College Football 2016 - B1G expectations

[dbunting]

Starting a new thread since the last one is locked.

[dbunting]

So I was reading a story on how Nebraska supposedly wants to return to the Big 12. Story is unofficial of course and sites reasons such as the brand not growing and just not a good fit in B1G 10.

If it's true and they are trying to leave the B1G 10 then I am not buying the reasons. If they were honest they would say, we thought we would dominate the B1G 10 and compete for the conference title every year, instead of realizing the conference is tougher than we thought.

[Ded As Ned]

Yeah I agree... if they're looking to get out, that's why.  

[Ferrum Aeternum]

Relating back to last thread - good piece on Coach O up today. 

The most changed man in college football

[Corvinus85]

4 hours ago, dbunting said:

So I was reading a story on how Nebraska supposedly wants to return to the Big 12. Story is unofficial of course and sites reasons such as the brand not growing and just not a good fit in B1G 10.

If it's true and they are trying to leave the B1G 10 then I am not buying the reasons. If they were honest they would say, we thought we would dominate the B1G 10 and compete for the conference title every year, instead of realizing the conference is tougher than we thought.

And they would leave the B1G without even one championship game against Ohio State or Michigan?

Here is that article http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/report_nebraska_wants_to_rejoin_big_12/s1_127_22041061

Considering that the main reason might be their brand not growing as they expected, leaving now would seem like they tucked their tails between their legs, and that would surely continue to affect the brand.

It would also be hilarious if this happened just as Texas became super tough again with a new coach. 

[S John]

re: Nebraska

First of all I think its just a baseless rumor, though it isn't the first time I've heard that Neb might want to return to the Big XII.  

As far as why, I think the regional history of college football can't be overlooked.  Also recruiting, and cultural fit.  Nebraska has traditionally recruited Texas and Oklahoma and now they get basically zero exposure down here.  As far as rivalries, they have lost the Oklahoma rivalry - one of the best in college football - and are now playing manufactured trophy games with Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  

Also before jumping to the B1G Nebraska hadn't won a conference title in the Big XII since 1999.  So its not like they were routinely rolling through the conference.  Overall, I'd say that the old Big XII north was easier than the current B1G west, but even then they only won the north division title 5 times out of 15 seasons in the Big XII.  

Anyway, since they really weren't dominating in the XII, it would be surprising to me if they expected to dominate in the B1G after severing ties with their main recruiting base down in Texas and Oklahoma.   

 

Also - i say all that as a WVU fan.  I like the Big XII, its been a fun style of play.  But if WVU were to leave to regain old rivalries, assuming the money and P5 status are the same, I'd be all for it - and WVU's expected competitiveness in either conference would be secondary.  So I could see why, all other things being equal, a Nebraska fan might want to go back to playing more familiar faces.  

[dbunting]

1 hour ago, S John said:

re: Nebraska

First of all I think its just a baseless rumor, though it isn't the first time I've heard that Neb might want to return to the Big XII.  

As far as why, I think the regional history of college football can't be overlooked.  Also recruiting, and cultural fit.  Nebraska has traditionally recruited Texas and Oklahoma and now they get basically zero exposure down here.  As far as rivalries, they have lost the Oklahoma rivalry - one of the best in college football - and are now playing manufactured trophy games with Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  

Also before jumping to the B1G Nebraska hadn't won a conference title in the Big XII since 1999.  So its not like they were routinely rolling through the conference.  Overall, I'd say that the old Big XII north was easier than the current B1G west, but even then they only won the north division title 5 times out of 15 seasons in the Big XII.  

Anyway, since they really weren't dominating in the XII, it would be surprising to me if they expected to dominate in the B1G after severing ties with their main recruiting base down in Texas and Oklahoma.   

 

Also - i say all that as a WVU fan.  I like the Big XII, its been a fun style of play.  But if WVU were to leave to regain old rivalries, assuming the money and P5 status are the same, I'd be all for it - and WVU's expected competitiveness in either conference would be secondary.  So I could see why, all other things being equal, a Nebraska fan might want to go back to playing more familiar faces.  

Well, point one about recruiting and such, they are still located where they were, and should have had an expanded recruiting base into Ohio, Pennsylvania etc. That was a big part of the Big 10 expanding to begin with and we are seeing benefits of that. There are a lot of players on Michigans roster from Jersey now that likely wouldn't have been around before the expansion brought in Rutgers and Maryland. It brought the B1G 10 network to the east coast and elevated those schools exposure. Has Nebraska tried recruiting those areas or have they stuck to their same old recruiting grounds?

