<p>“'Furd having to travel cross country is kinda silly.”</p>
<p>Well, name me the last time a top B10 team got to play a bowl game in it’s own backyard. I’m just saying…</p>
<p>Not a good day for the Big Ten</p>
<p>^^^Especially the two representatives from Michigan. Both teams were pathetic!</p>
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<p>Nah, no need to borrow a line from the Heart of Darkness. The ranking system that allows teams to waltz through a non-competitive schedule of weak opponents is the reason you can have average teams ranked that high. It is what it is, but the debate about having undefeated Boise State and TCU “earning” a spot in the National will not end until the strength of schedules means something. That or a playoff system that introduces wildcard teams from those lower conferences. The current system just stinks. </p>
<p>Rjkofnovi, wasn’t the 2009-2010 Fiesta Bowl also exciting? Ot this year’s MDA Bowl in Las Vegas?</p>
<p>Xig, at least this TCU team earned its Rose Bowl trip by its play on the field…versus getting an invite over another deserving team by a coach’s whining… :-/</p>
<p>Once again, it’s down to the Buckeyes to carry the conference flag!!! Hopefully, the NCAA violation incident will not affect TOSU players’ performance on the field in the Sugar Bowl. Fingers Crossed!! Go Bucks!!! lol~</p>
<p>P.S. Extremely impressed with Hawkeyes’ huge upset over Mizzou and Illini’s win over Baylor!! Feeling horrible for Nittany Lion’s last minute lost (final drive at 30 yard line resulted in interception and went the other way…) to the Gators, and the 39-yards missed field goal for the Badgers which would have changed the complexity (as well as the outcome) of the game.</p>
<p>Computers account for strength of schedule.</p>
<p>xiggi, you shouldn’t be too comfortable with Michigan’s loss. There is a good chance we will be gunning for Jim Harbaugh. He’d be crazy to take the job because of the ridiculoyus expectations of Michigan fans, but then again, Wolverines aren’t known for their sanity!</p>
<p>Is Hairball really the Savior of Meeeechigan football?</p>
<p>At least Sconsin could beat Whoconn!</p>
<p>UCB, it doesn’t take much to win at Michigan. The program will always have talent. All it takes to win is a respect for Michigan tradition and an understanding Big 10 football. Rich Rod has ignored both and refuses to adapt. There are four clear signs of this:</p>
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<li><p>He committed the first cardinal sin the moment he arrived on campus; he broke up the Michigan family. He lost the respect of the university and the state and abandoned one of Michigan’s defining features. </p></li>
<li><p>His insistance on adhering to a one-dimenssional offense in a conference which prides itself on Defense. Yes, Denard is awesome. I would love to see him play in an offense that has a reliable, 25-carries-per-game, 5-yards-per-carry bruising back at his side. But Rich Rod has not recruited such a RB, and without it, a team cannot consistantly win in the Big 10. Virtually every Big 10 team has a solid DL and NFL-worthy LBs. A single threat in the Backfiled will not be effective…or stay healthy for long.</p></li>
<li><p>His installing a 3-3-5 defense in a rush-happy, “big ugly”, wet/snowy conference. That may work in some conferences, but in the Big 10, the 1,600 LBS of OL pushing hard for a 230 LBS bruising RB with the constant threat of a NFL-style drop-back passer in the background calls for a 4-3-4 or 3-4-4 defense. The 3-3-5 simply soes not work and Rich Rod will NEVER give it up.</p></li>
<li><p>He does not understand the rivalry between Michigan and OSU or even MSU. A head coach at a storied program must respect the rivalries. Alabama’s head coach will make Auburn his priority. Texas’ head coach will make Oklahome his priority. OSU’s head coach will make Michigan his priority. Rich Rod does not get that. </p></li>
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<p>The problems with Michigan are easily fixed. The right coach will need just 2 seasons to bring Michigan back to its pre-2008 days. Of course, Harbaugh is mere speculation. I am sure the Athletics Director at Michigan has a list of good coaches and Harbaugh may or may not be at the top of that list. We will know soon enough.</p>
<p>Is the goal just to win the Big Ten? Only to be embarrassed in postseason bowl games?</p>
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I’m not sure if I applied to UMich but do know at the least that I never will.
Wiconsin is a good school.</p>
<p>Alexandre, totally agree eith you. No way RichRod stays. **** poor.
Better hope JH or someone similar comes in. </p>
<p>It’ll take a miracle to beat my Irish next year though! :)</p>
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<p>Alexandre, I am not sure I understand the “comfortable” reference for Michigan. If that was not clear, my earlier comments were mostly about how extremely overrated the Big 10 had been all year. A supposition that has been amply confirmed by the poor performance of the Big 10 teams when facing above mere average opponents. Fwiw, the fact that teams such as Michigan State and Wisconsin came close to undefeated seasons speak volumes about the quality of the Big 10 in general. This year brought a lot of forced humility in Austin; quite of bit should travel in a northern direction! </p>
<p>As far as Michigan, I do hope that the program lands a great coach. For many, Jim Harbaugh seems to fit the bill, especially given his history in Michigan. One could also safely assume that Harbaugh would have great difficulties to reproduce his success at the Farm for more than one season. To maintain the current standards, Harbaugh would need to develop divine qualities in recruiting. </p>
<p>With the game of musical chairs coaches play, everything is possible.</p>
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It’s a university that I regard higher than UWisconsin. lolz</p>
<p>"I’m not sure if I applied to UMich but do know at the least that I never will.</p>
<p>I am shaking my head in amazement. There is nothing more I can say.</p>
<p>Winning the Big 10 is the main priority. Winning a major Bowl game is also important. Michigan has done ok in Bowl games between 1990-2008. We won the Rose Bowl twice, the Orange Bowl, the Cirtrus/Capital One Bowl 3 times, the Gator Bowl a couple of times etc…In 18 years, Michigan went 10-8 in Bowl games, and most of those 10 wins were in major Bowl games against decent programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida and Washington.</p>
<p>The Badgers played FAR from their best game and were still in it until a great play stopped what was a wide open 2 point conversion. Our coaches were a bit out of it messing up in clock mgt at the end of the first half and having to kick a field goal. Earlier we miss one when we had 4th and short and were running through them easily. Another 7 points missed. Our WR’s had an unusual case of nerves/dropped passes that we have not seen most of the year. Just an all-around C effort when a B would have won it. Still losing by 2 points to a higher rated team is not the end of the world. Coach will work on his clock mgt skills. OC will not sit his best RB most of the game until it’s too little too late even if he was not up to par physically most of the year because he gained too much weight in the off season after surgery. He was 100% Saturday but played too little because the other guys played well down the stretch. Just a weird out of sync game that we seemed not quite ready to play for whatever reasons. College kids are hard to predict and don’t always play well when you think they should. TCU had that problem last year and learned from it and played very well. Maybe we get another shot next year.</p>
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Just to refresh your memory:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1064632156-post3163.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1064632156-post3163.html</a>
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