State of the Huskers Survey – Results and Responses

Dadgummit, Shawn Eichorst.

I worked hard to put together a comprehensive survey intended to get a true pulse of the Husker fan base on a number of hot-button topics.  I put it out there, promoted it (thanks again to 93.7 The Ticket’s Gaskins & Stephens Show for having me on last week), and many, many of you took the time to take the survey over the last week.

I spent a good chunk of time Friday and Saturday night going through the 6,000+ responses, analyzing the data, and working towards putting out the results that so many of you were excited to see.  When I went to bed early Sunday morning, I was about halfway through this post and felt confident that I would have it ready for Monday morning.

And then Eichorst goes and fires Bo Pelini.

The key question in this survey (Should Bo Pelini be fired before the end of the 2014 season?) was answered for me by the one person whose response carries all the weight.

Mr. Eichorst, I understand that you felt you had to make a change – and I’m not going to argue that you probably made the right call.  But couldn’t you have waited until Monday? 

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Even with Pelini’s firing stealing some of the thunder from this, there is still a lot of good data in here.  Therefore, on with the show!

Before we dive into the questions and your responses, I would be remiss if I did not give proper thanks to everybody who completed the survey, who shared it with others via social media, and who provided constructive criticism for me.*

*The biggest thing I learned is that the Gallup folks make things look easier than they really are.  My site will not be changing from FeitCanWrite to FeitCanSurvey any time soon.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thanks to your time and efforts, I am thrilled about the sample size of this survey.  You can skip down to the demographics questions (46 – 50) to get more details, but here are the highlights showing how diverse the respondents were:

• Over 6,000 respondents in under a week.
• Survey results from 49 states*, the District of Columbia, and 42 locations outside the U.S.
• Respondents very evenly distributed across age groups 30-39 all the way to 60+.
• A good mix of UNL alumni, former students, and off campus fans.

*Come on Huskers in New Hampshire – let’s step up our game a little bit.  That said, I’m inclined to say we had representation from all 50 states:  my first non-dorm residence in Lincoln was on New Hampshire Street.  I lived there throughout college and another four years after graduation, so I’m practically a resident of the Granite State (even if I had to use Google to learn that New Hamp is the Granite State).

I think this helps give a great cross-section of all Husker fans, which is exactly what I wanted.

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For each question, I’m going to share the following data:

• The question that was asked
• Each of the answer options
• The percentage of responses each answer option received
• The total number of responses each answer option received
• If the question contained an “Other (please specify)” option, I’ll share some of the common responses, as well as others that stand out to me.  I will directly quote these responses.
• Finally, I’ll provide my interpretation, comments, and other feedback.  Some of these were written before Pelini was fired, but I’ll edit as many as I can.

Also, a full PDF version of the results (including pie charts!) can be found here:  State_of_the_Husker_Results

Finally, if you want to see my responses and a brief justification for each one, you can see my completed survey here.

Let’s get started:

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1. What is the biggest issue facing the Nebraska football program?

 

My Two Cents: Hiring Coaches With Nebraska Ties

One of the things I’ll never really understand is the complete and utter obsession some fans have with hiring coaches and assistant coaches with some sort of Nebraska tie – a former player, former coach, was born here, did a social studies project on Nebraska in the 5th grade, once drove through on I-80, whatever.

I can understand the concept that maintaining the sacred culture and tradition of the football program is easier (but not absolute) if the person is from here, played/coached here, or “gets” the fabled Nebraska Way.  But it just doesn’t always work out that way.  Steve Pedersen was born and raised in Nebraska, and worked at NU long before he returned to become one of the most hated people in the state.

