Big 10 News (Merged)

[jwinslow]

Maybe I'm alone in the wilderness on this but everytime I hear Herbstreit talk about Ohio State I assume its going to be negative.

To put a little perspective on everything prior to the tOSU v. Florida game the Big Ten was 2-0 against the SEC somehow that kinda got forgotten in the mix. Buckeye fans trust me the sky is not falling.

I have no idea what the second part has to do with the first.

If herbie is always negative, then why not put a little perspective on everything by citing some examples about what he was saying prior to tOSU v Florida?

 

[osucollegebuck]

I can't really talk further on Herbstreit in fear of breaking the Buckeye bashing rule.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Delany puts critics of Big Ten in their place

Tribune college football reporter Teddy Greenstein gives his reaction to an unusual letter from Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany.

By Teddy Greenstein
Tribune college football reporter
Published February 11, 2007

Jim Tressel and Lloyd Carr might be tempted to high-five Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany the next time they see him.

Delany took one for the team--for the conference, actually--when he took the unusual step of writing a letter in response to reports the Big Ten needs to find a new talent pool and lower its academic standards to compete with the Southeastern Conference.


The letter, posted on the Big Ten's Web site (www.bigten.org) and e-mailed to various national college football reporters, disputes those claims.

Delany also pointed out the Big Ten went 2-1 against the SEC in bowl games this year (winners: Wisconsin, Penn State; loser: Ohio State) and is 8-6 against the SEC in bowls the last five years. And over the last 15 years, the Big Ten has produced five Heisman Trophy winners to the SEC's one.

Cont'd...

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Delany?s Big Ten defense is offensive

Darren Epps Commentary Fast people are dumb.

Or so we?re led to believe by Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany?s open letter to college football fans last weekend, which is posted on the conference?s Web site. Delany wrote the letter in response to a Chicago Sun-Times article suggesting the Big Ten needs to lower its academic standards to compete with the SEC after getting spanked in the recruiting rankings again.

?I love speed and the SEC has great speed, especially on the defensive line, but there are appropriate balances when mixing academics and athletics,? Delany wrote. ?Each school, as well as each conference, simply must do what fits their mission regardless of what a recruiting service recommends.

?I wish we had six teams among the top 10 recruiting classes every year, but winning our way requires some discipline and restraint with the recruitment process.?


Cont'd...

 

[PlanetFrnd]

I just read Delaney's open letter, and, I must say, I like to see a commissioner standing up for his league - especially in NCAA sports where its common to exploit the very people that bring value to the product.

I did cringe when he used admissions as part of his argument (though I didn't think he was completely out of place). Delaney was right to point out the academic standards and excellence of the Big 10 schools, but that shouldn't have been the basis of his football argument.

If Delaney wanted to really approach academics and standards in a football-savy way, he could have discussed the attrition necessary in a graduating class to lead to successive "top-ranked" recruiting classes numbering in the high 20's (or more). In doing so, he could have discussed that the most important thing is the education and treatment of the young men whose only payment for sacrificing their bodies and years of public criticism and scrutiny usually befitting a presidential candidate is to be cultivated as players and receive an education that would cost most people tens-of-thousands of dollars a year.

His letter was right to focus on the imperfectness of "services and talking heads" (no offense to anyone on BP, of course) as proven by the success of the Big 10 relative to the SEC.

The burden of proof should be shifted to the critics of the Big 10 to find tangible evidence that the SEC (or whoever) was really that much better. It obviously proves nothing to point to subjective recruiting rankings and regionally-biased 'experts' who cycle their own beliefs amongst services until opinion becomes fact.

Recruiting services, like top-25 polls and the BCS, are great for business and fun to discuss, but, like the other flawed systems, don?t prove anything that couldn?t be better proved on the field. USC and UF were impressive this year, but scUM and tOSU were also, and have been impressive in the past as well.

The SEC vs. Big Ten argument is getting old, to me, but I don't mind the man in charge getting his hands dirty to defend his teams.

 

[BB73]

Dennis Dodd, who covers the SEC for CBS, reacts to Delany's letter.

cbs.sportsline

Notebook: Big Ten commish drops ball on SEC comparisons

Jim Delany didn't do his research.

Earlier this month, the Big Ten commissioner fired off an "open letter" on the conference's website to college football fans comparing his league to the SEC.

Cont'd ...

 

[Zurp]

Dennis Dodd, who covers the SEC for CBS, reacts to Delany's letter.

cbs.sportsline

Notebook: Big Ten commish drops ball on SEC comparisons

Jim Delany didn't do his research.

Earlier this month, the Big Ten commissioner fired off an "open letter" on the conference's website to college football fans comparing his league to the SEC.

Cont'd ...

I get this picture of some skinny, weaselly guy sitting in his sister's basement, where he lives, looking at his computer and thinking, "I'm going to make news by bad-mouthing someone with a REAL job."

Maybe Dennis Dodd isn't a bad guy. I don't know him. But I think he probably should have better things to do, if he's a "real" reporter.

