win the Big East.

Capital One Bowl: Penn State v. Auburn

Penn State will be inconsistent this year but what I saw in their game Saturday leads me to believe they will be back in Orlando on New Year's Day.  The middle of the SEC is muddled but I am not ready to drop Auburn farther than this given their potential and Cam Newton's 5 TD performance Saturday.

Outback Bowl: Wisconsin v. Georgia

Georgia put up great nummbers Saturday and Wisconsin survived some minor hiccups.  They won't win their conferences but they should both be fun teams to watch this season.

Gator Bowl: Michigan State v. South Carolina

MSU could jump the Badgers for the Outback Bowl but right now I have them headed to the Gator to face a solid Gamecock squad.  Cocky looked pretty good on Thursday and this weekends' matchup with Georgia will be a big barometer of how far they will go this season.

Insight Bowl: Purdue v. Missouri

I had Purdue losing to Notre Dame this week and while they looked pretty bad, I still think they have a decent enough team to make it to the postseason.  Mizzou could be replaced with a couple different teams but I think I will stick with this matchup for another week.

Texas Bowl: Indiana v. Oklahoma State

The Hoosiers offense was as impressive as expected but their defense allowed gobs of yards to the Towson Tigers.  The Cowboys had a similar game against Washington State who they gouged for points but gave up too many yards to a horrible offense.

Dallas Football Classic: Northwestern v. Maryland

Northwestern has a lot of questions still after a tough game against Vanderbilt and I think that they fall behind Indiana in the bowl pecking order.  Maryland was surprising against Navy Monday and they could get to 6 wins with some luck.

Little Caesers Pizza Pizza Bowl: Western Michigan v. Rice

I still do not see the Big Ten filling this bowl slot and despite the loss to Sparty I think the Broncos are headed to Detroit.  Rice looked awful good against Texas and I think they get slotted in here as an at-large team.

Week One Predictions

Ok so here are my predictions for week one of college football.  They will come out every Thursday and I will predict all of the Big Ten games and will usually add in a couple of supplementary picks for the bigger matchups as well.  Let's get started.

Bowl Predictions: Preseason

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there.  It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls.  Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls.  The selection order for the BCS is
1) National Championship
2) National Championship
3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick
4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick
5) Sugar Bowl
6) Orange Bowl
7) Fiesta Bowl
Remember that the Rose Bowl, if it loses the Big Ten or Pac 10 representative must take the first non-AQ school. 

Who The Hell Do You Think You Are?

Boise State's president and athletic director are continuing their campaign against logic in college sports with their recent anouncement that they intend to talk to the NCAA about mandating home and home series.  The news first came to my attention here (you have to scroll down past the first part) and frankly my opinion mirrors that of the authors.  This has an absolute zero chance of happening since the NCAA is not stupid enough to start forcing teams like Ohio State and Florida to play road games at North Texas or Western Michigan.  I know the fans really hate those cream puff games but there are a number of reasons they are a nesscesary evil:

1) For coaches, it makes your already stressful job easier when you don't have to worry about playing the starters for a whole game or hurting your chances for a bowl game with a loss.  It is a proffesion dominated by results and cupcake games allow coaches to puff up the stats a little.

2) For big school athletic directors it allows you to schedule an extra home game to help make ends meet in your athletic budget.  Sports like wrestling and women's volleyball rarely support themselves so it is often up to football teams to plug in the gaps.  Extra home games allow you the opportunity to do that since fans will pack the house anyway.  Use a small portion of the gate fee to pay the opposing team and the rest can pay for that new track you need.


3) For a lot of small schools this is an opportunity to gain more money than they would playing at home.  Teams like Florida International don't make gobs of money at the ticket counter so being payed a cool million or so to play in Ann Arbor would be well above what they would earn playing a random opponent at home. 

So basically, because Boise State can't get a home and home with a lot of top notch teams, they want to dismantle the exsisting system which helps fund thousands of student athletes in non-revenue sports.  I get that Boise does the home and home thing with all of it's opponents (they play a home and home with Toledo from the MAC which starts this year) but the vast majority of athletic departments cannot afford to do that. 

Also, isn't it odd that while Boise continues to complain about not being able to schedule BCS teams they are making plans to play Virginia Tech and Oregon State (both ranked BCS teams) this season, and neither of which on the road?  I understand the Hookie game is in Landover but neutral site games have much higher ticket allotments for "away" teams than true road games do.  Boise is already playing more ranked BCS teams in their out of conference schedule than the vast majority of the BCS schools so I don't really see why they are complaining here.

Boise State is going to the Mountain West next ear a long with every decent program in the WAC so there is a chance they could be getting into an automatic BCS bid as well anyway.  Why is Boise State making a fuss about out of conference scheduling at this point?

Frankly this is a stupid argument by Boise State and it really irritates me since it joins a long list of other things that that the Broncos complain about (the BCS being another one) that they really just don't seem to understand.  I know Boise State wants what's best for their program and that is their motivation behind this (they are not evil).  However you would think that they could try doing something about their problems that didn't always involve making radical changes to the game to support their interests at the detriment of others. 

My Pre Season Top 25

So in the spirit of the AP Poll coming out today, here is my own Top 25 for the preseason.  Since the Stones supplied the Big Ten expansion coverage here I decided that we should mix it up when it comes to the Top 25.  For now, I will use Chicago but if you feel like it should be something else then just leave a comment and it will be considered.

