http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview05/news/story?id=2130406
Nice to see Ivan giving the MAC some respect
Nice to see Ivan giving the MAC some respect
Espn Insider Conf Rankings
- Thread starter Master Capper
- Start date
Thanks for posting it MC, I enjoy reading these type of lists even if I disagree.
Why does the BIG 10 get so much respect? I don't understand it.
What does the Big 10 bring to the table? I am not very impressed. Not saying it is a weak conf. I think they are very good but very vanilla.
SEC brought to CFB speed and athleticism. Although SEC doesn't run highly sophisticated offenses.
Pac 10 revolutionized CFB with their highly sophisticated open offenses.
ACC is pretty balanced in doing everything. I am an ACC fan. Actually I am a fan of all conf.
Big 12 doesn't play defense and for the most part the offenses in the Big 12 are crap. Just look at the QB play. In the OB OU acted like they never seen a balanced offense EVER. This was the #1 team in the Big 12 (maybe not defense wise).
So what does the Big 10 bring? Hard nose defense? Well I agree to a certain extent. Not difficult to have a solid defense in a conf. that loves to run up the middle. Offenses in the Big 10 are extremely conservative. The coaches in the Big 10 are conservative. Especially the powerhouse teams in the Big 10. To a certain extent it gives a false allusion to having great defenses. Just because winning margins are close, doesn't necessarily mean they played a tough game. It is just their style. Nothing wrong with that style, but they should be praised for it! In fact, I love teams who pound tha ball. I like that style of offense. Especially if you can wear down your opponent. Thing of beauty! I miss those old ND and Nebraska teams who pounded the ball with authority.
I am not talking about individual teams in these conf. I am talking about ALL the teams in general. Of course, these are my opinions. I also am not trying to knock on any of these conf. just posting what I see. I watch games from ALL of these major conf. MAC is prob. the only conf. I don't watch any games from unless it is on a weeknight. I have ESPN gameplan and I live on the west coast. I am the type who gets up at 8am Sat. morning (not fun) and watches football from 9am-9pm. I watch and bet on a lot of football. Living on WC, I get to see everything. I am not trying to imply that this gives my opinion more credibility. If I am home sat. night after 9pm, the Hawaiin football anouncer for the Hawaii games has NEVER failed in putting me to sleep! :mj07:
IMO, the SEC and ACC should be #1/#2 (whichever order) and 3rd-5th should be Big 10, Big 12, and Pac 10 (whichever order).
The gap from #1 to #5 is not very wide IMO.
Why does the BIG 10 get so much respect? I don't understand it.
What does the Big 10 bring to the table? I am not very impressed. Not saying it is a weak conf. I think they are very good but very vanilla.
SEC brought to CFB speed and athleticism. Although SEC doesn't run highly sophisticated offenses.
Pac 10 revolutionized CFB with their highly sophisticated open offenses.
ACC is pretty balanced in doing everything. I am an ACC fan. Actually I am a fan of all conf.
Big 12 doesn't play defense and for the most part the offenses in the Big 12 are crap. Just look at the QB play. In the OB OU acted like they never seen a balanced offense EVER. This was the #1 team in the Big 12 (maybe not defense wise).
So what does the Big 10 bring? Hard nose defense? Well I agree to a certain extent. Not difficult to have a solid defense in a conf. that loves to run up the middle. Offenses in the Big 10 are extremely conservative. The coaches in the Big 10 are conservative. Especially the powerhouse teams in the Big 10. To a certain extent it gives a false allusion to having great defenses. Just because winning margins are close, doesn't necessarily mean they played a tough game. It is just their style. Nothing wrong with that style, but they should be praised for it! In fact, I love teams who pound tha ball. I like that style of offense. Especially if you can wear down your opponent. Thing of beauty! I miss those old ND and Nebraska teams who pounded the ball with authority.
I am not talking about individual teams in these conf. I am talking about ALL the teams in general. Of course, these are my opinions. I also am not trying to knock on any of these conf. just posting what I see. I watch games from ALL of these major conf. MAC is prob. the only conf. I don't watch any games from unless it is on a weeknight. I have ESPN gameplan and I live on the west coast. I am the type who gets up at 8am Sat. morning (not fun) and watches football from 9am-9pm. I watch and bet on a lot of football. Living on WC, I get to see everything. I am not trying to imply that this gives my opinion more credibility. If I am home sat. night after 9pm, the Hawaiin football anouncer for the Hawaii games has NEVER failed in putting me to sleep! :mj07:
IMO, the SEC and ACC should be #1/#2 (whichever order) and 3rd-5th should be Big 10, Big 12, and Pac 10 (whichever order).
The gap from #1 to #5 is not very wide IMO.
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Scott,
I have been saying since early summer that this is the deepest the Big 10 has been in years and I am not ne bit surprised that they are rated the top dawg. What is happening in the Pac 10 right now with the infusion of good coaches transpired in the Big 10 a few years ago with the additions of Tressel, Smith, Ferentz and this created a Conf that could be said this year is 9 deep with only Illinois and Indiana being walkovers.
What does the Big 10 bring to the table? I am not very impressed. Not saying it is a weak conf. I think they are very good but very vanilla.
More than likely they will have three of the top five to ten defenses in the country with OSU, Iowa and PSU all possessing extremely strong defenses. As far as stating they are bland on offense, perhaps this was true a few years ago but you must of not saw much Big 10 football last year as Mich, MSU, Iowa and Purdue all had pretty wide open offesnes as didOSU towards the end of the year. Penn State and Wisc are both pretty blan to watch, but I believe NW runs a spread offense. I would anticipate that Zook will open the offense up more at Illinois, but at Indiana I am not sure you can win there no matter what offense you put into your system.
