What kind of recruiting rankings have they had? I suspect right around what Iowa's has been. Maybe even better most yrs recently. They just don't have an identity or stability. Maybe Rhule can start that but that's what they are trying to do is start it. That takes awhile. It took KF 3 yrs to get to respectability. Hardly anyone rebuilding gets that these days. Next yr will be interesting for Rhule. What if they don't get to a bowl again?.... Fans won't like it but how will the powers that be take it
For some entertainment...
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NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
With the West going the way of the Dodo, schools like Nebbie (if Rhule is what he seems to be), Minny, NW, and even Iowa and Wisky are probably going to be quite marginal in the new Big 10. We still have the Big 2, plus I think we are adding 3 teams (Washington, Oregon, and USC) that are on par with Penn State, and 1 team (UCLA) on par with Iowa/Wisky. I don't see how middle of th pack teams like Iowa are going to be relevant moving forward.
While we all made fun of the West, it at least provided a group of slightly above average teams something to strive for: win a division title and earn the right to get waxed in Indy.
The conference is going to regret not going to pods or smaller divisions similar to the NFL. Division titles in the NFL are goals and things teams can crow about. All that is left in the Big 10 moving forward is playing for pigs and axes and watching to see which two of the Big 6 make it to Indy. Boo.
While we all made fun of the West, it at least provided a group of slightly above average teams something to strive for: win a division title and earn the right to get waxed in Indy.
The conference is going to regret not going to pods or smaller divisions similar to the NFL. Division titles in the NFL are goals and things teams can crow about. All that is left in the Big 10 moving forward is playing for pigs and axes and watching to see which two of the Big 6 make it to Indy. Boo.
I suspect as time goes on they'll go back to divisions of some sort... LIke you've said this way of doing it will just leave way too many schools in the dust of irrelevancy. Everything is going to be about making the final 12 for the playoffs and that's it. Only the same top 4 schools or so will be fighting for the conference every yr (and that's stretching it) I'm not sure how long but as realignment settles down and the dust settles from all that they'll adjust things and have some sort of divisional breakdown too.
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
So true. Divisions of some kind would have been completely easy. Dumb BT.
eyekwah
Well-Known Member
I consider the Iowa vs Michigan on Saturday as the final game of the historic Big Ten Conference. The two teams represent the universities with over 100 years of membership. When Phil Knight University and USC meet in the Big Ten Football Championship game that signals the end of the Historic Big Ten.
I don't know the long term plans for this amalgamation conference, but I don't feel Iowa belongs in it. I don't think long term members like Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin do either. In this new order, with the chaos caused by NIL and liberal transfer rules I see fan interest diluting and financial support waning. In the beginning the four west coast schools may face some obstacles, but history tells us that it won't be forever.
Beyond football there are other sports that suffer similar fates. Men's and women's basketball are going to be struggles for the teams I mentioned.
Arguing over pods or divisions at this point is useless. The conference and television do not want any more Iowa vs Michigan match ups. What the TV networks want is a 32 team FBS system with two conferences with two 8 teams divisions. If and when the TV dollars dry up in 7 years look for the Big Ten to drop back to 16 members. Investing resources in facilities to compete is perilous.
Sorry I'm pessimistic, but Iowa's demographics make it an uphill struggle to compete with states with much greater populations.
I don't know the long term plans for this amalgamation conference, but I don't feel Iowa belongs in it. I don't think long term members like Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin do either. In this new order, with the chaos caused by NIL and liberal transfer rules I see fan interest diluting and financial support waning. In the beginning the four west coast schools may face some obstacles, but history tells us that it won't be forever.
Beyond football there are other sports that suffer similar fates. Men's and women's basketball are going to be struggles for the teams I mentioned.
Arguing over pods or divisions at this point is useless. The conference and television do not want any more Iowa vs Michigan match ups. What the TV networks want is a 32 team FBS system with two conferences with two 8 teams divisions. If and when the TV dollars dry up in 7 years look for the Big Ten to drop back to 16 members. Investing resources in facilities to compete is perilous.
Sorry I'm pessimistic, but Iowa's demographics make it an uphill struggle to compete with states with much greater populations.
I assume you mean in the context of for a championship game matchup on that and yeah they wouldn't but they never will either. As it's setup now going forward it'll just always be a top 4 fight between OSU, Michigan, PSU, with either a USC or OR or WA most likely battling it out for that 4th occasional team in the mix for it. The Wisconsins and Iowas are the next tier but it'll be an all uphill climb and we may never see them finish in the top 2.
That's why the goalposts are moving as far as goals go. KF has always had winning the West as his #1 goal pretty much but now it'll be shifting to getting into the final 12 to make the playoffs. Winning the division will be a pipe dream pretty much.
You're right about the demographics factoring and they always have. But they've overcame that to a large degree for quite awhile. Iowa for yrs now under KF has out performed their recruiting rankings many times over. The greater X factor to me is for whenever he retires. If they were to say hire a Lavar Woods to replace him and keep the staff mostly together (with a competent OC) that would go a long ways to keeping the culture intact and the train on the tracks. If Goetz goes outside the internal family though all bets are off. Who knows what'll happen but I'd expect a step back. Most possibly a significant one initially. Iowa is a great job but it's not an easy one.
I think the B1G stays, but OSU, UM, Oregon & USC leave to join the super Conf of 12-16 super NIL schools.
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
That would be ok with me
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Ya know, if Michigan and OSU left the conference to join a super conference, and what is left behind remains intact as the Big 10, it might not be the worst thing. Perhaps we go back to a 12 team league that plays at a high level, but plays for bowl games and not Natties. It is already a very weird sport in that the ultimate achievement in the sport is really only available to about the Top 5 % of the participants. Returning to a footing where you are competing against 10 or so schools to go to the Rose Bowl, and without having to compete with OSU and Michigan, would not make me cry.
Regards,
Nastalgic Old Dude
Regards,
Nastalgic Old Dude
I'm mixed on it. It would make for more entertaining seasons, but I fear the AD dept $$ would drop significantly without the big dogs. There's so much benefit to the smaller athletic programs at IA due to all the B1G $ coming in every year.