Jason Whitlock: Into the Deep End

So I logged onto my computer after getting off from work and noticed this little headline on MSN:

"Expose the NCAA-Not the Athletes" - Jason Whitlock

This may be perhaps the worst thing I have ever read from Whitlock, who I hoenstly find to be a little hit and miss.  There are days when he can actually write some insightful and well thought out articles, and then there is....well, whatever this is.

The article is a response to the recent NCAA investigation of numerous players who may or may not have attended an agents party, a direct violation of NCAA rules.

Look, Jason, I get it.  Race is your thing, your main focus on issues in sports.  However, there is a difference between an article describing race relations and an article that uses race to get attention, and this is the latter.

Whitlock is not a racist, though some will call him that because of this article.  Rather he is a smart writer, which is juxstaposed to the honest one he claims to be.  Let me be clear, he is not a bad journalist, it is unfortunate that we live in a society where sensationlism and entertainment trump information and facts.  Whitlock is certainly not the first, or the last, journalist to use sensationalism to get hits on his web site.  This article is something that will certainly generate buzz (and the fact that I am writing about it should confirm that to some extent).  This type of writing can be entertaining or engaging but the reality is that it neglects the fact.

The crux of Jason's argument is that the NCAA is "enslaving" college athletes by not paying them for their time in college, something he reinforces with allusions to "Roots" among other pop culture sources.  His argument is layed out in one simple sentence, "We know exactly what Byers knows and admitted: amateur athletics is a for-profit scam".  Whitlock also claims that major sports in basketball and football are being used to subsidize "welfare sports".

So let me get this straight, we should pay athletes in sports that make money because they are earning that money?  Sounds reasonable right?  Except that doesn't work. 

Let's start from the bottom and move up.

In sports like women's basketball and wrestling there are a small number of teams that do make money.  Does UConn have to pay their players while Notre Dame and Florida don't?  Do Iowa wrestlers get paychecks while their counterparts at Illinois and Ohio State are left out to dry?  Whitlock is really only saying that football and basketball players should get paid, not all athletes whose teams make money and it really flies in the face of what athletes in other sports have achieved.  While Whitlock may dismiss "welfare" sports , the reality is that they are a great opportunity for athletes to compete for their school and for students who may not have had a shot at a scholarship a free college education.  It is a bit ironic how Whitlock is able to compare the NCAA rulebook to laws that "denied women's suffrage" while simultaneously calling out non-profit teams, which includes nearly every women's sports team in the country.

Furthermore, do you as an athlete get paid if your team is not making money?  The Iowa basketball team hasn't exactly been raking in the dough these past couple of years, how do you justify paying players when they havn't drawn crowds large enough to make the program profitable?
Not only does it create an issue of how players should be payed, it all but destroys the already strained issue of parity in college sports.

Imagine you are a recruit, you have the option of going to Michigan State, Iowa, or Penn State.  All three are fine academic institutions but because Penn State is probably going to get you the most money it should be the obvious choice.  Paying college athletes based on how much they bring in to the school is asking for parity issues in the sport as the best athletes will go to the schools that will earn them the most money. 

And what about conferences?  We heard all summer about how the Big Ten and SEC make grossly larger sums of money than schools in other conferences.  If  athletes in these conferences are earning more money it stands to reason that the best athletes would head to those regions.  What does this do for programs like Missouri or Georgia Tech who would be at a huge recruiting disadvantages to their neighbors?

Look I am not saying the NCAA is perfect.  If this were about basketball athletes not being forced to go to colege for a year, I would be all for it.  However, in the case of football, which make no mistake is highest grossing sport by a wide margin, these athletes require the years of training they receive for their bodies to develop and for them to learn the technique nesscesary to play proffesional ball.  You can't say that athletesaren't already receiving compensation when they are receiving at least three years of intensive training, a free education (if they choose to utilize it), and compensation for room and board (not to mention the numerous gifts they receive from the school in terms of clothes and bowl swag). 

So really, this isn't the media "demonizing black kids for cashing in like white men" as Whitlock describes.  Rather, the players being punished for violating the NCAA's rules on agents is more of a case of individuals breaking a contract.  Frankly, these kids knew taking gifts from agents was against their agreement (you know, the one that pays for pretty much everything they do) and I have no problem for them being punished because they need to have more than their entire present and future payed for.  These kids are not slaves, they are ungrateful college students who think that they deserve more than the already huge compensation they are already receiving.

Whitlock, you are better than this, stop race baiting and start reporting.

Looking at Division Allignment

So the Big Ten has added Nebraska.  Great.


But seriously, how surprised would you really be if Hitler was rooting for Texas?


Now we are left to ponder the question of how we divide the conference for a title game?

I have been and always will be against the title game simply because it devalues one of the conference's best teams by handing them a loss.  If you think I am wrong ask Missouri in 2007 how playing the Sooners a  second time in the season worked for them when it came time to be selected for a bowl.  Also the Big XII South struggles in 2008 when three teams finished 11-1 remains one of the biggest disasters that  has occured because of divisional alignment.  Growing up in Big XII country it isn't hard to not like conference championship games since the history of the Big XII is basically a case studies in the negative effect the game has on the teams in the conference.

