The Big Ten image took a hit the last few months including the conference’s 3-5 bowl season record. Not only did the league have a losing record during bowl season for the third time in the last four years, but the New Year’s Day scoreboard was embarrassing when conference teams went 0-5 and were outscored by 105 points.
Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State won their bowl games. The Hawkeyes and Illini pulled off upsets to help the cause and the favored Buckeyes hung on in the closing minutes of an entertaining Sugar Bowl to defeat Arkansas, 31-26. That win ended a Buckeyes 0-9 bowl losing streak against SEC teams.
On New Year’s Day Alabama defeated Michigan State 49-7 and Michigan was also embarrassed losing 52-14 to Mississippi State, historically a runt of a program. Texas Tech beat Northwestern 41-31, Wisconsin lost to TCU 21-19 and Florida defeated Penn State 37-24.
The bowl results were another reminder that the conference, despite its tradition and mighty branding including with the Big Ten Network, is inferior to the SEC, college football’s king. The Big Ten was 1-3 during bowl season against the SEC, a league with better athletes and coaches.
Before bowl season the Big Ten announced that with the addition of 12th member Nebraska later this year the league will have two six team divisions in football named the Legends and Leaders. The league brain trust over-thought this exercise in naming the divisions.
The Legends and Leaders tags were received by Big Ten fans and media about as well as the New Year’s Day scores. In a December 13 article on the Chicago Tribune website Teddy Greenstein wrote: “According to an unscientific poll on ChicagoTribune.com, 6 percent believe Legends and Leaders ‘represent what the Big Ten is all about,’ and 94 percent say, ‘You have to be kidding … is this the best they can do?’ Similarly, 93 percent of those responding to a midwestsportsfans.com poll voted for either ‘terrible’ or ‘it makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon.’ Others opted for ‘awesome’ (2 percent) or ‘indifferent’ (5 percent).”
The Legends Division includes Nebraska, prompting critics to wonder how the newcomer Cornhuskers could deserve Big Ten legendary status. The Leaders Division includes Ohio State and Michigan, leaving observers to wonder how such powerhouses don’t deserve a legends label.