B1G Undefeated Today
B1G has two games tonight and both ended victoriously. Minnesota did not look all that impressive (and barely threw to Maxxxx Williams) but they did eventually blow out their opponent.
Rutgers looked much better than i expected. Nova played pretty well and they look to have a legitimate player int RB Paul James. They are typically the team to muff a punt late to lose a game, not capatalize on one which is a nice change for them. Hopefully the B1G continues its unbeaten streak through Saturday.
August 29th, 2014 at 1:44 AM ^
Good win by Rutgers but overall I say it doesn't mean much.
August 29th, 2014 at 1:47 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 1:52 AM ^
According to the Fox Sports announcer, Rutgers just put the Big Ten on notice with that win.
August 29th, 2014 at 1:58 AM ^
I think the Rutgers win tells us more about Washington State (hey, look, a Pac 12 team that opponents will look forward to playing!) than Rutgers, but it's still a very good win. Frankly, beating a major conference team on the road like that is almost always a good win, more so when a team is expected to struggle as much as Rutgers is.
Rutgers will still have trouble in the B1G season, but at least they know they can run the football; this can net them a couple of wins and they have a chance to be bowl eligible. Friedgen might be the guy to keep them competitive.
August 29th, 2014 at 3:06 AM ^
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August 29th, 2014 at 8:53 AM ^
Sweet.
August 29th, 2014 at 9:52 AM ^
Sweet suit.
August 29th, 2014 at 2:30 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 7:04 AM ^
The preseason projection from Massey, which is based on past data so take it as you will, would predict 6-6 for Washington State, which would probably make them a comfortable ninth or tenth in the whole of the Pac 12. It seems about right, if last night's performance is any indication, but as it is only one game, all the normal qualifiers apply - after all, Massey would have predicted a win for WSU last night too.
August 29th, 2014 at 2:35 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 3:03 AM ^
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August 29th, 2014 at 4:04 AM ^
Minni and Rutgers are not our rivals.
August 29th, 2014 at 6:45 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 5:07 AM ^
I used to never root for any B10 school.
I'm sick of hearing how bad the conf. is and how great the sec or any other conf. is so I've changed my stance a little. I would never root for ohio in anything. I rooted for msu in the B10 Champ. game last year. It made me sick but I did it.
August 29th, 2014 at 6:47 AM ^
When our conference wins against other major conferences, it makes us look better. That could easily be the difference between going to a playoff game and not.
Also, and I'd have to think about this for a while, I might hate the SEC as much/more than I hate Ohio State. At least in the last 8 years.
August 29th, 2014 at 6:59 AM ^
Have you seen our record v OSU the last 8 years? Esp the non Fickell one?
I wont root for OSU or MSU. Everyone else I am happy to root for in non conf.
August 29th, 2014 at 7:39 AM ^
but look at our record vs. any decent team 2008.
Ohio State 1 - 5
Michigan St. 1 - 5
Penn St 0 - 4
Iowa 1 - 4
SEC 0 - 2 (Florida being from 2007 season)
At least we had the Irish (6-2 since 2006). My point being that it wasn't so much that OSU was great, it's that we just haven't been very good.
I sure hope this year is the year it finally turns around.
August 29th, 2014 at 9:10 AM ^
I can't put my finger on it but I just dont feel any strong dislike for Iowa or PSU. Maybe because Carr depanted Paterno almost every single game they faced off. And Iowa is Iowa...hard to get emotional about them. Maybe if you are a UM fan for 5-6 years you have a different viewpoint than me since all you know is failure against those programs. Hayden Fry was actually one of my fav non UM coaches back in the day.
And if you live out of state - like many UM fans do, MSU is just another Big 10 team I guess no different than Minnesota. If you live in state being around MSU fans is insufferable and OSU has owned us for over a decade now and I wont root for either - sorry. Both teams recent national success in light of us sucking for so long also makes me not root for them. Kudos to those who do.
August 29th, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^
All Big Ten teams are rivals of some sorts. They all enjoy beating us so likewise I always enjoy beating them.