However, it seems as though the Big Ten is destined for a conference championship game and, inevitably, divisions. 

So how do we do it?

Well Akham's Razor tells us that the simplest answer is the correct one, and I think it applies here.  The league that has had by far and away the most success with a championship game is the SEC.  The guys in the south got it right by ignoring the balance of power at the moment and sticking with traditional rivalries and geographic balance.  When the conference was formed the league hopelessly overpowered by the Eastern schools.  Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee were all national powers and while Alabama was certainly a force out west, the rest of the division was relatively mediocre.  LSU was so-so, Ole Miss was horrible, Auburn was just o.k., and Mississippi State was the second best team in the division behind the Crimson Tide, and it wasn't exactly close.  It just goes to show that whoever is good now is not garaunteed to be good in the future.

Splitting the teams up geographically with one preserved game keeps travel costs to a minnimum while ensuring natural rivalries persist.  Are you really wanting to break up the triumvirate of hate that is OSU-PSU-UM?  How about UW, Minn, and Iowa?  These are some of the oldest and most storied rivalries in the conference and should be treated as such.

These people clearly belong together

I Feel Like I Am Taking Crazy Pills

So I was off for a while with stuff happening but I wanted to respond to this not so recent article by Dan Wetzel over at Yahoo Sports which argues that Jim Delaney moved against a playoff simply because he knew it would make the Big 12 ripe for picking in his future expansion games. The sound you just heard was logic being pushed out a tenth story window.

What's even weirder is that Dennis Dodd is adding his own approval of this argument.  While I can safely say I wouldn't be surprised to hear bad ideas coming from Dodd, I am a little surprised with Wetzel who is usually a much smarter writer than this.  I normally don't break down writer's work but this seems to merit the Sioux City Journal treatment so let's take a look at this/

"Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe all but killed his own conference on April 30, 2008.


That’s when he decided to team up with the Big Ten and Pac-10 to reject a four-team playoff being pushed by the SEC and ACC. If the Big 12 (and/or the Big East) had supported it, the so-called “Plus One” model likely would’ve happened."


First off, Beebe killed his conference long before that point be refusing to think proactively about television deals and by continually alienating the brass up in Lincoln.  His choice to oppose the playoff push was, and as a matter of fact still is, in the best interest of the majority of the schools who play in his conference (more on that later). Second, how are you sure this would have happened?  I mean this is the second paragraph of your article and you have already made several outlandish unsupported statements that we are given no reason to believe.  What's to stop the Big Ten and Pac 10 packing up the Rose Bowl and leaving?  It's not like they haven't threatened to do it before. 

"Even that modest playoff would have meant hundreds of millions of additional revenue for college athletics. It would have then allowed for easy expansion for an even more lucrative 16-team postseason. That would have solved all the monetary concerns that have left the Big 12 on the verge of collapse at the hands of its one-time allies, the Big Ten and Pac-10.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany admitted to Congress a 16-team playoff could gross four times what the current Bowl Championship Series does – in other words about $900 million annually."

Here is my question, if there really is this great evidence that a playoff would earn more money, where is it?  I mean, wouldn't that be a huge story?  "BCS costing college football millions"?  I mean I don't doubt there is some study out there that says just that but wouldn't it be in a legitimate news source right now if it was from a reliable source?  I mean if I just havn't read it yet feel free to post it in the comments but I have looked and looked for it and cannot find it.  Also, I don't doubt that Delany testified but please let me know where you found that since I again did a search and can't find a word on it anywhere.

Conference expansion is about to forever alter college athletics: destroying traditions, hammering taxpayers and increasing competition. It will leave once-major programs out of the loop, consolidate power and extend the gap between haves and have nots – even within leagues such as the Big Ten.

How does adding Nebraska hurt parity in the Big Ten? By being a more competitive league? By creating more prime matchups that will inevitably drive up already massive television deals? How exactly does this hurt parity in the league? And whose taxpayers are hurt in this? Nebraska's? The state just gained access to long term financial upgrades in addition to massive upticks in a huge swing in prestige in its' flagship university. Even if this does somehow increase their taxes, the long termbenefits are so ridiculously worth it that they would be stupid to complain about it.
"Conference expansion is about to forever alter college athletics: destroying traditions, hammering taxpayers and increasing competition. It will leave once-major programs out of the loop, consolidate power and extend the gap between haves and have nots – even within leagues such as the Big Ten."

How well did that work out?

"It’s clear now that Delany used opposition to a football playoff not to preserve some bit of 'tradition.' His expansion plans clearly indicate he cares nothing about that. It certainly wasn’t done for the sake of aiding Big Ten football, since a playoff with on-campus home games likely would’ve helped his teams."


The goal was to starve out the Big 12, Big East and even the ACC of the hundreds of millions a playoff would’ve given them and thus turn the future of college sports into a battle of television sets.
Here is the main issue with this statement; even with more funding for everybody, there is still a major discrepency between the television deals of the Big Ten and SEC versus everyone else. Assuming you are right about the playoff dolling out more money (which I want to remind you there has yet to be published evidence of) it still doesn't somehow magically change the fact that the Big Ten makes more money through media contracts than the Big 12. So even if Nebraska got moremoney from a playoff system (not a garauntee) they would still be in a conference controlled by Texas, would still have an academic advantage by joining the Big Ten, and would still stand to earn even more money with media deals.

