If the B1G stinks for the next few years, do you think that would ultimately be a good or a bad thing for Ohio State?
I could see both sides, myself:
Good
1) Less likely to lose, and as an undefeated or 1-loss team it wouldn't (in my mind anyway) be terribly difficult to grab a spot in the 4-team BCS championship playoff at least every couple years--once there, who knows what could happen? This would be very attractive to recruits looking to play for Championships. The SEC is currently owned by Alabama and LSU (with LSU wavering due to injuries and players lost due to team rule violations)--if I want championships, and I'm not going to get a spot on Alabama or LSU, why would I want to have to fight my way to the top of a brutal conference with the rest of the SEC mid-rangers, when I'm going to have a chance at playing for a Championship every year or so at OSU or Michigan (if recruiting continues as is)?
Bad
1) Less competition means, perhaps, a considerably less-sharp OSU team by the time it gets to that 4-team playoff; unprepared for the level of competition, we could potentially get steam-rolled in the playoffs.
2) Negative perception of the conference could devalue our wins to the point that (hypothetically) polls might give the edge to a 2-loss SEC team over a 1-loss B1G team.
Just some general thoughts I had on the issue. Am I going too far out on a limb with this? Would you argue that a bad B1G won't affect us tremendously? It's a topic that fascinates me, anyway.
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If the conference gets to bad we could find ourselves in a situation like Boise st had were you have to go undefeated. One lose wont cut it. So it might be easier to go undefeated but we might be forced to do that which is very hard to do no matter what conference you play in.
^Won't happen, B1G will rebound eventually. For the interim we could schedule and beat the crap out of some strong out of conference foes.
"I'm One Bad Buckeye, and I approve this message."
I dont think it will either but man the BIG is looking bad now.
Its only bad if some other conference could theoretically jump ours. But the facts are we have 3 of the largest fanbases in the country in BIG, one of the best tv deals, and many of the best programs at feeding the NFL. $$ coming in and players making $$ in the pros. That's what matter to recruits.
I'm not so sure the Big Ten is cycling down to be honest. I think they are cycling up and having a bad year that I would attribute to turnover of players and coaches.
With the current setup in the current era, however, a stronger conference give OSU a better resume and makes them better prepared to compete in the playoff. So I'd say that bad B1G is bad for OSU, but I'm not a conference lover in anyway. I have my one team, and then my second and third favorites are generally the teams that play teams I dislike.
I agree w/ Optimistic. I think we will be fine in a year or two. We have brought in some decent coaches lately and they need a couple of years to get their systems in place.
Polls are about to be completely irrelevant. The playoff committee starts their evaluation from scratch, not from the polls.
The committee is to take into account conference championships, so basically if you go undeafeted in one of the big four conferences, win your championship game, and played at least one major out of conference opponent, any undefeated team from the big four conferences will be in the playoffs.
Where it will matter is if 1) We didn't play any good OOC opponents or 2) We have a loss and are up against four or five other one loss teams for a couple of slots in the playoff.
In those cases, perception of conference strength will be critical- but, and this is key, perception of those on the committee. The makeup of the committee is really the crucial factor.
As long as OSU keeps the philosophy of playing one major OOC opponent every year, another "decent" OOC opponent, and the B1G doesn't completely fall flat on its face, I think Ohio State will be fine.
If coaches like Dantonio, Hoke, Pelini, etc. continue to build on what they done so far at their schools, there will be enough competent competition in the B1G to qualify as a power conference. Then, it's just up to Ohio State to do the work and win the games.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
The cyclical argument of conference strength is a little bit of magical thinking. Conferences, as a whole, get better because the members of that conference make a commitment to getting better. OSU has dne that. TSUN appears to at least be trying to do that. If the other members of the B1G are just sitting around waiting for a competitive team to drop from the sky and onto their home field simply because it's been a long time since they've had one --well, it ain't gonna happen.
This is the only problem I have with a weak B1G, and it is a significant problem. I think its clearest illustration was in the CG against UF. OSU players just seemed to be unprepared for the level of football UF was playing.
