B1G vs SEC

[Schnauzer]

Next August Minnesota will get 0 top 25 votes and be picked to finish 15th in the conference. Nebraska will be in the top 20, Iowa and Wisconsin will be just outside the top 25. Seems hard to break those old tendencies.

Exactly. Rinse repeat.

 

[Married@SiebertField]

Exactly. Rinse repeat.

Among other things—it will be great fun in 2025 to beat Nebraska for a sixth straight time.

 

[alchemy2u]

I hope the other Big 10 teams LOSE. I hope their (good) players transfer out. It doesn't have to be caused by losing (though if it did all the better).

They can be completely independent.

As I clarified I hope they transfer as soon as possible pre-Bowl/CFP or after, for whatever reason.

If they're playing in a Bowl/CFP, maybe they are sticking around for NIL fulfillment, haven't received a better offer yet, have loyalty to their team (kudos), want to put another game on film or are undecided on Draft prospects. I just want them to go to the Portal (or declare for the NFL Draft) and enhance the chances of the Gophers beating that team in the future and/or finish higher in the standings.



Very little, not nearly as much as market size and sizeable alumni/fan bases with very favorable demographics & spending power. When the recent deal was inked only Ohio St had won a National title this century as a member of the Big 10.

They already are the Super Power 2. That's not changing. Ever, regardless of how the current 18 Big 10 teams do in Bowls or the CFP. Unless they merge and become the Super Power 1. They already have an alliance.

When the Big 10 media deals increase it doesn't enhance the Gophers strength within the Conference at all. That's what I personally care about.

As I have now said multiple times in this thread...to each their own.

The only time I cared about the SEC vs Big 10 is when the Gophers have played Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri & Auburn. If the future games against Mississippi St & Alabama go on as scheduled, I will care about it then.

To be the best, you have to play against the best competition.

It looks like you would want the Gophers to be a MAC team or move down to the NDSU level where the competition is weaker? A level that even if you win it all, you would be considered a weaker team than the "real" teams that everybody watches on TV.

 

[Ope3]

To be the best, you have to play against the best competition.

It looks like you would want the Gophers to be a MAC team or move down to the NDSU level where the competition is weaker? A level that even if you win it all, you would be considered a weaker team than the "real" teams that everybody watches on TV.

Not at all what I am remotely trying to convey.

 

[PMWinSTP]

It was always either NE-OH-MI-ND in the Midwest. AL in the South and USC in the West. With OK and Penn State sprinkled in.

I remember the Irish being on TV a lot as well.

 

[PMWinSTP]

I hope the other Big 10 teams LOSE. I hope their (good) players transfer out. It doesn't have to be caused by losing (though if it did all the better).

They can be completely independent.

As I clarified I hope they transfer as soon as possible pre-Bowl/CFP or after, for whatever reason.

If they're playing in a Bowl/CFP, maybe they are sticking around for NIL fulfillment, haven't received a better offer yet, have loyalty to their team (kudos), want to put another game on film or are undecided on Draft prospects. I just want them to go to the Portal (or declare for the NFL Draft) and enhance the chances of the Gophers beating that team in the future and/or finish higher in the standings.



Very little, not nearly as much as market size and sizeable alumni/fan bases with very favorable demographics & spending power. When the recent deal was inked only Ohio St had won a National title this century as a member of the Big 10.

They already are the Super Power 2. That's not changing. Ever, regardless of how the current 18 Big 10 teams do in Bowls or the CFP. Unless they merge and become the Super Power 1. They already have an alliance.

When the Big 10 media deals increase it doesn't enhance the Gophers strength within the Conference at all. That's what I personally care about.

As I have now said multiple times in this thread...to each their own.

The only time I cared about the SEC vs Big 10 is when the Gophers have played Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri & Auburn. If the future games against Mississippi St & Alabama go on as scheduled, I will care about it then.

So your solution to "making" the Gophs stronger is to hope the rest of the conference gets weaker/worse. We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[Ope3]

So your solution to "making" the Gophs stronger is to hope the rest of the conference gets weaker/worse. We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

If Big 10 gets stronger yet the Gophers finish perpetually 5th/6th or now much worse in a super sized conference, that's not a net gain in my perspective.

To each their own.

 

[stocker08]

I hope the other Big 10 teams LOSE. I hope their (good) players transfer out. It doesn't have to be caused by losing (though if it did all the better).

They can be completely independent.

As I clarified I hope they transfer as soon as possible pre-Bowl/CFP or after, for whatever reason.

