Wetzel: Delany, Big Ten not thinking big

[silvanthalas]

Delany, Big Ten not thinking big - College Football - Rivals.com

As usual, Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports makes a lot of great points.

"Slive listened to his coaches, who want to win it all. Delany didn’t."

Ouch.

 

[grandmahawk]

Wetzel makes a compelling argument, but he ignores the possibility that, by making these "tough" changes to the structure of the Big Ten, Delany might eventually -- though certainly not immediately -- improve the national perception of the Big Ten to the point that a 1-loss Big Ten team does, in fact, get consideration for the national championship game (as 1-loss SEC teams currently do).

To be sure, the fact that a member of the national media ignores or discounts this possibility makes that very possibility even slimmer (for the media ultimately controls all of this, anyway); but Delany's move might ultimately pay off. Think of the alternative: make the Big Ten easier, more top-heavy, and pundits continue to argue that "running the gauntlet" in the SEC is infinitely harder than doing so in the Big Ten.

 

[olivecourt]

I like Wetzel, but this article is really, really silly. The Big Ten and the SEC are set up exactly the same way in terms of a conference title game, etc. Wetzel makes it sound like a 1-loss team will never, ever get into the national title game, but they way this season has played out both Michigan State and Wisconsin would definitely be in the mix if they hadn't dropped a second game. As it stands, the Big Ten title game winner will probably finish in the top 5 before the bowls. And let's not crown LSU and Bama just yet. I'll admit things look good at the moment, the way this year has played out I wouldn't be shocked to see something weird happen.

I also like the claim that the Big 12 tried out a championship game and wanted no part in it. Um, no. Their conference imploded, which meant that NCAA rules prohibited them from staging a title game. If they ever get back to 12 teams they'll reintroduce it in a heartbeat.

 

[ssckelley]

Interesting read but Delaney is strengthening the conference by attracting more money to it. A nine game conference schedule will pay off more than 8 with the rest being cupcakes, a conference championship game will pay off handsomely. He has already built a TV empire now he needs to keep feeding it. The coaches might balk at the tougher games and the additional challenges the Big Ten faces but the AD's and the Presidents will love cashing the paychecks.

 

[treychase]

I find it pathetic as usual by the media to write this kind of "piece".
How 'bout someone tell the whole story.
That story is quite simple...the SEC has had the most success because many of its programs(Bama & LSU for sure) sign the most players, hold "try outs", cut players & send many more to juco.
The SEC is playing a game of poker with 6 cards and the B1G is playing with 5.
Saban signs as many players in 4 yrs as Iowa signs in 5 or 6. Les Miles same.

 

[eyekwah]

I find it pathetic as usual by the media to write this kind of "piece".
How 'bout someone tell the whole story.
That story is quite simple...the SEC has had the most success because many of its programs(Bama & LSU for sure) sign the most players, hold "try outs", cut players & send many more to juco.
The SEC is playing a game of poker with 6 cards and the B1G is playing with 5.
Saban signs as many players in 4 yrs as Iowa signs in 5 or 6. Les Miles same.

Great Post!

Wetzel's fallacy is believing the BCS will be around after 2014. I believe it will be history. It is my assessment that the ACC, PAC 12, and Big Ten will not be part of the BCS. These conferences are closer philosophically to each other than the other conferences making up the BCS.

Look at the various conferences and the norm is that AAU institutions don't do well when they are in a minority within the conference, i.e. ISU, Kansas are two of the remaining three Big 12 members that are AAU members. In the SEC Vanderbilt experiences little football success, even Florida complains about the SEC practices of other members. Missouri and A&M are going to be challenged after moving to the SEC.

 

[PJHawk]

I find it pathetic as usual by the media to write this kind of "piece".
How 'bout someone tell the whole story.
That story is quite simple...the SEC has had the most success because many of its programs(Bama & LSU for sure) sign the most players, hold "try outs", cut players & send many more to juco.
The SEC is playing a game of poker with 6 cards and the B1G is playing with 5.
Saban signs as many players in 4 yrs as Iowa signs in 5 or 6. Les Miles same.

All valid points you make but you left out the most important factor - demographics. Only a fraction of the top 150 recruits every year come from the Big Ten footprint and thus the SEC has a huge advantage in having a better talent pool to draw from.

