Mssrs. Gordon Gee, Gene Smith, and Jim Delaney:

Stop what you are doing for a second and hear me out. Most of us fear that it is far too late, but this is too important not to say:  The idea of changing the schedule placement for The Game is an extremely bad one.  In fact, it’s embarrassing.  Stop it.  I am speaking for the vast, vast majority of fans of Ohio State, Michigan, the Big Ten, and college football when I say: “Moving the Ohio State-Michigan game is huge mistake.”

I do not want to come across as some sanctimonious rube.  I understand the money paid by television networks allows schools like Ohio State to renovate and maintain its beautiful stadium, support dozens of other varsity sports, and build state-of-the-art practice facilities that help build the teams we cherish.  I get it.  Money is part of the sport.  And, I am fine with that.

But, it is not the only part.

At this point, however, it seems like the tail is wagging the dog.  In the past, the product on the field drove the price that networks would pay.  Now, a conference as venerable as the Big Ten is tilting at windmills because networks will pay more if you change the product to their liking.  I now believe the Big Ten a television network first, collegiate athletic conference second.

My sample size is not enormous, but I have not heard anyone close to this say that they want to play The Game in any other format than the current one. For example, Jim Lachey and Chris Spielman have some opinions.  I also recall that less than four years ago, no one wanted to see the rematch of arguably the greatest game ever played by Ohio State and Michigan.  Most fans did not want it, and clearly the voters did not need to see it again.  Many former OSU players do not like the idea.  Hell, even Michigan’s players did not want it.  I do not think the sentiment has changed.

I thought Ivan Maisel summed it up perfectly this morning:

Putting Ohio State and Michigan in separate divisions in 2011 is a bad idea. Their regular-season game would move to midseason to prevent them from playing in a Big Ten title game a week later. So the league would end a tradition that delivers at the end of everyseason for the possibility that the Buckeyes and Wolverines would play a rematch in the championship game in some seasons. Alabama and Auburn play for the SEC West, not for the Sugar Bowl. That rivalry is no less important.

The worst part for fans is that we have not heard a single cogent argument for moving the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry forward in the season that is not based on the desire to make more money.  I do not believe we will ever hear one.  Does one exist? And to pour salt in that wound, the teams will play in abject neutrality in a city with the newest hotel rooms.  If you believe those games will matter as much as the current set up, you’re dreaming.

In the end, you will do what you think is right for the universities and conference.  Unfortunately, I believe your metric for righteousness is measured in dollars, not fan experience.

Best-

BuckeyeCommentary.com

Now that Nebraska has officially joined the Conference, I thought it would be nice to talk with some of the most knowledgeable Cornhusker fans out there.  Darren and Steve from Big Red Network were kind enough to have a conversation, the results of which you can see below, and over on their site.  As we get closer to Nebraska’s (proposed) debut in 2011, I hope we can have a few more dialogues.  In the meantime, best of luck in your Farewell Big 12 Tour.

If they had their collective druthers, would Nebraska fans rather stay in the current Big 12?

Darren (BRN): At this point, no. There are some who will miss the traditions established by the old Big 8 days, especially the affiliation with Oklahoma. But even that became tarnished when the Big 12 was formed. And, I don’t think people feel a sense of nostalgia for the last decade and a half. And the events of the last few weeks have made co-existing in the Big 12 pretty much impossible. I talk to a lot of fans, and unanimously they are excited at the prospect of joining the Big Ten. Sure, there will be some critics. But most see the Big Ten as a very good move for NU.

Steve (BRN): An unscientific poll I saw said that five out of six visitors to the Lincoln Journal-Star’s website approved of the move. It’s hard to say whether that’s in the context of the Big 12 possibly breaking up anyway, or whether it’s a more absolute judgment about whether life is better in the Big 10 or not.

Now that Nebraska is (still unofficially) the twelfth member of the Big Ten, would you rather the League stop at 12? And, if Texas ultimately joined, would Cornhusker fans be upset? Is the animosity between those programs as strong as reported?

Darren: For starters, I am happy they finally made it to 12 teams. My harshest criticism of this league has been the lack of divisions and a title game. The SEC, Big XII and ACC had a much different (harder) path to the BCS than the Big Ten and Pac-10.

