When was the last time the BIG 10 was this bad?
When Northwestern is primed to be in the BIG 10 championship game, you know its been a weird BIG 10 season. Bold: my season grades so far
OSU (4-0) - Yes they are undefeated but their defense has been bad this year and Fields is human after all. B+
NU (5-0) - Taking advantage of the down year with a very disciplined team. A
IU (4-1) - They proved they are the real deal by going toe to toe with OSU A-
UW (2-1) - They look like they are getting worse every week. Illinois might be really bad and they had 3 weeks to prep for us. B-
MD (2-1) - Probably also taking advantage of the down year but they have a playmaker in Tua's bro. B
Iowa (3-2) - Inconsistent - Probably par for course. B-
Purdue (2-2) - They've been competitive, which is more than the teams below. B
Illinois (2-3) - This team looked like hot garbage and then annihilated Nebraska. This is where the list gets ugly... C+
Michigan (2-3) - Train wreck, dumpster fire. A phoenix has to rise from ashes right? Cue Cade McNamara = phoenix memes. D-
Rutgers (1-4) - From where they were to now is actually an improvement. Good for them. B
Minnesota (2-3) - It was all a mirage. Tanner Morgan actually sucks and PJ Fleck is not a genius D-
Nebraska (1-3) - Can anyone explain why 3 of the 5 highest paid coaches are at the bottom of this list? D-
Michigan State (1-3) - Likely the worst team on paper this year. But hey, they get a B just for beating us. B-
Penn State (0-5) - Yikes. Misery enjoys company I guess. F
I don't think there is a top 15 team in this bunch except for OSU. There may not even be a top 25 team (hard to tell when teams are beating really bad teams). When was the last time PSU, UM, MSU, and Nebraska all had down years? This feels like PAC 12 level incompetence. COVID most certainly has something to do with this but it's not a pretty sight regardless. It's probably a good thing there won't be any bowl games this year because I feel like it would be messy.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:14 PM ^
The weakness of the B1G could be an issue for OSU making the playoff. If their best wins are Indiana and Northwestern it is possible to see a second SEC team plus ND and Clemson.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:22 PM ^
I assume you mean if OSU suffers one loss. I think that if OSU does go undefeated, which is almost inevitable, there is a 0% chance they miss out on the playoff. An undefeated P5 Conference Champion being left out in favor of a one-loss non-P5 Conference Champ? The playoff committee would never even entertain such an idea.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:00 PM ^
What if Oregon is an undefeated Pac10 champ over a 2 loss USC (1 loss from Oregon). Would a 1 loss ND (from their rematch with Clemson in ACC championship) get in over Oregon?
I'd want Oregon in but Pac10 could end up looking ugly.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:43 PM ^
The CFP committee will always choose the path of least resistance. If the remaining four conferences with undefeated teams (SEC, BIG10, ACC, PAC-12) produce undefeated Conference Champs then those teams are in.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:57 PM ^
lol, undefeated OSU is in regardless especially over Clemson.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:55 PM ^
OSU isn’t getting left out if they go undefeated. Granted, if they lose a game they are out. But there is no one left on their schedule who could even challenge them. Much less beat them.
I guess Northwestern might have a shot if Fields plays another crappy game, but the massive talent differential between both teams would take over at some point.
Just have to rely on Alabama or Trevor Lawrence to handle that job, because Michigan can’t do it themselves.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:24 PM ^
What if OSU is 6-0 or 7-0 and the rest of the teams are 10-1 or 11-0? I could see OSU not getting in because they didn't play enough games.
I think TAMU could be a dark horse entrant. Currently 5-1 (lost to bama) and have Tenn, LSU, and Auburn left (if they don't reschedule Ole Miss). Could definitely see them going 8-1, not playing the SEC championship, and just sneaking in. They beat UF for a solid win too.
November 24th, 2020 at 9:50 PM ^
You raise an interesting point, but I doubt the CFP committee will penalize a school for having played fewer games this season. Every P5 Conference has played inter-conference games only; their competition is "comparable". If we were looking at some teams with out of conference games (imagine hypothetically that the SEC, BIG12, and ACC all played some cross-over games) in addition to playing 10-11 games, then I could see a rationale where a team like OSU with no out of conference games and 2-3 fewer games played could be left out.
November 25th, 2020 at 9:13 AM ^
Pretty sure if OSU got left out because it was forced to play less games, Kevin Warren would need secret service to protect him from those Buck Nuts
November 25th, 2020 at 2:51 PM ^
Or make sure he never travels to Ohio.
Seriously, it's already been noted by everyone associated with CF that the Playoffs - this year - will be more about the "eye test" with all of the craziness and different schedules to compare. If OSU goes undefeated, they're in. But we sure could throw a monkey wrench into everything by beating them - yeah, I know it's wishful thinking at best
November 24th, 2020 at 5:15 PM ^
You need to take some antibiotics. AZEE!
