Tag: Big Ten (Page 3 of 6)

      Big Ten invites four schools to join

      May 10, 2010 /

      According to 810 WHB out of Kansas City, the Big Ten has made “informal” invitations to four schools to join the conference.

      The Big Ten Conference has extended initial offers to join the league to four universities including Missouri and Nebraska from the Big 12, according to multiple sources close to the negotiations.

      While nothing can be approved until the Big Ten presidents and chancellors meet the first week of June in Chicago, the league has informed the two Big 12 schools, Notre Dame and Rutgers that it would like to have them join. It is not yet clear whether the Big Ten will expand to 14 or 16 teams but sources indicated Missouri and Nebraska are invited in either scenario. Notre Dame has repeatedly declined the opportunity to join the Big Ten. If Notre Dame remains independent, Rutgers would be the 14th team. The Big Ten would then decide whether to stop at 14 or extend offers to two other schools. If Notre Dame joins, sources say an offer will be extended to one other school making it a 16-team league.

      It’s a little frustrating that the Big Ten calls itself that even though it has 11 teams. Now they’re going to expand to 14 or 16 teams, and for what?

      It makes a lot of sense to continue to convince Notre Dame to join. Geographically, that’s the move that makes the most sense. But the Fighting Irish seem intent on keeping their football independence, so the next logical choice would be Missouri, since it borders Iowa and Illinois, but I don’t like the fact that the Big Ten is trying to pluck the Big 12 stalwart.

      And 12 teams is the perfect number. In basketball, it’s a small enough conference where a team can play every other team twice (home/away) while in football, it would allow for two divisions of six-teams each. Once you start going to 14 or 16 teams, it’s impossible for basketball to have a balanced schedule.

      Easier said than done, but the Big Ten should convince Notre Dame to join the league and then change its name to the Big Midwest. Case closed.

      Update: The Big Ten denies inviting any schools to join.

      College Basketball, College Football, External Sports

      Should Nebraska join the Big Ten?

      May 4, 2010 /

      Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald thinks the Huskers should:

      Why would Nebraska want to join the Big Ten?
      Two reasons. Revenue. Security. Big Ten members already are raking in $22 million each per year, thanks in large part to the Big Ten Network. Grow the network and grow the earning potential. That’s about $15 million more than what NU gets from the Big 12. Think of what you can do with $15 more million per year.

      Then there’s long-term security. Does anyone really trust that the Big 12 will stay together or be something that NU would want to be part of? How does Nebraska vs. TCU/New Mexico/Colorado State grab you?

      Why would the Big Ten want Nebraska?
      The national profile to boost Big Ten network numbers, plain and simple. CBSsports.com reported that the Big Ten Network is getting a subscription fee of 70 cents per subscriber within the eight-state Big Ten region; outside the region it’s 10 cents per subscriber. If the Big Ten can increase the market outside its region, the subscription price would soon follow. NU may not have the TV sets in Nebraska, but they have the TV sets around the country, from Maine to Florida to California. NU also brings sizzle. Rutgers and Mizzou don’t.

      The biggest problem that Nebraska would have if it moved to the Big Ten would be recruiting. The Huskers do a ton of recruiting in the talent-rich state of Texas and if they moved to the Big Ten, they would likely have a much tougher time convincing blue chippers to play against the likes of Ohio State and Michigan every year, as opposed to UT.

      That said, Nebraska is a tradition-rich program and would fit well with a tradition-rich conference like the Big Ten. (Although I’m sorry, but there may be nothing more boring than Nebraska-Iowa every year.)

      College Football, External Sports

      Iowa shocks Michigan State in final seconds

      October 24, 2009 /

      Even those that think they’re the most overrated team in college football have to admit how remarkable the Iowa Hawkeyes have been this season.

      No. 6 Iowa stayed perfect on the season thanks to an improbable 15-13 win over Michigan State on Saturday. Both teams struggling generating any kind of offense until less than three minutes remaining when Iowa took a 9-6 lead on a 20-yard Daniel Murray field goal.