"And let’s forget the ridiculous notion that the presidents are vehemently opposed to a playoff. The presidents will do whatever their commissioner says. It’s always been that case and the expansion chaos proves it. Ohio State’s Gee has been an anti-playoff guy in part because of “missed class time,” even if none would be missed under a playoff that takes place during semester break."

Where to begin on this one? Let's start with the outright falsehood that presidents follow the conference commisioners. Let's assume for a second that Wetzel is right in this assertion, wouldn't that be direct evidence that a playoff would earn more money? I mean conference commisioners are not accountable to people like teachers who have complained that a playoff would move into the academic year, and if Wetzel is right when he says that it is "always about the money" then it makes absolutely no sense why we wouldn't have a playoff. The idea that it was used to make the conference realignment happen obviously doesn't make sense because the discrepencies in funding would exsist regardless.

What does this really mean? Well, the truth is that Commisioners are the busy bodies who do the work that university presidents don't have time to do since they are, wait for it, running a major institution. The amount of work involved in coordinating a conference is best done by a centralized entity. Conference's, and their commisioners, exsist solely to ease the burden of athletic directors and school presidents. If you really need the heirarchy, a conference commisioner is on the same level as the athletic director. They both report to the school president (or presidents) and neither answers to the other in terms of athletics.

So if the president is in charge of everything why is it "ridiculous" to believe they are opposed to a playoff?  They have to accountto the proffesor's and organizations who represent them, and none of those groups are wild about the idea of extending the college football season.  The idea that a playoff should just be held "during break" is idiotic since not all universities share the same breaks oreven academic structure.  Not every University operates on the semester system, and for some shcools a late playoff means that you would be scheduling right smack dab in the middle of the winter session.  I mean the current BCS system already caused problems two yearsago when Florida was forced to miss class time because of the BCS title game. 

But perhaps the greatest indicator of why presidents don't want a playoff then the argument brought forthby SI's Stewart Mandel in his recent mailbag.

"So ask yourself: Of the 67 schools that control the BCS, how many would actually benefit from a playoff? I.e., how many programs realistically compete on a regular basis for national championships? Ten? Maybe 15? At the very most, 20. But if you're at Michigan State, Ole Miss, Oregon State or any other rank-and-file BCS program, the current system is far preferable. You get to mooch financially off the two or three elite teams in your conference while at the same time competing for more realistic goals (an occasional conference title, decent bowl games) that keep your fans engaged and encouraged.

 Reasonable minds may disagree as to whether a playoff would devalue the regular season, but the reality is, a playoff would completely alter fans' standards for success. Just like with any other sport, any season in which your team doesn't qualify for the playoffs would be deemed a failure. Which means, even with a 16-team playoff, roughly 85 percent of the country will be disappointed every season. And if you happen to be a fan of a team that perennially misses the playoff -- which, within some BCS conferences, might be eight out of 12 teams -- it stands to reason that your interest in the sport would wane."

Add the the threat of losing recruiting advantages along with threatsof loss in alumni donations, prospective student interest, and the afformentioned issues with scheduling and it is kind of a no brainer as to why administrators are opposing a playoff.

So in summary, it is good that this article only made it online, since it would have been a bigger waste of paper than the National Inquirer.  Dan Wetzel, you are normally a better writer than this, please start citing sources and stop throwing out conjecture like it is fact.

Expansion Round 1 Epilogue

So expansion has come and gone, and it seems a little anticlimactic.  Boise State went to the Mountain West.  Nebraska went to the Big Ten.  Colorado and Utah have gone to the Pac 10, but it could have been so much worse.  I am sure people in Lawrence and Ames are celebrating the fact that Texas kept their conference together by getting what could or couldn't be (the exact details of the deal are still hazy) one of the most lopsided conference television deals ever.  The folks in Dan Beebe's office likely are patting themselves on the back for selling the conference members on a television deal that doesn't actually exist yet.

I grew up in Kansas City and I know how people there are elated to hear that the conference that allowed the city that we love to enjoy college sports so close to home was going to live to fight another day.  But I want to ask my friends back home, and perhaps the fine folks in Ames, Lawrence, Manhattan, Columbia, and the Big XII offices, one question, what do we do to prevent this in the future?

Nebraska to the Big Ten: Who deserves the blame?

This video now accompanies all discussion of conference realignment and the Big XII


Today the University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced that it will be joining the Big Ten conference in the 2011-2012 season.  It really wasn't a shock since we really knew it was going to happen since Thursday.

I will get to welcoming the Cornhuskers later, there is one issue here that I honestly think deserves a little more attention right now because the National Media, particularly Daivd Ubben of ESPN, has this completely wrong.

Who do we blame for the demise of the Big XII conference?