November 24th, 2020 at 5:18 PM ^
The conference got curb stomped in their out of conference games this year... wait.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:21 PM ^
Since there's no cross-conference play this year, it's going to be really hard to tell. Pairwise is going to be all messed up for sure. We'll just have to wait and see in the tournaaa.... wait. You're talking football, aren't you? My bad. I'll step out.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:23 PM ^
Nobody even comes close to OSU so it doesn’t matter.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:32 PM ^
Well they just beat Indiana by only 7 points at home, so I will argue and say Indiana comes close to OSU
November 24th, 2020 at 5:41 PM ^
On the other hand, they probably got sacked and threw more picks than we've forced against them in the entire Harbaugh era ... and still beat the #9 team by a touchdown and weren't really in much fear of losing. If that's them at their worst, they're obviously light years ahead of the rest of the league.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:42 PM ^
One close game by a scrappy IU team during a totally wild season isn’t any kind of real evidence that OSU’s conference supremacy is in danger.
November 25th, 2020 at 9:17 AM ^
I think it does show that this team is no where near as good as last years team. The only thing truly dominant about them is their passing game with Fields, Garrett, and Olave. However, even in a "rebuild" year they are still the clear best team in the BIG 10 by a wide margin. We can only hope that Fields was a transcendent player and their offense will fall off next year without him. Lucky us, they look like they are bringing in another transcendent QB in Ewers.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:53 PM ^
At home doesn't mean jack shit this year. But I agree with you if IU could've of held on to the ball the Hoosiers could've taken the down.
November 25th, 2020 at 11:35 AM ^
Dont put too much stock into one game, either up or down. In a weird year, coming off a game cancellation, against a notoriously plucky team who also happened to be top 10, sure it was an eyebrow raiser. However, OSU went up 35-7 and drubbed out IU first half and seemed to just get chunked second half in passing. Not often do you see a team pass for 491 and end up with 490 total yards. OSU should be concerned but given a larger body of work that probably gets absorbed into more favorable statistics as they run away with the conference. Clemson nearly lost to BC and did lose to ND. Bama gave up a million to Ole Miss. There are going to be some statistical anomalies this year.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:23 PM ^
Michigan is a D- ????
You are a generous person.
I like to see NW doing well at least. That defense looks awesome.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:26 PM ^
The paper test says they won 2 games and should be a D-. The eye test says they didn't even answer 3 of the 5 questions on the exam.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:29 PM ^
Last time I checked, 2/5 = .40, or 40%, which is clearly an F.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:18 PM ^
LOL what year did you go to school?
November 24th, 2020 at 7:28 PM ^
Username checks out. Do I get detention? It wasn't a test to measure how hard you tried (or didn't try).
November 24th, 2020 at 10:06 PM ^
Genuinely funny and insightful comment.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:20 PM ^
Curve, duh.
November 24th, 2020 at 7:29 PM ^
Curves. Tools for artificial grade inflation and deflation to accomplish some purpose other than measuring how well you performed on a test.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:34 PM ^
This is a strange year indeed and I think some of what is happening is related to opt-outs, practice disruptions, Covid sit-outs for games, and dumb luck. I don't know if I'd read too much into it.
Michigan is one example where there are clearly systemic problems but how much of that would have been papered over if we had the 9.5 starters who aren't currently playing? The defense would still have issues - but adding Thomas and the injured guys back to the mix probably covers for some sins. I think PSU is in a similar situation to an extent.
But I think it does come back somewhat to QB play and overall recruiting. Who are the "good" QBs in this conference? How many are actually going to make an NFL roster?
I also have this weird theory that the B10 is suffering more from attrition with the new free agency of the transfer portal than other places. I think it is a combination of the good players realizing that they could go to a mid-level program and start (and possibly get benefits) instead of sitting behind starters at schools like Michigan or PSU. So schools like ours are having to play younger guys earlier and have depth chart issues. OSU has similar challenges to an extent (look at their QB depth chart) but gets around it through the fact that their young guys are elite and there are fewer holes on the roster.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:41 PM ^
Indiana and Northwestern are fun and all to watch this season, but realistically the conference is basically the Big 1 and the Little 13 at this point.
5 years ago there were 4-5 programs that were at least within shouting distance of OSU as a program and could go toe to toe with them on a given Saturday. Now it’s just a matter of who can lose to the Buckeyes by the fewest points and get whatever is leftover in recruiting after OSU has had their pick.
Either OSU is going to have to take major tumble or one or more of the other schools are going to have to seriously step up their programs to a whole new level if they’re going to be any kind of threat to OSU on a regular basis.
Honestly, I just don’t see a current combination of coach/school in the program that is capable of such a feat.