Pac 10 revolutionized CFB with their highly sophisticated open offenses
Are you talking about the West Coast Bill Walsh offense? Because the offense that Urban Meyer uses that is the real open system originated I believe at Tulsa.
Big 12 doesn't play defense and for the most part the offenses in the Big 12 are crap. Just look at the QB play.
It is hard to argue with the QB play since few Big 12 guys actually do much in the NFL, but you also have to factor in the weather for many of these offenses. From the midpoint until late in the season these teams do not have the luxury of having decent weather to operate a passing attack due to the winds and snow/rain so it's usually a given that these teamsneed to have a smash mouth running game. It will be interesting to see how Nebraska does with a West Coast system when the weather turns rough in Nov.
I watch games from ALL of these major conf. MAC is prob. the only conf. I don't watch any games from unless it is on a weeknight
You need to catch a few of the MAC games, as this conf has really come on in the past few years and if you like solid QB play then you should enjoy watching Toledo, BGSU and Miami this year.
The gap from #1 to #5 is not very wide IMO.
Exactly right,
I have been saying since early summer that this is the deepest the Big 10 has been in years and I am not ne bit surprised that they are rated the top dawg. What is happening in the Pac 10 right now with the infusion of good coaches transpired in the Big 10 a few years ago with the additions of Tressel, Smith, Ferentz and this created a Conf that could be said this year is 9 deep with only Illinois and Indiana being walkovers.
What does the Big 10 bring to the table? I am not very impressed. Not saying it is a weak conf. I think they are very good but very vanilla.
More than likely they will have three of the top five to ten defenses in the country with OSU, Iowa and PSU all possessing extremely strong defenses. As far as stating they are bland on offense, perhaps this was true a few years ago but you must of not saw much Big 10 football last year as Mich, MSU, Iowa and Purdue all had pretty wide open offesnes as didOSU towards the end of the year. Penn State and Wisc are both pretty blan to watch, but I believe NW runs a spread offense. I would anticipate that Zook will open the offense up more at Illinois, but at Indiana I am not sure you can win there no matter what offense you put into your system.
Pac 10 revolutionized CFB with their highly sophisticated open offenses
Are you talking about the West Coast Bill Walsh offense? Because the offense that Urban Meyer uses that is the real open system originated I believe at Tulsa.
Big 12 doesn't play defense and for the most part the offenses in the Big 12 are crap. Just look at the QB play.
It is hard to argue with the QB play since few Big 12 guys actually do much in the NFL, but you also have to factor in the weather for many of these offenses. From the midpoint until late in the season these teams do not have the luxury of having decent weather to operate a passing attack due to the winds and snow/rain so it's usually a given that these teamsneed to have a smash mouth running game. It will be interesting to see how Nebraska does with a West Coast system when the weather turns rough in Nov.
I watch games from ALL of these major conf. MAC is prob. the only conf. I don't watch any games from unless it is on a weeknight
You need to catch a few of the MAC games, as this conf has really come on in the past few years and if you like solid QB play then you should enjoy watching Toledo, BGSU and Miami this year.
The gap from #1 to #5 is not very wide IMO.
Exactly right,
Master Capper said:
Good pt. I am a big believer in coaching. Pac 10 has hired some good coaches within the last 3+ years. The Big 10 as we all know has some of the best proven coaches in the country. However, I just don't see how someone can rate the Big 10 #1. But I may be proven wrong at the end of the year. Nickelback thinks Michigan will be over-rated and they are a top 3 powerhouse in the Big 10. We shall see. I think the Big 10 is solid and has potential to be above average or #1 conference. Right now I would say they are solid. I think Zook is going to do a great job at Illinois. We all know Illinois could be a winning program.
We all know UM and OSU even if they have an open offensive attack, they will go ultra conservative with a lead. Playing conservative gives a false allusion of the opposing team playing great defense. I think as whole this happens a lot in the Big 10. Nothing wrong with it. What matters is winning. Although I think Carr has cost his team many games by being too conservative.
As for the Pac 10 offenses. A pac 10 OC who was basically run out of the league, went to Auburn and made a huge difference. I think Pac 10 defenses get a bad rap. There was a span in the 90's where no defense was being played in the Pac 10. UCLA #1 example and they would have won a NC if they had just decent defense. But within the last 5 years the Pac 10 defenses have been solid for the most part. It is tough to stop sophisticated offensive passing attacks every week, especially when an offense could be on for the day. Even USC and their great defense have given up pts in games. Carroll has commented on this a lot. Very hard to prepare each week for opposing teams offense while in other conf. they tend to be more vanilla.
I did not really consider weather but that might be a factor. But I still see horrible defensive play in the Big 12. I know many of these Big 12 offenses are not great or don't even have great QB's.
There are only so many games you can watch on a Sat. So all the major BCS conf. get my interest. Usually watching 2-4 games at a time. That only leaves weeknights to see MAC. Now if a poster here at MJ's has big bet on a MAC game and I wager on it, then I def. will be tuning it. Lastly, I hate betting on games where I know very little defense will be played. Irritates me. Maybe it is too faced paced, I dunno. The MAC doesn't play great defense. Maybe because the offenses are so great, i dunno. I do not follow the conf. closely at all. But I do agree there is good talent in that conf.
Glad we finally stopped butting heads and agree there is not big game between #1 and #5.
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