I never know how to approach college football...
Which way do I lean folks?
Here's my logic. The trick is to think long-term more than short-term.
1. Teams in the Eastern Division: Easy, we want them to win non-conf games because it helps our perception and doesn't diminish our place in the standings at all. We want teams in this division to be better long-term because their victories over B10 west teams help us greatly.
2. Teams in the Western Division (not wisky and iowa) Also want them to win, to a lesser degree. Their wins help the conference (and division's) reputation. But a loss isn't all that bad because we want these teams to diminish long-term so that it is easier for our Gophers to place higher in the standings.
3. wisky and Iowa: Super easy: screw the whole "B10 reputation" stuff. We compete against these clowns for
everything: 1. Standings 2. Recruiting 3. Hardware 4. Bowl Placement, etc---- Just think of how recruits perceive the team who doesn't have the ax or pig vs. the team who does? Think of the damage that would be caused if it was wisky who dropped a game vs. FCS teams instead of us. Think of how much more less red/white and black/yellow the Bank would be if wisky and Iowa fans thinking they were probably going to have a good time in Dinkytown? Momentum relative to these schools is everything: Standings and Trophies in the short term;
Recruiting, Ticket Sales, Donations, Media Coverage, Student Excitement, etc. in the long-term.
Also, I'd rather beat a badly-perceived, cellar-dweller wisconsin and Iowa ten times in a row than simply be competitive against "National Powerhouses" wisconsin and Iowa.