Each of the past three weekends, and probably much of the season, two Big Ten coaching icons have taken turns rolling over in their graves.
Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes, once the proud patriarchs of the Big Ten Conference spanning the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, and two of the most competitive coaches sports will ever see, would certainly be disappointed with a great many things that have occurred within the conference over the past year.
Let us begin with the dismay of Schembechler. Things were looking good this year for the Wolverines. First-year Michigan coach Brady Hoke had led the program to a 6-0 start, and talk of an undefeated run to the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game was beginning to spread. The toughest test of Michigan’s season lay ahead in the form of Michigan State. Bo would have almost laughed at the prospect of facing the Spartans.
During his 21 years at Michigan, Schembechler compiled a record of 17-4 against Michigan State, hardly a rivalry when the series was so easily dominated by the Wolverines. But Bo’s nightmare became a reality last Saturday. Michigan’s unblemished record was scarred on the road, and the sweep was complete. For the fourth straight season, Michigan State defeated its more heralded in-state brethren. The 2012 Michigan State senior class will forever be able to brag about its conquest of Michigan during its tenure.
Schembechler lost a total of 24 conference games in his entire career at Michigan; the thought of losing four games to the same team in four years could surely torment his resting soul.
How about Schembechler’s mentor, and later nemesis, Woody Hayes? It would seem if such a catastrophe could happen to Michigan, nothing would disturb Hayes’ rest; after all, Hayes’ hatred of the Wolverines often caused him to refuse mentioning the name “Michigan,” instead preferring to call his greatest rival ‘”that team up north.”
The success Ohio State appeared to be having year in and year out was about to come to a screeching halt with the discovery that marquee Buckeye players had been accepting improper benefits and would be suspended for a portion of the 2012 season. Then it was discovered that former and arguably the best coach Ohio State had seen since Hayes, Jim Tressel, lied about having knowledge of the situation to the NCAA.
And the rest is history. Star quarterback and suspendee Terrelle Pryor decided to enter the NFL supplemental draft, and Tressel resigned. Ohio State was forced to vacate all 12 wins from 2010, including its Sugar Bowl win, due to ineligible players.
Now in 2011, Ohio States sits at 4-3 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten Play, licking its wounds, not resembling anything reminiscent of Woody Hayes’ program or Ohio State.
The two coaches served as symbols of greatness for their football programs. Schembechler led the Wolverines to 13 Big Ten Championships, and Hayes matched that, along with three national titles.
That leads me to the all-encompassing reason for why these historical figures would be filled with such deep disappointment if either were around today.
The Big Ten has turned into a bit of a joke when it comes to football. As much as I hate to feel this way and point it out, the simple fact of the matter is that it is hard to argue against.
I am certainly not the first to say it. SEC fans have been claiming it for years, while we have whole-heartedly defended our conference, striving to believe – or perhaps convince ourselves – that the Big Ten is really on the same level as the SEC or even the Big 12. The computers have said it emphatically with the release of the initial 2011 BCS standings. But for the clearest indication, just look at the Big Ten’s bowl game record over the past five seasons: 12-24 (.333). Ouch!
Only three schools from the Big Ten have won national championships since Woody Hayes’ last in 1968: Joe Paterno and Penn State in 1982 and 1986, Lloyd Carr and Michigan in 1997 and Tressel and Ohio State in 2002. That is pretty suspect variety and frequency when you consider the SEC has won five national titles in a row with four different teams.
I am proud to be a Badger and could not be more thrilled about the opportunity to run the table in the Big Ten and compete for a spot in the national title game, but everybody knows if two other teams from the SEC or Big 12 conferences finish undefeated with Wisconsin, we get the consolation prize of the Rose Bowl. Very nice, but not quite what everyone in Wisconsin is hoping for.
The reason? As clearly pointed out by the computer ranking system of the BCS, Wisconsin simply doesn’t have the same caliber of wins or play a strong enough schedule down the stretch. The latter is because the Big Ten isn’t that good. Wisconsin is the last remaining undefeated team in the Big Ten and the only Big Ten team ranked inside the top 15 (apart from Nebraska, whom the Badgers already dismantled). The best the Badgers can do is try to win by as wide a margin as possible and hope some good teams lose.
Not quite the same methods used by Bo and Woody, who during their 10 years coaching against each other were forced to share a Big Ten title six times. Five of those six years both teams finished ranked in the top 10 in the AP and coaches’ polls. That was competition.
So, Big Ten fans, although I am admittedly putting myself in the line of fire, I hope you are not still kidding yourselves that the Big Ten is a national power. Right now it can’t compete. Hopefully someday that will change, and Bo and Woody will once again be able to be as proud of the Big Ten as when they were chasing national championships themselves.
Brett is a senior majoring in journalism. Think the Big Ten is a pretender in the national scene? Or would Bo and Woody be happy with the kind of football that is being played? Let Brett know at [email protected] or follow him on twitter @basportz.
