I don't think the Big Ten is worth a damn right now.
Ex-Gopher Quest Minnesota beats Iowa, who beats Michigan.
Minn almost beats MSU, who attempted to murder Michigan, who brutalized Minn.
NW beats Nebraska.
Lousy Penn State team leads the other division. Great Wisconsin team faced back to back losses, away, night games and is now back to romping at home.
At this point, anything can happen to any team. You think we're out of the running for the B1G title? Nope. Chuck Testa.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:24 PM ^
lol, I agree. I would be really happy if we lose the next two but beat OSU.
November 6th, 2011 at 1:13 AM ^
this is gay, how is this trolling. first amendment.
November 6th, 2011 at 3:14 AM ^
lol. Nothing more entertaining than a good ol' message board "first amendment" / "private forum" debate.
SPOILER WARNING: It's a private forum and they can enact whatever rules they darn well please on the content posted here.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:18 PM ^
At least it's interesting.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:18 PM ^
NU beats Nebraska. I have never heard of this "NW."
It certainly looks like the Big Ten is garbage, but, as is always the case in college football, no one's playing meaningful non-conference games, so we don't know if the Big Ten is horrid or simply competitive. We do that Ohio State is playing much better since their loss to Miami -- the return of Herron and the other Tat4 is making a huge impact.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:20 PM ^
Nebraska is now NU. Northwestern is NW for the sake of coherency.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:33 PM ^
No, pete's right. NU is Northwestern University. UN(L) is University of Nebraska (Lincoln). But I still think that NW is a perfectly acceptable acronym.
November 5th, 2011 at 9:06 PM ^
northwestern earned the right to call themselves whatever they want after they went down and beat nebraska in their stadium. but i still think they're nw...
November 5th, 2011 at 9:14 PM ^
From SBNation's Sippin on Purple: The Tale of a Man Defeated: How We Lost "NU".
The Huskers blogger has since ceded NU to Northwestern, and there's talk of making the abbreviation the stake for the game in years to come. I would like to see a trophy for this designed by the maker of the Cy-Hawk Trophy. http://www.iowastatedaily.com/sports/article_ff6012de-cd09-11e0-8239-00…
November 5th, 2011 at 7:20 PM ^
NW is Northwestern and Northwestern will always be NW.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:56 PM ^
otherwise penn state would not be in tne position they are in w/ no qb.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:18 PM ^
November 5th, 2011 at 7:22 PM ^
Transitive Property of Football doesn't work. Any given Saturday, things happen. And, this year, it's happened a lot more than usual.
And that's why college football is great.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:31 PM ^
I agree, but it's also why the B1G is not right now. The top teams beat who they should beat. There's little room for all these close calls and losses to supposedly inferior teams.
It's terribly interesting to watch, but it's also terribly impossible to predict, and even more frustrating when things go differently than they should.
November 5th, 2011 at 8:35 PM ^
but Wins & Losses do have some explanatory power
November 5th, 2011 at 7:28 PM ^
I think the B1G is down, but I also think it is very tough to win on the road.
If nothing else this Michigan team fights and they are very improved on defense. I think Michigan wins the next 3 and ends up 10-2. Which is a very nice first season for a new coach.
November 5th, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
Somebody explain to me why my above post is overrated?
November 5th, 2011 at 7:35 PM ^
the chaos theory Big Ten man. Nothing makes sense. I do not believe it means it is bad conference, however, I think there is just a lot of parity. Looking at the mid level SEC right now, I actually think the Big Ten will fair well in New Years Day(after) bowl games.
November 5th, 2011 at 8:54 PM ^
November 5th, 2011 at 7:41 PM ^
Eh, it's just competitive. If this was the SEC, everyone would be pointing out how tough the conference is and how "on any given Saturday" someone can lose. It's not a great conference, but the teams are competitive and I think they'll do a decent job come bowl season. And yes, it is a down year.
What we do see, though, is that winning road games in the conference is not easy, meaning next week is key. Win at Illinois, then welcome two underperforming road teams in OSU and Neb to the Big House. I know this game stunk, but I have a feeling that UM will be far more competitve down the stretch.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:44 PM ^
I dont care how much it's worth, I STILL WANNA WIN IT!!!
November 5th, 2011 at 7:46 PM ^
There have been some pretty crazy games in the B1G this year, with teams going from clubbing seals to being clubbed the very next week. It's been entertaining for the most part, to say the least.
I mean, in the Legends division alone there are three 7-2 teams - including Michigan. That's pretty competitive football, I think, no matter how much of a dong punch that last drive was.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:46 PM ^
B1G Title hopes? Here's the scenario:
Michigan must win out. MSU needs to go down to Iowa and Northwestern. Iowa, in turn needs to lose to Nebraska in their finale.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:46 PM ^
Yeah, man, people who think we're going 0-3 down the stretch really are underestimating the randomness in college football. Sometimes our offense is good, other times it's not. Sometimes our defense is great, sometimes it's just okay, like today. I think we've got at least one more win left in us.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:52 PM ^
it happens every year.
Nebraska was coming off a huge emotional must win over Staee with Penn State, Michigan and Iowa in the coming weeks. Tough to keep getting emotionally 'up' for a team like NW.
Which is exactly why the Big Ten is not the Big8/Big12, there really are no weeks off.