      The Spartans then marched up the field (thanks to a great hook-and-ladder call) and scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Blair White with only 1:37 remaining in the game to put MSU up 13-9. Iowa answered back with a drive of its own, capping it off with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Ricky Stanzi to Marvin McNutt on a 4th and goal as time expired.

      Iowa is 8-0 on the season and in all but one of those wins (a 35-3 rout of Iowa State), the Hawkeyes battled some kind of adversity. Whether they’ve been trailing at the start of the game, at halftime or late in the fourth quarter, Iowa has found a way to win and for that, voters must keep them ranked high.

      I would be willing to argue with anyone who said Iowa isn’t impressive. Are they dominating opponents? No. Are the playing top-notch teams every week? No. Should they have probably suffered a loss at this point? Yes, if not several. Did Michigan State choke several times on the final drive? Absolutely.

      But isn’t the point of the lame, stupid, idiotic BCS system to win games? Isn’t the point to treat every week like it’s a playoff game where victory reigns supreme? It’s not like the Hawkeyes play in the Big East or the Mountain West – they play in the Big Ten, where Ohio State has made a living off playing in BCS games or the national championship with one or no losses.

      Iowa could lose next week and be dropped so far down in the polls that they would need a sniper lens just to see the top. But for now, they’re undefeated, are the team to beat in the Big Ten and will continue to be in BCS contention.

      College Football

      Five Big Ten teams yet to punch a ticket

      March 2, 2009 /

      After Michigan State, Purdue and Illinois, there are five Big Ten teams with a legitimate shot with a postseason berth. Right now, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the conference getting six NCAA berths. (The aforementioned three, plus Wisconsin, Ohio State and Penn State.) Both Michigan and Minnesota are listed amongst the first four teams out. This means that a lot can change over the next couple of weeks.

      My former coach, Bo Ryan, has his Badgers in the best position of all the Big Ten bubble teams. Lunardi has Wisconsin as a #9 seed, so they are relatively safe, though if they lose at Minnesota and at home against Indiana, they’ll be in a more precarious position. They are just 2-7 against Top 25 opponents, but they are a combined 5-1 against the other four Big Ten bubble teams. Plus, they have won six of their last seven, so they are playing pretty well right now. A pair of wins to close the season will guarantee a spot. A loss against Minnesota and a win against Indiana might mean that the Badgers still have some work to do in the Big Ten tourney.

      Lunardi has Ohio State as a #10 seed and with games against Iowa and Northwestern remaining, the Buckeyes should finish at 10-8 in the conference. If they finish 9-9, their situation may be a little dicey heading into the conference tournament. They are 5-6 against Top 25 teams, though they don’t really have a marquee win unless you count their victory over #13 Purdue on Feb. 3. A pair of wins against the Hawkeyes and Wildcats should make Ohio State a safe bet for the tourney. If not, they’ll have to win a game or two in the tourney to get off the bubble.

      ESPN projects Penn State to be a 12-seed, so they are the last Big Ten team to make the NCAA tourney. A win Thursday against #23 Illinois would probably seal the deal. If they lose to the Illini and beat Iowa, they probably will need to win a game or two in the Big Ten tourney to punch their ticket.

      Minnesota has an interesting finish to their regular season schedule. They host both the Badgers and the Wolverines this week and two wins would go a long way towards getting them back in the hunt. Also working for the Gophers is their Dec. 20 win over then-#9 Louisiville. A pair of wins plus a win or two in the conference tourney should get Minnesota off the bubble.

      Michigan looks to be the longest shot for an NCAA berth. They are just 8-9 in conference and desperately need a win at Minnesota to keep their postseason hopes alive. If they can beat the Gophers and then make a little run in the Big Ten tournament, the Wolverines could quickly get back in the discussion, thanks to wins over then-#4 UCLA in November, then-#4 Duke in December, a tough loss against UConn in February and a recent win against #16 Purdue. However, it’s doubtful that the selection committee would give the Wolverines the nod if they finish below .500 in conference, so the Minnesota game is pretty much a must-win.

      College Basketball, March Madness

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