Thinking back before Nebraska joined the Big 10, has your respect for the Big 10 grown since then?

[saturdaysarebetter]

Thinking back before Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference, has your respect for the Big Ten Conference grown since then?

Never did I imagine the Cornhuskers going 57-72 in football in the Big Ten and fairly so poorly against Ohio State (1-8), Michigan (2-6), Iowa (4-11) and Wisconsin (2-11).

I remember a Michigan State fan saying to me, "Welcome to the Big Ten, where we all beat up on one another."

 

[Doc Fumble]

From my perspective, we had respect for Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State. But I think we ASSUMED (you know what they say about that word) that programs like Northwestern, Iowa, Minny, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, etc. were going to be the Big Ten versions of Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, Missouri, and Colorado.

We quickly discovered our conference slate was no longer an "automatic 5-6 win cakewalk like the Old Days." Right or wrong, I think we entered the league with far less respect for the conference than the conference had for us.

And, FWIW, the conference has gotten A LOT stronger in the years since we joined.

 

[Jimbosc]

Honestly - the formation of the BTN and the big TV deal led to B1G teams elevating their football programs. The first couple of seasons under Bo......we saw the historic level the B1G had been at for decades. But....money talks and teams started to invest those conference $$ to improving coaching, facilities, recruiting, etc. We are fully on the other side of that change - and haven't found a way to get out of being a middling team. Hoping that changes this year.....but schedule might be tough enough we are stuck at that 6-7 win level at least for 2026.

 

[Doc Fumble]

Honestly - the formation of the BTN and the big TV deal led to B1G teams elevating their football programs. The first couple of seasons under Bo......we saw the historic level the B1G had been at for decades. But....money talks and teams started to invest those conference $$ to improving coaching, facilities, recruiting, etc.

No better example than the amazing, new state-of-the-art facilities at perennial cellar-dweller, Northwestern.

 

[Righteous Red]

Respect has grown in terms of money, games on TV, tougher conference, etc. I know the big trend is super conferences, but teams traveling coast to coast IMO is just ridiculous. I have read from many sites expressing the same thing. Coaches and players say that it is literally exhausting. I wish somehow we could keep the B1G as a true regional conference. Yes, I know that TV and Eyeballs are involved in the decision to expand to the outer reaches of the universe. Also, it’s hard to maintain or develop rivalries. I have nothing when I think of playing Maryland, Rutgers or those four West coast teams. Wish the NCAA could force Notre Dame to declare to a conference in football. Add them, Iowa State, Pitt, siphon off Missouri and either KU or K-State. Money makes this not possible, but just wish College Football wouldn’t evolve into Corporate Mergers. Deep down we all are Regional fans, just wishing.

 

[Jimbosc]

Even the NFL has a regional element. Sunday noon and 3 PM games are NOT national - they are regional broadcasts. TNF, SNF and MNF are the National games - so 3 games a week. You have to get the Sunday ticket to see your team if you don't live in the region that normal is broadcast those games.

I agree with Red's assessment you should work to maintain or create rivalry games and lessen the cross country travel (1-2 times a year.....ok.....but can we work toward something that lets fans stay closer to home for most road games (not to mention the team, coaches, etc.)

 

[Doc Fumble]

Even the NFL has a regional element.

I may be all wet, but I suspect that when the B1G and SEC form their own league, the regional element will return. It won't be the old Big Eight because only us, Mizzou, and OU will be in this new Big Dawg League -- and those guys are in the SEC.

There will likely be a number of non-divisional match-ups each season with other conference teams and even a game or two with teams from the SEC but the core schedule will regional rivals (ie. like the NFL's Packers, Lions, Bears, and Vikings). I imagine ours will include Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Northwestern and Notre Dame.

 

[GIJoeRed]

No...worse given the NIL inclusion. It's one thing to earn a championship like in "the good 'ole days", and another to buy one...IMO.

But I guess that can go for any conference now. But at least we'd still be winning Conference Chapionships in the BigXII.

 

[Doc Fumble]

No...worse given the NIL inclusion. It's one thing to earn a championship like in "the good 'ole days", and another to buy one...IMO.

Before "NIL inclusion" was forced on the NCAA by the courts, the SEC schools dominated CFB's upper echelon for nearly two decades. But unlike today's recent string of B1G champions, Alabama and their conference buddies "earned" those natties, right?

 

[GIJoeRed]

Before "NIL inclusion" was forced on the NCAA by the courts, the SEC schools dominated CFB's upper echelon for nearly two decades. But unlike today's recent string of B1G champions, Alabama and their conference buddies "earned" those natties, right?

you could literally flip a coin on whether which Alabama "NCs" were legitimate, or resulting in future probations. I would guess at least 45% of them were "tampered goods"

And you'd think Alabama fans with ethics would shy away from some of those 18? NCs...nope...they embrace them...shamelessly no less,. like a dog with a bone.

