Don't look now, but the B1G East is becoming one of CFB's glamour conferences.
Ohio State beats #1 Alabama and knocks the SEC out of the National Championship for the first time in a decade.
Michigan State knocks off #5 Baylor, in Baylor's own back yard.
Michigan makes a big national splash by hiring Jim Harbaugh away from the NFL.
Penn State is off sanctions and responded by winning it's bowl game.
The Big Ten East has become a hot storyline in college football. We finally have the first-class coaching to go with our first-class stadiums, fan support, and media markets.
The future looks bright. There are some epic battles ahead that will capture the entire nation's attention. It's an exciting place to be, for fans and recruits.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:11 AM ^
Michigan and Penn State both need to produce on the field before we can really say this. But things are looking up.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:14 AM ^
Although I do agree with you, it's hard not to be optimistic.
January 2nd, 2015 at 4:08 AM ^
Michigan could easily win ten games next season. They will have more talent than at least nine of the teams they play. The big difference will be that a great coach will be directing the team and there won't be some putz AD dictating what plays and QB to use.
PSU should keep improving, now that sanctions have been lifted. I am guessing that 2016 will be the year that PSU, Michigan and OSU are all playing great. I think Sparty is going to suffer a bit, especially with Harbaugh being the kind of guy who can and will beat them in a lot of instate and regional recruiting battles.
But there will still be three teams that are potentially top ten teams in one division and Sparty should find a way to be a top 25 team. The Big Ten East could be as strong as the "Mighty SEC West." as soon as 2015 and should get there by 2016. This year's bowl results showed that the gap between the Big Ten and the SEC has narrowed considerably.
January 2nd, 2015 at 10:43 AM ^
I thought Michigan could have easily won 10 games this year back in August. Harbaugh needs to develop or recruit a QB, and that might take time. But I'll certainly be along for the ride, so here's hoping you're right.
January 2nd, 2015 at 1:54 PM ^
I really wouldn't just assume a victory vs. MSU every year for Michigan or OSU. As long as Dantanio is there, they are going to be competing for the BIG championship most of the time. Expections for harbaugh are a little high at this point. I think a major problem for Michigan is that they act like an elite team or a team that wins and they're not. Michigan needs to accept that they are behind the eight ball and need to use some of the motivation sparty uses every year to come together as a team that wants to win.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:14 AM ^
Wiscy did a nice job, too, but they're West. Even Rutgers won its bowl game.
The B1G started the year as a laughingstock, but it's how you finish that counts!
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:14 AM ^
Yeah, this has been a terrific week for Michigan and a great day for the Big Ten. I'm also delighted that this comes at the expense of the SEC, Baylor and the NFL.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:14 AM ^
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:14 AM ^
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January 2nd, 2015 at 2:23 AM ^
Their program is stable now and they win with 3 star guys. They may lose to Michigan (once we get going) and OSU each year, but they would still be a strong team to play against in a bowl. Finishing the season with 2 or 3 losses each year still looks good for them and the conference.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:30 AM ^
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January 2nd, 2015 at 2:42 AM ^
but they take a backseat in recruiting compared to Michigan and OSU while still be competitive.
January 2nd, 2015 at 6:35 AM ^
MSU may take a backseat to M and OSU in the Michigan and Ohio, but the B1G East's recruiting territory will grow and the recruiting pool will become larger. Michigan will expand it recruiting on the East and West Coasts and OSU will expand its recruiting territory in the South. As the recruiting territory pie gets bigger, there will be plenty of recruits for everyone in the B1G East. The "market share" losers will be the ACC and the Big 12, and to a lesser extent, the PAC 12.
January 2nd, 2015 at 10:11 AM ^
Beyond putting an L in the Sparty loss column each year, I don't think we'll have much impact on Dantonio. Harbaugh will be snagging the best talent from across the country, and Dantonio ought to be able to improve his national recruiting with Sparty's recent Top Ten level success. Plus, as the BIG TEEHHNN becomes the BIG TEEENNN (Harbaugh removes the H), Sparty will get a boost by being in the B1G East.
It's not a zero-sum situation.
And, of course, Dantonio will still be able to develop his players.
