No way to spin it, the Big Ten conference was vastly overrated this football season. For the most part, the only time the Big Ten looked good is when conference teams were playing each other. USC dominated Michigan, and Florida flat out embarrassed and exposed Ohio State. The nearly two month layoff is way too much, and Ted Ginn did get hurt celebrating a touchdown, but Urban Meyer made Jim Tressell look like Jim Walden, and the game was over before halftime. I know because I have to do my son's chores for a week. I picked the Buckeyes.
Speaking of Walden, he looks smarter than at any time since the Nebraska game in 1992. (Where have you gone, Marv Seiler? Cyclone Nation turns its lonely eyes to you.) Walden was the only person in America to vote Florida #1 in the pre-bowl Harris Poll. I believe Walden when he says he thought Florida had played a much harder schedule---it had---but how can you not vote undefeated Ohio State #1 when it had beaten a #2 team twice? Turns out Texas and Michigan weren't worthy of being #2, but we didn't know that then. Maybe Walden did. Either way, he looks a lot smarter than he did when he tried to run the triple option at Iowa State? (Where have you gone, Bob Utter? Cyclone Nation turns its lonely eyes to you.) Jim is always a good interview, in good times and bad.
I voted Troy Smith for Heisman, and he went out and laid a ginormous egg. He had help, but Smith was awful. There are a few Heisman votes I'd like to have back, but he's not one of them. Until this week, he was at his best in big games.
Remember football season in this state? High expectations caused crushing disappointments. Men's basketball season is the opposite. No one expects much, so it's been a pleasant surprise so far. UNI is the state's best, Iowa plays hard and is fun to watch, ISU is well-coached and learning quickly, Drake had its moments in December.
I'm going to the I-Cubs Fanfest with my father this weekend. Nothing like heart surgery to remind me to make the most of every moment. My father never did the kind of things that make headlines, but he's a great man in all the ways that really matter.
I'm hooked on Friday Night Lights. I can't believe more people don't watch this show. It's more social drama than football show, but it's terrific.
So the Daily News reports Barry Bonds tested positive for amphetamines and promptly blamed a teammate. I'm shocked. SHOCKED! What will it take for this guy to just go away and leave Henry Aaron's hallowed record alone. Please. For once, Barry, do the right thing.
The Steelers opening couldn't come at a better time for Hawkeye fans. Pittsburgh appears ready to hire from in-house, and Ferentz looks determined to return Iowa to better days. I also think he's paid close attention to all the miserable NFL coaches who can't get back to the college game fast enough. Paging Nick Saban.
Grey's Anatomy returns tonight. I wonder if Izzie still has the $9 million dollar check pinned to her fridge, or if she actually might have deposited it where it would be earning thousands in interest. I love that show, but what a stupid storyline.
Rosie vs. Trump... who do you have? It's a tough call, but I'm going with Trump. Rosie spent years pretending she was the "queen of nice". Trump never disguised his exaggerated egocentric windbag act. He is what he is.
Just watched Invincible on DVD again. Love it. They shouldn't work so hard to disguise the fact Vince Papale played in the USFL, but it's a real Rocky story.
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Thanks for giving UNI mens bball some credit, even if they did lose the other night. Can't wait to see a game in their new place.
From a UNI alum. :)
Jeesh Murph, did you kill too many cells at People's in the 90s (yeah I used to see you there). I made quite a bit of cash from the bowls picking Florida and USC. You must have got caught up in the Big 10 media hype (make sense, since you're in it). The writing on the wall was there when OSU handily beat Texas earlier in the year. It didn't mean OSU was good, it meant Texas wasn't nearly as good as people thought, and hence neither was OSU. OSU kept winning against mediocre competition and so did Michigan. The Big 10 conference as a whole has been mediocre for years (sorry for the long paragraph).
You deserve to do your son's chores for a week, listen to him more from now on, he sounds like a bright kid! :)
In the immortal words of Favor Flav "don't believe the hype". Don't listen to other media personalities, and analyze who plays who and how throughout the season and you won't get blinded by overhyped teams.
