Yeah Wisconsin would 100% be a top-5 program in the new Big 12. To say otherwise is just blind homerism and stupid. If they aren't top-5, then list out the five in front of them.
Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)
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They're also pretty close to Chicago, so they get a decent support from recruits there.
Well this is a stupid take considering every single school in the big ten outside of Nebraska and Iowa is ranked higher academically than Tulane.
I've been laughing at Nebraska for a looooong time that they don't realize their new long term ceiling is way lower than Wisconsin and probably slightly lower than Iowa. Even red shirt seniors were barely alive the last time Nebraska wasn't just a bad/average team from an incredibly low population remote state.
They better lock up the next coach who consistently averages 7-8 wins.
Wisc is the one team in this current 7 team B10W that has some advantages, not Ohio State advantages, but some. After them it's probably Iowa but I don't see Iowa as having some gigantic edge over say MSU and Minnesota, they've just had a lot of coaching stability which avoided any really bad hires for nearly a full half century.
From my 13 years living in the middle of Chicago I'd rank local cfb fan support as:
1 Mich
2 Wisc, but close to #1
3 ND, they weren't that great the years I lived there, could be higher now, def a local team in terms of geography
4 Iowa (there really are a ton of them)
4 MSU, seemed about equal to Iowa in terms of game watch bars
6 Ohio St
---- huge gap
7 other Big Ten teams like Ind/Purdue/Minn and even regional non Big Ten teams like Iowa State and Missouri
---- huge gap
8 NW
9 Illinois
Wisconsin would be top 3 in the new Big12. Especially with Fickell. Utah, TCU (I think they will be but they need a little more sustained success than 1 year), K-State? I mean who else would you even argue would be up there at this point? If Campbell can have another few year run like he had before last year ISU could potentially get up into that top 5ish. I think we're going to see a lot of teams rotating around in the New Big 12 on who is the best.
All this talk about ranking Wisc had me wondering if the old Legends/Leaders before Maryland/Rutgers really was very balanced?
First ranking those 12 Big Ten members (my own out of thin air) over past 10-20 years:
1 OSU
2 Mich
3 PSU
4 Wisc
5 Iowa
6 MSU
7 Minn
8 Neb
9 Purdue
10 NW
11 Indiana
12 Illinois
Legends:
2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10
Average of 5.6
Leaders:
1, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12
Average of 6.6
Seams like "legends" was slightly tougher but very close with the top team actually in the other division.
Do that same average rank for current east vs west using same ranking (ignoring Maryland/Rutgers):
East: 4.6
West: 7.9
At least kind of gives context to trying to create even divisions vs just going straight east/west geography. Pretty staggering difference.
First ranking those 12 Big Ten members (my own out of thin air) over past 10-20 years:
1 OSU
2 Mich
3 PSU
4 Wisc
5 Iowa
6 MSU
7 Minn
8 Neb
9 Purdue
10 NW
11 Indiana
12 Illinois
Legends:
2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10
Average of 5.6
Leaders:
1, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12
Average of 6.6
Seams like "legends" was slightly tougher but very close with the top team actually in the other division.
Do that same average rank for current east vs west using same ranking (ignoring Maryland/Rutgers):
East: 4.6
West: 7.9
At least kind of gives context to trying to create even divisions vs just going straight east/west geography. Pretty staggering difference.
It's hard to say because OKSt, TCU and Baylor took such simultaneous steps back this year. All three of them won't permanently stay down like this.
10 years ago all three of those teams were consistently more dangerous than Wisc but they aren't right now in this one year.
Not just talking scrappy team like good KState or Iowa teams, for a long stretch Baylor/TCU/OKSt had speed that Wisc and non-tOSU Big Ten teams rarely have.
It's really hard to say where teams like Utah, Arizona, BYU, UCF and Cincy will be in 3-4 years. IMHO Arizona is a sleeping giant, they've shown some flashes and have the desire to be great in both sports. Colorado has also been a national power in the past even if you ignore the Deion thing or assume he'll bolt.
What’s interesting is that when the did the divisions how they matched up teams to try to get an even SOS. Nebraska was legit lined up against OSU and NW was the direct comparison to MSU. Then for the next decade OSU went on a tear and MSU had its best years since the 60’s-70’s. Stuff is hard to predict
Since we all like to **** on Iowa and other big ten teams, always like her CFB/NFL meeting skits
Back to hoops--highly doubt the big 12 adds Creighton. dont move the needle, and half the east coast casual fans have never heard of them. Also, Yourmark really wants a big 12 footstep in the ne, creighton does nothing for that.
the big 12 isnt going to add members just to be adding them--they have to move the needle for our tv partners.
FWIW, WVU doesnt want to add the zags, but the big 12 doesnt need wvu's vote to add them.
the big 12 isnt going to add members just to be adding them--they have to move the needle for our tv partners.
FWIW, WVU doesnt want to add the zags, but the big 12 doesnt need wvu's vote to add them.
I'm not in any hurry to add Gonzaga either for what it is worth.
100% yep, best of all it was the students that discovered it not the university. It wasn’t a current operation(I don’t think) but was busted for it in the past I believe
Soooooo feeling sorry for Oregon State tonight With UCLA. Theirs fans are into it. Not waiting for third down or the PA announcer to make noise with UCLA on offense.
And then I switch over to Montana v Idaho and it looks like they are playing in an arena football stadium.
So glad to be in ISU‘s position right now and even more committed to helping with Cyclone Club or NIL or whatever to help make sure we are not Oregon State in 2030.
Yep, in the several years I lived there and worked in the middle of the loop, had lots of Michigan, ND, and Mich. St. fans at my company. Didn't notice as much Wisco as you did, but you were there longer.