http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=215x94663happyiowan (308 posts) Sun May-03-09 12:11 PM
Original message
WANTED!!! 12th team to join America's premier college football conference
JoePa waxes philosophically in this excellent read.http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4118848 Fascinating insight. I
wonder what Big Ten honchos he's talking about?
No, college football conferences are too large as it is.
Eight is the ideal number for a college football conference, such as in the old Big Eight and the old Pacific Eight.
franksolich would just as soon see a new Big Eight conference including Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Michigan State, and Iowa.
Alas, it's only a fantasy, but that would be an ideal college football conference.
Upton (1000+ posts) Sun May-03-09 01:08 PM
Response to Original message
3. Maybe if the Big Ten won a few bowl games they might get some respect
I believe they were 1-6 last year. Currently, the Big Ten is not much more than a mid major...if Paterno truly wants a level playing field, he should work to get Appalachian State or Bowling Green to join the conference.
happyiowan (308 posts) Sun May-03-09 01:41 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. Condem mentioned that you might weigh in on this topic, Upton.
Why the hate?
Upton (1000+ posts) Sun May-03-09 02:25 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. It's not as if I'm alone
the Big Ten's fall has become a common subject, seemingly at the end of every bowl season...For over the last 4 years, the conference has a combined bowl record of 9-20. This of course includes several humiliations in BCS National Championship games. They haven't had a winning bowl season since 2002. Only the Big Ten's most ardent supporters have the audacity to still consider them an elite football conference.
When the Big Ten starts carrying it's own weight and lives up to that inflated rep of theirs, you won't hear a peep from me. Until then, the Big Ten's detractors will just get louder.
happyiowan (308 posts) Sun May-03-09 03:18 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. I am a child of the SEC, Upton. but my husband gete his passion from a higher authority.
I'll explain. It was early in our marriage. We were living in Savannah, GA, Condem working as a sportswriter and ad rep for a small newspaper and I had a job at a bookstore. Talk arose of pursuing my doctorate in Creative Literature in the south. I am A UGA grad, so Ole Miss seemed the perfect fit.
One night, I awoke to find my husband in conversation with an apparition. The ghost wore a red warm-up jacket, black shoes and those thick rimmed glasses so common in the 60's. His baseball cap was dark and it had a huge red O on the front. This spook was none too happy.
Penn State had just joined the Big Ten & the spectre remarked that the tradition of the Big Ten was in severe jeopardy. I feigned the sleep of death but listened on. The spook told Condem, " boy, you are from that shithole state of Michigan and I wouldn't buy a gallon of gas there, however, you need to get your ass out of this hillbilly hellhole and get your shit back to where it belongs.
The Big Ten needs you. From here on, you will be THE protector of Big Ten values and the guardian of homeless felines. If anyone has a problem you give 'em one of these, like I gave that Clemson fella, Charlie Bauman"! With that, he gave my husband a forearm shiver that knocked him ten feet back on the bed.
With that, the phantom was gone. My husband remembers none of it. The next morning I applied to the University of Iowa and the rest is herstory! So when you knock the Big Ten remember who you're up against.
"Herstory." Cute.
Capt. America (496 posts) Wed May-06-09 12:03 PM
Response to Original message
12. I have discussed the benefits and problems with adding a 12th team with my fellow Buckeyes...
Problem 1:
Who will be the 12th? You need a team that will make the whole conference better. So adding another Indiana (sorry guys) will not help your conference. You will need a team that is essentially "midwestern" in flavor and geography and you will need one large enough to make an impact and be competitive. Our findings include West Virginia, Missouri (which will not happen), Pitt, and Notre Dame (which contractually will not happen). Thats about it. We can't add any MAC teams or Cinci because they just don't have enough punch or market.
Problem 2:
The Game. tOSU and scUM must play against each other in the last regular season game of the year. If you have 12 teams, that means 2 conferences. If you put tOSU and scUM in the same conference, the other conference will be too weak. If you put tOSU and scUM in separate conferences, you could have the unenviable scenario where they would play The Game one week, then the next week play again for the conference championship. Or, you could have a situation where one of the two teams has the division locked up so they sit guys out to rest for the conference championship game, thus making The Game less important. Yucky.
Uh, the primitive forgets Nebraska meets and exceeds all the criteria in Problem 1.
Condem (1000+ posts) Wed May-06-09 12:23 PM
Response to Reply #12
13. Good points, Capt.
Notre Dame would be the no-brainer choice but ol' Hypocrite U won't give up the Independent $$$$. Plus, they want no part of the death march Big Ten schedule. "We'll just keep playing our Navys and Air Force's, thank you very much".
Out of those mentioned, Pitt is the most logical choice but do they want to leave the Big East in hoop? Another possibility is prying Iowa State from the Big 12. But if they can't do anyting in THAT conference how could they possibly compete in The Big Ten? All in all, it's a question of when it will happen, not if. Paterno's absolutely right. The Big Ten has to adjust to the times. If we get a true playoff system, forget the argument. The conferences will eliminate the championships.
No, Pittsburgh is NOT a logical choice. Pittsburgh is an eastern team, not a midwestern team.
madinmaryland (1000+ posts) Wed May-06-09 12:57 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. Interesting thought on ND.
Given they're poor showings over the last few years, would it be possible the major networks will push them towards joining a conference, as they have done in basketball. Don't they already play 3 or 4 of the Big Ten teams already? How much longer is NBC going to want to relegate itself to televising a team that can only be competitive against the mid-majors.
I would doubt Pitt or ISU would bolt their leagues. I don't know about West Virginia.
Capt. America (496 posts) Wed May-06-09 01:20 PM
Response to Reply #14
15. I wouldn't want ISU; they are the floormat of the Big 12 and they really don't bring a fan base or ratings.
Yeah.