August 29th, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
I am from Ohio, and I have always hated OSU. When it comes to MSU, maybe it is because I frequent these boards or because I have read some of the posts by MSU fans, but I can't stand MSU!
In addition,because the Big 10 has had such bad reputation, I try to root for Ohio and MSU when they are playing teams from other large conferences. However, I can't help but feel an extreme happiness watching them lose.
August 29th, 2014 at 8:48 AM ^
where the SEC is just as much despised by ACC fans. Instead all we hear about is how awesome ACC basketball is.
Anyway the Big Ten has been a running joke since 2006. So beleaguered B1G fans get along - sort of. There are still smug Ohio fans - talking a good game about how important our rivalry is, but knowing they have the upper hand. And I take stuff from State fans, and a guy I know who went to Illinois. But in general we all root for the B1G, even when it is hard to.
August 29th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^
The playoff makes it imperative that the league show well. Not just to get into the playoff, but how you are seeded once you are picked. We don't want the B1G representative to always have to play the hardest team first.
August 29th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^
A strong conference means opportunity! It helps in national perception, which in turn helps in rankings. Rankings and perception aid in the playoff selection and strength of schedule. This is what aids MBB with seeding and number of teams in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Root against Conference rivals when we play them, but for them in every other case. Beating an undefeated OSU or MSU is sweeter than beating a bad team.
The SEC has benefitted from the bias that they are the strongest conference for years. SEC teams like South Carolina, Mississippi (which will collapse) are overranked to start the year. This in effect artifically boosts up their SOS and higher season ending rankings. It is a viscous cycle, but it works.
August 29th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
but their recruiting as well. We're doing well, but the lure of playing in the SEC is a factor for a lot of recruits.
August 29th, 2014 at 4:37 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^
I'm gonna need you to elaborate on this.
August 29th, 2014 at 4:37 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 6:17 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 9:40 AM ^
I've heard they looked pretty good.
August 29th, 2014 at 5:31 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 11:54 AM ^
"No, not that Jacksonville."
August 29th, 2014 at 6:05 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 8:17 AM ^
Either that or they could move everyone's KO up an hour to make it a 9:00 PM EDT kickoff, but I think there's no getting around a later KO time. Not on a Thursday night.
August 29th, 2014 at 6:26 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 6:53 AM ^
Yes I see a lot of "2015 will be great but we can't expect much from Shane in his first year". Utter nonsense when you watch what is happening across college football. Shane was a 5 star recruit much of his career and still a good 4 star who has been in the system 2 years. If you are a fan base who thinks only sr QBs can succeed or QBs in their 2nd full year starting it means you have a bad coaching staff who doesnt prepare players. And it means you are only allowing yourself to have a very successful season (which relies on a good QB) in a QBs 2nd and/or last year starting at school. Utter crap and another sign of how expectations have been dragged down around here. Shane will have so many friggin tools around him, an OL full of 4/5 stars, 4(!) RBs of 4/5 stars, a sickening array of WRs, an All Big 10 starting TE plus Bunting plus hell Clark plus depth guys. Along with one of the easiest schedules in CFB Big 5 in 2015.
I don't want to hear "guys we cant expect much with Shane this year; I mean its only his first year." It will be his 3rd year in the system and 2nd to last year of eligibility. He doesnt have to be Kenny Hill but you can see how bad Big 10 QBs are versus the "system QBs" (if you want to call them that) of the SEC Big 12 and Pac 12. It is a very low bar to be a successful Big 10 QB. No reason he cannot be a top 4 QB in this league in year 1. We have almost no NFL QBs in our league.
August 29th, 2014 at 7:09 AM ^
Expectations should be tempered a bit this year. Next year, I will be disappointed if we (including Shane) don't make the playoffs and have a good showing there.
August 29th, 2014 at 7:26 AM ^
sure doesn't make you an NFL QB either. You may put up some gaudy stats in college but how far did that get the Florida "fun and gun" QBs or June Jones QBs from Hawaii or Case Keenum (at least he is still in the league) for that matter?
