Let's again preface this with the fact that I am an avid Michigan fan and in most years hype up the Big 10. However this year it's impossible they are terrible. I updated the table from last week and have a few additional points.
1-AA Losses: Thanks to good ole Minnesota this weekend the Big 10 has 2 losses to 1-AA teams. That is an accomplishment which may never be repeated by another BCS conference. Schedule 'cupcakes' and lose them. Phenomenal.
Deceiving 5-4 BCS Record: Missouri and Oregon look better and better each weak, but they won their games against the Big 10 so that doesn't say anything very positive about the Big 10. Meanwhile their wins came against the combine 4-11 Washington squads, 2 wins against the Cuse, and a win against Wanny's crew. All bad teams. Throw in some nice losses to Duke and Iowa St. and the BCS record is actually ugly.
MAC Cake Walk: What would the Big 10 be without the MAC this season? Every team in the Big 10 has scheduled atleast one game against a MAC school all have beaten a MAC school with the exception of Illinois who has Ball St. remaining on their schedule. Even Minnesota is 1-1 against the MAC despite being 0 for against everybody else.
2 of 11: Only 2 of the 11 teams in the Big 10 have an Out of Conference schedule with teams that have a combined winning percentage above .500. Those teams being the Fighting Zookers who actually who scheduled Mizzou and Minnesota who helps those teams by losing 3 of 4 out of their out conference games including against the undefeated NDS.
Hammering a Point Home: I said this last week but this is my key point, the Big 10 does not have one identifiably good out of conference victory. The overall record of the Big 10 against teams with an above .500 record is 5-6. Discounting their wins over 1-AA teams with good records, the Big 10 has one, count it, one win over a Division 1 school with an above .500 record. That win being Michigan St. 28-17 victory over 4-3 Bowling Green who jumped over .500 with their win against Kent St. on Saturday.
Conclusion: Even the most staunch supporter of the Big 10 should be forced to temper their jubilance about the 2007 Big 10. The Big 10 has offered no supporting argument this season towards their standing amongst the other 'power' conferences. So next time a fan from the SEC or PAC 10 comes up to you proclaiming that their conference is better than yours, you really are just going to have to sit there and take it.
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