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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2008 > September > 19 > Entry
blog: Big Ten football — overrated, under-powered
By Saturday, most places around here figure to have their power turned back on, but one noticeable exception will be the Big Ten.
The glow coming from the once preeminent football league is now more flickering candlelight than center-stage Klieg lights. These days the conference is overrated and under-powered.
Think not?
Then explain Ohio State, the Big Ten’s poster program, getting chewed up and spit by USC last Saturday night. Then there was Illinois, after having Missouri ring up 52 points on it, having all it can handle with Louisiana-Lafayette.
Minnesota barely escaped Northern Illinois and, as for Michigan, well, the Wolverines are but a shell of their old selves: Roughed up by Notre Dame, lose to Utah at home and have a tough time with a visiting Miami RedHawks team that’s looking real shaky itself this season.
Minnesota will counter that its 3-0, but it may play even more non- conference patsies than the Buckeyes.
Other conferences do the same, but in the Big Ten — where you have perennial stumblers like Northwestern and often, Indiana and last year 1-11 Minnesota — you can end up with nearly half a schedule full of weak sisters.
And what does that get you?
Ohio State losing its last three big games on the national stage — Florida and LSU in the past two BCS title games and USC last weekend — by a combined score of 114-41. In those three losses the Bucks gave up 1,087 yards and turned the ball over eight times.
You get USC pushing around Illinois in last year’s Rose Bowl. You get Appalachian State coming into Ann Arbor and stunning the football world.
You get the Big Ten losing more bowl games than it wins the past few years. You get OSU 0-9 against SEC teams in bowl games.
A similar point to this was made by Indianapolis columnist Bob Kravitz this week. His story drew some lively debate and then there was this comment from an e-mailer called Smitty2:
“Question — What do you get when you combine big slow white guys and the “I” formation?
“Answer — Big 10 football and Notre Dame.”
Saturday, Ohio State will try to remove itself from a week as the butt of football jokes and reposition itself for the season.
The Bucks will do so with a healthy dose of Terrelle Pryor, the stand-out freshman quarterback who handled himself pretty well last Saturday night in the Coliseum.
He may well be the answer at quarterback, but I hate to see come at the expense of St. Henry’s Todd Boeckman. There’s not a finer, more loyal player on the Bucks’ roster. There is no one I like better on the team and I’ve known him for just about a decade.
Granted whoever is at quarterback Saturday afternoon, the Bucks should be able to push aside Troy without too much of a sweat.
But in a season when you’ve already played 1-AA Youngstown State and Ohio University, what does another game like this do for you? Two in one season is plenty. Three is a joke. It’s starting to look like the Dayton Flyers non-conference basketball schedule.
Sure there are some real challenges ahead for OSU. The Bucks at Wisconsin Oct. 4 and hosting Penn State in the Horseshoe three weeks later.
And if OSU handles those challenges — which I think they will — they may even been in another post-season BCS game.
Then they better hope they avoid the SEC.
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Comments
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September 24, 2008 11:14 PM | Link to this
I wanted to research this subject and write a paper. Your post what a thousand words would not. Nice job.
By Dave
September 22, 2008 12:03 PM | Link to this
Lee, if they recruit talent, why do they lose games like USC? Is it coaching? I am not sniping, I am honestly curious.
By Lee
September 20, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this
Ohio State is one of the most talented teams in the nation. Why…..because they recruit talent!!! They are always at the top, or near it in recruiting. OSU would have beaten USC if Wells would have played and if Pryor would have played the whole game. With regards to non- conference schedules….EVERYONE does it. Those games are like practice sessions. Once in a while a team will get lucky, thus upsets like App. St. @ Michigan last year. Lets face it the Big 10 is a conference that is trying to catch up to all these programs that run more complex offenses. They have been stuck in the past, playing a more traditional style of “power” football. That doesn’t work anymore!! I expect big things in the near future with all of the coaching changes in the Big 10. I can’t wait to see all the Big 10 bashers eat their words. Finally, 0-9 vs. SEC…I don’t care about the past!!! I would love to see OSU get to the Rose bowl and take on any team from the SEC…Bring’em on!!! GO BUCKS!!! O-H-I-O
By amy ray
September 20, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this
In your story you say “But in a season when you’ve already played 1-AA Youngstown State and Ohio University, what does another game like this do for you? Two in one season is plenty. Three is a joke. It’s starting to look like the Dayton Flyers non-conference basketball schedule” Then you respond “So instead of spewing the same old “OSU plays a patsy schedule”, why not take a look at everybody else as well.” Hello Mr Pot, meet Mr. Kettle
By nonfanatic
September 20, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this
Duke how can you even say the SEC is only slightly better than the big 10. Last year not one ranked team was beaten by ANY team in the big 10 until michigan beat florida in a bowl game. Thats the entire season all 11 teams not beating anyone. And most teams play a better noncon than osu look at usc playing osu virginia nebraska and arkansas. They dont just schedule 1 game a year and have 3 1AA teams. get real. Big 10 2 titles in last 40 years. Florida alabama lsu all can beat that as well as oklahoma miami nebraska all with more titles than your entire conference. and dont even dare say thats cuz the big 10 beats themselves up.