And this is not necessarily a Nebraska problem.  When Michigan fired Rich Rodriguez, the alumni, fans, and media made it clear that the Wolverines needed to hire a “Michigan Man” who knew and understood the program, the culture, and their proud traditions.  Enter Brady Hoke…

For me, I think the desire to hire somebody with ties to your school stems from safety and comfort.  Let’s face it:  change is scary.  Firing people opens up a Pandora’s box of questions – Who are we going to get?  Will they be worse than what we had?  Will they like us?  Will we like him?  The amount of unknown is overwhelming and can be frightening, so for some fans it makes sense to seek comfort in the arms* of a familiar name or face.  As the old idiom states “better the devil you know then the devil you don’t”.

*There is the start of a break-up/rebound/booty call analogy in that last paragraph.  I’ll let you run with that if you so choose.

This is not to say that certain candidates for Nebraska’s vacant head coaching job (i.e. Frost, Scott) would not (and should not) have a potential advantage because they know the lay of the land and what makes this unique and highly passionate fan base tick.  Certainly, there are advantages to be gained through this – but there are also landmines too.  Any baggage from your previous connections will be waiting for you at your destination.

Call me crazy, but I don’t really care if the coaches we hire are former players.  I care if they can lead a team, coach their position, develop talent, and recruit new talent.  Put it this way:  who do most fans think was the better coach – Barney Cotton (Nebraska native, former Husker player, and UNL grad) or Milt Tenopir (none of the above)?  Exactly.

Eichorst Removes Us From Bo-gatory

Thanks for stopping by!  While I am very grateful for those who take the time to read my work, I would greatly it if you read this one on HuskerMax.com.  

Why?  As a writer for the site, I earn a fraction of a penny per page view.  And with three mouths to feed, and a poor wife who becomes a football widow 12 Saturdays a year, I need those penny parts to keep everybody happy.  

Thank you,

Feit Can Write

State of the Huskers Survey

In the wake of Nebraska’s back to back losses, there has been a lot of talk about where the Nebraska program is, where it should be, and what it will take to get it there.

Strong opinions are easy to find – especially if you are down on Pelini and/or his staff.  But I wonder if all voices are being heard.  Are there folks who think these are isolated losses, so any talk about firing coaches and benching players is unwarranted?

There are some tough questions floating around right now.  Some very difficult choices need to be made, many of which will likely shape the direction and perception of this program for years to come.  So to get an accurate pulse of Husker Nation, I want to know what ALL fans think – not just the ones who spew hot takes on message boards, Twitter, and radio shows.

I encourage you to take the following anonymous survey covering several aspects of the 2014 Huskers, the coaching staff, the direction of the program, and some other questions

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HuskerSurvey

Once the results are in, I’ll report back on the numbers and try to find some consensus.

 

 

Quotaggedon

The days following Nebraska’s blowout loss at Wisconsin have been anything but dull.  One of the prevalent themes I’ve noticed are fans and media reacting (or in some cases, overreacting) to things said by coaches and players.  Here are four quotes that have been triggered the most reaction this week:

From Josh Mitchell on if NU should wear their Blackshirts in practice this week*:

“Personally, no I don’t think we should (wear them).  I think they stand for something better than we put out on film. I think it would kind of just be a disgrace to the former players who earned the right to wear them if we went out and wore them at practice this week.”

*It is worth noting that Mitchell was one of a handful of defensive starters who wore their Blackshirt to practice later the same day, which certainly played a big role in this quote getting legs.

From Jake Cotton on why the offensive line tends to commit false start penalties in big games:

“You’re just so dialed-in to what you’re going to do during the play.  You gotta take this footwork, you gotta do this, you gotta do that. And so I think when you’re thinking about all that stuff, you kind of get tunnel vision, and that’s when it hurts you.

“The lack of concentration isn’t that we were just thinking about class or girls or anything like that. It’s that we were thinking about the play and should have been more dialed-in to the snap count.”

From Kenny Bell on talk that Pelini should be fired:

“Anybody who says (Pelini) needs to go is crazy.  It’s literally insane. If nine wins, 10 wins isn’t good enough for you, man, I don’t know who you should be a fan of, honestly.

