The "weakness" of the big ten
by JoePaPa on Oct 27, 2008 11:42 AM EDT
18 comments
Now that the majority of the Kool-aid has been consumed, I realize that we should have saved some for the national media...
But it doesn't bother me that we are being bashed because of our weak schedule, down conference. Hell it doesn't even bother me that we might get left out of the BCS title game, just like in 94, an undefeated season makes me feel like a champion. If anything it will help to promote a playoff system, which along with instant replay would further solidify the importance of Joe Paterno to college football.
What really bothers me is the fickle inconsistencies of the media.
We are looked down upon for being the best team in the Big Ten, and a possible BCS champion. At this time last year everyone was more than happy to hand deliver West Virginia an invitation to the BCS game, with their potential opponent being Boston College.
Anyone who considers the ACC or Big East to be in the same tier as the Big Ten should have their head examined, unfortunately for us that is the case for many of the members of the mainstream media.
Thanks for the fanpost! Please do not post any content from a premium site that requires a subscription. Also, if you just want to share a link consider using fanshots instead. Thanks.
0 recs |
18 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
can anyone blame the media
for their amazing ability to predict 2 out of the 5 (current) top 5, and 4 out of the 10 (current) top 10? That’s an amazing 40% success rate, and likely to earn you at least a B+ in the SEC schools. Also, who cares that 30% of their top 10 predictions aren’t even in the top-25 anymore and are combined 12-10 this season.
by The JuggerNitt on Oct 27, 2008 12:02 PM EDT reply actions
Unfortunately the 2 conferences you're going up against this year
Is the media darlings of the Big 12 and the SEC. And to top things off even further, it’s media darling programs Texas and Alabama. If both those teams go undefeated, it’s going to be hard to sway the pollsters away from a Texas-Alabama match up (although let’s be real, who wouldn’t cream themselves over any match up between any 2 of these 3 schools?).
That being said, Penn State’s schedule looks better every week. Texas still has to play @ Texas Tech and @ Kansas, both potential losses, plus a Big 12 title game, which is a potential loss. Alabama, on top of a SEC championship game, still has to play @ LSU and home to Auburn. Penn State has no real threats (except for MSU, but watching them get dismantled by tOSU and you guys beating tOSU, it’s hard to think they will challenge, especially in Happy Valley)
Where the problem lies is strength of schedule. Texas will have played it’s 4th STRAIGHT game against an opponent ranked 11th or better after this weekend. Over rated or not, if they come out of that 4-0 that will be impressive. Hell, 3-1 would be impressive by anyone’s standards. It’s going to be hard to jump them. Alabama on the other hand, has only played 2 top 25 teams, one of them being Clemson, and potentially will be only 1 top 25 team by the end of the year (Georgia). I think Penn State winning at Ohio State is on par with Alabama winning at Georgia. Not a terribly impressive schedule, but an SECCG would give them that boost. While I give the nod to PSU, I’m not sure the media would.
That being said, here’s what Penn State needs to happen to boost it’s SOS. 1. Oregon State and USC both need to continue to win. If Oregon St wins out, they will be 9-3 and headed to the Rose Bowl. Suddenly not such a weak win earlier in the year. And the fact that Oregon State may have handed USC it’s only loss of the year speaks volumes to the Nittany Lions. Regardless of the Pac 10 being down this year, anytime you hand a whooping to a team in the Rose Bowl it says something. 2. Obviously, Ohio State needs to continue to win. Just as the media has a hard on for everything SEC, Big 12, and USC, it absolutely loves tOSU. Even after they played awful against USC, people were still tabbing them for a possible NC game. So a 10-2 tOSU is going to get press, and suddenly your win in Columbus looks fantastic. 3. Pray for a loss. From somewhere. Pray that Texas stumbles this weekend at Texas Tech. Pray that Saban panics in his return to LSU. Pray those damn championship games mess up either UT or Alabama. And keep winning.
Good luck
Oregon State: where play action defense and healthy QBs thrive
the media hard-on
I think Penn State is perhaps the one team in the Big 10 (at least this year) that might be able to get the media hard as well. First off, a PSU-‘Bama matchup would bring back all those “glory days” thoughts. Also, how many times do you think they’d compare/reference JoePa and Bear Bryant leading up to, and during the game? Plus just having JoePa be in the twilight of his career, and Penn State playing some of the best football in quite some time…I just think that those story lines will at least help stave off Big 12-SEC love. With that said, I also think that an undefeated Alabama and/or Texas will still be ahead of PSU, just because of their conferences and schedules, even though Penn State looks to have as good an offense as Texas, and as good or better a defense than Alabama.
by The JuggerNitt on Oct 27, 2008 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions
The Big 12 deserves it this year. Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech are all pretty freaking good teams.
