Iowa beats Georgia Tech, Big Ten goes 4-3, wins two BCS bowls...Oh happy day
by grahamfiller10 on Jan 5, 2010 10:38 PM CST
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Pat Angerer looked like he was having fun tonight, smashing into GT's big backs and leading the Hawkeyes to an Orange Bowl win.
He wasn't the only person having a whole lot of fun this bowl season though; anyone who had taken guff for last year's 1-6 bowl record, any Buckeye fan tired of losing big games, any 315 lb. lineman who read articles about his own lack of speed...All those people truly enjoyed the physical dominance exhibited.
Georgia Tech has faster athletes than Iowa, but couldn't counter the toughness and maturity of the Iowa linemen. Oregon's lightning fast offense and defense couldn't phase the bigger Bucks. Wisconsin's 50 lb. advantage on the O-line protected Scott Tolzien and paved the way for John Clay. And Penn State met a talented LSU team and came out on top thanks to a defense filled with NFL-caliber players.
Saying "I'm satisfied" won't describe my thoughts toward these four wins. I'm not even one to get caught up in the Big Ten Is Disrespected thing, but I do enjoy seeing some of the Midwest's best teams play up to their potential on a national stage.
Let me pull up a couple interesting points.
Having two teams in the BCS didn't hurt us. It's about matchups, matchups, matchups. Iowa matched up perfectly with GT; sexy versus staunch D...we know who won. OSU matched up perfectly with speedy Oregon.
Is the Big Ten on an upswing? Wisconsin, OSU, Michigan, MSU, NW, Indiana, Iowa...All going to be excellent or improved next year.
Was this the beginning of national relevance for the Big Ten? We're probably the 2nd best conference in the nation - or at least even with the Big 12 (Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, TT...all impressive teams). Not a bad situation, especially with the Pac 10's supposed rise. (h/t Elliot)
Boo...yah. I'm happy for all the teams that won and for MSU and NW, two teams who played incredibly hard and avoided embarrassment (for MSU fans, that sentence should read more embarrassment). I'm happy for our OPC pick em competitors, who showed faith in the Big Ten by picking a 5-2 bowl record. I'm happy for Pryor, who exorcised demons. I'm happy for seniors who had never won BCS/bowl games. Not a bad life, I'd say.
Should I be, as they say, acting like "we belong"? For this tradition laden conference, probably. But it's been a dry spell, it's been one too many annoying and cliched driven articles. So let's celebrate.
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Big 10 back with a vengeance
Great win by Iowa to cap the bowl season. And as a conference, we’re a fumble and a missed FG from being 6-1.
Speed doesn’t beat sound, fundamental defense.
Speed gets bitch slapped.
"We're used to Favre-a-palooza now. We're engulfed in Favre-a-palooza. It's not even Favre-a-palooza anymore. He's family now."
--Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe, on Brett Favre
by MilCardFan on Jan 5, 2010 11:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
No, no, no
Don’t play that card. That’s part of the misconception. Simply speed gets beaten by speedy, powerful, and fundamental defense
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Jan 6, 2010 7:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm surprised such an awesome blog doesn't have more early posts. Please keep the great articles coming!
The Big 10 has gotten tossed around by the media the past few years. For good, reasons, the breaks have gone against our teams and a sheity record has been the result. This year the Big 10 sent 7 teams into the bowl game meat grinder and the top 4 teams all captured victories over top tier teams. Would Whisky have a good year? 10 wins and a trampled Citrus bowl field/ upswing Miami team would show who was for real. The SEC LSU Tigers vs Joe Pa and his “good but no big win Penn St?” Victory! Ohio St vs the uber fast west coast champs? Now Tyrell Pryor looks like a Heisman and Tressell looks like a precog! Lucky Iowa, how could they compete with an ACC champ and their uber yardage running attack? Pure dominance in game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score. The Big10 showed college football they are not only relevant, but more importantly dominating!
Ohio St, Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn St., Northwestern, Mich St and yes even Minnesota showed the nation the midwest and the Big 10 play some tough f@cking ball!
by HawkeyeRecon on Jan 6, 2010 12:05 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Boo yah
As a Die Hard Spartan, I can at least agree with you’re assessment of no further embarrassment. But the simple fact that Narduzzi does not have the guts to put his CBs up at the line to bump a receiver, throwing the timing off of an obvious slant pass on 4-short killed MSU in the Iowa game over and over, then again in this game over and over. I would be elated if some MAC team decided Narduzzi deserves a head coaching job. He doesn’t, but oh man I hope some poor AD thinks he does. Treadwell opening up the playbook took me by total surprise. That needs to continue, with Blair White gone MSU needs to get the ball in Keshawn Martin’s hands anyway possible.
by RewertsSpartan on Jan 6, 2010 2:15 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I flew back from Vegas tonight
And stayed up until 3:00 a.m. to watch the game on DVR. Positively outstanding stuff. I actually thought Iowa looked faster up front. Certainly more powerful.
4-0 against ranked competition makes this a bowl season for the ages, and a dynamic resurgence for a league that far too many casual football fans counted out.
We knew better. And as of tonight — we are better.
I’m going to try to get some sleep. More on this soon.
The Rivalry, Esq.
The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.
by Law Buckeye on Jan 6, 2010 2:22 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
4-0 versus top 15 teams
Which is the first time a conference has done this since….the Big Ten in 1998. SO FUCK everyone else with their claims of superiority, beat more than one decent team and then talk to us.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
by HoyaGoon on Jan 6, 2010 7:27 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I apologize
For a bit of exhuberence posted here
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
by HoyaGoon on Jan 6, 2010 7:50 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No need to apologize, most of us are thinking the same thing—you just had the moxie to say (err…type) it.
by Estrada on Jan 6, 2010 1:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
2nd time ever
A conference had 4 bowl wins against teams in the top 15. Iowa, OSU and PSU will all finish in the top 10; Wisky in the top 15 most likely. What a year for the B10. I’m already orgasmic over the idea of next year.
by imadirtyoldman on Jan 6, 2010 2:45 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Big year for the Big 10.