It has become a little difficult to ignore the fever pitch volume that expansion rumors have reached recently. The Colorado Board of Regents ismeeting tonight to discuss possibly moving to the Pac10, the Big XII has issued ultimatums to Nebraska and Missouri, Baylor and Kansas are pleading for their fellow conference members to stay, and the Big Ten is still rummored to be chasing Notre Dame.
It is big, and rightfully so. This could ultimatly change the way we watch college football for the next 100 years, or maybe not.
We don't really know what is going on. Until someone goes on the record saying "Team A is going to go (stay with) conference B" we don't have any evidence that any expansion will happen at all.
What is important to remember at this point is that everyone wants something. Some want change (Missouri, Nebraska, presumably the Big Ten) some want the status quo (Notre Dame, Dan Beebe, the Kansas schools) but to them, the reality has hit that not everything is in their control. As the philosopher Jagger so eloquently put it:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Someone has to lose here, whether it is Jim Delaney or Jamie Pollard (though to be fair Jamie Pollard losses regardless of what happens since he is still Jaime Pollard). At the end of the day someone is going to end up being the goat in all of this. In that vein, I present the top ten bigest potential losers at the end of expansion.
10. Boise State: The Broncos were put on hold by the Mountain West this past week as the league waits to see what will happen with the Big XII. If the Big XII melts down, there isadistinct possibility that the Mountain West could say no thanks to Boise State and add more of the leftovers from the Big XII.
9. The Pac 10: How stupid will the Pac 10 look if they get turned down? Not as bad as the Big Ten will, but it is never good for big schools like Texas to reject you publicly. The Pac 10 doesn't need to look idiculous right now and a rejection from the Big XII would be pretty embarassing.
8. The SEC: The SEC is at a disadvantage when it comes to expansion, and if the Pac 10 taks the six previously mentioned Big XII teams, the pickings will be extremely slim. The ACC may not be the same in football competition but it is hardly a lame duck athletic conference and the academics in the ACC are a much bigger selling point than they are in the SEC. While the ACC certainly doesn't have the academic ties that the Pac 10 and the Big Ten have between their conference members, schools would potentially be looking at an academic downgrade by moving to the SEC, and that might keep moreacademically minded presidents like the ones at Miami and Georgia Tech from pulling the trigger on switching. If the league has to expand to keep up with the Big Ten and Pac10 the league will have an extremely difficult time keeping p.u
7. The ACC: As I mentioned, the ACC has an academic advantage over the SEC, but that doesn't make them completely immune. Schools like Clemson and Florida State are still viable targets for the SEC. Also, the ACC is the least equipped league to join in the arms race because the are financially the weakest link. The league could feast on the Big East remains once the Big Ten is done, but it will hardly command the kind of exposure, revenue, or fan support that the Big Ten, Pac 10, and SEC do.
6. The Big Ten: This has been built up to a boiling point and Jim Delaney is in the center of it all. If the Big Ten gets rejected the league will be facing a PR disaster and something that could do some real damage to a league with an already fragile reputation.
5. The Big East: Regardless of whether the Big Ten actually decides to raid the conference, the potential of losing Notre Dame,even innon-revenue sports, is a big problem. Not only that, but the threat of the ACC looms ever present. If the Big Ten and Pac10 do indeed expand to become super conferences, then the ACC will be inclined to raid the viable members of the Big East, something the league would probably not be able to recover from.
4. Baylor/ Colorado: Word is that the Texas school is hoping to piggyback it's way to the Pac 10 and edgeout the Buffalos. Not so fast, Colorado won't go quietly, and there is no indication that the Texas legislature will be able to force Texas to make Baylor part of the deal. One of these schools has to lose, and whoever it is likely ends up in the Mountain West or Conference USA.
3. Kansas: The Jayhawks seem to be grasping at strawsand it is a shame since they are hampered moreby geography than anything else. The fact that the state legislature is likely going to force KU to become a package deal with Kansas State. The Jayhawks could end up just about anywhere that isn't currently a major conference but that means ahuge step down in money.
2. Notre Dame: Just how much is independence a part of Notre Dame's identity? Enough that if theIrish toanounce intentions tojoin the Big Ten there could be serious threats of riots in South Bend. Notre Dame's identity is incredibly intertwined with the Independence. Losing that could have massive implications for the mystic of Notre Dame and theway that the athletic department is viewed in the future.
1. The rest of the Big XII: This is simple. Kansas State and Iowa State are in the worst position of anyone. they command no major revenue centers, have aboslutely no chance of being admitted to a major conference unless they are paired with their other in state institutions. At the end of the day, no matter what happens, this whole drama has shown to everyone that the Wildcats and Cyclones are expendable, and this could end up puttign a lot of pressureon the universities to makesurethatthey areina better position ofstrength next time around, if there is a next time.

Phil Steele Releases Pre Season All American Teams

For those of you who don't recognize Phil Steele, the guy is the guru of college football.  He is usually fairly accurate as to his preseason predictions and what he says carries a lot of weight, particularly at this time of the year.  Steele's release of his pre season All Big XII and All-American teams is getting quite a bit of buzz around the college football landscape because of the various inclusions and omissions and, in light of the horrible weather cancelling Iowa's baseball game against Purdue, I would like to throw in a couple notes on his list.  Obviously Phil Steele is far more accurate than everyone (you too ESPN) including myself but the man is not infallible (see him predicting Illinois as the number 3 team in the Big Ten last season).  So here are my thoughts on Phil's preseason All American teams.