November 24th, 2020 at 8:00 PM ^
I am going to argue that Northwestern is NOT at all fun to watch. Is it just me or is gravity heavier at Ryan Field? Either that or there is quicksand underneath the turf. Seems the games at Ryan Field move like 25% slower than anywhere else.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:42 PM ^
PSU is hard to explain. Clifford has fallen off a, well, cliff since last season and no doubt their defense misses arguably the Big Ten's best player in Micah Parsons. But still, hard to explain there. MSU is awful and we knew they would be. As for Michigan it's a combo of Harbaugh once again not knowing who his best QB is, god awful recruiting on the defensive side of the ball, and his undying loyalty to a dinosaur DC who should've been fired 2 years ago. Alas, here we are.
November 25th, 2020 at 10:54 AM ^
Is PSU that hard to explain though? I told a friend of mine they would be down this year, losing another OC and Hamler. He was their only deep threat and reliable wr outside the TE. Their OL wasn't great and their DB's are average but not good. We all know that Franklin is a good recruiter and average at best coach, so without all the guys who made his teams good, why would he be any good.
I said 3 years ago, when the FSU job was open, He should've left then. His stock was really high and Saquon, McSorley, and Moorehead were all leaving.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:45 PM ^
November 24th, 2020 at 6:47 PM ^
It was 1995 (although they did share the title in '96 also). Our win over OSU sent them through to Pasadena.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:57 PM ^
No. I don't agree with 1996 at all.
Ohio State finished the season #2, defeating a legit National Title Contender (Arizona State) in the Rose Bowl. Penn State finished the season #7 with a Bowl Alliance win. Neither of those teams was Northwestern, who legit did share the conference championship. Iowa & Michigan also finished the season in the Top 20. The conference went 4-3 in their 7 Bowl games.
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I'd argue the answer is 2001.
Illinois won the conference out-right. They did that as a program who had made 1 Bowl game from 1995-2000 (a MicronPC Bowl), and made 0 Bowl games from 2002-2006. Yet, a program with that "pedigree" won the conference out-right. They got blown out by LSU in the Sugar Bowl.
Michigan finished 2nd in the conference, but that wasn't a stellar U-M team either. Finished with 4 losses overall, including the Citrus Bowl to Tennessee.
No other conference team had more than 7 wins. OSU finished 7-5 and lost to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Penn State and Wisconsin finished with 5 wins each and neither got to a Bowl at all. Overall, the conference went 2-4 in Bowl games, with the victories over mediocre Texas Tech and Fresno State squads in the Alamo and Silicon Valley Bowls.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:46 PM ^
You and MSU fans are the only folks that think MSU deserves anything in the B range. But realistically they would go A- since they accomplished their one key goal.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:12 PM ^
Living in MI, I notice the fair-weather Staee fans coming out every year in October to root for them to beat M, then mostly disappear, at least until BB season. So yeah, their season is just fine if they beat M. It's all about the bragging rights.
November 25th, 2020 at 9:22 AM ^
Grades I gave are based on expectations. Everyone knew MSU would be a horrible team this year. If they managed to win any games this year it would probably be an overachieving year. But they had to beat US... The B- is more a shot at Michigan than anything else.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:53 PM ^
2014 was also not good bob.
November 24th, 2020 at 5:58 PM ^
I hate to admit it, but we suck. Working on next year is the game plan.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:07 PM ^
Flipping Karma the bird and hoping for the best I guess. ?
November 24th, 2020 at 6:09 PM ^
I think it’s a down year for everyone
November 24th, 2020 at 6:11 PM ^
The players in this conference need some ribs
November 24th, 2020 at 6:13 PM ^
Not sure how you can come to the conclusion that the big ten is bad. Yes Michigan is bad, but the conference as a whole is .500 in conference play, same as they are every year.
November 25th, 2020 at 9:26 AM ^
Do we recall the last time traditional conference contenders PSU, Wisconsin, MSU, UM, Nebraska, and Iowa all had down years? The conference is .500 because someone has to win games. I personally think NU and IU having great seasons is more a sign that traditional powers have been total duds than thinking they are the new cream of the crop.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:17 PM ^
'10-'11-'13
November 24th, 2020 at 6:22 PM ^
Since I started really watching Big Ten football (1999 Mich/Wisky game being the starting point), I don’t remember the conference being this bad.
November 24th, 2020 at 6:25 PM ^
You don't think the team who just went toe to toe with Ohio St. is worthy of top-15? Why isn't Northwestern?
November 24th, 2020 at 6:34 PM ^
This is what happens when Power 5 teams can't feast on inferior non-conference competition in September. There's no way that LSU, Oklahoma or Michigan start out 1-2 playing the teams on their original schedule.
The entire NCAA is down this year. Maryland is getting votes in the coaches poll despite losing by 40 to Northwestern and one of their two wins is a 1 point win over a turrible Minnesota team.