Oh, Poor Ohio State

For your consideration, The Experts:


Oh, where to begin.

First of all, just ask Nebraska how bad the Big Ten is. If I recall, it was just a couple years ago when all of the so-called experts vowed that not only would Nebraska have their way with the Legends division every year, but would compete regularly toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes for the Big Ten title.

Neither of those two things have happened, and I would argue it's not because the Big Ten is bad at football. Actually, astonishingly, just the opposite. The Big Ten isn't the SEC – on many levels. And I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who's okay with that.

The Big Ten gets picked on all of the time for not being as good of a conference as some of the others. I think some of the criticism is due in large part to the fact that every time the Big Ten has to travel to a bowl game, they go west or they go south – right into the backyard of whomever they're playing against.

Secondly, if I recall correctly, isn't it Wisconsin who's won 3 Big Ten titles in a row and gone to 3 Rose Bowls? Regardless of how those bowls turned out, it was Wisconsin playing in them, not the Buckeyes.

But Brad, Ohio State went 12-0 last year and was clearly the best team in the Big Ten!!!

Well then they shouldn't have broken the rules that led to them staying home in the first place. It's explicitly because they thumbed their noses at the NCAA and went to the Sugar Bowl in 2011 to beat the Arkansas Razorbacks that they had to go bowless in 2012.

The entire 2010 season had to be vacated...all except the loss to, ahem, Wisconsin.

Look, I get it. The media loves Ohio State. And Urban is the belle of the ball. And if it makes the so-called experts sleep better at night knowing that it's the lowly, amateurish Big Ten that's keeping the Buckeyes from the stardom they so rightfully deserve, then I'd like to mention that it was Ohio State themselves that scheduled Buffalo, San Diego State, Cal and Florida A&M as their non-conference opponents this year.

By stark comparison, the Big Ten schedule is far more challenging than the self-inflicted non-conference slate that Ohio State cooked up for themselves which led to their national ranking dropping from 2nd to 4th in the first 4 weeks of the season.

I, for one cherish the notion that Ohio State is being affected by the national perception that the Big Ten is weak. Not for one second do I think the Buckeyes are good enough to justify their top-5 ranking, and if I had an AP vote, I'd prove it.

Is Ohio State a good team? Of course they are. Are they the best team in the Big Ten? Maybe. But I'm a Michigan blogger. And I'll be damned if I'm not going to at least give my $0.02 when it's comes to "experts" claiming that it's the Big Ten, and not Ohio State themselves, who is hurting their national image more.

Man, I hope they're undefeated when they visit the Big House on November 30th.