Seriously, play an additional difficult opponent (often for a second time) at the end of the year. It’s a different animal. If these re-alignments do nothing but balance out that part of the overall playing field, then I am more than happy Nebraska moving is part of a bigger solution.

I have no idea if the league will stop at 12, or try to get to 14 or 16 at this point. I really don’t. We’ll have to see how it plays out. Yes, the Texas animosity is every bit as strong as reported. This isn’t just about football anymore. There is a culture clash now.

I would have very mixed feelings if they jumped in to this league as well. It’s geographically insane. The provincial nature of college football would no longer exist. I also could go a long time without ever wanting to deal with another Texas fan. But, the competitor in me wants NU to have some more shots at the Horns. Our record against them is a sad 1-8, filled with ridiculously close losses. It would be nice to balance that ledger.

Steve: There’s never been any real interest by Texas in joining the Big 10. If they did, it would be a bonanza for the conference, so you’d have to be in favor of it for that reason. Further expansion might water things down, but the right school could improve things. Notre Dame’s the no-brainer, but even schools like Pitt wouldn’t be a bad fit. As long as Nebraska gets to play Iowa every year, then NU fans would probably be agreeable to more teams.

When Penn State joined the League they were at the height of their program (I am sure you are familiar with the 1994 season). Yet, they have had trouble with Ohio State and Michigan (combined 11-21). Do you have any doubt that Nebraska, with its current trajectory, can compete in the Conference?

Darren: If Nebraska felt like they couldn’t compete, they wouldn’t want to join. Of course, Husker fans are very thankful to have Bo Pelini in charge of the football team right now. He has won 19 games over the last two seasons. He has been to and won two bowl games in his last two years. Nebraska is playing well right now. Do we really know what the roster and results might look like in two years? No. But, NU is sure better off now than they were just a few years ago.

I see what you mean about PSU, and why you would ask. They were the last team to join. And, I remember a lot of PSU fans saying things like they were going to “show those Big 10 boys how to play.” But, their problems stemmed from and included a lot more than just struggling with OSU and Michigan. From 2000 to 2005, they were 26-33 overall. So, they lost to a lot of people. Programs ebb and flow. They are much stronger now. Nebraska, in the long term, is committed to football and not going to back down from anybody. And, by the way, the Big 12 is a strong football league.

Steve: Considering Texas and Oklahoma generally outrank the better Big 10 schools, you’d expect Nebraska to do at least as well in the Big 10 as the Big 12. The Huskers have also been on a strong run over their last dozen or so meetings with Big 10 schools. So Nebraska can compete, but Ohio State’s probably still got the strongest program right now.

You asked a question that has been rattling around a distant corner of mind since the announcement: Does this new conference alignment increase or decrease Pelini’s interest and likelihood of roaming the Horsehoe’s sidelines someday?

Darren: This notion makes a lot of people nervous. Let’s just say I am a big Jim Tressel fan. Pelini’s familiarity with the program plants the seed. If OSU fans see what they like in him, it might sprout. Hopefully for both our sakes, there is some serious competition (rivalry!) between the Bucks and Huskers and makes it impossible for Pelini to jump ship.

Steve: He’d never say so no way to gauge his interest, but it might raise awareness of Pelini among OSU fans. That might make him a more attractive candidate. There are a lot of people in Lincoln hoping that Jim Tressel is coaching in Columbus for another 25 years.

Off the cuff, what is Nebraska’s biggest advantage and disadvantage as they come into the Conference?

Darren: Nebraska’s biggest advantage is the will of the program and the general public to be good. I am not kidding. This is Nebraska’s identity. Come visit Lincoln, you’ll see.

They are also a national-level program, capable of moving the needle when they are on TV and recruiting a player from just about anywhere. The biggest disadvantage is geography and population. But, those are the same disadvantages Nebraska had when it was winning championships.