Peace, give Johnny Orr my best the next time you see him.
No doubt about "Pulse", we see so much of the teams in our region, we sometimes think they're better than they are. However, in this case, Ohio State was a consensus #1 from every corner of the U.S. The Big Ten was simply overrated.
I get the feeling you're forgetting the times you bet against the Big Ten and lost, but I understand your point. And I will do the chores.
Glad you enjoyed People's. Great place.
Keith: Never watched Friday Night Lights till I read one of your many reviews. Now that the new season has started I love it!! Too bad it reminds me of highschool, you don't realize how much your community was "in love with football" till your out of the submersion. Good call, on this one.
Actually, this is the first time I've placed bets before (I was on vacation). I finally realized when I go to a Casino I'm not any good at table games. I am however (immodestly) knowledgeable about football. I'll admit an ISU bias, but I don't let it cloud my judgment when betting on football games. I did bet against Iowa out of principle only, even though I thought the spread was too large. So 2 out of 3 means I came out ahead. I'll just keep from betting on Iowa anymore as I'm biased! Oh by the way, I live on the East Coast so I'm not influenced by the Big 10. Its all ACC out here (its painful), and you'd think they were the SEC the way the media hypes them up out here.
I agree with you Murph about Friday Night Lights. It is a good show and I hope it doesn't get cut. Lila one of the main characters in the show HOT!!!!! I was thinking all along I was a perv thinking she was a hot little highschool girl and be young enough to be my daughter but then I saw on TV someplace a couple weeks ago she is 27 in real life. It is almost biologicaly impossible for me to be my daughter so now I don't feel so ashamed of it anymore...
Yeah, I think it's utterly stupid for Iowa fans to have to pay for season tickets to see the Hawkeyes beat ISU next year in football. what is Pollard thinking?
The Big Ten and more specifically OSU (or Michigan for that matter) wasn't overrated. It's the same case every year. 51 days of not playing.
Do you really think that "all four corners of the country" all equally saw the Big Ten was overrated? Nah, I don't buy it.
It was one game, over a 13 game body of work. Florida was ready and I can't believe OSU wasn't. I'm not an OSU fan (far from it) but they were a very good team. They didn't show up and got exposed for just that. Let's not allow hybole to get the best of us.
Oh, and PS...Michigan waited almost as long. Plus I hate the Rose Bowl for the very reason that you're playing SC or UCLA in either their home stadium or their backyard, and a stadium they play in every year. It's practically a home game.
I wish there could be some bowls where the SEC or PAC 10 could go up to Camp Randall or Michigan Stadium in January. Don't give me the story about tickets not selling as they'd sell out easily. Then we could see how those teams play ball in our backyards.
"to see the Hawkeyes beat ISU next year in football."
LOL....isn't this the same crap you Hackeye fans were spewing in the days leading up to 9/10/05? Do I need to refresh your memory?
If you want to come to the game, you'd better pony up the jack for the season tickets. Great move by Pollard.
Bryan
Bryan, you are a funny guy. You talk about two years ago instead of this year. I hope all the Iowa fans buy all the season tickets just for that game and throw the rest away. That would be a punch in the face wouldn't it?
Nah....we'd still have your money!
Wouldn't happen anyway. Those Iowa fans would have to work too much OT at McD's to afford the season tickets.
Bryan
I just watched the Raw interview with Pollard and I have to say that I really don't think he knows what he is talking about. At any rate, there are single game tickets available for all the other games except for the Iowa game? Did I hear that right? Honestly, I think he knows that he messed up, but he's not admitting it at the moment.
How did he "mess up"?
Think about it. There were 36,000 single game ticket requests for the Iowa State/Iowa game the last time it was in Ames. If all of those single ticket requests were honored, how in the hell would you sell season tickets for those seats? You wouldn't be able to. You would effectively be reducing the amount of season tickets that are available to be sold. Makes perfect sense.
This is a brilliant plan by Pollard. He knows what he is doing.
Bryan
Riiiiiiight....when he starts the interview on the defensive, he knows he messed up...that's all.
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