The case for Iowa winning the B1G.......don't laugh
They're already 2-0 in the division and conference after upsetting Michigan State. They don't play Ohio State or Wisconsin.
Next up for them is Penn St, @ Northwestern, @ Indiana
, @ Purdue
If they win 3 of those, they're 5-1 in the B1G. Split with @Michigan then Nebraska at home. and they finish 6-2, could get them to Indy.
How about TV ratings for an Iowa-Wisconsin B1G title game?
AIRBHG where are you then?
As wide open and crazy as the B1G is this year, stranger things could happen.
October 15th, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 6:48 PM ^
I would pick Penn State and Northwestern both over Iowa right now. Beating Sparty doesn't make them special. I have no idea what to think of Nebraska, but we won't lose to them again. Unless we implode, they'll be sitting home watching the championship game.
October 15th, 2012 at 6:51 PM ^
You're right that we won't lose to Nebraska again, we didn't lose to them last year.
Nevermind, just got what you meant... now I look like a smartass.
And now I double posted... great
October 15th, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^
I don't proofread my posts, and it didn't make much sense. But I meant, "We won't lose to Iowa again." The only non-baby-seal opponents they've beaten are Minnesota and Sparty. They definitely aren't better than they were last year, and last year's game was a fluke.
October 15th, 2012 at 9:49 PM ^
Yea, I understood what you meant as soon as I hit the "save" button.
And I completely agree. While I do think Iowa is one of those teams that teams often overlook and they usually do upset someone who should have beaten them at least once a season, we get them at home this year and lost last year. Doubt we miss this one again.
October 15th, 2012 at 6:51 PM ^
You're right that we won't lose to Nebraska again, we didn't lose to them last year.
Nevermind, just got what you meant... now I look like a smartass.
October 15th, 2012 at 8:07 PM ^
Penn State is not eligible for the postseason. Remember that minor scandal they had there this summer?
October 15th, 2012 at 8:43 PM ^
(I guess I should proofread.)
I meant I would go with Penn State beating Iowa when they play, something that will hurt Iowa's championship hopes.
October 15th, 2012 at 6:49 PM ^
I'm not laughing at your rationale at all, or the original post.
I'm just laughing at the thought of another team from the 'Legends' division besides Michigan being in the 'Big Ten Championship Game'.
October 15th, 2012 at 6:51 PM ^
if we run the table in our division and maybe lose the Ohio game then it doesn't really matter what any other team does
October 15th, 2012 at 9:12 PM ^
The hideousness of that .gif will haunt my dreams forever.
October 15th, 2012 at 10:43 PM ^
Run for the hills. Hide your kids. Hide your wives.
That is totally zombie Lloyd Brady.
October 15th, 2012 at 6:52 PM ^
I can't see them only losing 2 out of Penn State, Nebraska, NW, and us.
Remember, this is the team that blew the lead to Central Michigan at home.
October 15th, 2012 at 6:56 PM ^
But Iowa is always like that - they start slowly (and make the conference look bad by losing an embarrassing game out of conference), but then get better as the year goes on. And despite their never-ending injuries at talback, they always have a pretty good ground game.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:09 PM ^
A fair point, and I guess I agree that there definitely IS a case for why they could win the conference, but having them come into Ann Arbor and upset us again seems unlikely to me, especially after we lost to them last year.
Seeing as they probably WON'T have the head-to-head with us, they'd need us to drop 2 games, which I can see us losing to Nebraska and Ohio, but if that were the case then it would likely be Nebraska going, not Iowa. They are probably going to finish 3rd in the division and maybe it's a shame they're not in the Woody division to at least make that side more competitive.
October 15th, 2012 at 6:57 PM ^
That team is awful. State just happened to be worse. I see what you are saying as a possibility but i'd bet my house that they won't.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:00 PM ^
Guess what? Until a team loses, you could make a case for them to do just about anything.
They will lose more than two games. They needed MSU to forget how to kick a field goal just to make it to overtime. I don't see the team who lost to CMU winning 6 of 8 Big Ten games.
The only way I could see Iowa winning 6 is if they lose to us and Nebraska, and win the rest. Unlikely, but possible. In that scenario, at least one of us and Nebraska will also have two losses, taking the tie-breaker.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:05 PM ^
It'd be a lot easier to make a case for Northwestern winning the B1G. They're 2-1, and could likely win 3 of their last 5 and end up 9-3 overall. They might be able to steal an other win against a poor-defense Nebraska, too, and end up 10-2. Iowa will be lucky to beat one of their remaining 5 opponents. I don't think they'll even be bowl eligible this year. Maybe they can surprise Penn State at home this week. Indiana can score points, now, and I don't think Iowa can keep up with them with only 1.5 running backs.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:04 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 8:21 PM ^
so therefore if MSU and Iowa played, MSU would totally domin... oh, wait... crap.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:05 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 7:10 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 7:09 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 7:11 PM ^
Iowa's defense is actually pretty good statistically. They're 3rd in the conference in yards per play, at 4.6, just behind Michigan (State is first) and they do that Iowa thing where they force teams to put 16 play drives together to score.