Steve : This sounds self-glorifying, but it’s really been the fans. One of the huge things that draws recruits to Lincoln, is the environment and the passion that exists for college football. From the backup quarterback to the linemen to the kicker, these guys are rock stars. There can be a downside to that too, but that’s one of those things that makes Nebraska unique in college football. An outgrowth of that is the walk-on program that’s the envy of most other schools. Nebraska attracts a lot of kids to walk-on that makes the practices more competitive and can create greater depth. Affordable tuition helps too.

The disadvantage is the natural recruiting base. There aren’t that many top quality players in the state or even bordering states. Nebraska has to recruit nationally to fill out the roster. It’s not as easy as Texas loading up on blue chippers without leaving the state.

Finally, Ohio State and Nebraska have only played twice (1955-56) in their storied histories. How excited are you for that first matchup? And, is there a team Cornhuskers’ fans are looking forward to playing most?

Darren: Hell yes, I’m excited. Ohio is the cradle of life when it comes to football. Ohio State is a truly great program. We have essentially no history. So, let’s do this.

My colleague Brandon Vogel wrote very astutely that Nebraska has lacked a real rival since the NU-OU series got put on the back burner. So, I am excited for Nebraska to establish some rivalries again. Geographically, Iowa makes the most sense. There are a lot of Hawkeye fans living in Omaha, and the smack talk between the two groups of fans have already begun. The NU series with Penn State is littered with some hard feelings. There are Penn State fans who think they were robbed in 1994. It will be fun to mix it up with them. Michigan and Nebraska argue over 1997. So, that’s good. There is a respect for Wisconsin because of Barry Alvarez. The possibilities abound.

Steve: I’d say Iowa because they’re a natural rival, but OSU is up there. Many of us are not old enough to have seen those last games between the schools so it will be cool to see these two great programs finally face off again.

Happiness and optimism abound in for all things Ohio State football, and recently Tim May and Ken Gordon indulged a little bit in that revelry.  Is all the talk about what is to come justified?  Should you expect to be high-fiving your buddies this time in 2011?

Vegas thinks Ohio State’s odds are pretty good (at the moment).  Let’s talk about it.

According to the gurus at Bodog, the Buckeyes’ are a better bet than everyone except Alabama.  Other oddsmakers have slightly different interpretations, but they are all relatively similar.  Here is the Bodog Top 15:

2011 BCS Championship Odds

TEAM	ODDS
Alabama	3:1
Ohio State	13:2
Oregon	12:1
Southern Cal	12:1
Oklahoma	15:1
Texas	15:1
Nebraska	15:1
Boise State	15:1
Virginia Tech	18:1
TCU	18:1
Iowa	20:1
Penn State	20:1
Miami	20:1
Florida	25:1
LSU	25:1

Other odds of note:

Other Notable 2011 BCS Odds

TEAM	ODDS
Michigan	50:1
Notre Dame	75:1
Illinois	100:1
Michigan State	100:1
Northwestern	125:1

The field’s odds: The Tide is an top obvious selection as they are bringing back a cadre of starters and stars - Ingram, Jones, McElroy - but I found it slightly surprising that Boise State was not considered to have as good or greater odds than Nebraska, Oklahoma, and/or USC, all teams that lost a significant amount of firepower, including a Heisman winner and future no. 1 draft choice.  As you probably know, I am not supporter of the non-AQ field, but I thought the Broncos may have generated more gambling buzz.

Another surprise for me was Virginia Tech’s relatively low odds considering the league they play in sucks on ice, while they are returning a reputable amount of talent.  Finally, Ohio State plays three teams with odds of 20:1.  By my count, they are the only team to play such (theoretically) contending teams.

OSU odds: While, I share the optimism for 2010 and I agree with most fans that Pryor looked far, far better in the Rose Bowl than he did at any point during the year, we should be cautious about getting too carried away about him.  I thought that the main difference in his Rose Bowl play was that he had time to operate, which I attributed to four things: (1) improved o-line play, (2) balanced play calling that kept Oregon’s defense guessing, (3) a small, average Oregon defensive front, and (4) Oregon’s coaches’ inability to adjust to OSU’s pass-heavy gameplan.  Pryor’s mistakes in the Purdue debacle almost all came when he panicked under the pressure that Purdue brought.  He only faced pressure in his face three or four times against the Ducks and, frankly, he still didn’t handle it well.   On one occasion, he badly missed a wide open Sanzenbacher on an almost certain TD and the other was the Holy Ballard catch.  I realize I seem far more skeptical than most, but I just question whether the improvement in his decision-making and game-management has been as drastic as everyone has declared.   I really want it to happen for him — and the entire offense — but he won’t succeed unless the entire offensive operation (blocking, scheming, play-calling) improves.