“The guy can’t do much more but win. Obviously, we want conference championships. But sometimes it’s not in the cards. It’s not easy to come out and win every single week.

“Give me a break. It’s absurd. It’s like me telling the mailman since he missed my mail a day, or dropped one in the snow, he should be fired. It blows my mind sometimes, the way people think.”

And finally, from Bo Pelini responding to a caller to his radio who asked about the direction of the program:

“If that isn’t the right direction, then you have a conversation with Shawn Eichorst and they’re free to go in another direction.”

I’m sure you can imagine the amount of hot takes, Twitter rage, indignant calls to sports talk shows, and pontificating that resulted from those quotes.

I’ll freely acknowledge that I probably could opine for 2,000 words on each one of these quotes.

But that would make me a hypocrite considering what I’m about to write…

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It is completely understandable that after an ugly loss, fans and media will try to look for answers.  They’ll try to find root causes, seek evidence to support their theories, or try to find ammunition to further their agenda about the program and its leadership.  But reading too much into a single quote – especially when you may not know the context or inflection with which it was said – is dangerous territory.

The example I’ll give is the infamous “we don’t need him” quote from Pelini after the 2013 UCLA game – where the “him” in question was Husker legend Tommie Frazier.  When you read those four words, they smack you right in the face, and force you to take notice – which is why media outlets who are primarily concerned about clicks, page views, and web traffic used that quote in their headline.

But…

Did you ever hear the audio of Pelini saying those words?  He was not particularly forceful, not in Angry Bo mode, nor did it appear as if he had those remarks cued up and ready to go.*

*Which was a separate mistake that I discussed here.

In the audio, he pauses and stammers and it appears as if he momentarily searches for a way to better articulate his feelings before saying “we don’t need him”.  That’s not me being a Pelini apologist, that is factual.  (And if you really want to look at things from an impartial standpoint – instead of one that is reverent to an all time great – to a certain extent, Pelini had a point – but is a separate conversation)

The point is, blind reaction to quotes without knowing context is a fool’s game.  Yet, how often do we seek out the context of a quote or listen/watch it being said before we react?

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One of the other things that stuck in my craw after Saturday’s loss was the tweets from a handful of Nebraska media members who made a point of noting that no defenders chose to speak to the media, nor did quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Jr.  The way these tweets came across, it felt to me like these players were being called out for ducking the media, with the implication being that by not talking they were failing as team leaders.

Certainly, I can understand this from a media perspective.  If I am relying on player quotes to round out my article or highlight package that has to be done on a tight deadline, it must be frustrating to not get any useful material.  I would want to be able to quote the quarterback or the captains – not the punter.

But as a fan?  I don’t lose sleep over a lack of generic noise (“we had a good week of practice”, “we need to go get ready for a very tough team next week”, “tip your cap to Wisconsin”).  For the most part, the sound bytes they get are filler with no nutritional value.

Unless those sound bytes contain something a little too honest, a little too juicy, or something that can be interpreted in multipe ways.  Then, that media member has suddenly stumbled on the foundation for a separate article, column, or radio segment,,,

*   *   *

If I were a college football player, I would really question what is the benefit for me to talk to the media.

Giving interviews isn’t going to help my grades, get me more playing time, help me win awards, or boost my draft stock.  I can’t (legally) make money off my name, likeness, or sales of my jersey number, so being active with the media isn’t going to make me more marketable.

I’ve already been a highly touted athlete for years, so seeing my name in the paper or my face on TV probably is not as big of a thrill as it once was.  Maybe a cute girl sees me on TV and hits me up on Facebook or Twitter, but as a big time college athlete, meeting girls is probably not a big issue for me.

Seriously, why should athletes talk to the media?

I’ve heard some fans and media members who say that players need to be “accountable” by talking after games.  Giving interviews shows “leadership”, “integrity”, and other inspirational adjectives that make middle-aged guys feel good.

