STrib: How the Big Ten got in big trouble

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Joe:

Big Ten football is so down right now, the SEC, Pac-12, ACC and Big 12 might want to rename this conference quintet “The Power Four and That Other League.”

With a 1-10 record against teams from the other Power Five conferences, the Big Ten has become a national punch line again. And this didn’t happen overnight. Since 2010, the Big Ten is 8-33 against those teams.

Why has this conference fallen so far? That’s a complex discussion, but here are three of the factors:

1. Population shifts
2. Powers struggle
3. Dearth of QBs

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/275692741.html

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
3. Dearth of QBs
Click to expand...

I get what they're saying between the mobile QBs of Ohio State/Michigan and the game managers of Wisconsin.....etc.

NFL QB Wins in Week 2 by College Affiliation:
Big Ten 4
I-AA 3
SEC 3
ACC 2

3 from Michigan St

My guess: 99% weather
 

Also: Football has gone more and more away from a power game to a speed and skill game.
Football can be played year around in the south but not north.
 

1 is valid, 2&3 are symptoms, not causes

My list:
1) dearth of local talent due to demographic shifts (we don't have as many players)
2) relative lack of commitment to youth football (the players we do have aren't as good)
3) second tier coaching salaries (our coaches and assistants are not as good)

My fixes to the above issues:
1) compensate players or their families enough to offset the geographic distance (geography is not a problem for the Vikings or Packers). This doesn't have to be cash. For example two airfare and hotel vouchers to all home games for the family and one ticket for the player for summer, Christmas, & spring break. Allow camp scholarships. We'd need to put a gun to the SEC's head to get this but I say do it or go the way of baseball (5 B10 champs in baseball from '52-'67, none since).
2) allow traveling teams, more games, spring practice, subsidize camps, etc.
3) institute a staff pay rule at the conference level - all member schools must have staff pay in the top xx% of all power five staff salaries (those disclosed at public universities). If they are not, TV money is withheld equal to the difference.
 

When do you think a BIG team will win the NCAA football title again? Could be a while as we are trending downward.
 


badgergopher said:
1 is valid, 2&3 are symptoms, not causes

My list:
1) dearth of local talent due to demographic shifts (we don't have as many players)
2) relative lack of commitment to youth football (the players we do have aren't as good)
3) second tier coaching salaries (our coaches and assistants are not as good)

My fixes to the above issues:
1) compensate players or their families enough to offset the geographic distance (geography is not a problem for the Vikings or Packers). This doesn't have to be cash. For example two airfare and hotel vouchers to all home games for the family and one ticket for the player for summer, Christmas, & spring break. Allow camp scholarships. We'd need to put a gun to the SEC's head to get this but I say do it or go the way of baseball (5 B10 champs in baseball from '52-'67, none since).
2) allow traveling teams, more games, spring practice, subsidize camps, etc.
3) institute a staff pay rule at the conference level - all member schools must have staff pay in the top xx% of all power five staff salaries (those disclosed at public universities). If they are not, TV money is withheld equal to the difference.
Click to expand...

What are camp scholarships? Never heard of that before. And why are they unlikely to happen?
 

JMWZ said:
What are camp scholarships? Never heard of that before. And why are they unlikely to happen?
Click to expand...

Kill and co. Often say they have a shot if they can just get a kid on campus. I'd like them to be able to pick up the tab for southern players to visit in the summer - ideally to attend a camp.
 

Population shifts.

Look at the Top 250 high school players.

Count how many are from the midwest.
 

Things go in cycles. I think the QB argument is valid, mostly because B1G teams have been happy with "game managers" and athletes who really can not pass well. The population shifts are a fact.
However, the kid at PSU really could play anywhere. The conference needs more guys like that or Russell Wilson. I don't think a team can win the Natl Championship with guys like Braxton Miller or the guy he replaced at QB unless the rest of their talent is overwhelming. Even OSU's talent is not overwhelming on a national basis.
Teams that want to be national contenders need to be able to pass when they need to as well as when they want to.
 



station19 said:
Also: Football has gone more and more away from a power game to a speed and skill game. Football can be played year around in the south but not north.
Click to expand...

Nitpicking: It's been colder in the north for millenia, and more specifically, since the dawn of organized football. Why wasn't that an issue during the B1G's glory years?
 

BarnBoy said:
Nitpicking: It's been colder in the north for millenia, and more specifically, since the dawn of organized football. Why wasn't that an issue during the B1G's glory years?
Click to expand...

Because in the North, we have certain standards and ethics. The SEC system is much different and will never change. The simple and direct thing is the SEC is as fixed and it runs deep. The SEC drives the money right now. It's apples and oranges.
 

BarnBoy said:
Nitpicking: It's been colder in the north for millenia, and more specifically, since the dawn of organized football. Why wasn't that an issue during the B1G's glory years?
Click to expand...

That was before the onset of air conditioning which moved all the car factories to the south...
 

BleedGopher said:
per Joe:
Since 2010, the Big Ten is 8-33 against those teams.
Click to expand...

I have spent an hour trying to figure out how one could contort the teams and games to arrive at 8-33.
This appears to be completely made-up.
 



BarnBoy said:
Nitpicking: It's been colder in the north for millenia, and more specifically, since the dawn of organized football. Why wasn't that an issue during the B1G's glory years?
Click to expand...

Because kids specializing in one sport was not as prevalent in 'the dawn of organized football/sports'.
 

BarnBoy said:
Nitpicking: It's been colder in the north for millenia, and more specifically, since the dawn of organized football. Why wasn't that an issue during the B1G's glory years?
Click to expand...

Could part of it be that northern schools were more accepting of black athletes than southern schools?
 

We've also seen the growth of programs at places like Baylor, TCU, UCF, Oklahoma St., and others.
Players that used to end up at Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois are staying close to home.
Instead of getting second tier athletes, low level Big Ten teams are now fighting Mac schools for third tier talent.
 

Cayman said:
Could part of it be that northern schools were more accepting of black athletes than southern schools?
Click to expand...

Station19 said:
Because kids specializing in one sport was not as prevalent in 'the dawn of organized football/sports'.
Click to expand...

Both make sense. Thanks.
 


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