So, are the 13:2 odds justified.  If they play as well in every game as they did against Oregon.  The real question is, what are the odds that another Purdue disaster is on the schedule?

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	SOS*	BEST WIN
1.	Alabama	14-0	2	v. (2) FLorida, 32-13
2.	Florida	13-1	15	v. (12) Cincinnati, 51-24
3.	Texas	13-1	38	v. Oklahoma St., 41-14
4.	Ohio State	11-2	50	v. (6) Oregon, 26-17
5.	Boise State	14-0	96	v. (10) TCU, 17-10
6.	Oregon	10-3	6	v. (21) USC, 47-20
7.	Nebraska	10-4	52	v. Arizona, 33-0
8.	Iowa	11-2	41	@ (9) Penn State, 21-10
9.	Penn State	11-2	73	v. (16) LSU, 19-17
10.	TCU	12-1	60	v. Utah, 55-28
11.	Virginia Tech	10-3	13	v. (19) Miami, 31-7
12.	Cincinnati	12-1	44	@ Oregon State, 28-18
13.	Georgia Tech	11-3	10	v. (11) Virginia Tech, 28-23
14.	Pittsburgh	10-3	40	v. Notre Dame, 27-22
15.	Wisconsin	10-3	64	v. (19) Miami, 20-14
16.	LSU	9-4	5	v. Georgia, 20-13
17.	Mississippi	9-4	46	v. (16) LSU, 25-23
18.	Miami	9-4	8	v. (13) Georgia Tech, 33-17
19.	USC	9-4	19	@ (4) Ohio State, 18-15
20.	BYU	11-2	61	v. (23) Oklahoma, 14-13
21.	North Carolina	8-5	32	@ (11) Virginia Tech, 20-17
22.	Texas Tech	9-4	62	@ (7) Nebraska, 31-10
23.	Oklahoma	8-5	22	v. (24) Stanford, 31-27
24.	Stanford	8-5	29	v. (6) Oregon, 51-42
25.	Navy	10-4	82	v. Missouri, 35-13

Well, there it is.  Another year in the books accompanied by another Final Top 25 that barely makes sense at this point.  If preseason poll makes no sense based on lack of play, the final poll makes equally little sense when considered against the backdrop of an entire season’s worth of games.  I mean, when teams have 3, 4, and 5 losses there is a very good chance that a team has defeated and lost to other teams both ahead and behind them.  Feel free to take shots at these rankings but know that I did put a lot of thought into them (not to mention hours and hours of “research”).

Please keep in mind, these are the rankings of teams as I believe them to be at this moment.  It is not a reward for the entire season.

Top Tier: Alabama, Florida, and Texas were clearly the best and most consistent teams in 2009. Despite close calls by all three teams, for me, there is no credible argument for placing any other team with the top 3.  Alabama proved to be the nation’s best, while the difference between Texas and Florida is still unclear considering the Colt-less circumstances with which the Longhorns were required to deal with Tide.  But I rank Florida ahead of Texas for a different, yet similar reason: the circumstances that Florida faced while trying to beat Alabama.

The Tide had spent year waking second since the 2008 SECCG, be it offseason conditioning, spring practice, fall camp, or the entire 2009 campaign, to work on one thing.  Beating Florida.  That proved too much for the fighting Tebows.

Best of the Rest: Ohio State, somewhat miraculously, found their way to #4 in my final ballot.  I am as shocked as you may be. Pryor’s Rose Bowl performance alongside another super solid defensive effort, makes the Buckeyes an extremely formidable opponent.  I do not think they would stand much of a chance against the Top 3, but they appeared capable of beating everyone else out there.  Let me know if you think I am still wearing the Rose-colored glasses.