By just me
September 20, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this
OSU is built to beat the rest of the B10. Win B10, get the Rose Bowl and hope the title game works itself out. Arch, what is the B10 record in bowl games the last few years? You stated it so you have the numbers.
By truth
September 20, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
Matt, Thats only because they win a couple non-con games they are supposed to loose. They loose those games against Pitt and Louisville last year and their non-con is crap. Doesn’t matter what their non-con SOS is. If they can’t win against A-10 mediocrity, then we will be second to _avier again and again.
By The Duke
September 20, 2008 7:17 AM | Link to this
I’m on a roll…. Using the current Top 25, the SEC has played or will play 4 non-conference ranked teams. The Big Ten? Also 4. People point to Georgia and their tough non-conference schedule. Georgia Tech and Arizona State? Both are unranked. Look, I’m not insinuating that the Big Ten is better than the SEC. I think the SEC is better, but not by much. I’m tired of hearing about the SEC and their “greatness”. 5 teams in the Top 10? Show me one of them that’s had a good win. Auburn beat Miss State 3-2 for crying out loud. Tennessee lost to a UCLA team that got drilled by BYU 59-0. Arkansas has struggled with patsies. The middle and bottom of the SEC is similar to the middle and bottom of the Big Ten. I personally feel the Big 12 is the best conference. Oklahoma, Missour and Texas are legit. Kansas is OK, though the loss to South Florida hurts. In conclusion, stop using the cliched stats and verbiage and come up with some original thoughts. Saying the Big Ten plays patsies is stupid. Everybody does. Ohio State is 0-9 against SEC teams? I could care less about what happened 15 years ago. If you’re using numbers/stats from yesteryear, then OSU has a solid record against top teams.
By The Duke
September 20, 2008 7:06 AM | Link to this
In addition, name one other elite program that plays other non-conference elites like OSU does. OSU has played Texas (twice) and USC (this year and next) along with Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Tennessee down the road. That’s solid. No other NCAA team plays a non-conference schedule like that. Seriously, take a look at other elite program’s schedules. They, too, are filled with mediocrity. Most play at least one Div 1-AA team.(I refuse to use the new monicker.) Most play a patsy from a smaller conference. Ohio U isn’t a very good team, but the MAC usually gets 2-3 teams in bowls. That’s not great, but it’s not bad. So instead of spewing the same old “OSU plays a patsy schedule”, why not take a look at everybody else as well.
By sam
September 20, 2008 12:54 AM | Link to this
another interesting number. TROY is ranked above 3 SEC teams.
By sam
September 20, 2008 12:44 AM | Link to this
Big ten vs SEC last 2 years in BCS 3:3 Big ten vs b12 this year 1:1 Big ten vs P10 1:3 Big ten vs East 2:0 Big ten vs ACC 1:0 Purdue a mid level big ten team took Oregon to overtime, oregon being the number 2 team in the pac 10. The Big ten should not be looked at only considering Ohio state (as disgusting as they have played). According to these numbers how can you say what you are saying?
By The Duke
September 19, 2008 8:11 PM | Link to this
Stop talking about OSU’s schedule. Take a look at LSU’s. Take a look at Florida’s. Take a look at any SEC team’s schedule. LSU’s top non-conference tilt is against Troy.
By Phil
September 19, 2008 7:24 PM | Link to this
You couldn’t have said it better. The Big Ten is crappy. OSU’s been overrated for several years too many. I appreciate the comment about UD’s poor scheduling as well. It appears that Wright State has a better nonconference schedule this year. Enough with excuses, the Big Ten needs to play better teams and get better itself. UD needs better scheduling as well, hopefully with Ted Kissell’s stupid self leaving things will turn around.
By Matt
September 19, 2008 7:14 PM | Link to this
Yep, UD keeps scheduling all of those patsies. That’s why their non conference SOS has been ranked 28, 26, 164, 43, 144, 23, 112, 68 and 109 since 2000. (336 Div I teams btw.)