B1G games. Who do we root for?
Just looking to get some opinions from the board, mostly on the msu/wisco game. Do we root for Wisconsin in this game, or not pay much attention to the result? State fans will think you're just upset about losing last week. However, an msu loss helps our case for winning the division. Your thoughts?
(EDIT)
Older post I missed with more info, Via justingoblue: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/bye-week-implications-division-standings
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:12 PM ^
if cheering for Wisco makes us seem like we're pulling a 'little brother' move. I want the best chance to win our division. So Wisconsin.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:26 PM ^
Why did someone vote this "Offtopic"?
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^
So I root for both of them no matter what. Unless they play each other, in which case I root for Michigan State due to how incredibly entertaining Michigan fans becomes when they lose to State.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:26 PM ^
I suppose I must be in the dog house with this blog's powers that be for stating my opinions. Can't say I'm entirely suprised by this response
October 22nd, 2011 at 5:21 PM ^
Your starting post score is based off of your karma value. This is not based off the whims of the mods, but rather how often your are up/down voted. So if you start with a rating of a 5, then you are an awesome poster who says awesome things. If you start with a 0, it generally means what you say annoys the MGoMasses. As a fan of State and Wisco, I could see you having trouble getting consistent up votes as your opinion may often rub Michigan fans the wrong way—it's not impossible though, example Watersdemos and Irish.
October 22nd, 2011 at 6:43 PM ^
And it is not a "little brother move." Sparty is a rival and teams and fans cheer against rivals every day. It is part of sports on every level.
October 22nd, 2011 at 2:58 PM ^
We root for Wisconsin, Minnesota and IU today. Any team in the other division to beat any team in our division, plus Northwestern and Minnesota, since they seem to be out of contention.
As for the division, we win it if we win out and MSU drops two, and this is the best team they face.
October 22nd, 2011 at 2:59 PM ^
Does the team with the best record in the conference win the division? Or is it best record within the division?
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:08 PM ^
- Conference
- Head to head
- Division
- BCS
Edit: not to plug myself here, but I made a post a few days ago on rooting interests for the bye week, and predicted results and their implications on the division race. Hopefully this can help someone.
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/bye-week-implications-division-standings
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:12 PM ^
I tried searching the board for other posts, but it's kinda hard sometimes to make sure you've looked everywhere.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:15 PM ^
As the inside joke from my high school chemestry class went, "no big deal". A lot of people probably should be reading your post today.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:13 PM ^
... I thought it was division, head to head, then conference but now that i think about it, that makes sense. I guess I'm new to this whole "division" business.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:22 PM ^
I think we want Nebraska to beat Minny. Since MSU has the head to head with us, we are better off with a 3 way tie. I think it is very plausible that Neb, MSU and us finish 6-2. A two way tie with just MSU and we are sunk. A 3 way tie (assuming we beat Nebraska) and we likely win on the BCS standings as MSU has a non-conference loss and our strength of schedule is tougher than Nebraskas. I know that is a lot of what-ifs.
Anyways, I dont think our positive vibes are going to help Minny anyway.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:30 PM ^
If we were to end up at 6-2 then you're probably right. Whether it's realistic or not I'm assuming that Michigan wins out (which is probably what needs to happen for us to get in the BTCG anyway). The more losses for MSU, Nebraska and Iowa, the better.
You're definitely right about Minnesota though. Unless Michigan and the other bye week teams loan them some players, it'll be a blood bath.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:00 PM ^
MSU loses to Wisky and Neb
We lose @ Illinois
Nebraska loses to us
This scenario happens if all the favorites win per the computer rankings I was looking at yesterday. Now that the Zooker lost @Purdue, I would think his computer ranking is tanking.
But I hope you are right and we win out! 11-1 would be awesome.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:13 PM ^
If we're going to lose another game it had better be out of division or we're almost certainly done. Lose to Neb and we lose head to head tie breakers to Neb and MSU, which knocks us out of a 2 way or three way tie with those teams. Even if we beat Neb if we lose another in division we would likely lose a three way MSU-NEB-M tiebreaker as certainly one of Neb's and likely one of MSU's losses were to Wisc (out of division)).
October 22nd, 2011 at 6:35 PM ^
It seams to me that it should be 1. Conference, 2. Division, 3. Head to head. I'm not in any way saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that there isn't any need for for more tie breakers after the head to head apect.
October 22nd, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^
Rooting for Wisconsin is in no way a "Little Brother" move. A Wisconsin win gives a divisional foe of ours a loss, and is really the only conceivable way for UM to still have a chance at the B1G CG.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:30 PM ^
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:47 PM ^
As you wish!!
October 22nd, 2011 at 5:20 PM ^
It's only an LB move if we cheer for our rival to lose, regardless of the consequences to our own interests - e.g. Dantonio cheering for the Buckeyes when a Michigan win would've given MSU the B1G title tiebreaker over Wiscy last year.
Clearly, it's wrong for M to look out for its own interests in cheering. We need to do it the Dantonio way.
