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OHSportsFan
Fan of Ohio Sports in Indy
Good thing the Big Ten won the Challenge, because the week following that has been littered with trash.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
Close to half of the league has had bad losses so far. Rutgers, Nebraska, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan. They have all had upset losses at home to what were perceived as inferior opponents. Northwestern lost to Northern Iowa on a neutral floor, and PSU lost to Charlotte.
But I think the league will end up having some pretty good teams at the top aside from Wisconsin, it's just people around the country don't view OSU as that strong of a team yet although they are a very good team, and Maryland losing Dez Wells for now has them looking pedestrian but they should be pretty good when he gets back. MSU losing their top-3 nonconference games is an image hit but they were all tough games and they are still a quality team. I think that group of UW, OSU, MD and MSU will be a respectable top-4 in the end and all are likely to end up in the top-25 at the end of the season IMO. The middling group of Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Nebraska, UM and Minnesota should see a couple of those teams emerge at some point this season and make the tourney.
Nebraska I felt before the season was a prime candidate for a let-down year having barely made the tourney due to some lucky scheduling and being overlooked by some of their opponents, they were always soft inside and that is a long-term problem. Michigan looks like they are in rebuilding mode so they are another team that seems likely to disappoint this season. Other than those two, I'm not sure any of the rest of the teams in the league are really off of what was expected. Overall IU and Purdue have actually done a bit better than expected IMO.
But I think the league will end up having some pretty good teams at the top aside from Wisconsin, it's just people around the country don't view OSU as that strong of a team yet although they are a very good team, and Maryland losing Dez Wells for now has them looking pedestrian but they should be pretty good when he gets back. MSU losing their top-3 nonconference games is an image hit but they were all tough games and they are still a quality team. I think that group of UW, OSU, MD and MSU will be a respectable top-4 in the end and all are likely to end up in the top-25 at the end of the season IMO. The middling group of Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Nebraska, UM and Minnesota should see a couple of those teams emerge at some point this season and make the tourney.
Nebraska I felt before the season was a prime candidate for a let-down year having barely made the tourney due to some lucky scheduling and being overlooked by some of their opponents, they were always soft inside and that is a long-term problem. Michigan looks like they are in rebuilding mode so they are another team that seems likely to disappoint this season. Other than those two, I'm not sure any of the rest of the teams in the league are really off of what was expected. Overall IU and Purdue have actually done a bit better than expected IMO.
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buckeyeintn
Legend
Nebby and the naked kitties tied at 52 ... in double OT. The winner could score less than 60 in 50 minutes of, well, whatever they're playing. I hate to call it basketball.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
Love how ESPN had to highlight the B1G taking upset losses the past week among their "group" of upset losses around the country during a Pac-12 game last weekend, listing IU's loss to EWU (who also nearly beat #17 Washington yesterday), UM's losses to EMU and NJIT, Purdue's L to N Florida, and Nebraska's L to Incarnate Word along with one loss by Georgia Tech. As if the SEC hasn't had their share of upset losses and there was only one for the ACC, none for the Big 12 or Pac-12? C'mon now. Highlighting all the league's bad losses while ignoring how THE BIG TEN WON THE ACC CHALLENGE THIS YEAR is funny. I guess you have your work cut out for you when the narrative that you SO BADLY want to trot out all year is the ACC has the best conference and they lost a conference-wide challenge.
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Like it or not, ESPN or not, some of the B1G's allegedly banner teams have embarrassed themselves so far. No point in denying it.
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Buckeye737
Heisman
I don't think DZ83CK is denying that in any way, shape, or form. He's simply pointing out what ESPN has chosen to focus on.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
Yeah, it was very strange to see the graphic with almost exclusively upsets against B1G teams to highlight the point about upset losses in college basketball overall. Yeah, NJIT over UM is one of the biggest of the year, but if you want to be fair about it then don't focus on just one conference when they all have had bad losses by some of their teams.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
Statsheet.com logs point spreads, and they did not have one listed for that game. Losing a game where there wasn't even a point spread - ouch! Certainly you could say that is one of the biggest losses of the year along with the UM loss to NJIT. IU to Eastern Washington, really a run of the mill upset IMO.
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DZ83CK
Not Banned
If I'm a neutral ESPN, why not be positive and talk about surprising success that a league like the Big 12 has had rather than be negative and highlight Big Ten upset losses under the guise of discussing upset losses in college basketball? It's not like people didn't hear that UM lost to NJIT, but many probably aren't aware that the Big 12 has the best ratings for a conference. Just seems like an agenda-driven graphic to me.
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