All-America team preview

- My biggest complaint, of this entire list, is the inclusion of Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey.  This one perplexes me quite a bit because Posey wasn't even top five in his conference last season.  Indiana, Iowa, Penn State, and Michigan State all have at least one receiver returning who was a bigger asset to their team than Posey was to the Buckeyes last year.  The guy has skills, and maybe this has something to do with the touchdown pass he threw against NewMexico State last season, but I just don't see him having a big enough impact on this team to be an All-American.  The Buckeyes like to run the ball and they have the offensive line to grind it out.  Posey isn't an undefendable superfreak which means corners will jam him, he will get stuck in traffic, and he still hasn't figured out how to become an elite wide receiver.  He has potential, but right now I think this is a huuuuuuge  stretch for him, especially when the rest of the Buckeye receiving corps is losing a number of veterans.  Tandon Doss, Marvin McNutt, DJK, Mark Dell, these are just some of the receivers who will likely put up bigger number and be bigger factors for their team in the Big Ten than Posey.

- Sticking with the Buckeyes on the list, I think I would switch Terrel Pryor and Justin  Boren.  Boren is a physical freak who will be a sure fire NFL prospect.  Stefan Wisniewski of Penn State is a great lineman but I would swap him and Boren because of how dominant Boren figures to be along a dangerous Buckeye line.  Pryor as a first team AA player will certainly draw some controversy, but I can see where this is coming from.  Pryor looksready for a breakout year and there just aren't many returning quarterbacks who look like they will be capable of getting the statistics and the wins they would need to earn the 1st team AA spot.  That being said, Case Keenum and Houston look poised to put up all kinds of nasty numbers and I think he will be the better quarterback.  Also, how Cameron Heyward got supplanted by Robert Quinn as a first team DE I will never understand.

- I would swap Evan Royster and La'Michael James.  James was by far the bigger X-factor for his team last year and with Oregon losing Jeremiah Masoli James should figure to have an even bigger role this season.  Royster certainly deserves to be on this list but it isn't like he is setting the world on fire.  His feet are painfully slow and he seems to lack an identity as a runner.  The fact that he has been so succesful in spite of those things is certainly impressive, but it doesn't mean he is the better player.

- Mark Barron?  Robert Sands?  Really?  Maybe it is just my homerism or my love of safeties who play like center fielder-shark hybrids but Tyler Sash should be swapped with one of those guys.

- Kyle Rudolph = OVERRATED.  The guy is a solid player but he might as well be playing offensive tackle in new Notre Dame coach Chip Kelly's system.  DJ Williams and Lance Kendricks could both claim the no.1 spot instead of Rudolph but given what Wisconsin has traditionally done with the position and Kendricks' raw talent I think he will be in the top spot by the end of the year.

- I don't know much about everyone's punter but I am uneasy about putting Ryan Donahue that high up.

Pre Season Top 25 Vol. 1

So here are my preseason top 25 teams for the 2010 season.  This will be updated around late July or but I think that the current list is fairly well set outside of the 20-25 spots.

1. Ohio State: Call me Big Ten biased, but if the Buckeyes take care of business on the road against Iowa and Wisconsin, they win the conference, and likely finish with no more than one loss. Now, this is not an unflawed Ohio State squad. The offensive line still needs to turn a corner and some skill position players need to step up and assert themselves more to make this attack more than mediocre. I think the Buckeyes defense is great aside from safety, which is not a huge weakness but could potentially limit the blitzing schemes Ohio State uses. However, in comparison to everyone else, the Buckeyes are, at least on paper, the best.


2. Boise State: How good are the Broncos? They return pretty much every starter except stud corner back Kyle Wilson from a team that was undefeated last year. But who did they play worth mentioning? Yeah they beat Oregon at home, but the Ducks were hardly a juggernaut, especially compared to the big boys who came out of the SEC and Big XII last year. How good Virginia Tech will be is debatable, but beating them in Landover on the opening Thursday night should grab enough votes to maybe break into the National Championship game if the Broncos go undefeated. The problem with that is that the Broncos better hope the Hokies, and the ACC, perform better than they did last year or else there will still be that “Yeah but…..” attached to the Broncos record.

3. Florida: What?!?!?!?! He didn’t pick the Crimson Tide? No, I didn’t. Sorry but recruiting athletes and talking about how Nick Saban is a genius doesn’t really make up for how many holes this defense has. You will not win a National Title, let alone an SEC championship, without strong, experienced, defense. Florida needs to find an offense with a punch but I think new QB Brantly will actually be a breath of fresh air. The kid is a pocket passer who can scramble if he has to, which should work great for Urban Meyer who lacked the explosiveness last year he needed to make up for Tim Tebow’s inability to become an elite level passer. The Gators are flawed but enough guys come back to move through a rebuilding SEC.

4. Southern California: Monte Kiffin might be the greatest thing that ever happens on this defense. With this kind of talent, and his son’s ability to coach quarterbacks, the Trojans are a rebuilt offensive line away from a National Title run. Oregon will be a test, but it is one that the Trojans will face at home and nobody else on the schedule looks ready to beat USC. There have been questions about the talent level on the Trojans, but this team with the level of coaching this staff brings, which, despite the mocking from the SEC, is extremely good, is going to be a monster again.

5. Alabama: Look, experience matters. Alabama is going to be restocking the shelves with a lot of guys who just don’t have the experience to do what last year’s phenomenal squad did. Nick Saban is a great coach but he is a notoriously conservative coach who focuses on time of possession. Having an experienced defense is a big part of making that strategy successful and that just isn’t something Alabama has right now. Also, what is really overhyped about this team is the returning starters on offense. Mark Ingram is good, but he wasn’t even statistically the best player at his position last year, despite the fact that few running backs had great years. Greg McElroy was decent, but he wasn’t a major threat unless teams had to sell out to stop the run, and most of the teams listed in the top ten will be able to do that. The Tide will probably be in a BCS bowl game, but they will likely be in there with two losses.

