Will any Big 10 team win a NC in the next 15 years?
Its been a while since the Big 10 has won a NC. Now that we have a playoff system I wonder if it won't be longer still. The perception of weakness will keep Big10 teams from getting invited to the dance, but what really worries me is that the level of competition that the Big10 affords its members is so low that the teams are never really forced to go to the next level of play.
I do not believe, for instance, that Urban Meyer will win a NC with OSU. I think he will win a lot of games, but his teams will collapse against the champs from other conferences. For all that a coach can do, there is nothing that replaces good opponents to sharpen a team.
The only way out of this that I see is for the B10 teams to really schedule other conference powerhouses hard in OOC play.
I guess the reason that i am bringing this up is that- even if UM gets a great new coach- how hard will the team really be challenged in this conference? How sharp will it really get? There is a tendency to play to the level of those around you.
Thoughts?
October 31st, 2014 at 5:48 AM ^
Week 1: #3 v. #6 and #4 v. #5
Week 2: #1 v. #4 and #2 v. #3
week 3: #1 v. #2
3 weeks and 5 games instead if 2/3 now.
October 31st, 2014 at 5:51 AM ^
I think you solve it simply with the 4 team playoff ... Make a simply qualification. 4 teams involved in the playoff must be conference champs provided they reside in the Top 10 as voted by the committee. If sufficient conf champs are not available then the selection committe may choose as many at-large bids as necessary to complete the top 4 after the conf champs have been selected.
October 31st, 2014 at 9:16 AM ^
The current contract is for 12 years of the 4-team playoff (January 2015-January 2026). It is extremely unlikely that they could create a new system that would cause all of the parties (TV, bowls, conferences) to back out of the contract voluntarily, so you should expect this current system to last the entire 12 years.
October 31st, 2014 at 1:21 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 1:24 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 1:38 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 2:58 AM ^
2. One advantage is sudden death, so we could play well in 2016 under Jim and FSU could have a bad game. That would get us in the next game and the same could happen. The 4th place team clearly isn't the best but had breaks, non QB injuries, etc,.
October 31st, 2014 at 3:02 AM ^
Currently, the biggest obstacle to anyone other than the SEC winning the title game is access to the title game. The SEC hype machine has made sure that the SEC is the only conference ever invited.
Even expanding the playoffs to 4 might not help. Look at the current playoff rankings.
Until we have a true playoff, and by that I mean take the 5 major conference champs and then add in a few at large teams (and not 3 freakin' SEC teams--maybe there should be a 2-team from 1 conference MAX), who knows? The SEC has been very good, and is the best conference, but not by nearly as much as the results seem to dictate. What they ARE clearly the best at is blowing their own horn and making sure that they are the only ones that get access to the title game.
Think about it this way--how many NFL titles would the Patriots have during the Tom Brady era if every year they got to just skip the entire NFL playoffs and just go straight to the Super Bowl because they were voted into the game? 7? 8? Having to actually win your way into the title game makes things a lot more difficult. The faster we get to an 8-team system that includes all the major champs, the better.
October 31st, 2014 at 4:19 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 9:06 AM ^
You realize this has nothing to do with qualifying athletes, right? Outside of a very few select schools (i.e. Stanford), ALL of the major football schools use identical standards. The UM players are no more academically qualified than the Alabama players.
October 31st, 2014 at 9:11 AM ^
Bringing up academic rankings is such a lazy argument when we're discussing sports.
October 31st, 2014 at 10:33 AM ^
From The Michigan No Fly Zone
October 31st, 2014 at 11:25 AM ^
Are we sure he didn't qualify academically? He seems so intelligent!
November 2nd, 2014 at 11:16 AM ^
It never was clear whether Demar Dorsey, Denard Robinson’s cousin, had met Michigan’s academic standards. After Michigan released Dorsey from his letter of intent to enroll, his father claimed that Demar had met Michigan’s academic standards. LINK
There was speculation that Dorsey was denied admission to Michigan mainly because, after he was 16 years old, he had been arrested and charged with three felony burglaries and one robbery with a deadly weapon. LINK
Dorsey played college football for one season at Grand Rapids Community College and for one season at Arizona Western. A year ago, he was signed to play for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League during the 2014 season. His rookie option was picked up by the Rattlers in September, along with the rookie option of the man who has been making lots of news around this blog in the past two days, and who might’ve been his Michigan teammate and fellow “non-muggle” tweeter, Elliot Mealer. LINK
October 31st, 2014 at 5:59 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 6:11 AM ^
They've been top 10 quality from the day Urban got there and with the state of the B1G they'll probably make the playoffs every other year or so. It's only a matter of time before Urban has a team with a real good QB and a real good defense and manages to win it all. Wouldn't surprise me to see them do it in the next 5
October 31st, 2014 at 6:18 AM ^
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October 31st, 2014 at 6:42 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 7:16 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 7:41 AM ^
If Jim Harbaugh comes to Michigan, I would bet that we win one by 2020.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:15 AM ^
Yes. The perception of the Big 10 as being a bad conference will improve when Michigan and Penn State right their respective ships and OSU continuing to be OSU. Once that happens, you'll won't see near as much resistance from national pundits to including the Big 10 Champion into the playoff. It will be a struggle for the next few seasons, but 15 years from now, things will be better.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:33 AM ^
If Michigan goes undefeated they'll almost certainly be in the playoff, and with a new HC it could be closer then you think.
October 31st, 2014 at 10:10 AM ^
Cuz I dont see them going undefeated in anything else for a few years.
October 31st, 2014 at 7:21 PM ^
I guess that settles that. Though the OP was asking about 15 years. Don't let that spoil your certainty.
October 31st, 2014 at 8:39 AM ^
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October 31st, 2014 at 8:59 AM ^
I bet almost for sure in the next 30, though.
October 31st, 2014 at 9:03 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 9:03 AM ^
NCAA actually does their job and throws huge sanctions at the SEC and I lead M to a title in 2018... book it
October 31st, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^
I don;t care if the B1G wins anything. I just want Michigan to win.
October 31st, 2014 at 9:23 AM ^
Beilein and Michigan will win one sooner than that! :)
October 31st, 2014 at 9:57 AM ^
MSU-this year-just to piss me off.
2014: The year of infinite pissed offness.
Ed: Technically it would be next year, which would piss me off even more.
October 31st, 2014 at 10:04 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 10:05 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 10:31 AM ^
every year
October 31st, 2014 at 10:33 AM ^
Ohio State might....otherwise, I dont really see it happening.
October 31st, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^
ask again later
October 31st, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^
I hate to say this, but I believe that MSU would have beaten anybody last year by the time December/January rolled around. Point being, the Big Ten can put a championship caliber team out there.