Answers to some Questions: “Nebraska in the top 10?  Oklahoma ranked at all (much less #23)?  What is wrong with you?”  Didn’t you notice the Big 12’s lackluster bowl performances?”  The answer to all of those questions is “yes.”  Nebraska’s defense is rolling, doing a better job against a Longhorn squad armed with Colt than the Tide defense did without.

If you do not believe in Stanford, then you will not be swayed by the Sooners Sun Bowl victory.  And, quite honestly, any ranking after #10 is a hot mess, which is fairly reflective of reality at the end of the season.

*SOS provided by Sagarin’s rankings

By now you know who is facing whom in all of the BCS games this year.  But for the record here is the rundown:

Sugar Bowl:

Cincinnati vs. Florida

Fiesta Bowl:

Boise State vs. Texas Christian

Orange Bowl:

Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

Rose Bowl:

Oregon vs. Ohio State

BCS National Championship Game:

Texas vs. Alabama

Well, as much as it would seem that the BCS hates the Big Ten, they’re one of only two conferences to get two teams into BCS bowls.  (Partially due to the two “mid-majors” in the Fiesta Bowl.)  I would love to see Texas beat Alabama because I really don’t like the SEC and never have, but I’m kind of getting tired of this whole “Big 12 vs. SEC” game for the national championship.  And I really don’t understand the Fiesta Bowl matchup.  I know both TCU and Boise have been trying to make a case to play for the title, but playing each other isn’t going to get it done.  If anything, I think the greatest interest would have come from switching TCU and Cincy in their respective bowl games.  But I digress.  For the state of Ohio football, I hope that Florida puts Cincinnati in their place by 30 and that Ohio State is able to muscle out a win against Oregon.  Tell me your predictions below in the comments section.

My history major brain is telling me that no Civil War battle ever took place in Oregon.  But, if this were 140 years ago we might be getting pretty close.  Oregon and Oregon State are currently locked in their annual Civil War.  I can’t imagine what those who are devout American-ites would be saying about the rivalry if it was as huge as, say…The Game.  But, I digress.  Oregon hasn’t been to the Rose Bowl since 1995 and Oregon State hasn’t been there since 1964.  No matter who wins, our Buckeyes will be facing two teams who love to run the football and take it up and down the field.  Unfortunately for them, the Pac-10 has this nasty habit of not playing defense very well (part of the reason why USC has dominated the past decade).  Who would you rather see in Pasadena on January 1?  I was rooting for Arizona, but since that’s out of the question, I’ll go with Oregon State for a number of reasons.

Your’s truly just jumped in Mirror Lake for the first time in his life.  It was actually pretty warm.  The last two years it was snowing.  There was a newspaper photographer taking pictures there, so look for me in tomorrow’s Dispatch.  It may or may not happen.  In either case, LET’S BEAT MICHIGAN. (regardless of what terrelle pryor is doing after the last victory.)

I don’t want to jinx us with the picture, but the entire off-season, the entire regular season has led up to today (well, about 2 hours from today).  I will be live tweeting my thoughts and observations on the game, so if you’re a twitter fan pay attention.  Here’s to the first Rose Bowl in the new millennium.  Cheers.

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	PREVIOUS	SOS	NEXT
1.	Alabama	9-0	1	25	at Mississippi State
2.	Texas	9-0	2	52	at Baylor
3.	Florida	9-0	3	42	at South Carolina
4.	Georgia Tech	9-1	5	12	at Duke
5.	TCU	9-0	9	47	v. (20) Utah
6.	Cincinnati	9-0	7	67	v. West Virginia
7.	LSU	7-2	8	17	v. Louisiana Tech
8.	Oregon	7-2	4	6	v. Arizona State
9.	USC	7-2	11	7	v. (24) Stanford
10.	Miami	7-2	18	11	at North Carolina
11.	Ohio State	8-2	19	46	v. (13) Iowa
12.	Boise State	9-0	13	82	v. Idaho
13.	Iowa	9-1	6	39	at (11) Ohio State
14.	Arizona	6-2	14	16	at California
15.	Pittsburgh	8-1	15	70	v. Notre Dame
16.	Houston	8-1	16	94	at Central Florida
17.	Oklahoma State	7-2	20	68	v. Texas Tech
18.	Penn State	8-2	12	72	v. Indiana
19.	Tennessee	5-4	25	32	at Ole Miss
20.	Utah	8-1	24	99	at (5) TCU
21.	Wisconsin	7-2	22	44	v. Michigan
22.	Virginia Tech	6-3	21	4	at Maryland
23.	Clemson	6-3	NR	23	at N.C. State
24.	Stanford	6-3	NR	15	at (9) USC
25.	Oregon State	6-3	NR	9	v. Washington