As to losing the Oklahoma game, that's completely on those two schools, they can schedule each other a non conference game but choose not to, so how important is the rivalry? When the B1G 10 realigned Michigan and Ohio State said very clearly, they will play each other every year and it will be the last game, period.

[Bronn Stone]

 

2 hours ago, dbunting said:

As to losing the Oklahoma game, that's completely on those two schools, they can schedule each other a non conference game but choose not to, so how important is the rivalry? When the B1G 10 realigned Michigan and Ohio State said very clearly, they will play each other every year and it will be the last game, period.

Cal/Stanford and UCLA/USC did the same.  It makes for much tougher schedules for the NorCal schools, but those games were/are very important to alums of both schools.  The American west is so huge that it is really hard to travel to road games (Cal to Oregon is about an hour drive - not much shorter than Gainesville to Baton Rouge).  The road trip to those games is very much a tradition for students for all four schools.

Yet Florida/Miami cannot happen because it would hurt t-shirt vendors in Gainesville.

[sperry]

OU playing so terribly against Texas.

[JonSnow4President]

Hmm, why did ABC choose a meh FSU team against Miami as their primetime game instead of Alabama Arkansas?  I know they end up getting the views for both since the latter is on ESPN, but I would think most people would prefer the Alabama game over the Miami game. (As a fan of another SEC team, I am biased, so take that FWIW.)

[sperry]

5 minutes ago, JonSnow4President said:

Hmm, why did ABC choose a meh FSU team against Miami as their primetime game instead of Alabama Arkansas?  I know they end up getting the views for both since the latter is on ESPN, but I would think most people would prefer the Alabama game over the Miami game. (As a fan of another SEC team, I am biased, so take that FWIW.)

 

Disney wants it's premiere programming on ESPN. Those cable subscription fees are generating the revenue.

[Ramsay B.]

40 minutes ago, JonSnow4President said:

Hmm, why did ABC choose a meh FSU team against Miami as their primetime game instead of Alabama Arkansas?  I know they end up getting the views for both since the latter is on ESPN, but I would think most people would prefer the Alabama game over the Miami game. (As a fan of another SEC team, I am biased, so take that FWIW.)

Once again the SEC gets fucked. 

This ND-NC state game is a disaster. Horrible conditions and neither team can do anything. ND fumbles or drops a pass on most plays.

[JonSnow4President]

4 minutes ago, Ramsay B. said:

Once again the SEC gets fucked. 

This ND-NC state game is a disaster. Horrible conditions and neither team can do anything. ND fumbles or drops a pass on most plays.

SEC has the best early game of the week at 2:30, and then probably the second best contest (as far as strength of both teams) at night.  I don't see anyone getting f-ed

[JonSnow4President]

If Tennessee's center is so "stunned" that he has to keep a towel over his head, and doesn't react to his team scoring a TD, he needs to be out of the game.  Really looks like they're completely ignoring a concussion from TV.

[JonSnow4President]

Tennessee is beating themselves badly.  They're matching A&M yard for yard, and making A&M's offense look sloppy overall.  But 4 forced and lost fumbles has just destroyed any prayer they've had of points.  There only score is on a trick play pass to the QB.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

Don't tell me Tennessee's going to come back again... 

[JonSnow4President]

2 minutes ago, Ferrum Aeternum said:

Don't tell me Tennessee's going to come back again... 

A&M's offense isn't playing like they want to win.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

Huge play by Knight on the TD run, then UT marches right back down the field. I'm really surprised how well they've moved the ball on y'all today. Recover the onside kick and you've got em. 

ETA: Check that, get a first down and you've got 'em.  

[JonSnow4President]

Just now, Ferrum Aeternum said:

Huge play by Knight on the TD run, then UT marches right back down the field. I'm really surprised how well they've moved the ball on y'all today. Recover the onside kick and you've got em. 

A&M only has 2 starting caliber linebackers (their base starters include 3 safeties).  Several years of big LB recruits leaving the program to career ending injury, selling drugs, or domestic abuse have left the linebackers badly depleted despite recruiting. Really hurts defending the run, especially when the defensive star is only about 50%. 

[Ferrum Aeternum]

2 minutes ago, JonSnow4President said:

A&M only has 2 starting caliber linebackers (their base starters include 3 safeties).  Several years of big LB recruits leaving the program to career ending injury, selling drugs, or domestic abuse have left the linebackers badly depleted despite recruiting. Really hurts defending the run, especially when the defensive star is only about 50%. 

That sounds familiar, OM's linebacker corps is dogshit too. I predict our game will be a balls to the wall shootout.

ETA   WTF!!!!!  Never seen that before in that situation.