Happy Hour: The Return of the Previews and Expansion speculation

DAILY SPECIAL: Since finals week began there have been a few big happenings along the preview circuit.  CFN has started releasing their team by team previews, so far Big Ten teams Indiana and Northwestern have been previewed as well as nearby Big XII team Kansas.  These are usually worth the read so if you hav the time to flip through the links that preview the offense and defense I would recoomend it.

The Rivalry Esq continues it's team by team conference preview with a week solely devoted to the Hawkeyes.  It's a good write up and there will be new posts every morning so you should be reading them.

BHGP is breaking down the Hawkeyes position by position and started with the Manzi at quarterback.

Corn Nation discusses Iowa and the role the Hawkeyes will play if the Huskers join the Big Ten.  Not a bad read if you want Big Red's perspective on the Black and Gold.

No Beer Today

No Beer Today,
No Beer Today,
'Cause There's No Beer On Sunday
No Beer Today
No Beer Today
You'll Have To Come Back On Monday

Finals are over and Monday marks the first weekday of summer break. Sunday I will be out watching the Iowa baseball team.  If you haven't heard, the Hawks are two games behind the league leader and could sweep Ohio State (a very good baseball team) with a win on Sunday.

Monday we will have the usual Iowa sports wrap-up including a nod to former KRUI sports director Jordan Loperena.  Later this week we will have my preseason top 25, some early team previews,  and a preview of next weekends baseball matchup against Purdue (it's a big one).  In the mean time relax, enjoy the weekend, and Go Hawks.

FINALS

The bar is closed for finals week.  We will be back in a week when finals are over with more Iowa sports coverage.

Happy Hour: Lists Lists and More Lists

It's the silly season in college football. When so called experts release projections and we all point out how Notre Dame is hopelessly over rated again. I can't really say that I am innocent in all of this or that I don't get some kick out of it. It is what it is, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

DAILY SPECIAL: The Daily Gopher released it's Big Ten power rankings earlier this week, you will notice we tend to disagree on where Minnesota will finish. Adam Rittenberg and ESPN released their monster spring post on the Big Ten, the number of videos and links is somewhat staggering. You should really read all of the individual previews but here is the Iowa one in case you are lazy. The Rivalry Esq. and CFN (here and here) have both released their bowl projections, somehow CFN has Michigan in the Holiday Bowl despite the fact that the only way that happens is if Michigan joins the Big XII. Expansion insider info? You be the judge. Sports Illustrated lists their spring top 25. Mine will be posted sometime later this week. Finally we round out the lists with ESPN's spring top 25 video:



DRAFTS: Montel Marion has been indefinitely suspended from the Hawkeye wrestling team after and OWI. He was driving the wrong way down Washington after drinking a few. As BHGP points out, Tom Brands is a notorious disciplinarian and if Marion thought the arrest was bad, what Brands does to him will probably be far more painful.

Brent Metcalf will face Darion Caldwell (the bastard who did back flips after beating Metcalf in 2009) on the deck of the USS Intrepid (a decommissioned aircraft carrier in NYC). No word yet as to whether Metcalf plans to strangle, bludgeon, or disembowel Caldwell, or if he will just throw him off the side of the ship. My bet is on all of the above.

SHOTS: March to March brings in a nice Big Ten basketball preview for those who have given up on football this season. For some reason they don't mention Iowa as a dark horse candidate.......

Speaking of the basketball team, Darius Stokes, son of former Hawkeye center Greg Stokes and older brother to Linn Marr women's basketball standout Kiah Stokes (please come to Iowa Kiah), has pledged to walk on to the basketball team.

The Iowa baseball team defeated Coe College 16-6 in the corridor classic.  I still maintain that the fact that our biggest in-state baseball rivalry is with Coe is a sad reflection on the state of baseball in Iowa.

The Press Citizen uses a slightly misleading headline in this article about the Orange Bowl costs.  The fact that the UI came out $54,954 ahead should surprise nobody who has ever been on a trip with Iowa athletics.

Finally, the Iowa women's tennis team has received an invite to the NCAA tournament.

The First Rankings

In addition to this being an Iowa Hawkeyes blog, there will also be plenty of discussion of the bigger picture in college sports.  Today, I want to put together an early look at the Big Ten conference, including a preliminary ranking of each team.  As with all lists on this site, there is a marginally related youtube clip to go along with each item, so if you don't agree you can just watch those and have your brain melted before you can respond. 

I almost expect this girl to post a video bitching about how obvious this no. 1 pick is, but I bet she is too busy bludgeoning a baby seal somewhere to take the time to do it.

1. Ohio State: Yeah the Buckeyes are loaded, but they are not unbeatable.  They are going to have to avoid slip ups at Iowa or Wisconsin to ensure that they have the tie breaker for the Big Ten's automatic bowl bid, otherwise either team could pass them with a few breaks.


You see what I did there?  Bird is the word......Hawkeyes at no. 2?  Fuck you.