When a player declines an interview request after a game (win or lose) some fans and media are quick to call him out and make thinly veiled swipes at his leadership and maturity (see also: Martinez, Taylor).  But when that player does speak, we’re all too quick to put his words under the microscope or run them through some super computer to filter out clichés and check for sincerity,  signs of dissent, or other hidden messages that may be lurking between the lines.

It is a ridiculous double standard.  Why should a player have to deal with that?

*   *   *

Wednesday morning, Mike Schaefer co-hosted the Sharp & Benning radio show.  During a discussion about Bell’s remarks, he Schaefer offered an excellent (and telling) opinion:

“We (the fans and media) elevate a spur of the moment quote from an 18-22 year old kid.”

“(As a professional who covers the team) I put too much weight on a kid that is 21 that is probably thinking when I’m asking him the question ‘I wonder what they have at the training table for dinner tonight?  I hope it’s this’ or ‘I can’t wait to see my girlfriend’.

“I don’t think they actively sit and think about the questions of which we ask them as much as we actively sit and rehash the 12 second quote that comes out of it.  Which is how you end up with players saying things like Josh Mitchell…And then you have people going on tirades on the message board.

“So much gets made of these quotes of in the moment situations for guys that are 18-22 that aren’t putting as much thought into it when they say it, as people are in evaluating every single line in that quote.”

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My purpose in writing this is not to say that we should stop interviewing student athletes.  We do learn a lot about these young men through the interviews and profile pieces done by the talented journalists in the Nebraska press corps.  Likewise, I’m not saying that we ignore or discount the things student athletes say in their interview and press conferences.  There are important insights than can be gleaned and valuable pieces of information that can be ascertained – even if the messenger is thinking more about that hottie in Econ than he is on the impact his words may have when they hit the front page of the Sports section tomorrow morning.*

*And maybe, another action item is for the Athletic Department to make sure their student athletes have some media training / public speaking experience under their belt before they are released into the land of microphones and smart phones.  Teach them to think before they speak, consider the impact of their words, and help them understand the role the media plays – and how that can benefit the player and program.  

I would hope (if not assume) that the University is already doing this, but if you have senior captains saying things that make folks inside the program cringe, it might be worth increasing your efforts.

In my opinion, the pendulum on how we as fans and consumers of the Nebraska Football media machine has swung too far to one side.  We look for “gotcha” moments and words that support our pet theories instead of taking what a player says at face value.  It is a behavior that could ultimately threaten the type and amount of access and information we crave.  So stop over-analyzing every word to come out of a 20-year-old kid’s mouth.

You can quote me on that.

Badgers, Beat-downs, and Bo-gatory

Thanks for stopping by!  While I am very grateful for those who take the time to read my work, I would greatly it if you read this one on HuskerMax.com.  

Why?  As a writer for the site, I earn a fraction of a penny per page view.  And with three mouths to feed, and a poor wife who becomes a football widow 12 Saturdays a year, I need those penny parts to keep everybody happy.  

Thank you,

Feit Can Write

Northworst or Northbest?

Thanks for stopping by!  While I am very grateful for those who take the time to read my work, I would greatly it if you read this one on HuskerMax.com.  

Why?  As a writer for the site, I earn a fraction of a penny per page view.  And with three mouths to feed, and a poor wife who becomes a football widow 12 Saturdays a year, I need those penny parts to keep everybody happy.  

Thank you,

Feit Can Write

Husker Hot Takes – 10/22/2014

A heaping helping of hot takes to get you through until Halloween…

Bo Pelini thinks the ESPN / SEC relationship is “bad for college football”.
I won’t argue Bo’s point, as it remains to be seen just how much ESPN’s love affair with the SEC impacts the game.  But I hate to see the coach give fuel to the message board conspiracy theorists who believe every announcer hates Nebraska, and ESPN disrespects the Big Ten and every other conference north or west of Columbia, MO.