All Hill's numbers did was make me wonder how good Manziel really is? Reality is, Hoyer was servicable at MSU and is coming off of an injury. He has never been a full time starter though he may have ended up that way last season if he hadn't gotten hurt. With all the "Johnny Football" hype did you really expect him to get beat out by a guy who was never even a Big Ten all conference player yet alone a Heisman Trophy winner.
August 29th, 2014 at 7:50 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 8:02 AM ^
Chris Clark
August 29th, 2014 at 9:24 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 9:53 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 7:07 AM ^
Maybe we should wait to see how Kenny Hill performs over the course of a few games or a season before declaring that Shane Morris deserves no grace period when he takes the QB helm (probably) for Michigan next season. If there's one thing you can say about young college quarterbacks, is they tend to be inconsistent. See Drew Henson, Chad Henne, Tate Forcier, and Devin Gardner.
Hill's performance last night was impressive, but it wouldn't shock to see him have some outings that don't go so smoothly this season. Manziel was a massive exception to the rule.
August 29th, 2014 at 7:25 AM ^
Or the common underlying factor here is Sumlin, and has less to do with all QBs needing to be Heisman contenders by their second year.
August 29th, 2014 at 8:47 AM ^
I am not saying Shane will even have 1 game like Kenny Hill last night.
Nor need to have. I am just saying I am already reading people saying we can't expect much out of Shane in his 3rd year in the system. RS FR and RS SO are doing well at QB across the country - yes with ups and downs. As Shane will have.
A Chad Henne freshman type season is not asking for the moon from Shane Morris. (25 TD, 12 INT, 60% completion) And Shane will be in year 3 of college football versus Chad's year 1 and will be an annointed starter starting Jan 1, 2015 unlike Chad who was thrown in a week before the season began without practice reps Shane will enjoy all next spring and fall.
Tate also started earlier in his career than Shane will. Drew was not even focused on football half the time he was here. Devin is probably the only comparable of that group in terms of years on campus. And Shane won't be facing any world beaters non conf next year either - there is no Florida or Alabama or even Notre Dame to deal with.
Take away Hackenberg, Cook, and whoever Indiana throws out there and who is Shane competing with in the conference to be a top 4 QB? There is not much out here - Tommy Armstrong? Jake Rudock? The guys from Minnesota and Rutgers barely look like MAC QBs in terms of passing ability. He will have more talent at skill positions around him than any QB in America other than maybe 3-4.
August 29th, 2014 at 10:32 AM ^
is that Shane won't have to be All World next year for the team to be really really good. Put me in the middling range of expectations for him. Like you say, 3 years into college, he should have a good understanding of what's going on and it will be somewhat dissapointing if he isn't among the better QBs in the B10. He may kill it. I hope he does.
But let's face it - most college quarterbacks don't kill it, highly rated or not. And even fewer young, inexperience guys do pull off the kind of stuff Manziel, Taj Boyd, Mariotta types have early. Shane could easily end up a Jeff Driskel, David Ash or Phillip Sims as he could a Christian Hackenberg, There are a lot more guys in the former catergory.
August 29th, 2014 at 6:31 AM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 6:58 AM ^
We'll be facing a similar team to WSU at home in a few weeks in Utah. Unless we have Rutgers level talent we should show well. If not it says a lot about the state of things. And I am one who is worried about Utah due to their ability to stand in with STanford in the trenches.
WSU beat a troubled USC by 3 last year, beat Rich Rod, and beat Utah. Their other wins were against hapless Cal that OSU went to visit and destroyed to open 2013, and 2 non conf nobodies. They got crushed by Stanford, Oregon, and ASU. They are not a good squad but can score points with their gadget offense but yes we face a similar game a year from now in Utah.
August 29th, 2014 at 7:12 AM ^
Nice win for the conference, with Rutgers shocking a lot of people. Now we need Wisconsin to get the job done tomorrow and silence the SEC types, at least for the time being.
The trend toward playing tough opening games could pay real dividends for the B1G now.
August 29th, 2014 at 7:14 AM ^
I will root for them both. Winning both games would go a long way towards changing the perception of the B1G. If we are relying on other teams' non-conference games to determine our own fate, that's our own damn fault.