2014 Big Ten Football Discussion

It would be great if they knock off Oregon and stay undefeated up to the Ohio State game. Would be great for the Big 10 and even better when we beat them.

 

Nebraska is getting hit hard with injuries right now.

 

tOSU, Sparty, Wisky are the cream of the crop in the Big Ten. Not a believer in Iowa, Ferentz needs to go, he is overrated. When November rolls around I would not be surprised to see all three teams undefeated!

What is your Surprise team this year? Mine is Indiana, although I think some people expect them to do well. I see them going 7-5.

 

Hoke, Dantonio, Frankin are a combined 17-53 vs top 25.

 

And people wonder whats wrong with the Big Ten.

 

Franklin's numbers will get better. Being at Vandy and playing in the SEC was a huge disadvantage. He'll win a lot of games at PSU.

 

I really like Franklin for Penn State. I think he'll do good things there.

Dantonio's record will slowly improve. I think he's there for the long haul and he'll win more big games.

Hoke is average at best. Good recruiter and a decent defensive mind but he's not a good head coach. I don't really see him as a leader like Urban and Saban and it will be what holds TSUN back from being a legit contender again. I keep asking the question who would the next head coach be if Hoke were to be fired after this season....and nobody including myself can't come up with a legit candidate.

 

Oh I agree with Franklin. It's the other dead weight in the conferences like Frentz, Beckman, Wilson, and Kill. The Big Ten schools bank on the TV revenue and these are the best they can do. It's a complete joke if you ask me.

 

I agree with you. There is no reason that programs like Michigan and Minnesota settle for bad/mediocre coaches while you have Gary Patterson at TCU, Dan Mullen at Miss. St., and Bobby Petrino was at Western KY.

I think Gary Andersen is going to be fine at Wisconsin, but he is not going to take them to an elite level like a guy like Gary Patterson would have. I have a feeling that we may see another Woody/Bo type situation when Hoke is canned after this season. Dan Mullen could be the best available, and I really like him as a coach. Would hate to see him at UM because he would turn them around.

Another one of Urban's former assistants who would be good in the BigTen is Steve Addazio. I think his name would have been tosses around for the Penn State job had Franklin not accepted..

 

No it's not... We just need to field 4-5 competitive teams (top 20 finish) every year...

If Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State finished in the top 20, that would likely mean that those teams went 4-0 or 3-1 in their bowls.

If any of the other teams in the league (not just ttun) could finish in the top 20, it would dramatically change our conference's national reputation.

You can also raise the national perception of the conference by winning a national championship along with a 2nd BCS bowl (etc. FSU, Clemson | ACC).

 

Yes, the B1G fell apart when scUM fell from the ranks, but that does not mean that they need to come back to save the conference.

If we can have two top 10 teams, and 2-3 teams in the #11-20 range at the end of the season, our conference would be right on par with the SEC, if not better.

Unfortunately, we have a lot of programs that start the season highly ranked, don't perform well in non-conference match ups, and lose their bowl games.

Not a good recipe for success...

Having scUM back would be nice for the rivalry (even tho I love dominating it), but it isn't the only way our conference can come back...

 

It also starts with recruiting. It's a breath of fresh air to see Penn st as high as they are this year. Outside of Ohio State no one really has lit the world on fire in the Big Ten. Michigan did well early in Hoke's tenure at Michigan but he hasn't developed them. Teams like Wisconsin and Michigan State clean up on 3 star players and do a great job developing their talent. But they need to recruit those game changer recruits.