Look:  You and I may sometimes forget it, but I guarantee that ESPN always knows the “E” in their name stands for “Entertainment”, not Ethics, Equality, or anything else.  ESPN wants viewers (which leads to higher cable fees and more ad dollars).  They get those viewers by promoting and talking about winning teams.  And right now, the SEC (as a whole) is widely viewed as a winning team.

This is nothing new.  Before their love affair with the SEC began, ESPN fawned all over USC.  And Texas.  And Boise State.  And other top programs before that.  As some of those teams have fallen on hard times, ESPN quickly moves on to the next big thing.  For the most part, this is decided as much by the results on the field as it is by any financial implications ESPN may see from a team or conference’s success.

Remember, ESPN has a big, big stake in Texas’s Longhorn Network, so if the “ESPN only promotes what they own” conspiracy were 100% true, we’d hear a lot more about Texas than we do.  But since Texas is 3-4, and is far from the dominant team they used to be, ESPN’s focus is elsewhere.

I realize all of this gets confusing when SportsCenter is passed off as a news program employing traditional journalism like you’d find on the evening news.  In reality, SportsCenter is little more than highlight packages and talking heads providing their own opinions (or, for the tin foil hat crowd, the opinions given to them by ESPN executives) under the branding of Coors Light, Lowe’s, or some new movie.  SportsCenter is a news program much like The Daily Show is a news program:  Some of the things they say may be news to you, but you’re going to get a heavy dose of opinion and commentary that is anything but impartial.  It’s up to you to determine what is factual and what is not.

As for Bo, he’s perfectly fine in his opinion, and I respect him for speaking his mind and reminding everyone that the SEC is closer to the rest of college football than some would have us believe.  Pelini can continue to do his part by repeating what his team did in January:  beating an SEC team in a bowl game.  That is what will sway the perceptions of the SEC’s dominance and the B1G’s ineptitude

Dougie McWildcat’s Appearance Angers Some Fans

Former Creighton standout Doug McDermott appeared in a video wearing a purple Northwestern shirt at the battle for NU.  McDermott said he .had taped the thing a couple of months ago, and was not aware that it would be shown during the Nebraska game.  He also said he was rooting for Nebraska in that game.  I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on both of these (even if I think he should have expected the video to be shown when Nebraska came to Evanston).

Personally,  I don’t really care if McBuckets wants to support Northwestern, Notre Dame, or North Dakota State.  He was born in Iowa, went to college at a school without a football team (insert Jaysker joke here, if you wish), and now lives and works in Chicago.  He is under no obligation to support Nebraska because he went to college within our borders.  If he wants to, great.  If not, I won’t lose sleep over it.

But as a fan of all* Husker teams (and not just the winning ones), I love that he appeared on-screen at the Nebraska game in Wildcat purple.  Let’s face it:  there are Nebraska football fans who root for Creighton instead of Nebraska basketball.  These folks have a variety of reasons for doing this (Creighton alums, Omaha residents, like a beer with their hoops, want to watch a winner, attracted to Jesuit sports, whatever) but those really aren’t important in this context.  My point is these fans exist, and their existence rubs some Husker fans the wrong way.

*Admittedly, “all” is an exaggeration.  While I do want all Husker teams to be successful, to say that I am a diehard cross country fan or longtime supporter of the swimming team would be a lie.  That said, I do actively support NU teams beyond football and men’s basketball (notably, baseball, volleyball, and women’s gymnastics) – even when they are not competing for championships.  For me, it’s more about supporting the team and the university more than it is about identifying myself as a fan of a successful team. 

By having McDermott appear at a Husker event, in the colors of a third school, the folks who root for Creighton and Nebraska had to be a little conflicted, and possibly feel a little awkward.  I like that.  I’ve never understood the idea of a la carte fandom, picking teams from different schools to fit my needs.  So I like that some of these people – call ’em “Jayskers” if you wish – may have been a little uncomfortable during that video.  Kudos to Northwestern for realizing that red + blue = purple.