 

[jameskalina]

Evidently Wetzel can't count. In his article he said currently there are 7 teams in the Big Ten that are strong but he lists only 6; Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Nebraska.

If he meant 7 teams I would think Iowa is the 7th team.

 

[NCHawker]

The +1 does nothing to enhance the quality of football / talent in the Big Ten.

 

[ICHawk24]

He criticizes the Big Ten for not attempting to win it all, but wanted them to add Rutgers, Missouri, UConn and Syracuse?

Every article Wetzel rights is a shill for his playoff dream. So read it through that lens.

 

[BSpringsteen]

I think the article was great.

Furthermore, I think Delaney is a genius.

This isn't about a national championship. We are in a tradition laced league. The Rose Bowl means A TON to a Big 10 team. Does the Sugar Bowl mean that to an SEC team, or the Orange Bowl to a Big 12 team? No. The Rose Bowl is the dream to the Big 10.

So if you are the commish, you strengthen your bond with your signature bowl game as the end all be all. You make your conference games so meaningful because of it. And you dismantle the rest of the ******** that is the BCS and get way more money for the rest of your conference.

Anyone who sees this as anything but incredible genius by Delaney and great for all Big 10 athletic programs, isn't understanding of the process.

 

[Clark]

Wetzel is notorious for being anti-BCS. You can tell it in every single one of his articles. Take this for example, he rails against Delaney because Delaney is one of the power players holding up the system he despises.

It's hacks like him that are ruining journalism in this country.

 

[BSpringsteen]

If I am Delaney the next thing I do is make legit bowl tie ins for each place in the conference. No more jumping.

The Big 10 can exist very lucratively on a figurative island in college football and write it's own check.

 

[HawkForce]

If I am Delaney the next thing I do is make legit bowl tie ins for each place in the conference. No more jumping. The Big 10 can exist very lucratively on a figurative island in college football and write it's own check.

This....im beginning to.like the idea of big ten pac 12 and ACC tellin everyone to take a hike

 

[BSpringsteen]

Exactly.

What is stopping the Big 10 from going out and saying to the Big 12 - let's guarantee that both of our 4th plae teams play eachother? Hey ACC - let's have a 3 vs. 3 matchup?

Throw the B1G **** around and then you're making more money for your schools in bowl games that are currently completely meaningless.

 

[DwayneTwill]

Wetzel is a hack piece of crap. This is typical for him.

 

[VenturaAce]

I really enjoy watching SEC football, they're in a league of their own. A league with its own rules: pay for play, lack of academic standards, offering 30 scholarships to players when they only have 18-20 available, a league that at one point had more programs under NCAA sanctions than ones without. They certainly don't shy away from the criticism nor should they considering the amount of $ on the line. They have great head coaches with NFL talent and beat each other up every Saturday, but they cheat out their ears with reckless abandon while Tressel gets run off...for players that sell rings for tattoos!

...it's only a matter of time before the SEC's dirty laundry comes back to haunt them and we are all stuck watching inferior college FB again.

 

[silvanthalas]

It's hacks like him that are ruining journalism in this country.

Wetzel is a hack piece of crap. This is typical for him.

So was he a hack with the OSU stuff? The Miami stuff? The PSU stuff?

I find it ******* hilarious that, when just about the ONLY sports journalism is being done by Yahoo! Sports, that he must be a 'hack' because you think he's bagging on the Big Ten.

The Big Ten deserves to be ripped. And the BCS is a steaming pile of **** that should be replaced by a playoff.

The Big Ten is falling behind, and it appears to be at a higher pace than the likes of the Big 12 or Pac-10. Considering the geographic, populations, etc, Wetzel is spot on: the Big Ten will have the most money... but it won't have the championships.

 

[BSpringsteen]

You can say the B1G is falling behind. I am telling you that while the SEC goes on to win mythical championships that are decided by computer, the Big 10 will be laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[JHHawk]

No sell. Wetzel desperately wants an NFL-lite,and has not feel for what college football is all about. He is like a lot of big city sportswriters who only think of college football in relation to what they grew up on..the NFL.
He is a complete hack,who is just totally wrong on the whole sport.
But hey,all he cares about is selling books anyway.