January 2nd, 2015 at 10:02 AM ^
Interesting. Vandy grad (MBA) in Birmingham, I was always impressed by Franklin. Why do you think he is overrated? I felt like what he did at Vandy was outstanding.
January 2nd, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:25 AM ^
Yep. Big Ten in general could be very solid.
EAST:
OSU
MSU
Maryland actually finished 3rd this year
Rutgers didnt look awul this season
Michigan (Now featuring 100% more Harbaugh)
Penn St
Indiana...they have offense I guess....
WEST:
Wisconsin (11 win season, just beat Auburn in Bowl game)
Minnesota is on the rise
Nebraska is weird. 9 win season, fired their coach...but still a solid team.
If Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern and Purdue can surprise every now and then, the Big Ten starts looking pretty solid
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:32 AM ^
to mask their weaknesses in recruiting. It may be easier for them to win. That won't happen until 2025 when Kirk's contract is up.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:31 AM ^
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January 2nd, 2015 at 3:42 AM ^
they reall are a decent team. they werent that great this season, so i didnt want someone to say "iowa isnt that good", but they are really right up there with nebraska. they should be pretty competitive in the big ten west
January 2nd, 2015 at 5:33 AM ^
in their bowl game maybe. like most folks, i am very surprised that the B10 won 3 out of 4 yesterday.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:44 AM ^
And Indiana beat the SEC East champion.
I didn't say that the B1G East is the best conference at this point, but it is certainly becomming a very interesting conference.
In terms of national attention, it's a place you want to keep your eye on. Midwest recruits don't have to go to Kentucky, for god sakes, just to be part of something interesting.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:45 AM ^
good stuff
January 2nd, 2015 at 3:48 AM ^
absolutely. with harbaugh, urban, dantonio, and franklin recruiting the midwest, most of the talented kids from the area will end up in the big ten. that is just too much recruiting power to lose that many players to other conferences. (you could include notre dame in the "keeping midwest kids in the midwest" thing too if you really wanted to)
and yeah, indiana beat the sec east champ. that just goes to show how one sided that conference is.
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:37 AM ^
Poor Kevin Wilson must be wondering what he and IU did to deserve such a cruel fate.
January 2nd, 2015 at 8:29 AM ^
That is a fair point, of course, but then I have to think that he watches some game tapes - particularly of Indiana playing defense - and just goes, "Oh....I see it now...."
The composition of the Big Ten East now probably delays the comeback of Indiana until some point in the 2160s, possibly around the time we acquire the first extraterrestrial addition to the conference.
January 2nd, 2015 at 9:57 AM ^
Beware of that Martian high school talent. It rivals Florida.
January 2nd, 2015 at 10:20 AM ^
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January 2nd, 2015 at 10:16 AM ^
Is teh word awul a Fred Jackson superlative of awful?
January 2nd, 2015 at 2:42 AM ^
Only problem is that RU UMD and IU are just mediocre at best...
January 2nd, 2015 at 12:18 PM ^
Only if he has his brother-in-law on speed dial.
January 2nd, 2015 at 4:10 AM ^
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January 2nd, 2015 at 3:03 AM ^
January 2nd, 2015 at 3:04 AM ^
January 2nd, 2015 at 3:19 AM ^
I'd have to think that any unbiased view would likely view the B1G East as a legitamate threat, if not possibly a pre-eminate threat for the NCAA playoff contender for the foreseeable future. Three coaches-- which make programs-- are proven at this point. Urban, Dantonio and Harbaugh are proven commodities and are simply not going away; hatred aside.
And what is more, the rivalry that exists between those programs will almost inescapably push those three elite coaches onward and upward, allowing for little complacencey each off-season here on out ,while they are at the helm. That's a good thing. Embrace the competition, it's a good thing. PSU, while I still am hesitant to list Franklin* as an elite coach just yet (in fact I think he's quite overrated myself) will stockpile talent and will become a force to be reckoned with despite, perhaps, not so elite in-game coaching.
* Similar to Hoke
What it all means, is that the B1G champ will be largely respected nationally and most notably, by the committee. Win and you're in. Bang and your relevant. Michigan will compete now with elite coaching. Exciting times ahead for the B1G East. We can compete, conference-wise, with anyone.
