CBS' Dennis Dodd: Big Ten's reputation at stake in Eugene?

[BleedGopher]

per Dodd:

Still, it's easy -- even fashionable -- to lob darts at the Big Ten. While it might be college athletics' richest conference, recent football excellence has not matched the balance sheet.

That's why commissioner Jimmy Delany told SI.com Spartans-Ducks is "disproportionately important." That's why Dantonio said this week, "There's no question we go there representing the Big Ten."

Is it possible, then, we could see the Big Ten's playoff relevance flash before our eyes in Week 2?

"I'm sure there are people who want to say if we win the game the Big Ten is strong and the Pac-12 is weak or vice versa," Dantonio said. "But I'm not really buying that philosophy."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...h-list-big-tens-reputation-at-stake-in-eugene

Go Gophers!!

 

[SelectionSunday]

The irony is, if Michigan State loses tomorrow they'll be the ones taking most of the heat for the Big Ten, despite the fact they've won 31 games (11-7-13) over the last 3 full seasons while going 3-0 in bowl games (the only Big Ten team to do so) vs. the SEC (Georgia), Big XII (TCU), and Stanford (Pac 12). I imagine ESPN will relish it if Oregon wins tomorrow, especially if the Ducks blow the doors off Sparty. ESPN will be in full throttle "Big Ten sucks" mode, at least until the next ESPN overkill news cycle starts, which fortunately for the Big Ten would be opening weekend in the NFL.

 

[Stan]

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[mnsportsgeek]

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Sums it up. Sad day for the B1G today. Is there a top 10 team in the conference? MSU could be fringe top 10 in my opinion, but after that the drop off is huge.

 

[BarnBoy]

It sucks too, if we had the Gophermobile a bit more polished, this could be our year in the B1G. Definitely a down year for the B1G helmet schools, so it seems. Everyone has warts.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I guess the positive side is that this could help the Gophers. No better time to take the next step.

I think every team on this year's schedule is beatable. Northwestern, Illinois, and Purdue look terrible. Iowa could easily be 0-2. Ohio St. does not look that outstanding, especially without Miller. Nebraska and Michigan struggled big time today. And Wisconsin doesn't appear to be as strong as year's past.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I guess the positive side is that this could help the Gophers. No better time to take the next step.

I think every team on this year's schedule is beatable. Northwestern, Illinois, and Purdue look terrible. Iowa could easily be 0-2. Ohio St. does not look that outstanding, especially without Miller. Nebraska and Michigan struggled big time today. And Wisconsin doesn't appear to be as strong as year's past.

Agreed. If the conference has to be awful, we might as well take advantage of it. Win the games we're supposed to win and steal a couple we didn't think we'd win (Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin), and then recruit guys away from those schools.

 

[Sparlimb]

Actually happy to not be playing Penn St this year. They and Indiana would be hard games, maybe harder than Michigan and Ohio St.

 

[Eagan]

Glen beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. Kills needs to do the same.

 

[Sparlimb]

Glen beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. Kills needs to do the same.

Although, they were the last Big Ten team he got a first win against. Still 2 wins against OSU and Michigan is more than most our coaches.

 

[Jike Spingleton]

I'll say it again: I don't give a damn about the Big Ten's reputation. The big boys ahead of us all lost or barely escaped today. It was a good day for the Gophers.