 

[Doc Fumble]

And you'd think Alabama fans with ethics would shy away from some of those 18? NCs...nope...they embrace them...shamelessly no less, like a dog with a bone.

I don't want to take this too far OT but I can't resist telling this story again:

Once upon a time, I was treated to a private chat about recruiting with former Husker coach, John Blake. He told me that he liked being at Nebraska because he could 'show off' his recruiting skills. (FYI, Blake was the guy responsible for Ndamukong Suh becoming a Husker.) He said he was frustrated coaching down south because Mississippi State didn't have the money that rival SEC schools could divvy out to its recruits. He said he'd lose kids who would've signed with MSU solely because of the money another school was offering him and his family.

For the record, this would've been around 2005, the early Callahan years when Blake was still here. Over a 20-year period BEFORE NIL, money for recruits had become so widespread--and well-known--wink, wink, with everyone involved--it had become a cultural thing. And all the while, the NCAA essentially looked the other way.

 

[redfred]

I think it's wise to never stop telling that story.

 

[Doc Fumble]

I think it's wise to never stop telling that story.

Thanks, redfred. I needed that this morning.

After posting it, I immediately had second thoughts, thinking, 'Shut up, Fumble, nobody appreciates you telling the same damn stories over and over again.'

 

[redfred]

Thanks, redfred. I needed that this morning.

After posting it, I immediately had second thoughts, thinking, 'Shut up, Fumble, nobody appreciates you telling the same damn stories over and over again.'

Well don't count me in the group. I never tire of your insights and rememberences.

 

[innmc]

I cannot help but wonder what would have or could have been if we didn't get that penalty and the refs putting another 2 seconds on the clock in the Texas game

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Before "NIL inclusion" was forced on the NCAA by the courts, the SEC schools dominated CFB's upper echelon for nearly two decades. But unlike today's recent string of B1G champions, Alabama and their conference buddies "earned" those natties, right?

Alabama before NIL and after NIL.

 

[KansasRed]

I was OK with the B1G initially. I thought it was wise for the Huskers to get out of the Big XII and the B1G seemed to be the logical fit. But since they've added the west coast teams I don't feel the same. I know it's all about money and the trend is "more is better", but with the regional aspect pretty much gone leagues now just seem meaningless to me.

 

[Husker99]

And all the while, the NCAA essentially looked the other way.

That's one thing the sports media never talks about: How the SEC had such a dominant run in winning college football national championships is because they were blatantly cheating the entire time.

Imagine a player coming out of high school has 10+ scholarship offers to play college football.

Five of those schools will pay him thousands, to tens of thousands, of dollars in cash under the table and the other five pay him nothing. This theoretical player may love everything about the school that won't pay him, but the reality is he's going to go to a school where he gets paid. And the way the SEC dominated the rankings, teams selected to the BCS, and ultimately winning the natty are proof. NIL has leveled the cheating playing field and the SEC no longer has that baked in advantage.

 

[Husker99]

Thinking back before Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference, has your respect for the Big Ten Conference grown since then?

Never did I imagine the Cornhuskers going 57-72 in football in the Big Ten and fairly so poorly against Ohio State (1-8), Michigan (2-6), Iowa (4-11) and Wisconsin (2-11).

I remember a Michigan State fan saying to me, "Welcome to the Big Ten, where we all beat up on one another."

I have, over the years, gained more respect for the B1G because I think the coaching staffs overall have improved so much. I think quite a bit of the B1G's surge into dominance in the college football landscape can be largely traced back to some comments that Urban Meyer made several years ago. Meyer essentially said the B1G needs to pull its head out of its a^^ and start recruiting at a higher level. He saw it first hand. B1G teams could play competitive football with each other, but they'd go to a bowl game and play an SEC team and get thumped. So Meyer's comments, I think, served as the fire which was lit under a conference's a^^ that had become complacent.

To the teams pre-existing in the B1G, they benefited immensely from Nebraska coming into the league on the decline rather than when we were dominant. Teams like Iowa, Purdue, Northwestern...teams that wouldn't even be able to score a touchdown versus the past elite Nebraska teams; and would get 70 hung on them by average Nebraska teams; are beating us regularly because our leadership was stupid and they made stupid, and really REALLY bad decisions, especially pertaining to hiring football coaches.

 

[redfred]

Respect? Well, gotta think on that one. I’m just dealing with football here. Is the league better than I thought? Yes. We are the best conference period……. regardless of the biased blatherings of some like Mr Finebaum. But I have lost some respect for what I consider very subpar officiating. On field gaffes happen, but the review box is well below my expectations. Too much is at stake to allow some of the amateurish officiating that I’ve witnessed. Clean that up and I’d have much more “respect”.