January 2nd, 2015 at 3:36 AM ^
This is important. Eventually the Playoff will be expanded to 6 or 8 slots. But it won't happen for a while.
In the meantime, there are only 4 slots. Every year, some conference gets chumped. This is guaranteed. If Notre Dame gets hot and/or there are two teams from a particular conference that really stand out, then two conferences get chumped.
We want that to be somebody else's problem. We want the perception to be that if you made it out of the B1G East and won the Big Ten championship game, then of course you are one of the teams that should be in the playoff. Let the other guys fight it out for the remaining spots.
January 2nd, 2015 at 4:18 AM ^
Precisely! If you look at this years selections in the "four" the Big 12 got straight chumped anyway you look at it. Formulaically, I'd argue Baylor should maybe have gotten the slot over OSU, having beaten TCU head to head, and OSU having a slightly worse loss. OSU got that last spot because of brand and probably the cache provided from beating MSU in EL and straight boat-racing Wisconsin. It's important for Michigan and all B1G teams that, despite the national meme that "B1G SUX!!1" that we (B1G) didn't get chumped. It might suck for M fans in the present that their two main rivals showed out tonight, but in the long run, it's likely a service them. As it stands right now, and going forward the perception likely will be OSU, MSU, Michigan, with one loss > anyone not named Texas or Oklahoma from Big 12 with one loss. And right now, I'd put Michigan ahead of Texas in recovery rate. Beat OSU and MSU...mad swag going into the B1GCCG in terms of commitee perception.
January 2nd, 2015 at 1:08 PM ^
will preclude any immediate change to the NC format but in 5-7 years I can see a 6 team playoff. The 5 "super" conference champions and a wild card entry? #1 and #2 get a bye sort of like the NFL?! Makes sense and will further diminish the influence of pundits on who gets into the playoff.
Yes totally agree with the importance of improving the perception of the BgTn East, which has been enhanced by the OSU and MSU wins. If the BgTn East is considered one of the toughest divisions/conferences then much like the SEC West has been previously, the winner of that division will get into the NC playoff. I like it!
January 2nd, 2015 at 5:27 AM ^
OSU and MSU are our arch-rivals, but if anybody's going to hate 'em -- or beat 'em -- it's going to be us. Against other conferences -- outside the B1G family -- I want 'em to win. It makes us look so much better, and its so much more satisfying, when we beat 'em -- and we will.
January 2nd, 2015 at 5:41 AM ^
*Division
January 2nd, 2015 at 6:53 AM ^
*Multiplication
January 2nd, 2015 at 6:52 AM ^
*Addition
January 2nd, 2015 at 6:53 AM ^
*Subtraction
January 2nd, 2015 at 5:54 AM ^
January 2nd, 2015 at 8:13 AM ^
the tough thing is, someone out of michigan, osu, osu, and msu will have to finish 4th in the division. I also see Maryland and Rutgers as more challenging foes than Illinois and Purdue in the long run because they "have something to prove," are in fertile recruiting bases, are just now beginning to see the cash to invest in facilities, and seem to be more willing to take risks--whereas the big ten west bottom feeders are somewhat known commodities and don't appear to be all that eager to do what it takes to win.
penn state is going to have a rough time. for the first time ever they have two more eastern conference schools competing to keep their recruits home, they have Narduzzi at pitt at a time both schools seem to be willing to rekindle the rivalry (Paterno fought for decades to blacklist pitt and keep them out of the spotlight), and according to their boards they are worried they may have hoke v.2 on their hands in Franklin- all star recruiter, marginal in-game coach.
January 2nd, 2015 at 8:20 AM ^
You have to wonder which side of the fence nebraska is on right now. Are they happy they may have an easier path to the CCG? Wisconsin, minny, and Iowa are fun and all, but are they a little annoyed they won't be visiting the big house, the shoe, happy valley, and the vaunted NYC&DC metro markets regularly?
IMO, They better get the Texas schools on their non conference schedule ASAP. This also makes me wonder about the rumors that hollis wanted msu to go west--- not sure it is worth it prestige/visibility-wise?
January 2nd, 2015 at 8:22 AM ^