If they're playing in a Bowl/CFP, maybe they are sticking around for NIL fulfillment, haven't received a better offer yet, have loyalty to their team (kudos), want to put another game on film or are undecided on Draft prospects. I just want them to go to the Portal (or declare for the NFL Draft) and enhance the chances of the Gophers beating that team in the future and/or finish higher in the standings.



Very little, not nearly as much as market size and sizeable alumni/fan bases with very favorable demographics & spending power. When the recent deal was inked only Ohio St had won a National title this century as a member of the Big 10.

They already are the Super Power 2. That's not changing. Ever, regardless of how the current 18 Big 10 teams do in Bowls or the CFP. Unless they merge and become the Super Power 1. They already have an alliance.

When the Big 10 media deals increase it doesn't enhance the Gophers strength within the Conference at all. That's what I personally care about.

As I have now said multiple times in this thread...to each their own.

The only time I cared about the SEC vs Big 10 is when the Gophers have played Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri & Auburn. If the future games against Mississippi St & Alabama go on as scheduled, I will care about it then.

Our relative strength as a conference will determine national networks investment in the conference. Especially on the broadcast networks. Those deals benefit teams like the Gophers too. Primetime games on channels like NBC are there because those networks sign deals WITH THE CONFERENCES and not the individual teams.

Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on whether other conference team's success (when not playing the Gophers) helps the Gophers.

 

[stocker08]

To be the best, you have to play against the best competition.

It looks like you would want the Gophers to be a MAC team or move down to the NDSU level where the competition is weaker? A level that even if you win it all, you would be considered a weaker team than the "real" teams that everybody watches on TV.

So your solution to "making" the Gophs stronger is to hope the rest of the conference gets weaker/worse. We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that having other conference teams losing out of conference (and lowering conference perception) is generally BAD for the Gophers.

 

[Dave H]

Yeah when Michigan won the national title it definitely made the Gophers look stronger...

 

[cncmin]

You sure you weren't just watching highlights? Per Wiki the game was on PASS which was a Detroit Regional Sports Network, not available in the Twin Cities.

I recall listening to the game on WCCO-830, but whatever other game I was watching on local TV would break in with a Gopher-Wolverines 1986 highlight after a scoring play.

1986 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Maybe Sears had a satellite hookup?

It would have been a non-TC station, but perhaps I’m misremembering. The memories of Foggie’s last drive on TVs at Sears remain , um, seared in my memory.

 

[csom_1991]

I generally cheer for all B1G teams playing OOC opponents other than Michigan. This is mainly due to the Michigan grads that I have worked with/known over the years. They are at a place where they have ZERO interest in how the conference is perceived overall. They know that if they lose 1 or 2 games, they will still have a shot at a National Championship regardless of if the B1G plays like this year or gets swept in the bowls.

As to what I consider the overall tone of this thread, I can understand both sides. I think this is a result of the helmet schools doing everything possible to delegitimize the non-playoff bowls. The more this occurs, the more the focus will solely be on those schools - which is already a byproduct of the extended playoffs now. If your team did not make a bowl, your last game was likely the end of November while the helmet schools could play on nearly 2 more months - which means the playoff schools have a 50% longer season at the end of the day. Any non-playoff game taking place after the play-offs begins has lost all relevance. At least for the bowls that take place first, there may be some interest in the games as a 'strength of conference' gauge to help talk about the potential playoff game outcome.

So what does this mean for the teams likely to finish 5-6 or below in the B1G? It means no one is likely to care nationally outside of potentially upsetting one of the top teams. However, as Indiana showed this year, there is a potential with favorable scheduling to sneak into the play-offs that is probably better now than what it was in the old format.

 

[Ope3]

The teams getting air time in the CFP are not the Gophers' peers anyway - Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon - they are and will very likely remain at another level. The B1G doing well in bowls confirms they are the premier conference (along with the SEC) to fans, players and TV execs which leads to even more money down the road which helps all teams in the conference do better in the portal.

I don't accept that the Gophers can't at least occasionally compete, hold their own and even once in a while surpass Penn St.

Gophers beat the Nittany Lions in 2019. Wound up with the same 10-2 Regular Season record.

Gophers played the Nittany Lions to a 1 point game just 6 weeks ago. A Penn St loss might have knocked them out of the CFP entirely or at least on the road in the Opening Round. Now they are in the Semis.

The continued Penn St success will make it that much harder for the Gophers to compete with them on the field or in the standings for a precious CFP berth.

That's my prerogative. Go Irish.