 

[BB73]

rivals

Spring Football Team Capsules - Big Ten

Bob McClellan
Rivals.com College Football


Only three Big Ten teams will have the same starting quarterback in 2007 that opened the season in 2006.

Not coincidentally, those three teams - Michigan (Chad Henne), Purdue (Curtis Painter) and Penn State (Anthony Morelli) - should finish in the upper half of the standings.

Cont'd ...

 

[BB73]

CFN's early Big Ten preview with capsules on each team.

cfn

...

The early spring buzz ... The buzz about Ohio State is that there's no buzz. In fact, after the 41-14 embarrassment against Florida, the program has laid low on the national scale as it tries to rebuild. Even so, this is still Ohio State and it's loaded with next-level caliber talent. The defense that was such a concern last season is full of good veterans, and now the offense is the problem needing to replace most of the top skill players. It's possible the Buckeyes could be underrated going into the year.

The big spring question is ... So what exactly was that? Were the Buckeyes fat and lazy after such a long layoff? Did they not take Florida seriously enough? Were they simply not as good as everyone had it rated? Was it the coaching? Probably all of the above, and while it wasn't the way OSU fans might have wanted the season to end, it could've been the best thing to happen to the team for 2007. Motivation is hardly an issue.

Cont'd ...

 

[HailToMichigan]

CFN's early Big Ten preview with capsules on each team.

cfn

...

The early spring buzz ... The buzz about Ohio State is that there's no buzz. In fact, after the 41-14 embarrassment against Florida, the program has laid low on the national scale as it tries to rebuild. Even so, this is still Ohio State and it's loaded with next-level caliber talent. The defense that was such a concern last season is full of good veterans, and now the offense is the problem needing to replace most of the top skill players. It's possible the Buckeyes could be underrated going into the year.

The big spring question is ... So what exactly was that? Were the Buckeyes fat and lazy after such a long layoff? Did they not take Florida seriously enough? Were they simply not as good as everyone had it rated? Was it the coaching? Probably all of the above, and while it wasn't the way OSU fans might have wanted the season to end, it could've been the best thing to happen to the team for 2007. Motivation is hardly an issue.

Cont'd ...

I really would prefer to temper the expectations from the Michigan section of that article. It's not like rebuilding an entire defense is a trivial little obstacle to a national title.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

I really would prefer to temper the expectations from the Michigan section of that article. It's not like rebuilding an entire defense is a trivial little obstacle to a national title.

Eh, these sorts of publications love offense. Defense? Who needs it. Actually, CFN isn't typically as bad as most other sources when it comes to recognizing the value of a D.

I happen to agree with you that replacing a D is serious business. The saying Defense wins championships is cliche because it's true.. as I suspect you agree. Much like OSU this past year, Michigan's early season hopes should be pinned on the O being able to outscore teams while the D gels. For OSU, fortunately, the D was very good very quick.

Of course, the down side is, Mich will get no pub for 08 with Hart and Henne gone.

 

[Jaxbuck]

scUM is replacing the best part of their team a year ago and their kicker. The closing stretch of their schedule is brutal and LLoyd Carr is still the coach.

I really, really, really hope scUM nation is buying into the NC or bust idea.

 

[daddyphatsacs]

I really would prefer to temper the expectations from the Michigan section of that article. It's not like rebuilding an entire defense is a trivial little obstacle to a national title.

Rebuilding a defense and a nasty away game at Oregon could spell another 11-2, 10-3 season IMHO.

Don't think that the Buckeye players don't notice why some of the top players on the Wolverine squad returned. I was discussing it with one of the players recently, and that was the first thing that he brought up for next season.

 

[HailToMichigan]

Rebuilding a defense and a nasty away game at Oregon could spell another 11-2, 10-3 season IMHO.

Don't think that the Buckeye players don't notice why some of the top players on the Wolverine squad returned. I was discussing it with one of the players recently, and that was the first thing that he brought up for next season.

Well, fortunately, it's a home game against Oregon, which is nice because when we went out there for the first half of the home-and-home, things didn't work out so well.

An 11-2 season wouldn't be so bad, especially if you guys were one of the 11, obviously. I don't think anyone should be complaining if their team ends up 11-2 or 10-3. But this Michigan team could go undefeated, or it could end up with another five losses - I can't imagine how anyone, expert or not, can say with any confidence that they'll definitely do one or the other. Anyway nobody that I know is buying into the idea of national title or bust. Beat Ohio State or bust, that's closer to it.

I'm sure the Buckeye players know all about Michigan's motivation, because even if Henne and co. hadn't made quotes about it to the paper, it'd be plain to see anyway. I know I'd say that wanting to beat your rival for the first time as a senior is stronger motivation than wanting to prevent that as, say, a sophomore on the other side. Been on both sides of that one - on a much smaller scale obviously, but still.

 

[gbearbuck]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Delany try and push the NCAA to stop the over signing of players. If a team wants to take a chance at a kid, he will cost them one of their 25, if he doesn't make grades, then the spot is vacant for a year...

That type of rule wouldn't really effect the Big Ten Teams... The SEC teams would have some tough choices to make...