The SEC is extremely overrated this year. Partly that’s a nod to how good they were last year, but it really is amazing how much, say, LSU is clinging around the top 25. Both Auburn and LSU were ranked in the preseason top 10. Auburn wouldn’t be ranked in the top half of college football right now, and LSU shouldn’t be in the Top 25 either.
The idea that Alabama’s SOS is so much better than Penn State’s – especially right now – is just crazy.
by Bleed Blue 'n White on Oct 27, 2008 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
SOS is almost the same...
i think Rivals had them at 76 and PSU at 79 (or vice versa). if you factor in margin of victory, which obviously should be the deciding factor in determining the superiority of two’s team with such similar SOS’s it’s not even close…damn shame the computers don’t put it in
hopes Maybin wipes his ass with some TP
by conquering lion in the 215 on Oct 27, 2008 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions
See the first “In Defense of Statistics” regarding margin of victory and statistical rankings. You don’t want it there. That’s what the human polls are for.
The problem right now is probably the fact that the SEC started out the year so highly rated, and at this point they look pretty average, especially early favorites LSU and Auburn (who look awful). So there’s a fair amount of poll inertia.
It’s probably still possible for Penn State to move ahead of Alabama depending on how things work out. A lot depends on exactly how weak the SEC is, and whether or not our opponents can keep winning. Oregon State winning out would be huge – if they beat Cal and Oregon, they’ll probably land in the Top 25, which might make people rethink Penn State’s “weak” OOC schedule.
by Bleed Blue 'n White on Oct 27, 2008 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Not to be a jerk, but how do we know the Big 12 is good?
Other than the polls which tell us how wonderful the teams are in the Big 12, their strength is relative to each other. There have been two meanfingful (and I use that word loosely) OOC games: Mizzou/Illinois and Oklahoma/TCU. If you look at the victories of the good teams from the Big 12, the games that have buffeted their poll standings have been within the conference.
That being said, I think Texas will run the table and go to the NC as a clear #1. Texas Tech hasn’t played anyone and they’re going to get exposed this weekend.
My money is on Alabama to slip up. Not because the SEC is so tough, but because I believe they aren’t as good as they seem. Other than getting up 31 points early on Georgia (who made a game of it late), what have they done to demonstrate the ability to dominate the conference? LSU, Auburn (records don’t matter in rivalry games), and the winner of Georgia/Florida all have a good chance of beating the Tide.
Spot on
What is going to hurt Penn State the most is the Michigan schools.
1. The other media darling Michigan is awful now.
2. Michigan State, who appeared to be decent, got blown out by Ohio State. If they had at least kept it close, that final game you guys play would have looked better. Them losing by 30+ does nothing for your in-conference SOS.
It is appearing that the Big 12 is taking off with conference supremacy. The SEC is looking no better than the Big 10 or Pac 10 at this point, aside from Alabama and Florida. But even UF lost to Ole Miss at home.
And as for Oregon State, call me a homer but just hear me out: if the pollsters actually looked at a team’s schedule rather than W/L column, I think Penn State would be helped out. We beat USC, and 2 of our 3 loses came against teams who are undefeated (PSU, Utah) and the 3rd loss was the season opener against Stanford on the road. While we did shit the bed against you guys, our team is good, but we don’t have the media’s backing like some other glory schools in the conference. Put basically: if Oregon had our schedule and was 4-3, people would be saying “oh this team could be a force.” Instead they are 5-2 with a combined record of 9-36 for the teams they’ve beat and are in the top 25. If you had done to them what you did to us, people would be saying “my God, Penn State is for REAL”, much like they were saying about Alabama after they beat Clemson (but we all know how the Tigers turned out)
Oregon State: where play action defense and healthy QBs thrive
by The VD Special on Oct 27, 2008 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions
The big thing that will help PSU is if Oregon State beats Cal and Oregon. Oregon’s a ranked team, and Cal is a team with votes. Beat those two, and Oregon State’s ranked – probably in the high teens.
Then the arguments against Penn State’s OOC schedule become retarded – because it will be Penn State who played, and beat, a Top 25 team in OOC play, and Alabama who’s played the patsies (WKU, Tulane, Clemson).
by Bleed Blue 'n White on Oct 27, 2008 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions
If Oregon State does that....
they are Pac 10 champs and go to the Rose Bowl to likely play the Buckeyes. If that does happen our strength of schedule jumps big time and there is no doubt in my mind that we are in the national title game. If you look at the point totals for the polls this week, we are not that far behing Bama right now. BTW……..I know a lot of you don’t get to see Alabama play consisntently. Though they did put an ass whoopin on the Dawgs in the first half of that game….they shit a brick in the second half. They will lose to either LSU on the road or Florida/Georgia in the SEC title game in Atlanta on 12/6/08! I think Texas has a much better shot of running the table. TT is beatable and like the rest of the Big 12 does not play defense. Colt McCoy will have his way with them setting up a rematch with Missou in the title game …..and we all know what happened last time they played! Go Lions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Long live JoePa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and We ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought only safeties played 15 yards off the ball?