As for Oregon, in the "now" it certainly is tough to compete with Nike U. All the more reason to root against the Ducks. Will see what happens in decades to come with the Uncle Phil Knight Estate.

As for odds of me ever rooting for Ohio St with their current $20 million payroll and rising (against anyone other than Iowa or Wisconsin) there's a better chance of me winning the Lottery, and I buy about on average 2 tickets per year when roped into it at work. Hook 'em Horns.

 

[csom_1991]

As for odds of me ever rooting for Ohio St with their current $20 million payroll and rising (against anyone other than Iowa or Wisconsin) there's a better chance of me winning the Lottery

I am quite different. Other than MN, my cheering order (or better put, my 'I would prefer that they won' list) would be:

OSU (because they can beat MI)
USC (I liked them before they joined the B1G)
Illinois (I went for Grad school)
PennState (nice fans/game day experience)

On the reverse end:
MI (as stated above)
WI (obvious reasons)
OR (they simply bought a team and represent everything wrong with college football and frankly, I don't think they belong in the B1G due to having poor academic standards)

 

[Ope3]

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that having other conference teams losing out of conference (and lowering conference perception) is generally BAD for the Gophers.

I am going beat the dead horse and go back 2 weeks, with Tennessee at Ohio St.

If the Vols had somehow won that game, Ryan Day likely gets canned. The Buckeyes make a new hire which could take at least a year to get organized, potentially take a hit on the incoming recruiting class and/or have lose key players to the Portal. Washington, Michigan & Alabama all were in the Semis or further last year and struggled this season with some startling losses thus missing the expanded CFP entirely.

That could have benefited the Gophers who possibly could have gone into Columbus next fall and stolen one. That's what I was hoping for. Not far fetched. See Vandy vs 'Bama.

I was not hoping because a few ESPN talking heads were meanies to the Big 10 that the Buckeyes win for some mythical Big 10 pride or a few bucks in the Gophers coffers whenever the next media rights is due which would have to be split up 18 ways (or more).

That's just me. To each their own.

Now the Buckeyes are in the Semis. They are more likely to keep the Ryan Day machine in place, who has never lost to any Big 10 teams except Oregon and Michigan. Great.

 

[mcrow47]

Best thing was Alabama losing to Michigan. All that crying about not making the playoff and they can't even beat Michigan. Gave me a huge smile that day. I seriously wonder if Alabama could beat the Gophers.

They just seem to think because they're in the SEC they should have some sort of credit for just being there.

 

[Gilthorp57]

Best thing was Alabama losing to Michigan. All that crying about not making the playoff and they can't even beat Michigan. Gave me a huge smile that day. I seriously wonder if Alabama could beat the Gophers.

They just seem to think because they're in the SEC they should have some sort of credit for just being there.

It was even better being in Tuscaloosa that day like I was....it was very quiet

 

[btowngopher]

All I know is nobody remembers how up or down the conference was years down the road. If the conference has to be down a bit for us to win it so be it. Of course ideally you’d be the best of the best.

 

[Donovan]

It was even better being in Tuscaloosa that day like I was....it was very quiet

Something most people in the north don't understand is how many people in the south really put a lot of emotional equity and pride in the SEC being a dominant powerhouse. There's a real south vs the Yanks to it. I can assure you there are many folks with a sense of melancholy on what has transpired the last two seasons.

 

[stocker08]

I am going beat the dead horse and go back 2 weeks, with Tennessee at Ohio St.

If the Vols had somehow won that game, Ryan Day likely gets canned. The Buckeyes make a new hire which could take at least a year to get organized, potentially take a hit on the incoming recruiting class and/or have lose key players to the Portal. Washington, Michigan & Alabama all were in the Semis or further last year and struggled this season with some startling losses thus missing the expanded CFP entirely.

That could have benefited the Gophers who possibly could have gone into Columbus next fall and stolen one. That's what I was hoping for. Not far fetched. See Vandy vs 'Bama.

I was not hoping because a few ESPN talking heads were meanies to the Big 10 that the Buckeyes win for some mythical Big 10 pride or a few bucks in the Gophers coffers whenever the next media rights is due which would have to be split up 18 ways (or more).

That's just me. To each their own.

Now the Buckeyes are in the Semis. They are more likely to keep the Ryan Day machine in place, who has never lost to any Big 10 teams except Oregon and Michigan. Great.

As someone else has posted....you're hoping that everyone around us gets worse rather than the Gophers get better. Like one or two of those troll posters who keeps suggesting that the middling BT teams break off and form a new conference where we don't have to play any helmet schools because they're too good.

Teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, USC are always going to have better talent than the Gophers. Best way to compete is to bring in better talent. Closing that gap between the Big Ten and the SEC in terms of perception will give Minnesota a boost.

 

[Ope3]

As someone else has posted....you're hoping that everyone around us gets worse rather than the Gophers get better.

That's an incorrect statement of what I am hoping for.

I hope the competition gets worse. I hope the Gophers get better.

 

[stocker08]

That's an incorrect statement of what I am hoping for.

I hope the competition gets worse. I hope the Gophers get better.

Well.....Michigan lost their coach and were rebuilding this year and we still lost to them. I don't see how them, or Ohio State or Oregon or any of those tops teams being down for a year or two helps the Gophers in the long term. What will help the Gophers in the long term is bringing in higher end talent. Being in what is perceived to be the best conference in the nation will help with that.....because we're not just competing with the other 17 teams in the conference for recruits. We're competing with 68 other power conference teams.

 

[Ope3]

Well.....Michigan lost their coach and were rebuilding this year and we still lost to them. I don't see how them, or Ohio State or Oregon or any of those tops teams being down for a year or two helps the Gophers in the long term.

The Little Brown Jug game in 2023 was Michigan 52 - Minnesota 10.
The Brown Jug game in 2024 was Michigan 27 - Minnesota 24.

Seems rather evident that one team got worse and one team got better, as the Gophers exhibited much better QB play. Beating Michigan this year and possessing the Little Brown Jug for a few years, might have paid off better recruiting and incoming Portal results.

A win there likely would have meant a better, more visible Bowl perhaps playing Alabama instead of the Wolverines.

If you can't see how that might have helped the Gophers LONG term, not sure what to say.

We don't know if the Wolverines will only be down a year or two...yet. It might last a lot longer. Just as in 2015 (Year 1 for Harbaugh in Ann Arbor) it was an opportunity squandered.

Instead the Wolverines got the positive bump for beating the Crimson Tide. What a shame.

 

[Ope3]

Being in what is perceived to be the best conference in the nation will help with that.....because we're not just competing with the other 17 teams in the conference for recruits. We're competing with 68 other power conference teams.

I want to compete with the other 17 Big 10 teams first and foremost, because we play them at least 9 times annually (currently), all of them at least twice in the current 5 Year Cycle.

The other 50 Power Conference teams teams are much more secondary. The Gophers only play 1 or 2 of those teams in any given year. Probably over 40 they won't play at all in the same 5 Year Cycle.

Seems pretty obvious which teams should be more of a concern.

To each their own.

 

[stocker08]

The Little Brown Jug game in 2023 was Michigan 52 - Minnesota 10.
The Brown Jug game in 2024 was Michigan 27 - Minnesota 24.

Seems rather evident that one team got worse and one team got better, as the Gophers exhibited much better QB play. Beating Michigan this year and possessing the Little Brown Jug for a few years, might have paid off better recruiting and incoming Portal results.

A win there likely would have meant a better, more visible Bowl perhaps playing Alabama instead of the Wolverines.

If you can't see how that might have helped the Gophers LONG term, not sure what to say.

We don't know if the Wolverines will only be down a year or two...yet. It might last a lot longer. Just as in 2015 (Year 1 for Harbaugh in Ann Arbor) it was an opportunity squandered.

Instead the Wolverines got the positive bump for beating the Crimson Tide. What a shame.

But we LOST regardless. To a team that lost their head coach and was rebuilding. That doesn't benefit us at all. Saying....hey we only lost by three points to a rebuilding Michigan doesn't matter an ounce.

If the Gophers are going to be a middling team in the Big Ten.....then it's way better for us if the conference as a whole is showing well in the bowls. Players want to play in the best conferences. Makes us more competitive for recruits with SEC offers and may make us a more desirable landing spot than similar teams in the ACC or Big 12.

That's LONG term benefit. Almost beating Michigan one year is zero benefit.

 

[stocker08]

I want to compete with the other 17 Big 10 teams first and foremost, because we play them at least 9 times annually (currently), all of them at least twice in the current 5 Year Cycle.

The other 50 Power Conference teams teams are much more secondary. The Gophers only play 1 or 2 of those teams in any given year. Probably over 40 they won't play at all in the same 5 Year Cycle.

Seems pretty obvious which teams should be more of a concern.

To each their own.

Again....you are talking about wanting teams in the Big Ten to get worse in order for the Gophers to be more competitive. Lose their bowl games.....recruit worse.....knock them down a level and make them more beatable. The Big Ten getting worse overall would be a bad thing for everyone in the conference.