It has been so easy to pick on the Big Ten recently. The regular season of the conference that has been exposed as a fraud, the addition of Nebraska to form “Leaders” and “Legends” divisions, the missteps of Jim Delaney, and the fact that some of its Presidents can’t help putting their feet in their mouths. That was before New Years Day’s debacle and the fact that Ohio State won, but lost all integrity by playing 5 players who broke rules but who got passes from the Sugar Bowl and the normally notorious NCAA.
In short, most Big Ten fans aren’t jerks, but the ones who always state that they are the best conference in the land ruin it for everyone else. So, it’s time to set the record straight with some hard football facts.
Fact #1: The Big Ten has only won 2 Outright or shares of National Titles over the last 40 seasons (Ohio State in 2002 and Michigan in 1997). No, you can’t count Penn State’s 2 National Titles or Nebraska’s 4 over the last 40 seasons as they won them outside of the Big Ten. In terms of ranking with other conferences, the Big Ten trails the SEC (12), Big 8/Big 12 (10), Independents (9 - 3 by Notre Dame and Miami each, 2 by Penn State, 1 by Pittsburgh), Pac 8/Pac 10 (6 or 5 if you don’t count USC’s 2004 season), and the ACC (4). The Big Ten is even with the Big East (2 – Both by Miami), and since Miami’s departure for the ACC, the Big East conference is the laughingstock of the BCS.
Now, you may complain that I deliberately avoided the 1970 season, which Ohio State won a share of the title (despite losing the Rose Bowl to Stanford). But there is a good reason: in 1970, segregation still dominated SEC Football Programs. It wasn’t until USC’s demolition of Alabama in Tuscaloosa to start the 1970 season (led by African-American backup RB Sam Cunningham), that SEC integration finally began to take place. From that point forward, the SEC has dominated, thanks to utilizing the High School talent from ALL corners of the South.
Fact #2: The famed Michigan program may boast 9 Football National Titles, but only 2 titles have been won since WWII. That’s one fewer than in-state rival Michigan State has won during the same period. They’re not the only Big Ten School to win most of their National Titles before the end of WWII. Minnesota boasts 6 National Titles, but only one has been won since WWII.
Fact #3: Forget winning National Titles, the Big Ten has trouble winning the Rose Bowl. It’s been a problem since the 1960s. The most blatent example of this occurred in the 1980s when the Big Ten would regularly send a 10-1 or 9-2 Conference Champion to Pasadena and would get knocked off by an unranked Pac-10 squad.
Fact #4: Even with Ohio State’s Victory against Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, OSU is still 1-9 against SEC schools in Bowl Games. The Buckeyes also have issues against USC, both in the Regular Season and Bowl Games. Their best hopes of winning a National Title hinge on avoiding the speed of the best programs in Football. If they don’t have to face an Alabama or Florida or USC, they’ve got a chance. Otherwise, they’re screwed and they are the only team in the Big Ten that could possibly come close to matching the speed of the best teams in College Football.
Until the Big Ten (specifically Ohio State) can win a couple of titles in a row, the Big Ten fans would be wise to lay low and not draw any attention to themselves. The SEC, Big 12, and USC are all ready to once again bury their hapless conference rivals whenever they open their mouths.
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