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DDThompson
Guest
How about "More Populated States" and "Less Populated States"?
The West....
- Thread starter HawksMN
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hawkeyes87
Well-Known Member
Are you sure? Mich and OSU already have a loss. If we assume, as you said, that the Big 3 split amongst themselves, that already puts PSU w/ 1 loss and the others w/ 2.
HawkeyeDenis
Well-Known Member
Wisconsin will roll to the West title. It's a race for second place.
HawkeyeWalker
Well-Known Member
Fair point. All I have is we've played likely the best team in the B1G and haven't been badly beaten, at least not on the scoreboard.
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DDThompson
Guest
Even if we assume Big3 split...So who else does PSU lose to?
All the Big10 wants is a competent West.
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DDThompson
Guest
This. I don't know how they would do it though with 7 teams and 3 crossovers.
We know the tier in the East historically: the Big3 with Sparty elbowing its way in (largely due to Michigan's cycle into averageness).
What I do know is that no West team should have 3 of the top 4 East programs on their schedule.
It's unequal to have unbalanced home-away with 9 conference games (divisions should all have same number of home games one season and then alternate) but it's just unfair to have 3/4 of the power teams from the East on the schedule.
As it turns out, we may play 3 out of the top 3 teams in the East.
SpecialKHawk
Well-Known Member
Let's just play who is on the schedule and quit complaining. If we get the three best in the East so be it. Got to beat whoever is on the schedule and we've had opportunities to do so.
no way, gotta drop Goofers and NW off Iowas line at least. NW too many losses. Goofs, two straight bad losses.
HawkeyeDenis
Well-Known Member
Having watched the Neb/Wisconsin game. I would put Nebraska ahead of Iowa if the game were played this Saturday. 1. Nebraska's line looks better. And despite the INT's Lee has thrown, he's a fairly accurate QB with a good arm. Nebraska has a solid running back. Decent defense. Nebraska should be down two games, same as Iowa after this weekend.
I concur about Northwestern, Minnesota.
Minnesota has MSU, MIchigan, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin left on their schedule. I can see them losing all those games. Toss up at NW. Probably win Illinois.
Northwestern has Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan State. All probable losses. With Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois they should win 2 of the 3.
Iowa has Ohio State, Wisconsin. With Nebraska at the end of the regular season. Other than that it's Northwestern, Minnesota, Purdue.
Iowa, NW, and Minnesota all have 2 losses, but NW and Minnesota look to be the underdog in more future contests.
#1 Wisconsin: Easily the favorites. Could probably go to Indy going 7-2 in conference play. More likely 8-1 or 9-0, but they are vulnerable.
#2 Iowa: The losses are still losses, but Penn State might be headed to Indy and Michigan State might play in January.
#3 Purdue: Really close to actually putting them at #2. Amazing turnaround under HC Jeff Brohm.
#4 Northwestern: I believe in their defense which is why I have them in front of Nebraska and Minnesota.
#5 Minnesota: Have issues on OL, but the team definitely plays hard. Led on the road at Purdue with a few minutes left despite being outplayed.
#6 Nebraska: It's not as if they have top 10 talent, but there should be some good players on the roster, just not getting enough out of them.
#7 Illinois: Watch the 1st half against Iowa over again. If Iowa doesn't make mistakes, Hawks end up with a couple more TD's.
#2 Iowa: The losses are still losses, but Penn State might be headed to Indy and Michigan State might play in January.
#3 Purdue: Really close to actually putting them at #2. Amazing turnaround under HC Jeff Brohm.
#4 Northwestern: I believe in their defense which is why I have them in front of Nebraska and Minnesota.
#5 Minnesota: Have issues on OL, but the team definitely plays hard. Led on the road at Purdue with a few minutes left despite being outplayed.
#6 Nebraska: It's not as if they have top 10 talent, but there should be some good players on the roster, just not getting enough out of them.
#7 Illinois: Watch the 1st half against Iowa over again. If Iowa doesn't make mistakes, Hawks end up with a couple more TD's.
homes
Well-Known Member
They just are. I thought that was generally understood.
HawkeyeDenis
Well-Known Member
When Iowa gets their line together, hopefully against Northwestern, then I think they will be better than Nebraska.
I don't think there is that great a separation between Iowa and Nebraska.(right now) Northwestern and Purdue look to be a few steps back. I would expect both Iowa and Nebraska to beat Northwestern and Purdue.
I don't think there is that great a separation between Iowa and Nebraska.(right now) Northwestern and Purdue look to be a few steps back. I would expect both Iowa and Nebraska to beat Northwestern and Purdue.
IndianaHawk
Well-Known Member
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
The answer to the cross-over dilemma is to not count the crossover games towards the division championship. Your intra-divisional record, followed by head-to-head as the tie-breaker should be the criteria.
I wouldn't mind seeing the stipulation that a team that goes undefeated in a division is the automatic champion regardless of overall conference record. If a team goes undefeated in the division, IMO they are clearly the best team.
But outside those circumstances, I'm fine with the current tiebreakers.
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
DiNardo on BTN has maintained that stance all along, i.e, intra-divisional record should be first of the criteria, THEN conference record. I can't say I discount that, but since each team plays all their division opponents, conference record is definitely skewed by cross-division games. But you can't really know until ALL games are played which cross-over teams are "better" wins, save the usual O$U/P$U/M$U/Michigan. Indiana/Maryland/Rutgers will probably never be seen as the "tougher" cross-over games until they prove it with their final records.
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
And from the East Division perspective, it's pretty tough to say, beyond Wisconsin (currently) which of the West cross-over wins would be "best" going into any given season based on recent years. Basically, the West has been either Wisconsin or (in one season) Iowa. Nebraska did win the Legends the year they went to B1G CG, but their opponent (Wisconsin) didn't really "win" the Leaders Division, getting in due to O$U and P$U being on probation.
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
The next game against NW is absolutely critical for Iowa. Marv Levy said that the only "must win" was World War II, but NW feels like a must win to me.