If Weisman can play, I think they have a guy who can reliably get 4 ypc in a ugly, grinding running game that won't produce big plays but can control the game. The big question is whether Vandenburg can complete enough passes to allow Iowa to maintain possession. I could see them beating Nebraska on a gray, cold day in Iowa City in an ugly 16-14 game where Nebraska loses the turnover battle by 3 and Iowa holds the ball for 40 minutes. I have a hard time seeing them winning in Ann Arbor, given the way our defense is playing but I could imagine them winning every other game on their schedule, and winning the division if UM loses to Nebraska and OSU.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:46 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 7:37 PM ^
May God have mercy on the remaining Iowa running backs.
No, wait. Their God is an angry God. Very angry. There will be no mercy:
October 15th, 2012 at 9:42 PM ^
you just need a groveling RB at his feet like in some renaissance painting
October 15th, 2012 at 7:33 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 8:19 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 7:34 PM ^
Beating MSU in 2012 is like beating MSU from 1900-2009 - not that big of a stretch. Let's see how they handle NW and PSU before we crown them.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:34 PM ^
You can make a case for Iowa to win the Big Ten. You can ask me not to laugh.
Doing both, though, is a bridge too far.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:35 PM ^
Uh, no. Michigan plays them at home, on senior day. Denard's last game.
Michigan is going to kick their ass.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:41 PM ^
The prospect of Iowa winning the Big Ten should be depressing for every Big Ten fan outside of Iowa.
October 15th, 2012 at 7:45 PM ^
The Rose Bowl would be within its rights to tell the Big Ten "thanks, but we're looking elsewhere for a sacrificial lamb for Oregon. We have to sell advertising time, fergodsakes."
October 15th, 2012 at 7:50 PM ^
We should all be their second biggest fanbase for the rest of the season. We need them to be up against Alabama in the Championship Game. That way we can play Stanford or USC in the Rose Bowl.
I love our team, but I could not abide a month of dread before a Rose Bowl against Oregon.
October 15th, 2012 at 8:00 PM ^
I agree, but I think they have a very good shot at going undefeated. The problem is that they probably need to go undefeated with their schedule to go to the national championship. But yeah, playing Oregon would suck.
However, any other Pac-12 team is totally doable. USC has their flaws, but I bet they don't get picked. They'd have three losses, and I'm not sure would be eligible for an at-large at that point. I think Oregon State is the likely choice in that scenario. I was hoping for Stanford, but them losing to ND probably rules them out as well.
The other option is the Pac-12 teams beating each other up and getting a non-Pac-12 team, most likely a Big 12 at-large. UM-WVU? Would be nuts.
October 16th, 2012 at 1:05 AM ^
Like others, Oregon is the only Pac-12 team I wouldn't want to face in the Rose Bowl.
Remember though, the Rose Bowl would much rather have a Big 10-Pac 12 matchup. See the year they picked 9-3 Illinois.
A 3 loss USC team might still appeal to the Rose Bowl, especially if UM is the opponent. USC-Michigan has a nice ring to it. You have a couple of high profile QB's on each team - Barkley and Denard.
On top of that USC hasn't played in a bowl game (which was the Rose Bowl) since the 2008 season and UM hasn't played in the Rose Bowl since the 2006 season so selling tickets wouldn't be a problem.
October 16th, 2012 at 1:11 AM ^
would be whether a three loss Pac-12 team would be able to go to a BCS bowl; they have to rank in the top-fourteen. If USC is eligible, they'll go, just like the rest of football's blue bloods.
October 16th, 2012 at 10:27 AM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 9:27 PM ^
which is a sparkling 1-6, I have no confidence we'd fare all that much better against them than Oregon. Those bastards have had our number.
October 15th, 2012 at 9:35 PM ^
October 16th, 2012 at 9:57 AM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 7:53 PM ^
You see them in the Rose Bowl and not the national title game? I'm curious who you'd pick for the title game in that scenario. If anything, I think it's more likely to be a Big 10 team vs an at large, if Oregon runs the table and beats USC once in the reg season and once in the title game, that'd give USC 3 losses in conference. Wouldn't that exclude them from going to the BCS? Or does the Rose still get to take them if Oregon is in the title game? (This is just one of many reasons why I hate the BCS - it's confusing as hell)
October 15th, 2012 at 7:48 PM ^
October 15th, 2012 at 8:00 PM ^
Go Blue!