Holy crap, I didn’t realize that was true (re: Oregon State), but you’re right.
by Bleed Blue 'n White on Oct 28, 2008 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude
It’s awesome you still come by and drop in here. After all those threads in here and in the Dam in Sept, I’m a huge beaver fan. Too bad it wasn’t a home and home. Would love to come out to Corvallis and party down with you Beav fans.
Yeah, man, do your work on the bears and the ducks, and we’ll do our part to keep strengthening your schedule too!
pax et amor
The best possible solution is for UO to win out (all the way to the Civil War)
Get as high a ranking as possible, (as well as us) and then we win. At this point, if both teams win out, you could be looking at a top 20 matchup. That would be great for Penn State.
And of course I’d come in here. PSU fans are great and knowledgeable. Beats the hell outta talking to duck fans all day haha. I’m pretty sure Penn State (and JoePa for that matter) is the only team that could whoop our ass and I’d still be rooting for.
And :::knocks on wood::: if something awful were to happen and you were to end up in the Rose Bowl with us, we will get our chance to party. You think Beavs traveled well across the country? Penn St-Oregon St would be the biggest party in LA on New Years
Oregon State: where play action defense and healthy QBs thrive
by The VD Special on Oct 28, 2008 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Ummm....
Even with a knock on wood, you just lost cool points. You might have noticed we Lions fans are a bit squeamy about our undefeated seasons, quite righteously, I might add.
If the subject’s partying, I wanna see the scene in Corvallis. Eff LA. If the subject’s football and the season is 2008, all I wanna see is FLA.
Keep doin your thing, tho, bro. Win the Pac10 and make us proud!
pax et amor
What I really want was going undefeated and being left out
I would never mention the unmentionable. That’s like talking about a pitcher’s no hitter… it’s just stupid
As for the scene in Corvallis, it’s a small town with not much to do. The population effectively doubles when school is in and gets halved during the summer. So you know what that means right? Nothing to do but drink, and drink, and drink some more, sometimes even head to Eugene (never in the fall) and party with some friends.
Go Beavs, Go Nits, or Lions, and whatever you say to shorten Nittany Lions
Oregon State: where play action defense and healthy QBs thrive
by The VD Special on Oct 31, 2008 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions
You’ve also got Colorado/West Virginia and Oklahoma/Cincy. So there you’ve got Mizzou established over a mid-level Big Ten team, Oklahoma State established above them, and Texas above them. Ditto for Colorado and the Big East, and the TCU game sets up Oklahoma over a relatively high team in the MWC (which sets them up as about a mid-level BCS team).
The losses pretty much pin them correctly, too: Colorado loses to probably one of the best teams in the ACC, and the only other real losses (i.e. “non bottom feeder losses”) were Nebraska to Virginia Tech, which is a mid-level loss to a mid-level team.
The thing to note is that the Big 12’s secondary teams (Oklahoma, Texas Tech/Texas depending on the loser) didn’t lose to out-of-conference competition. TT’s schedule was a joke, but Oklahoma’s was pretty solid, and they ran it.
A similar thing would be to look at the Big Ten, and at Michigan State. MSU’s win over ND was decent (ND is a mid-level team this year – think Vandy, Nebraska, etc.), but they lost to California. Couple that with the fact that the secondary teams in the Big Ten didn’t do anything to establish themselves (Illinois’s loss, Iowa’s loss to Pittsburgh, Purdue’s loss to Oregon) and you see the problem.
by Bleed Blue 'n White on Oct 27, 2008 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions
This is a Special Time for Penn State Fans
As I think they need to root for three Big Ten teams to improve their SOS.
Obviously Ohio State. A 10-2 OSU is a very quality win.
Secondly, Michigan State. If Sparty rolls into Happy Valley at 9-2 that will setup a very big season ending game and would technically be for the Big Ten Championship.
Lastly, and I’m sure this will kill Lions fans, Michigan. Penn State needs Michigan to win. Root for the Wovlerines Penn State fans! This is because Michigan is playing against Northwestern and Minnesota, teams PSU didn’t play. So Michigan victories over them will only help PSU’s SOS.
yeah
you gotta root for mich to beat Minnesota and Northwestern. I can’t believe the two teams we don’t play are doing so well THIS year. Some years that would be good for us, but not this year when we would stump them.
The season is so much more fun when PSU is in title contention. There’s no PSU on Saturday, but we damn well have teams to root for! 3:00 and 8:00! Go Arkansas State! Woohoo Red Wolves!
"It was an attrition football game and you know we like that."
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
