10 things I'm absolutely overreacting to after Week 8 in the B1G
Before any game kicked off on Saturday, we all collectively looked at the schedule and sighed. On paper, Week 8 was far from the most entertaining of the season.
Since we’re all weirdos and obsessively passionate about this sport, we sucked it up and had both televisions dialed in for a full day of college football. Boy, was that the right move.
Illinois and Penn State set an NCAA record, Navy almost upset Cincinnati, Wake Forest and Army scored a total of 126 points in a 60-minute game and Kansas almost won a game of American football and was allowing fans free entry!
Do you need further evidence that college football is the greatest sport in the world? Well, if you’re a non-believer and need more convincing, I’ve got some overreactions I’d like for you to check out.
Complaining about ILL-PSU? Kindly shut up…
I’m going to briefly borrow Peter Griffin’s, “Grinds my Gears” segment for those speaking poorly of Saturday’s incredibly entertaining 9-overtime game in State College. Quite honestly, it was one of the most thrilling games of the B1G season — at least during that soccer-style shootout.
To be entirely honest, and provide a little TMI, I was sweating watching Penn State and Illinois trade punches — even if some of them missed the target. That’s how intense it was. And I didn’t even place any coin on the outcome!
So to see comments like this (see below) was incredibly irritating:
This is the worst five-OT game in college football history.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) October 23, 2021
Do you hate fun?
Look, I understand that it was not the most aesthetically pleasing game to watch, especially if you love high-powered offense. But in that 9-overtime game, we saw two teams putting it all on the line to get a win. It was ugly. It was sloppy. At times, it was cringeworthy. That’s also what made it so beautiful.
So, again, if you’re going to be a naysayer, please stop talking. I’ll gladly take one of those games EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK.
…Unless it’s about the officiating
Where I will give folks a pass is if they have a complaint about the officiating crew from the Penn State-Illinois game. That was ridiculous.
Touchdowns were called back after the point-after team was sent onto the field. The crew missed a fairly obvious roughing the passer penalty and we saw a total conundrum early in the game with a fumble that could’ve resulted in a Penn State touchdown.
It was bad on both sides for the entire game.
For those who watched the Michigan-Nebraska game a few weeks back, it was the same crew who used terms like “disconcerting signals” and “joint possession.”
My condolences to the two fanbases that have to watch this crew in action next.
Sports Betting in Big Ten Country
There is big news coming to the upcoming 2022-23 Big Ten football season (and NFL season). Ohio online sports betting and Maryland sports betting are on the way.
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Bret Bielema, master motivator
Was Bielema’s controversial comments during his weekly presser before the Penn State game actually a kick in the ass to his players? Maybe that was a motivational tool before one of the team’s biggest games of the year.
I’d imagine Bielema is leaning back in a chair, arms crossed and muttering, “I knew what I was doing the entire time,” right about now.
And, to be fair to Bielema, I owe him an apology. I was critical of his press conference comments, which appeared to throw players — particularly offensive linemen — under the bus. But he showed the team the entire transcript, reiterated that his quotes were taken out of context and led his team to a damn victory in State College.
Well done, Bert.
“Hello darkness, my old friend”
Indiana’s season can be summed up in two hilarious (yet also unbelievably sad) photos from Bloomington on Saturday night:
— Brandon Beam (@BrandonBeam971) October 24, 2021
You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? These two photos might need further appraisal, because they’re probably worth a lot more than that.
We should have known this season was doomed from the first time we saw “Indinia” written across the jersey. It’s been nothing but Bad News Bears since then.
Oh, the Hoosiers lost 54-7 to the Buckeyes, by the way.
For Chryst sake, Purdue
Purdue has never had the best set up for opposing teams. Post-game pressers have typically been held outside the locker rooms, and everyone remembers Jim Harbaugh’s epic gripes about the conditions back in 2017. But an image from Paul Chryst’s presser was actually pretty telling.
Instead of a postgame press conference, Chryst looks like a lumberyard foreman answering questions about a forklift accident that occurred on the lot. Even got the Caterpillar advertisement in the backdrop!
