Big Ten is now 13-11 against the SEC

[PJHawk]

Nice read on the Big Ten bowls this year:

"In fact, the Big Ten does just fine year after year—in the early New Year's Day bowls that no one remembers. (It's the big games that have been the embarrassments.) Over the past dozen seasons, the Big Ten is now 13-11 against the SEC in the Outback and Capital One bowls....

The Big Ten's year-by-year performance against the SEC in the Outback and Capital One games, which typically match the conferences' third- and fourth-best teams (the top two often wind up in the Bowl Championship Series) suggests the depth and quality of play across the Midwest is equal to the sport's most-feared conference. If not better. The problem has been the lack of powerhouse teams at the top."


Ohio State's Rose-Colored Redemption - WSJ.com

 

[gonzomonsoon]

I wish more people in SEC country (where I now live) would read and know this stat. All they can talk about is how the SEC is the best thing since sliced bread. It gets so old. I can remember talking last year about the Iowa vs. S. Carolina game and how Iowa could not keep up with the speed of Carolina. I walked back into work the next day and said one word, "Scoreboard."

 

[GhostofBTT]

No one remembers the Outback Bowl because no one cares about the Outback bowl. For th elife of me I can't remember the matchup in any Outback Bowl except for those we have played in.

However, the Big 10 beating the SEC in these games means nothing. When you want to be the best, you beat the best, not the3rd and 4th best.

 

[PJHawk]

"However, the Big 10 beating the SEC in these games means nothing."

I couldn't disagree with you more. As was posted above, in spite of the drumbeat of national sentiment that "the SEC is the best thing since sliced bread" for the Big Ten to consistently have success in bowl matchups with the SEC does "mean something".

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

However, the Big 10 beating the SEC in these games means nothing. When you want to be the best, you beat the best, not the3rd and 4th best.

Yeah it does mean something, when people talk about how good the SEC is they always refer to the depth of the conference, and how many good teams there are in it. So having the third and fourth best Big Ten teams beat the third and fourth best SEC teams definitely helps the national perception of the Big Ten conference.

 

[GhostofBTT]

"However, the Big 10 beating the SEC in these games means nothing."

I couldn't disagree with you more. As was posted above, in spite of the drumbeat of national sentiment that "the SEC is the best thing since sliced bread" for the Big Ten to consistently have success in bowl matchups with the SEC does "mean something".

Your original post said it all in the final sentence. The problem is lack of talent at the top. If your top teams can't compete with the best, you don't get credit for your 3rd and 4th place teams being better than their 3rd and 4th place teams.

Do you not see how incredibly lame that is?

 

[racerhawk]

No one remembers the Outback Bowl because no one cares about the Outback bowl. For th elife of me I can't remember the matchup in any Outback Bowl except for those we have played in.

However, the Big 10 beating the SEC in these games means nothing. When you want to be the best, you beat the best, not the3rd and 4th best.

I dunno. To me, having our 2nd, 3rd, or 4th best team match up with, and beat, their SEC equivalents is a fairly specific measure of the overall strength and balance of both conferences.

I think that having a winning record vs. the SEC in these two consistent bowl games is quite significant.

If you'd listen to many, you'd think that the SEC nearly always beats the b10. That's just not true.

 

[racerhawk]

Your original post said it all in the final sentence. The problem is lack of talent at the top. If your top teams can't compete with the best, you don't get credit for your 3rd and 4th place teams being better than their 3rd and 4th place teams.

Do you not see how incredibly lame that is?

OSU has talent. They just haven't finished it off at times. They had Texas last year in a BCS game, but lost. They had USC this year, and lost. OSU finally won. They have plenty of talent.

 

[ThunderHawk]

OSU has talent. They just haven't finished it off at times. They had Texas last year in a BCS game, but lost. They had USC this year, and lost. OSU finally won. They have plenty of talent.

Yes they do. And we almost beat them with our backup QB in their house.

 

[PJHawk]

...you don't get credit for your 3rd and 4th place teams being better than their 3rd and 4th place teams.

Do you not see how incredibly lame that is?

You're confused, as I definitely see how lame your contention is.

 

[WayzataHawkeye]

I think it is hard to argue that the SEC is not the strongest conference over the past 10 years. What offends me is that based on our lack of success in playing USC in their home city many have concluded we are on par with the ACC or Big East. I think we are the 2nd or 3rd best conference over the past 10 years.

 

[gonzomonsoon]

I would have to agree that we are the 2nd or 3rd best conference overall in college football. And yes, OSU lack of wins to USC has made our conference look bad. I think the tides may be turning after this year.

 

[RLeahey14]

The only way to settle this would be to have a Big Ten/SEC challenge...

 

[Shivetts]

I think it is hard to argue that the SEC is not the strongest conference over the past 10 years. What offends me is that based on our lack of success in playing USC in their home city many have concluded we are on par with the ACC or Big East. I think we are the 2nd or 3rd best conference over the past 10 years.

So if we play USC on another field, we only lose by 20 instead of 30?

USC roughed up the Big Ten because they were much better. Didn't matter where they played.

 

[Southernhawk]

Ssshhh!!!! The pundits don't want to hear that!!!

 

[GhostofBTT]

I have clearly been harder on the Big 10 than anyone else, but now that we won last night, I think we can put the hate to rest for a little while. When your top 4 teams all finish strong, win impresive bowls, and have 10+ wins, you have a leg to stand on.

If Alabama wins tomorrow, the SEC can still call themselves the best conference, but if Texas wins big, I think the Big 10 may have a legitimite shot of saying they were the best this season.