October 22nd, 2011 at 6:09 PM ^
That's so good, I'd like to quote it, again, in bold italic. So that nobody misses it:
"It's only an LB move if we cheer for our rival to lose, regardless of the consequences to our own interests - e.g. Dantonio cheering for the Buckeyes when a Michigan win would've given MSU the B1G title tiebreaker over Wiscy last year."
So I am going to set aside my feelings about what a filthy prick team MSU has put on the field this year, and simply go by the math -- 'Divisional interest' is why we root for Wisconsin to win tonight. And not because the hateful classless Spartans are the worst mistake ever to enter the Big Ten Conference.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:00 PM ^
On Wisconsin
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:00 PM ^
We root for Wisconsin to beat MSU this week. Then next week we want Nebraska to beat MSU too.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:02 PM ^
The "Little Brother" move is to root against your own interests just to spite the other school. In this case, MSU losing is entirely in our interests.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:07 PM ^
Pam Ward Entertainment of the Day: With 41 seconds left, Illinois having spent their final timeout, Purdue up 21-14, at Purdue's own 39-yd line, Pam Ward notes the importance of Purdue having a great kicker. Needless to say, Purdue ignored that sentiment, took a knee, and won. Crossing my fingers that Pam Ward is not calling our game next week
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:08 PM ^
Pam Ward is not announcing that game.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
She's not announcing that game but the broad that is sounds exactly like her...crazy
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:15 PM ^
Mike Bellotti was incredulous at that comment
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:36 PM ^
Beth Mowins is her name. I thought it was Pam Ward too. Mike Belloti sounded like he wanted to murder her at that point. He would be found in the right too, considering he had just explained the gameplan.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:31 PM ^
That was almost as good as her "first down!" call on the Illini's last possession when they gained 9 yards on a second and 19. Her booth-mate said "er.....i think it's just back to the original line of scrimmage" and they continued.
October 22nd, 2011 at 5:07 PM ^
Or when the announcer in the Clemson-UNC game declared it to be 4th down and 2, then asked whether you kick or go for it. His partner said it's 3rd down. So, he asked what you would do if they didn't get the first on this play.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:09 PM ^
Didn't see the game so not sure what it says about either Purdue or Illinois...but am wondering if next week's game just got a lot more interesting...
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
I only saw the last few minutes but they mentioned "the emergence of Purdue's QB." Caveat: Pam Ward said it.
Stats don't show much interesting info - Purdue gained 304 total yards, 16/25 passing for 178 yards. 126 rushing yards on 42 attempts (3.0 YPR).
Illinois gained more yards - 366 total, 26/41 passing for 245 yards. 121 yards rushing on 32 attempts (3.7 YPR).
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:20 PM ^
Could have sworn it sounded like Pam Ward. Oh well, good catch, ty sir.
October 22nd, 2011 at 6:40 PM ^
How lucky is Beth Mowins that Pam Ward exists? Because Fans are so used to hearing Pam any bad announcing by a female is automatically asumed to be Pam and the other girl gets off scot-free
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
The game next week definitely got wee bit more interesting, but for the most part the game today was about both teams being fairly incompetent on offense. I think if anything I learned a lot more about Illinois than about Purdue. Purdue is a fairly traditional spread team with some wrinkles in there, nothing GMat shouldn't be able to handle. Some of the bigger Purdue offensive plays were more about Illinois having DERP moments than Purdue outscheming them or anything. Fear level for next week might elevate from like a 2 to a 3, nothing significant
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
Zook called a terrible game. Then Purdue did absolutely nothing in the second half, Illinois gained a bunch of yards and shot themselves in the foot more than a couple times with penalties. Illinois pretty much destroyed Purdue in the second half.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
Illinois was way overrated which means that tsio still sucks (considering they are strutting after beating Illinois). I just hope Zook stays at Illinois ... forever!
Go Blue!
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:26 PM ^
I have no idea how he's survived this long at Illinois. What has he done there other than the fluke Rose Bowl year where they got soundly destroyed by USC? 2-9, 2-10, 5-7, 3-9, 7-6, and currently 6-2 losing to OSU and Purdue. 18-34 conference record to date should get anyone fired.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^
In 2004, Florida fired Zook and hired Urban Meyer. Illinois, for reasons unknown, hired Zook. Who'd have ever guessed that Zook is the one still coaching?
October 22nd, 2011 at 5:43 PM ^
Not only did they hire him, they hired him almost immediately after he got fired. They picked him up so fast that Zook couldn't coach the Gators in their bowl game that year.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:29 PM ^
Mark Richt in his place, then I'd be fine with them firing Zook. Otherwise I'd love to see him get a lifetime extension. If he did get fired, I'd love to see him get another job in the B1G. The play at the end of the 1st half just shows how poorly they are coached. Clearly no situational awareness on the field on the part of the players. No excuse for not going down and even worse trying to spike with 1 second left instead of throwing at the end zone. Terrible.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:08 PM ^
Those girls really weren't worth it to look at.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^
Rank right up there with ND.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:36 PM ^
There are women at purdue?
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:59 PM ^
But for some reason, I can't see much of her
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:13 PM ^