Big Ten Mess....I mean West

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bleedsmaroonandgold said:
So setting my general desire to see Iowa lose, do we cheer for Iowa or NU this weekend? Iowa has one less loss, but NU would hold the tiebreaker over us.
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Cheer for NW IMO. The chances NW goes 4-0 down the stretch is unlikely.
 

Cheer for NU to win this week and Wisconsin to win out until our game, takes care of all the help we need and leaves it to the last game if we win the next 2 games.
 

upnorthkid said:
short version, purdue and ill are already eliminated effectively. for those left (which we need them all to lose once, unless we beat OSU somehow)

MN: Ill, Pur, OSU, WI
IA: NW, RU, Ill, Neb
NE: MSU, MD, WI, IA
WI: IU, NW, NE, MN
NW: IA, WI, Pur, Ill

So given that, and given we still play WI of those listed, I'd cheer for NW this weekend given I think they'll lose to WI and we can take WI out to end the year for all the marbles. Plus cheering for iowa is always gross.

Based on ESPN projections, NW is still projected to lose out. MN to go 2-2, IA to win out, NE to go 1-3, and WI to win out.
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Iowa needs a loss. They have four tossups left. If they beat NW this week it only leaves three more hurdles. We are Cat fans Saturday.
 

StudentSectionMenace said:
The only star skill position player that ran from their team from either Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa was Bucky Irving and he left because he didn't want to be second to Ibrahim and got $$$ from Oregon. Who wouldn't leave in those circumstances? Iowa actually brought in "star" skilled position players from helmet schools, Wisconsin was able to bring in one of the most sought after transfer QBs this past offseason, and Nebraska has also been able to get highly rank skill position players to come to their school as well. On paper the top schools in the West should have very good offenses yet out of the big 4 only Wisconsin is ranked inside the top 100 scoring offenses in the NCAA and they're only 86th. At some point this does have to fall on coaching and failure to develop and use players.
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I can see that point of view. Maybe it is just the programs in the west are "programmed" to run their programs the way I talk about. I'd be fine watching prettier football, but I don't think schools like MN do great with it in the long run save for a random team here or there.

Still I think they(and I) feel being able to develop solid OL and being able to run the ball and play good defense is their chance to stay in games consistently.
 

swelna said:
Cheer for NU to win this week and Wisconsin to win out until our game, takes care of all the help we need and leaves it to the last game if we win the next 2 games.
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I get what you are saying but cheering for Wisconsin to win until they play us ain't going to happen. If it costs us the West so be it.....I want to see Iowa and Wisconsin lose as many games as possible :).

The health of Allen adds an interesting wrinkle to the remainder of Wisconsin's season. He has battled injuries and went out hurt during the OSU game last week. If they hit a point where he can't go their offense is in a lot of trouble.
 


Dakota2 said:
Why would six mediocre teams and one undefeated team make the West better?
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I didn't say that. I just said there is not a good team in the West, and a bunch of average coaches other than Ferentz. Illinois coach only one with any track record of success somewhere else, but he hasn't done anything at Illinois yet. Wisconsin and Nebraska coaches had some short-term success elsewhere, but haven't done anything yet in Big Ten. PJ had one year at Western Michigan, but hasn't gotten over the hump here despite numerous opportunities. Day and Harbaugh have done it in a much different conference, against other teams with the same built-in advantages.

That all said I hope the Big Ten does some type of divisions now that West/East is done. Otherwise, it really is no fun for most. Have four divisions and then have hope of knocking someone off in a playoff. That's at least the hope West teams have had most years - just all so mediocre this year there really is not that hope.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I get what you are saying but cheering for Wisconsin to win until they play us ain't going to happen. If it costs us the West so be it.....I want to see Iowa and Wisconsin lose as many games as possible :).

The health of Allen adds an interesting wrinkle to the remainder of Wisconsin's season. He has battled injuries and went out hurt during the OSU game last week. If they hit a point where he can't go their offense is in a lot of trouble.
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I gotta disagree I would totally root for Wisconsin or Iowa if it meant we win the west
 

Tucker32 said:
I didn't say that. I just said there is not a good team in the West, and a bunch of average coaches other than Ferentz. Illinois coach only one with any track record of success somewhere else, but he hasn't done anything at Illinois yet. Wisconsin and Nebraska coaches had some short-term success elsewhere, but haven't done anything yet in Big Ten. PJ had one year at Western Michigan, but hasn't gotten over the hump here despite numerous opportunities. Day and Harbaugh have done it in a much different conference, against other teams with the same built-in advantages.

That all said I hope the Big Ten does some type of divisions now that West/East is done. Otherwise, it really is no fun for most. Have four divisions and then have hope of knocking someone off in a playoff. That's at least the hope West teams have had most years - just all so mediocre this year there really is not that hope.
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Entirely agree once the conference settles out with 20 teams they will need four divisions/pods to keep fans interested and TV revenues high.
 





East is 11-5 against the West so far. The most lopsided seasons were 2017 and last year, when the East was 13-8 each season.

Remaining crossover games:
Indiana @ Illinois
Maryland @ Nebraska
Rutgers @ Iowa
MN @ tOSU
Indiana @ Purdue

Conceivably the last year of East/West divisions will be the most lopsided of all. A fitting end to divisions.
 

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