November 5th, 2011 at 7:55 PM ^
November 5th, 2011 at 8:57 PM ^
to the PSU - Alabama game?
November 5th, 2011 at 9:46 PM ^
November 5th, 2011 at 8:01 PM ^
Before you drink the SEC Kool-Aid, take a look at the current B1G / SEC standings.
The B1G has 8 teams with 6 -3 or better records. PSU 8-1, U-M, MSU, NU, Wicsy 7-2, and Illinois, Iowa, OSU 6-3.
The SEC has 6 teams with 6 -3 or better records. Bama, LSU 8-0, Ark, SCAR 7-1, UGA 7-2, Auburn 6-3.
The B1G has more teams with 6-3 or better records than any other conference.
November 5th, 2011 at 8:19 PM ^
You cant compare the records of SEC and B1G teams. That's like comparing our record to an FCS team. Numbers lie like the "Coach Formerly Known as the Vest."
November 5th, 2011 at 8:30 PM ^
This is what I was thinking. Last year a B1G co-champion was stomped by a 9-3 SEC team. We were destroyed by an 8-4 SEC team.
November 5th, 2011 at 10:25 PM ^
Yeah, and we gang bang the MAC conference and Notre Dame every year to get there too. If Alabama and LSU were lurking around the Big Ten you could automatically tack 2 extra losses on for everyone. It should be obvious from watching the games from earlier in the Big Ten and the games now in the SEC that the best football is played down there, by far.
November 5th, 2011 at 8:07 PM ^
will realize we just aren't that good. We are good, and a better team than last year, but we're still not a good enough team. I don't where all this confidence from the fans came from. I believe in wishful thinking, but how you guys thought we would easily walk into Kinnick stadium and come away with a win is mind-boggling. I feel confident in saying we will finsh the regular season 8-4, with that final win coming next week in Illinois.
November 5th, 2011 at 8:19 PM ^
Considering how crappily we've played on the road this year, a victory over Illinois is far from a sure thing. If we don't play any better against the Zookers than we did today, we'll come home with another loss. I think 7-5 is much more likely than 9-3. 10-2 has always been a pipe dream.
November 5th, 2011 at 8:40 PM ^
certainly rules out any chance of us beating Neb at home, loser to NW at home today.
November 5th, 2011 at 8:25 PM ^
Did you see Nebraska? Their offense is worse than MIchigans'. Their defense is not great either.
November 5th, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
I think Ohio State is beatable, but I may be saying this because I'm going to the game and spent a butt load on the tickets. All wishful thinking aside, I do think the last two games are winnable. Not sure why we only play well and with a purpose when panic sets in. If that's the case, panic should be setting in for the seniors - this is their last chance to beat OSU.
November 5th, 2011 at 10:24 PM ^
Welcome to MGoBoard, where Devin Gardner tosses magic and Denard is just having an "off day."
November 5th, 2011 at 8:12 PM ^
I remember a wise man saying the B1Gs best team would get butt slammed by the SECs 5th best team. That remains true. The B1G is a dumpster fire.
November 5th, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
I thought that was all that the B1G needed to be competitive. Screw actually fielding good teams.
November 5th, 2011 at 10:06 PM ^
Look out of conference:
<br>Best wins: Ill v ASU, Neb v Wash, & UM v ND -- all totally meh, at best.
<br>Then, among ooc losses are several by our top teams to 4 and 5 win mediocres (like MSU to ND & OSU (ok, depleted but still) to Miami).
<br>It's an open question whether B1G hasn't replaced ACC & Big East as weakest BCD conference. I think every SEC team, even Vandy, would beat either our divisions champs.
<br>And I hate saying all this b/c I can't stand losing to MSU & OSU, and this means we're even worse, and I hate watching B1G getting mopped every bowl season of late, & I hate the SEC crapola. But it's all true now. Wasn't when started saying it 4-5 years ago (year OSU lost to FL after our 1v2, Big ten was 3&1 v SEC in bowls: look it up!), but is now.
November 5th, 2011 at 10:11 PM ^
Is clearly the very worst conference, especially as it implodes. Not much, but it's indisputable. Who's going to win over there, Louisville?
November 5th, 2011 at 10:27 PM ^
You're right: Big East still clearly the worst (whew). Still, unless we get all Big East (& lower) matchups for bowls, I think we're headed for another embarrassing bowl season like last year. Depressing.
<br>
<br>At least UM may be about average Big & not competing for bottom-dwelling like last 2-3 years
November 5th, 2011 at 11:34 PM ^
I've come to the scary conclusion that Ohio is the best team in the big ten
November 5th, 2011 at 11:38 PM ^
Was it their dominating performance against Indiana today that did it for you?
November 6th, 2011 at 1:40 AM ^
Whether it has several kinda-good teams is up in the air. It might just be bad. Like approaching ACC-level bad.
I think more than anything there are a lot of teams with very inconsistent units on at least one side of the ball.
Honestly the country in general doesn't have many very strong teams. The SEC West is a murderer's row but other than that... the sec east sucks, the big 12 is pretty meh and nobody there plays defense, the pac 12 is pretty meh with just stanford looking like they might be very good, the big east is disintegrating, the acc is quite meh.....
Just a down cycle methinks.