JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
We'll lead off with Marc Morehouse's item related to Adam Robinson's transfer, a Dan Heiar update as well as a comment from Kirk Ferentz related to the academic status of Rodney Coe. Morehouse says Coe needs to improve an SAT score in order to be eligible next year, and Ferentz said there's still plenty of time for that to happen...
The Big Ten is holding its annual spring meetings and there are a lot of topics on the table..
Tie-Breakers are being discussed, as they should be. Last year, three Big Ten teams were 11-1 and Wisconsin got the league's automatic bid because they had the highest BCS ranking. They beat Ohio State, Michigan State beat Wisconsin early in the year and Ohio State did not play Michigan State. I think Wisconsin was the best team and it worked out...but we have seen messy tiebreaker scenarios in say, the Big 12 that had two-divisions, and with two divisions the mess could be bigger. No answers or decisions as of yet, however.
The league is looking at where to play the Big Ten's new football championship game after this season, but no decision has been reached on that topic. This topic has sparked several good debates..some folks think playing the game indoors at a location like Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is a good call for the first week in December. Others would like to see it rotated with an outdoor site like Soldier Field getting a crack at it. The league has narrowed the field to Chicago and Indianapolis. If I had a vote, I'd choose Lucas Oil Stadium or Ford Field...actually, I'd choose Lucas Oil Stadium as the permanent home. Soldier Field's turf usually sucks by that time of year. I'd also prefer to see the two division winners play in a controlled weather environment and not have the elements factor into the game. The SEC has played their title game indoors for more than a decade, at the same Atlanta venue, and that's worked out just fine. The weather is far better in early December in the southeast than it is in the Midwest...I know many of you disagree with me on this one...my bet is they choose Indianapolis for the football game, give Chicago's United Center the Men's basketball tourney for a few years as well as the Women's basketball tourney. Heck, I think Indianapolis is the best location for all of these events...their downtown is made for conventions and events like this.
Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta says a nine-game league football schedule is a work in progress in this item. Nine game league schedules are not ideal...it means half the teams will play five home games and the other half will play four...the next year, that will change so it does even out...but that one extra road game, combined with the 'right' season for a team could have a big impact. From a season ticket buyer's perspective, a four game Big Ten home season is what you have right now, so when you get five league home games, that's not bad...In that year the Iowa-Iowa State game need to be played in Ames, but it would be a home game the year Iowa has just four league home games....
To follow up on this topic, Scott Dochterman of The Gazette writes how the league's traditional revenue sharing model could impact the nine-game regular season decision. If I had to make a prediction now, I think they will go to nine games inside of the next decade...however, the next four or so years will be played with the eight-game schedule...and they might get to the point where they say 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' especially with several league teams hosting eight home games more often than not...it might be tough to get some schools to want to come off that non-conference gate cash...
Mike Hlas of The Gazette is asking his readers to rank the Big Ten football helmets...I will toss Iowa out of the mix due to the bias I have, but damned if that Tigerhawk isn't one of the coolest logos in all of sports. Other than Iowa, I would rank my top three this way: 1. Penn State: I love tradition and the plain look works for me. The two times Iowa played without the Tigerhawk decals, I liked the look but hated the circumstances. 2. Michigan: Their theft of the Princeton winged helmet is the most successful heist since DB Cooper. 3. Nebraska, cuz 'N' stands for Nowledge. Or something like that.
Here is some video of Kirk Ferentz addressing reporters in Chicago from HawkeyeInsider.com
Brendan Stiles of HawkeyeDrive.com also put together a notebook offering from Chicago at this link.
Straight Links
Adam Robinson is transferring from Iowa | HawkeyeNation.com
Tale of the Tape | An interesting comparison between Marcus Coker and Wisconsin RB James White
Iowa to Host Clemson in Hoops | HawkeyeNation.com
UI Looks to Upgrade Kinnick Security | HawkCentral.com
Big Ten Spring Meeting Notebook | ESPN
The Big Ten is holding its annual spring meetings and there are a lot of topics on the table..
Tie-Breakers are being discussed, as they should be. Last year, three Big Ten teams were 11-1 and Wisconsin got the league's automatic bid because they had the highest BCS ranking. They beat Ohio State, Michigan State beat Wisconsin early in the year and Ohio State did not play Michigan State. I think Wisconsin was the best team and it worked out...but we have seen messy tiebreaker scenarios in say, the Big 12 that had two-divisions, and with two divisions the mess could be bigger. No answers or decisions as of yet, however.
The league is looking at where to play the Big Ten's new football championship game after this season, but no decision has been reached on that topic. This topic has sparked several good debates..some folks think playing the game indoors at a location like Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is a good call for the first week in December. Others would like to see it rotated with an outdoor site like Soldier Field getting a crack at it. The league has narrowed the field to Chicago and Indianapolis. If I had a vote, I'd choose Lucas Oil Stadium or Ford Field...actually, I'd choose Lucas Oil Stadium as the permanent home. Soldier Field's turf usually sucks by that time of year. I'd also prefer to see the two division winners play in a controlled weather environment and not have the elements factor into the game. The SEC has played their title game indoors for more than a decade, at the same Atlanta venue, and that's worked out just fine. The weather is far better in early December in the southeast than it is in the Midwest...I know many of you disagree with me on this one...my bet is they choose Indianapolis for the football game, give Chicago's United Center the Men's basketball tourney for a few years as well as the Women's basketball tourney. Heck, I think Indianapolis is the best location for all of these events...their downtown is made for conventions and events like this.
Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta says a nine-game league football schedule is a work in progress in this item. Nine game league schedules are not ideal...it means half the teams will play five home games and the other half will play four...the next year, that will change so it does even out...but that one extra road game, combined with the 'right' season for a team could have a big impact. From a season ticket buyer's perspective, a four game Big Ten home season is what you have right now, so when you get five league home games, that's not bad...In that year the Iowa-Iowa State game need to be played in Ames, but it would be a home game the year Iowa has just four league home games....
To follow up on this topic, Scott Dochterman of The Gazette writes how the league's traditional revenue sharing model could impact the nine-game regular season decision. If I had to make a prediction now, I think they will go to nine games inside of the next decade...however, the next four or so years will be played with the eight-game schedule...and they might get to the point where they say 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' especially with several league teams hosting eight home games more often than not...it might be tough to get some schools to want to come off that non-conference gate cash...
Mike Hlas of The Gazette is asking his readers to rank the Big Ten football helmets...I will toss Iowa out of the mix due to the bias I have, but damned if that Tigerhawk isn't one of the coolest logos in all of sports. Other than Iowa, I would rank my top three this way: 1. Penn State: I love tradition and the plain look works for me. The two times Iowa played without the Tigerhawk decals, I liked the look but hated the circumstances. 2. Michigan: Their theft of the Princeton winged helmet is the most successful heist since DB Cooper. 3. Nebraska, cuz 'N' stands for Nowledge. Or something like that.
Here is some video of Kirk Ferentz addressing reporters in Chicago from HawkeyeInsider.com
Brendan Stiles of HawkeyeDrive.com also put together a notebook offering from Chicago at this link.
Straight Links
Adam Robinson is transferring from Iowa | HawkeyeNation.com
Tale of the Tape | An interesting comparison between Marcus Coker and Wisconsin RB James White
Iowa to Host Clemson in Hoops | HawkeyeNation.com
UI Looks to Upgrade Kinnick Security | HawkCentral.com
Big Ten Spring Meeting Notebook | ESPN