One of our more, um, unique postgame setups…#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/Y07ZlWtyvF
— Brian Mason (@Brian_Mason) October 23, 2021
I’ll admit, this really doesn’t bother me that much. It’s not Purdue’s j0b to make the opposing team feel too comfortable, and there might even be worse conditions somewhere in college football (I have no idea).
That doesn’t mean this isn’t funny, though.
Also, if Chryst ever steps away from football, he would probably thrive as a lumberyard foreman. I don’t know why, maybe it’s the hoodies and crewnecks.
R(T)B U?
Is Minnesota the new Running Back U? I mean, the Gophers already have that RTB (Row The Boat) mantra going, why not mix it up just a little for recruiting purposes.
On a serious note, there are 5 Minnesota running backs who have toted the ball for over 100 yards in a game this season. Ky Thomas and Mar’Keise Irving did it on Saturday against Maryland. Bryce Williams hit triple digits against Nebraska. Mohamed Ibrahim was at 163 against Ohio State before going down with an injury. Trey Potts hit the century mark 3 times before suffering a season-ending issue against Purdue.
What’s that tell us? Minnesota’s running backs are pretty (expletive) good. Sorry for the language, but it’s been incredible to see the Gopher ball carriers embrace the “next man up” mentality.
Blake Cor…um where did you get those shades?
Blake Corum has more swagger than you. Don’t believe me? How about this look after pummeling Northwestern’s run defense for 4 quarters on Saturday in Ann Arbor.
He’s taking Harbaugh’s comparison to the “X-Men” to an entirely new level. I love it.
Blake Corum — Terminator look? pic.twitter.com/3DSzG0cAAR
— angelique (@chengelis) October 23, 2021
Unfortunately, I was not in the room after Michigan’s win over Northwestern on Saturday. If I was, I would’ve asked two questions, neither of which would’ve had anything to do with the game:
- Where did you get those shades?
- Do you think I could pull it off?
We all know the answer the second question. I could not.
Why are you poking the bear, Michigan?
The sins of the few cause the punishment of the many. That’s all that ran through my head when I saw Michigan’s marching band trolling Ohio State over the weekend. It seems … like a bad idea, to say the least.
If you missed it, Michigan’s band had some pretty harmless fun with the slightest of shades (not Corum’s, though) thrown at Ohio State. A formation demonstrated Ohio State missing a cup in a game of beer pong — a hit game for all the college youths these days. Uhhh, who are 21 or older, of course.
Of course, the skit (or whatever you call it) wouldn’t be concluded unless Michigan made its shot. That’s pretty much it. Though it’s harmless, I still don’t like it for the Maize and Blue on the field, with the Wolverines having not beaten the Buckeyes in their last 8 tries.
Michigan marching band just performed a beer pong skit with an Ohio State ping pong ball missing the cup and a Michigan ball going in the cup. pic.twitter.com/yBRJqdSA7i
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) October 23, 2021
I don’t know how, but Ryan Day is almost certainly going to turn that into bulletin board material. They still use bulletin boards in college locker rooms, right?
So, if Michigan drops No. 9 to Ohio State, Harbaugh may have to have a stern confirmation with the band director.
About that 36.5-point over/under
This actually is your grandfather’s B1G football!
Circa Sports released the opening lines for Week 9 games on the college football docket, and we discovered the most B1G spread of all. The Iowa-Wisconsin over-under is set at 36.5. Both Ohio State and Michigan are averaging more points per game through 7 contests than that.
Tighten up the cleats, break out the neckrolls and pull down the crop-top jersey over those giant shoulder pads. This is going to be a smash-mouth football game between the Hawkeyes and Badgers that will make you think we’re playing in 1986.
Time to normalize asking coaches about Halloween candy
Everyone wants to hear about the game, I get it. But do you see what kind of amazing answers we receive when we ask coaches questions outside of football?
We need more reporters like ESPN’s Alyssa Lang asking the truly difficult questions. Like what kind of Halloween candy is Mike Leach’s favorite?
The content we all need. Mike Leach talking about candy. pic.twitter.com/y6H42hMhJe
— Matt Burns (@Burnsy381) October 23, 2021