Pelini Continues to Push for Recruiting Reforms
In addition to his previous suggestion to eliminate National Signing Day, Bo also wants schools to be able to pay for a parent to come along on their child’s visit.  I love Bo’s quote from Monday’s press conference:

“I look at it from a parent standpoint. If a 17, 18-year old kid, is getting ready to make a life-changing decision, his parents should be with him,” Pelini said. “Because most kids, there are a small percentage of kids who are ready to weed out and make their decisions for the right reasons, but you have a large majority of kids who aren’t ready to make that decision because they don’t know what’s important yet. They should have their parents with them. They should have their parents with them to say, ‘it’s not about the uniforms here, bud.’”

Yes, if you want to be cynical about it, Bo is pushing these reforms because he’s lost some talented recruits in part because Mama didn’t want them going so far away from home to play in the middle of a cornfield.  But what he is saying makes perfect sense.  Where you go to college is a big decision in a kid’s life – often the biggest decision an 18-year-old kid has made in his life.  Having Mom and Dad there to provide guidance and recognize the things that a school like NU can provide (tutoring, training facilities, mentoring, etc.) is huge.

Besides, as adidas has proved time and again, it is clearly not about the uniforms here, bud.

Back in Blackshirts
Tuesday afternoon, several members of the Nebraska defense took to the practice field as Blackshirts – the first time the coveted practice jerseys have been issued in 2014.  Not to take anything away from the strong defensive performance in the second half of the Northwestern game, but it sure seems like the timing had more to do with the increased questions about when (or if) the Blackshirts would be issued that popped up in the last week.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the Pelini method of issuing Blackshirts arbitrarily after a midseason game.  Call me a stodgy traditionalist if you must, but I believe the Blackshirts should be issued towards the end of fall camp every year, not in late October.  Period.  If they need to be yanked after an ugly performance, that’s fine, but I disagree with using them as a carrot that the team may or may not reach.

As for the number issued, I don’t have a problem with issuing more than eleven jerseys, especially if you have a handful of key contributors that technically don’t start (such as a nickel back or third down pass rusher).  But I don’t think you need to give the entire two-deep a Blackshirt either.

I’d like to see Pelini and Papuchis embrace the Blackshirts tradition more, and make it a more integral part of the team.  That said, you know NU is having a good season if the logistics of issuing Blackshirts is a topic of conversation.

Husker Baseball gets a jump start on Halloween
The baseball team wrapped up the fall Red/White intrasquad series with all of the players and coaches in costume.  I could describe the awesome variety of costumes, but some of them really need to be seen to be appreciated.  Besides, how often do you get to see somebody in an inflatable Stay Puft Marshmallow Man outfit get an at bat, hear the announcer say “now pitching, Thing 1”, or see a group of costumed baseball players recreate the De’Mornay Pierson-El to Tommy Armstrong, Jr. trick play (with Superman playing the role of Armstrong)?

I love the idea.  The players looked like they were having an absolute blast.  Ditto for the coaching staff – although I’m sure Darin Erstad had to be roasting inside a full Chewbacca costume on an unseasonably warm and sunny day.  It was fun to see the guys show off their personalities and put on a good show for the several hundreds diehard fans who came out (as well as those of us who work downtown and were able to take in a couple of innings over the lunch hour).

Plus, these are the types of things that help a program gain positive national exposure and help make Nebraska look good to recruits.  I hope this becomes an annual tradition.

Spartan Offense

Thanks for stopping by!  While I am very grateful for those who take the time to read my work, I would greatly it if you read this one on HuskerMax.com.  

Why?  As a writer for the site, I earn a fraction of a penny per page view.  And with three mouths to feed, and a poor wife who becomes a football widow 12 Saturdays a year, I need those penny parts to keep everybody happy.  

Thank you,

Feit Can Write

2014 Big Ten Predictions

The Big Ten conference season kicks off in full today.  It’s time to predict how the teams will finish in each division.