2. Iowa: I just don't see the Badgers beating Iowa in Kinnick which means the Hawkeyes will have to either lose more than two games or the Badgers will only lose once this season.  The Hawks have the most favorable conference slate of the top three teams, facing the best conference teams at home.


I would say this season will drive Wisconsin fans to drink, but what doesn't drive Wisconsin fans to drink?


3. Wisconsin: If there is one team in conference that has the best shot at beating Ohio State in a game, it's Wisconsin.  The Badgers are extremely experienced and I  think their defense is going to be a little better than people expect.  However, as I mentioned before, I don't see them beating Iowa.  Which means that unless the Hawkeyes or Buckeyes go into a free fall, Badger fans might want to just start booking tickets for the Capital One Bowl.


Fun drinking game, watch this and drink every time you see someone who plays football for Michigan State.

4. Michigan State: The Spartans got into some trouble with Johnny Law last season but it should not overshadow the talent that is on this team.  This Spartans team has the best linebackers in the Big Ten, a solid defensive line, and a secondary that will be just good enough to not be a liability. If the Spartans can find a ground game to go with Kirk Cousin's arm, I think they have a shot at moving into the top three, especially considering they don't face the Buckeyes and get the Badgers at home.


Much like real Northwestern fans, these cats listen to Smash Mouth and consider themselves superior to you.

5. Northwestern: The Wildcats lose quarterback Mike Kafka but I think Dan Persa will be just fine.  More troublesome is the loss of pass rusher Corey Wooten, who was the only guy on the defensive line who seemed capable of getting into an opposing teams backfield.  That combined with a secondary that is going to be a little green next year could mean that the Northwestern D takes a bit of a step back.  If the Wildcats can't turn Arby Fields into a decent RB they are going to fall down these rankings really fast.


Just once I want to see Joe Paterno get off the bus and do this dance.

6. Penn State: Yeah, the QB situation is that bad.  Even Penn State's much regarded freshman QB still needs some work, and that is not good for the Nittany Lions who need a dynamic signal caller to fill for Clark.  The offensive line still hasn't shown it can form a cohesive unit and the talent at the tackle position is questionable.  The defense should be fine, but it won't be the superstar unit it was last year and it will cost the Lions some games.  Combine that with a road schedule that includes trips to Alabama, Iowa, and Ohio State, and this is a Lions team that could be lucky to be 8-4.


Indiana has spent the last ten years as the team tied to the back bumper of the Big Ten and forgotten.  Not anymore.

7. Indiana: The Hoosiers had the Big Ten's best passing attack statistically last year and have multiple play makers on offense who can make it even better this year.  If Darius Willis can step his game up at RB this offense could be one of the best in the Big Ten.  Then there's the defense.  The unit isn't completely horrible, with some solid guys filling in for the big name starters who left last year, but there just isn't enough talent on D to expect the Hoosiers to finish much better than 7-5.


This is about how drunk you will have to be to enjoy watching Michigan football next year.  The asshole hat is not necessary though, if you are watching the Wolverines it is kind of implied.

8. Michigan: Remember the comments about how bad Indiana's defense will be?  Michigan's will be worse.  The Wolverines are going to have to blitz like hell to generate any sort of pressure but they already lack so much in coverage anyway that it really doesn't matter what they try to do to defend the pass.  You and ten guys could get a hundred yards rushing on the Maize and Blue defense despite a couple of solid linebackers.  The rest of the Michigan defense is really that bad.  The offense will be good enough to let them try and outscore some of their lesser opponents, but the Wolverines are going to get worn down easily by teams who run the ball decently.


This video is likely the most enjoyable thing that will happen for Purdue fans this season

9. Purdue: This is the second year in a row that the Boilermakers suffer huge personnel losses.  Yeah, last year's team was in a lot of games and they did upset Ohio State.  What gets lost from all that is the fact that they had a QB, Joey Elliot, who had been in the system for four years and was ready groomed to step in and play.  They had play makers who were ready to go on defense and a running back who was ready to break out.  They lost all of that this year to graduation and injury.  Robert Marve is not Joey Elliot, his learning curve  is far steeper and it is going to be a much rougher ride with all the losses on a defense that was mediocre at best. 


Thus ended the Ron Zook era at Illinois.

 

10. Illinois: This one was a tough call, since Minnesota is arguably the more talented team.  However I think Illinois, with the starters it returns, will have somewhat better defense and I think the Illini will likely beat Minnesota in Champaign.  The Illini's new quarterback Nathan Scheelhase might actually be better than whoever starts for Penn State but the offensive line, and the fact that Ron Zook has a habit of pouring gasoline on his teams progress and lighting a match, will keep them out of a bowl game.  The schedule is just good enough to keep  them out of the Big Ten cellar but another bowl-less season ends the hilarious run that was the Ron Zook era at Illinois.

 

With Tim Brewster on the ouster the Gopher faithful are going to have to find someone else to blame for why their football team consistently sucks.  Why not blame Canada?

11. Minnesota: this was a tough call, but in the end the Gophers schedule is just that rough.  South Dakota is the only guaranteed win on the entire schedule, and all of the winnable Big Ten games are on the road.  The offense has no real stars and the defense losses almost everybody off a unit that was above average at best.  The Gophers are under their third offensive coordinator in as many years and still haven't found anyone to run the ball consistently.  They aren't the least talented team, but they are the worst coached and there is not enough talent on either side of the ball to compensate for that.