The 4 best teams (OK, maybe 4 of 5. NW did beat my Badgers…) all win big bowl games against top-15 teams. Northwestern lost in OT, Minnesota lost by 1…the only big loss was MSU.
Can’t bash the Big 10 this year. No sir.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Jan 6, 2010 4:17 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Even the MSU loss wasn't all that big,
especially when one considers that they went in with a hand tied behind their backs.
"Never mistake motion for action." - Ernest Hemingway
by SubLime on Jan 6, 2010 7:14 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Tonight
Was, like Wisky’s game, a good, old-fashioned, ass-kicking. It’s rare that any team, let alone one in a BCS game not from the Big East, gets exposed as such a blatant fraud as Georgia Tech did tonight.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
by HoyaGoon on Jan 6, 2010 7:28 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I’d hardly classify Ga Tech as a “blatant fraud”. Paul Johnson’s triple option offense looked absolutely deadly at times this season and the last. However, there were obvious flaws, which lead to the early season smack down by Miami (yes, that Miami) 33-17. Everybody knew this team was beatable, ever since they got walloped by the very same “meh” Miami team that was beaten by a “meh” Wisconsin team. Going up against Iowa, a powerful “not-so-meh” Big Ten team, was a mismatch from the start, I believe.
This just goes to show that the ACC has some work to do. When the #2 and the #4 Big Ten teams beat the #2 and the #3 ACC teams respectively, that’s called conference dominance.
by GregGoBlue on Jan 6, 2010 9:10 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
For accuracy's sake...
I believe GT was the ACC’s #1 team this year. But otherwise right on.
by jimbo2psu on Jan 6, 2010 9:12 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Kudos
Thanks for the catch. This actually strengthens my argument, FWIW.
by GregGoBlue on Jan 7, 2010 7:31 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Bully football beats gimmick football.
by Bucketochicken on Jan 6, 2010 8:50 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Though I like to hate the Steelers, I'll take a line from Mike Tomlin
and say “the more violent football team usually wins the game.” The Big Ten has nothing if not many violent hitters.
by jimbo2psu on Jan 6, 2010 9:12 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Who’d have thunk this’d be the best year for the Big Ten in a decade and Michigan didn’t even have a winning record?!
by GregGoBlue on Jan 6, 2010 8:56 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Sorry we collectively kept you out of the Little Caesar's Pizza Pizza Bowl.
I’m sure your team could have handled the Ohio Bobcats as effectively as Marshall.
by Cairo on Jan 6, 2010 8:58 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
You forgot Purdue
I am not a Purdue fan, but the Boilermakers should be a bowl team next year. Danny Hope has been recruiting well and Robert Marve will replace Joey Elliott at QB. They get the bulk of their team back for 2010. Big Ten’s going to be fun next year.
by Jeffrick on Jan 6, 2010 9:12 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
forgive me
but I was on the fence for Purdue…Elliot is gone and he really pushed their offense forward this year.
I do know their defense was young – so okay, I guess they will improve.
by grahamfiller10 on Jan 6, 2010 9:16 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
*crosses fingers*
We’ll be hit or miss next year. I doubt we’ll be able to repeat the defeats of OSU and UM. Nonetheless, Ive been proven wrong before.
Boiler up!
by PurdueEnginerd on Jan 6, 2010 11:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Sagarin's Conference rankings from Dec. 12th.
1. SEC
2. Pac-10
3. ACC
4. Big East
5. Big XII
6. Big Ten
I think this will see some sizable changes now.
by Cairo on Jan 6, 2010 10:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I think my
eyeroll was so obvious when I read that thing a few weeks ago that you could have actually heard it…
by hmlee on Jan 6, 2010 12:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That might have been only slightly unwarranted then...
But now its completely ridiculous. What a joke.
The SEC lost both its games against the ACC, split the series with the Big Ten, and split the series with the Big East. They also beat up on the Big 12 also-ran Oklahoma State and Conference USA Champion East Carolina.
Still, two of those wins could very easily be losses. What if Northwestern scores at td off a fade route on 4th and goal? Or ECU gets a pick 6?
All in all, the SEC’s wins, with the exception of Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss, were very ticky-tack.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 7, 2010 7:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Total Yardage in the Big Ten's Four Wins Over Ranked Teams
Wisconsin 430 – Miami 249
Penn State 340 – LSU 243
Ohio State 419 – Oregon 260
Iowa 403 – Georgia Tech 155
Total: Big Ten 1592 – Opponents 907
Average: Big Ten 398 – Opponents 226.75
Beatdown.
by Magical Ruddy Duck on Jan 6, 2010 11:26 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I wish the final scores also reflected that dominance.
IF:
1) Wisconsin hadn’t gotten lazy and given up that late TD
2) Penn State gets a couple more TDs rather than settling for so many FGs
3) Ohio State punches in another TD
4) Iowa’s offense doesn’t get so bogged down in the 2nd quarter and/or they get a TD on either the FG drive or the ghastly fake FG drive and/or Stanzi doesn’t throw his patented STANZIBALL pick six (yeah, I know, keep dreamin’)
THEN the final scores of those games look a lot more dominant. Say:
Wisco 24, Miami 7
Penn State 27, LSU 17
Ohio State 33, Oregon 17
Iowa 31, Georgia Tech 7
That’s a helluva statement.
Big junkies come from little junkies.
by RossWB on Jan 6, 2010 1:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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