This is an exciting year for the conference.  Not because of the two new teams (I want to say Maryland and Rutabaga?), but because we are finally done with the very pompous – and incredibly unhelpful – Legends and Leaders divisions.  Giving in to common sense at last, Jim Delaney has gone with simple, geographic divisions.  Let’s start in the West.

West Division

1. Wisconsin.  I don’t necessarily think the Badgers are the best team in the division, but they do have some good talent led by RB Melvin Gordon.  Most importantly, the de facto division championship game against Nebraska is in Madison.  That game will likely decide who gets to go to Indianapolis.
2. Nebraska.  The Cornhuskers have strong candidates for Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year (RB Ameer Abdullah and DE Randy Gregory, respectively).  They have strong talent as most of the other positions, and Bo Pelini appears to be turning a corner as a coach.  So why is NU not in the top spot?  There are concerns about depth (the defense looked rather ordinary without Gregory), but mostly it is about Big Red’s schedule.  Road games at Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Iowa all will prove challenging.
3. Iowa.  Speaking of schedules, the Hawkeyes likely have the easiest path to the title.  The concern with the Hawkeyes is they may not have the arsenal to match Wisconsin and Nebraska.  That said, Iowa tends to be a much better team in November than they are in September.
4. Minnesota.  The Gophers took some big strides in 2013, including an impressive win over Nebraska and bowl appearance.  The next step is to finish in the top half of the division.  I don’t know if Minnesota has the pieces to do that, but they are capable of beating anybody in the division.
5. Northwestern.  Admittedly, the last three spots are a bit like picking the prettiest wart on a frog.  I’m not sure that Northwestern is the prettiest, but I think Pat Fitzgerald is the best coach of the bottom three.  That counts for something, right?
6. Illinois.  The Illini have not been very impressive so far in 2014, and their 3-1 record has been done largely with smoke and mirrors.  Yet, they get the benefit of the doubt for not  being Purdue.
7. Purdue.  This team was the worst of the Leaders, and I feel confident in saying that they will be the lest of the West – unless Illinois is really, really bad.

East Division

1. Michigan State.  The Spartans are easily the best team in the conference, and despite the loss to Oregon, they should not be ruled out of the CFB playoff – especially if they dominate the conference offensively and defensively.
2. Ohio State.  Truth be told, I’d really like to put Penn State here, but Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes have a stellar conference record the last few years.  Until it’s proven they cannot keep winning Big Ten games, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.
3. Penn State.  New coach James Franklin is the rock star of the conference, and his team is playing with his confidence and swagger.  QB Christian Hackenberg is developing into a top flite quarterback, but the sanctions will hurt depth over the long haul of a season.
4. Rutgers.  Admittedly, I know very little about the new kids on the block.  But Rutgers (I want to say they are the Scarlet Pumpernickels?) has played well in their first four games, including a narrow loss to Penn State.
5. Indiana.  Here’s something you don’t see every day:  The Hoosiers easily have the best win in the B1G non-conference season (a victory over a ranked SEC team, no less).  Even if that SEC team is Mizzou, it’s still a big feather for a conference that needs all the positive praise it can get.  Now, will that translate into conference success?  I’d like the Hoosiers’ chances much more if they were in the West.
6. Maryland.  Like Rutgers, I’m not very familiar with Maryland (if only I had done that ACC power ranking last year…).  Like Rutgers, Maryland has also played well in their first four games, although losing to West Virginia may be telling.
7. Michigan.  The good news from Michigan’s non-conference slate:  they did not lose to FCS Appalachian State.  The bad news:  pretty much everything else.  Things are going to get much worse in Ann Arbor before they get better.  Big Ten fans outside of Ann Arbor should try to stifle their smiles.

Big Ten Championship:  If these predictions hold to form, we’re looking at Michigan State and Wisconsin matching up in Indy.  I like the Spartans to win by 17 points.

Dark horse prediction:  Nebraska and Ohio State face off in an epic battle ending in a heartbreaking loss for Husker fans.