Completely agree Saturday. The B1G wasn't bad in 2006, and OSU was not overrated. They were however, unprepared for the speed of Florida's offensive and defensive lines. Having a more complete Big Ten, while making it harder to reach the Nat Title game, better prepares you to be competitive once you reach the game.
tOSU is upping our game with Urban and tSUN is brining in a top rated recruiting class, If those two can compete nationally, and schools like MSU, Nebraska, and Wisconsin cam generally be in the top 25, then the conference champion is in the final 4. (That's what I believe is the near term future) If it's just tOSU or the big two, we could get left out of a four team playoff.
a bad big 10 is never good for anyone. Period.
"Winter is coming" - Urban Meyer
the BIG should combine with the mac to make a "SuperConference"... hehe
theDuke
A one loss Ohio State team will be included in the 4 team playoff. We are one of the almighty ambassadors of quan in college football, which has it's perks.
Dont be so sure, lets say there are two one loss Pac-12 teams, an udefeated SEC team and one loss SEC team, and a one loss B12 and B10 team. Throw in a potential BCS buster(which they media will most definetly play up) and you are going to have some decisions to make and we aren't going to be guaranteed a spot just because we are OSU, esp if we played what was perceived to be a weak conference schedule.
Then I guess we will just have to run the table.
I've read on various blogs, more than one comment like this, "This cycle of SEC dominance began with a defeat of Ohio State. It may take Ohio State - defeating an SEC team for the MNC - to end it." It would be fitting. With Urban Meyer at the helm and with talent on-hand and new Buckeyes yet to suit-up, it may very well happen in 2013.
And if it does, talk of the B1G's decline will be paused and the pressure for Urban Meyer to repeat and build a Buckeye dynasty - will commence.
in a fair and level playing field it is REALLY hard to win one championship let alone multiple, thus I'm scowling at you Mr. Saban, Mr. Miles...Every school that has won a national title in the BCS era has been in some kind of turmoil, some shape or form of infractions/impermissable benies type deal... with exception to these two programs and ESPECIALLY Alabama. I mean WTF? Oh, and Texas, they got by *legitimately. My intuition says "oversigning" but my gut says "MUCH MORE THAN THAT."----Still scowling at you Mr. Saban, Mr. Miles.
theDuke
yea if they want parady in the ncaa something has to be done about over-signing
mark may wins douchebag of the year... again
Bad big ten does not prepare us for a NT. It's best for the big ten to be good and OSU to be great.
A bad Big Ten is NEVER good for OSU.
In MOST cases, if the Big Ten is "bad", then that means OSU beat up on a bunch of "ponies", and if that's the case, then OSU likely makes a bowl game that they don't deserve to be in, and if THAT'S the case, then you end up with OSU being in a bowl game they have no business being in and getting CAKED.
Not good.
^both of these last two comments
theDuke
I would think that a strong conference would be beneficial for two reasons.
1. It prepares OSU each week by playing a strong opponent. Admittedly, there is a draw back in that it will be harder to put up a one loss or undefeated record.
2. Strength of schedule. Based upon there being a selection committee implemented to set the four teams in the playoff, strong results by the teams we beat would be beneficial to our case to be one of those teams.
If strength of schedule is high enough, it could concieveably place a 10-2 team into the playoffs, depending on other records, etc.
And let's face it, there will be much teeth gnashing and jawing about teams five and six in the four team race if their records are 10-2 or 10-1 and play in the best conference.
edit: /failtyping
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To the good point: There is a lot of money at stake. Ohio State or TSUN are going to have an easier time grabbing a playoff spot at 0 or 1 losses than maybe an MSU or an Iowa because of the brand name and fanbase size. As far as recruiting, well, I could see what you say mostly happening, though there may be some that are sold on an SEC mid-ranger toppling Alabama/LSU, and want that challenge. If they're trying to get to the NFL, they may shine more being clearly the best player on their team, as opposed to not likely being that at OSU or TSUN. Who knows.
That's my biggest worry of a stinky B1G. It all depends on how talented and how sharp OSU is, though. Any given Saturday.
Could work that way, though once again, the brand name OSU brings makes this less likely to happen to us than to another lesser B1G brand not named OSU or TSUN. Historically, when OSU takes care of their business, good things happen. Every undefeated regular season OSU team, plus the 2007 team that had a loss in a year where about everyone else had 2 losses, got to the NC game. Every 10 win/B1G co-champion OSU team has been to a BCS bowl in the BCS era.
Class of 2010.
The quality of teams for conferences goes through cycles, in 5-6 years we might be talking about the B1G like people talk about the SEC now. No way of knowing what is going to happen down the road.
JT