The "Not So" Big 10 Flops again

By Tony George www.sportsaudioshows.com  

After the humiliating spanking that Ohio State took in the National Title Game, one must ask themselves, how over hyped is the Big 10 conference? Lets take a look at the recent performance and how it ties into public perception in terms of oddsmakers and lines.

The Big 10 conference went 2-5 in the bowl games as a conference. Those two wins were also LUCKY wins, with Penn State picking up a fumble late in the game and rambling 85 yards for a TD against Tennessee, and Wisconsin getting very lucky against Arkansas in their game, with a TD getting called back after a questionable call. The most embarrassing loss was "Overhyped State" getting drilled in every single phase of the title game against a good Florida team. Not even a good match-up, and I was all over Florida in that one in a big way, as now 7 out of the last 9 underdogs going into the title game have covered and won.

Michigan blew all the hype anyone could ask for leading up to the Rose Bowl. Lloyd Carr shot his mouth off saying Michigan was overlooked and not respected, and was disrespected by an undeserving Florida team. Michigan had their chance against Ohio State and blew it, and then went to LA and got absolutely drilled by a so/so USC team who had 2 losses against average opponents. The worst meltdown was Minnesota, who blew a huge lead to Texas Tech after they went on cruise control after racking up a big lead, only to lose, and for Glen Mason to lose his job over the deal.

The Big 10 conference is not a conference built on speed. It is a "black and blue" conference with a huge following, and the boys at ESPN simply love telecasting these boring games. Who would you rather watch? Tennessee and LSU or Purdue and Michigan State? Given the fact that Kirk Herbstreet from College Gameday is a Big 10 alum, and huge Ohio State guy, the Big 10 gets a ton of hype and play on TV, and oddsmakers make a feast out of Big 10 bettors. The more the hype on a good team from the Big 10, and the higher the line goes. If you know this, like the national title game this year, the richer you are! Be aware of this in the upcoming season.

Since I am originally from Nebraska and a huge Husker fan, harkens back to the late 80's for a minute. Nebraska went into bowl games every year, but Tom Osborne could not win the "big one". We were playing schools like Miami, Florida State, Clemson and others and getting pounded with speed. Recruiting changed, NU recruited speed, and Nebraska won 3 national titles in the mid 90's, and played 5 times in the 90's for the national title. No different that what the Big 10 just experienced, or Notre Dame just experienced against LSU this past bowl game. Speed is a huge factor, when you have it, especially on defense, you are the far better team in terms of having an opportunity to win, especially as an underdog.

Keep this in mind. The SEC is the best conference in football and will be for sometime to come. There is NO doubt that Florida and LSU are the two best teams in the country this season. The Big East fared better this year than power conference's like the Big 10 and Big 12. Do not buy into all the hype, but look at the numbers and man to man match-ups next year, and you will find yourself in the winners circle often. Enjoy College Gameday, but remember those guys are scripted and not handicappers or oddsmakers. We know much more than they ever thought about knowing when it comes to wins and losses against a spread or straight up.