Big 10 / Pac 10: Listen.

[The Ancient Enemy]

USC is crying so hard that I think California is about to be under a flood watch. The USC fans are very adament that USC is the best team in the country. They do have a good defense, no doubt. But the offense does not play well when given slight resistance, and they already lost to an unranked Oregon State.

Penn State fans as well had been crying foul about Texas Tech jumping them. PSU, like USC, lost to an unranked team. Now, I do think Iowa and Oregon State are underrated nationally, but the fact remains that both PSU and USC should have clobbered those opponents.

There's no chance Penn State plays for a national title unless everyone loses 6 more times, which obviously won't happen. Even had they won tonight, there was still a 90% chance they were going to be left out. Why??? Because the Big Ten is looked down upon this year. Likewise with the Pac-10.

One of the things we keep hearing so much about is that it hurts the Big Ten and Pac-10 that they do not play conference title games. I really think we are seeing a lot of stock put into those games more and more as the seasons pass. Even though I STAUNCHLY feel that if you already beat a team you should not have to play them again, it is time that both of these conferences add more members and play title games.

Big Ten has been chasing ND for a long time, which everyone knows, but as ND has any success at all, there is no reason why ND should want to share revenue with conference members. ND makes enough money on their own, they don't need shared revenue. Its smart business for ND to stay independent. But ND is not doing all that well, and it seems like this Weis experiment is a failed one. Could ND possibly be persuaded to join the B10 in the foreseeable future?

Who else would the Big Ten conceivably acquire? There have been rumors about Iowa State, Syracuse, even Pittsburgh. I'm not opposed to any of those additions, but ISU and Syracuse are both disasters right now and will be for the near future, at least. Pitt still pulls a Pitt at least 2-3 times a season.

As for the Pac-10, they need 2 members to play a conference title game. The obvious choice to me is Boise, who has shown the ability to beat the Pac-10, and they are something like 54 out of their last 55 in the WAC. It's time to move up. That leaves another spot, which I am sure Fresno will want, but it should be BYU or Utah, both of which have shown the ability to compete with the Pac-10 and win.

People are dogging the Pac-10 badly, the Big Ten badly, and even the Big East. It's time to play conference title games.

Another thing is this... When Joe Tiller steps down at the end of this season, 8 of 11 Big Ten coaches will be "new". If Paterno says the hell with it, that'll be 9 of 11. It is important for you B10 haters to realize that we were saying the same stuff about the Big XII a few years ago, and now the Big XII is being classified alongside the SEC... another conference that was dogged at one time.

The ACC right now is also going through growing pains. 7 of 12 teams right now have new coaches. If Bowden retires, that's 9. Frank Beamer said he's not sticking around much longer as well. The longest tenured guy would then be Al Groh at UVA, a situation that is very shaky. Groh hasn't been there all that long to begin with. Friedgen also hasn't been there all that long. But the ACC will get much, much better as these teams find identities. It is a conference wide growing process, that the ACC and Big Ten are now involved in.

4 of 10 teams in the Pac-10 have new coaches. If Stoops gets fired in Tucson as expected, that's 5. Willingham, next season, is 6. Rumors about Tedford's job being on the line at Cal, as well.

The bottomline is this: add a few more teams, pray someone in the other division will go undefeated, and play a title game.

For the Big Ten, if they decide to add one more, they'll look to add a team which brings a nice market increase. I really believe that team will be Syracuse. For the Pac-10, 2 spots open, one will go to Fresno State. The other... who knows. You would think Boise, but if Whittingham stays at Utah and doesn't take a bigger job (which is expected) then I think you have to pick between the two. UNLV could also be a play here.

And for anyone asking who would fill-in the open WAC spot, it'll be North Texas. UNT has long been on the WAC wish-list, the hold up was basketball, and now UNT's basketball program is "decent". They'll be in the WAC soon.

[The Ancient Enemy]

Well, I'm bored and disgusted and don't wanna go to bed, mainly because I know when I wake up I am gonna have at least 3 "told ya so" emails from Tech waiting from me from the people who read that paper. So, here we go, for giggles:

BIG TEN and state therein
============================
Penn State = Pennsylvania
Ohio State = Ohio
Michigan = Michigan
Michigan State = Michigan
Indiana = Indiana
Purdue = Indiana
Wisconsin = Wisconsin
Illinois = Illinois
Iowa = Iowa
Northwestern = Illinois
Minnesota = Minnesota

Let's say they add Syracuse or Pitt, because I dont think Iowa State has enough clout. Let's also say that they want Michigan and Ohio State to be the big shot in each division.

EAST:
=============
Ohio State
Penn State
Indiana
Purdue
Pitt / Syracuse
Illinois

WEST:
=============
Michigan
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Minnesota
Michigan State
Iowa

West seems a little stronger by 2008 standards, but that'll change yearly.

[Crimson09Crazy]

Ill stop supporting Pitt if we join that sorry excuse of a confrence

[The Ancient Enemy]

So you'd rather stay in the Big East where there's less bowl tie-ins and less shared revenue? The Big East is also really looked down upon by the other BCS conferences, thanks in large part to perennial disappointments like USF. Remember: Big East coaches leave the BE for other BCS jobs, making the BE an unofficial stepping stone. Pitt would be a great fit in the Big Ten, and great for the state of Pennsylvania. An East division would guarantee a home game with Penn State (and Ohio State) in at least every other year. It would also guarantee visits from Michigan on occasion. Those are bigtime games for recruits to visit, Crimson. As the Big Ten goes through this transition, the conference will get much stronger. It would be a smart move for Pitt.

[abpk2903]

It would be a better move for Pitt/Syracuse in football only. Basketball is set in the big east. I have been saying for years that big east basketball has became better than the ACC. The ACC is a more top loaded conference but almost every team in the Big East in basketball (maybe not USF) has had recent success.

Now would the benefit for football for these two schools out weigh the loss for basketball?

Pitt/Syracuse would be in a division with Penn State (awful), Ohio State (very up and down), Indiana (not what they used to be), Purdue (best team in conference right now), and Illinois (very bad last year). I do not see Pitt/Syracuse wanting to make their basketball programs which have been very good over the years the sacrificial lamb for their football program. Also, remember most of the recruits these two schools get for basketball are out of NYC. If they go to a mid-west conference they can kiss that recruiting hot bed goodbye.

[deliverance]

It's good to see TAE didn't drown in his tears from this weekend. I want have to call out a search for you. I must say. I TOLD YOU SO.

[El-Moldo]

I see where Illinois lost to Northwestern today, giving then a record of 5-7, eliminating them from bowl contention. At the same time, today was the last time the winner of this rivalry was awarded the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk, a framed tomahawk which has been given to the winner of this game since 1947. The schools stopped awarding this "trophy" in order not to offend Native American Indians in this country. Next year they will play for the framed Silver Phillips Head Screwdriver. Now, only guys named Phillip with funny shaped heads will be offended.

[southpaw]

Funny TAE, we had the same discussion on the way home from the Penn State game last night. Our assessment centered on ND making the move. ND has lost a lot of clout and prestige over the last 10 years. I might be wrong but I don't see NBC paying big bucks for the next TV contract. Geographically they fit and would make a nice fit to the conference. Syracuse? I don't buy that one but Pitt on the other hand would also be a good fit. If Pitt has the opportunity they better take it!

[The Ancient Enemy]

Neither team will move because of basketball. They'll get some jerkwad team and we will never hear the end of it.

[deliverance]

A TAE sighting on a College Sports thread. I thought maybe you gave this site up, TAE.