Let’s Start at the End(zone): The bottom half of this thing is regoddamnduculous.  Once you get past Pittsburgh, it is essentially arbitrary selection.  As soon as you hit the mid-teens all teams look the same: hideously inconsistent, burdened with multiple defeats (one inexplicable), and aiming for a season that will ultiamtely be crowned by a post season appearance sponsored by company that you would not work for.

Am I being too hard on Virginia Tech?  Almost certainly, as two of their losses are to my #1 and #4 teams, respectively.  Oh yeah, they lost to Chapel Hill along the way.  Ick.  Meanwhile, a team they throttled resides at #10.  I know.  I am an idot.

Seriously: Tennessee at #19?  They are only 2-3 in the SEC and played the worst really close game in recent memory against Alabama. How can they even be ranked?

While we are in the neighborhood, should Penn State even be ranked?  What is their best win? Temple?  Northwestern? Could they really beat Wisconsin?

Thank God for 1-3: Eventually, this triumvirate will have to change.  Or, maybe not.  These are the best three teams around, easily.  Could GT really rush for their customary quarter mile against the top dogs?  Will you on TCU, Cincinnati, or Boise State against the Tide or Gators or Longhorns?

The Best of the (2-loss) Rest: The Tigers have lost close games against Florida and Alabama, a distinction they share with Tennessee.  That does not necessarily make them the best 2-loss team, just the least offensive.

And, yes, Boise State is #12.  Does that defense look any good to you?  Not me.  They need to be nuking their competition and, to the contrary, they are struggling for large parts of their games.  I don’t want to hear about the Oregon game from 2 months ago.  One game does not a ranking make.

Alternate uniforms have been en vogue for quite some time, from the NFL to the NBA, from college basketball to college football - North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Georgia, and Tennessee all wore them in the last two weeks to varying degrees of success.  But there are teams that appear to be immune to the fads of sports fashion and impervious to the pressures of hulking apparel sponsors.  Oregon is not one of those teams.  But Ohio State appeared to be. Until now.

Pat Forde mentioned it earlier this week and some brief scouring of message boards reveals the image to out left.  Are the Buckeyes about to break out new jerseys to help their mojo? It bears mentioning that other than pictures appearance on an Ohio State-related site, there is no evidence to suggest that it was designed to be worn by THE Ohio State University, say, during a game against Penn State, in early November, three days now.  None.  It could belong to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for all I know.

Is that a ‘Block O’ at the bottom of the neck?  [/sigh]

Let’s just assume that this is, in fact, the “alternate” road uniform the Buckeyes are going to trot out on Saturday afternoon.  It’s bad, to be sure.  But what about the pants?  Are those going to be red?!  That could be a pure disaster.

I have already pontificated about the meaningless, derivative, and largely uncool “red” end zones.  If these uniforms happen, I may lose it.  Is anyone at Ohio State paying attention?  How would this get past the people that it has to get past?

This is not to say that I oppose all things outside the bounds of the norm.  I think retro uniforms could be amazingly cool, perhaps even inspirational for the team.  And there is plenty for the program to draw from (see below).  What about the 1954 unis, with some appropriate updates (like a face mask, for example)?  I think Tressel would go for that and it would not look like a rejection from a UFL trunk sale.

Update (3:15pm): 1460 just read a statement from Nike that did not confirm or deny the possibility of alternate uniforms.  Apparently The Fan contacted Nike for a comment and the following was provided: “We are always looking for ways to innovate and inspire - so stay tuned.”