BleedGopher
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per ESPN:
It’s not exactly a new development that the powerhouses in the Big Ten are capable of putting together top-20 classes, as all four of those programs did on the first Wednesday in February this year. But for those involved in the process, there has been a noticeable shift in philosophies as the league tried to rebound from a couple lean years that had turned it into somewhat of a punchline. And perhaps with a couple exceptions for some unorthodox methods used by his rival, the man who helped lead the charge is relishing the rise of both the Big Ten and the improved competition.
“In 2012, I was kind of shocked,” Meyer said. “I came from the SEC, where it was very aggressive recruiting. When I say aggressive recruiting, I’m not saying rules violations. I’m not saying that. Your job as the football coach at Ohio State University is to go represent Ohio State with class, integrity and get the best football players in the country. What’s happened, you see in the Big Ten right now, everything from stadium atmospheres to money being spent on coaching staffs, as a result you’re seeing some excellent football teams competing at the highest level. Is that good for the Big Ten? Go ask [commissioner Jim] Delany how it’s going. It’s going pretty well; we have great football programs in the Big Ten Conference.”
At the top, there’s no really no doubt about that anymore after a national championship in 2014 from Ohio State and three bids to the New Year’s Six from the Big Ten in 2015.
The next step, though, is building more depth behind the conference elite if it’s going to truly stack up with the SEC.
“The top of the league, it’s a street fight,” Meyer said. “It’s a street fight. It’s not quite top-to-bottom yet, but they’re coming. I can’t talk about the Pac-12 because I wasn’t in that league, and I understand the Big 12 and the ACC are all very good.
“But right now it’s still the SEC, and I think top to bottom, we’re not where the SEC is yet. However, the top is pretty close.”
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post...ting-helping-to-shrink-the-gap-behind-the-sec
Go Gophers!!
It’s not exactly a new development that the powerhouses in the Big Ten are capable of putting together top-20 classes, as all four of those programs did on the first Wednesday in February this year. But for those involved in the process, there has been a noticeable shift in philosophies as the league tried to rebound from a couple lean years that had turned it into somewhat of a punchline. And perhaps with a couple exceptions for some unorthodox methods used by his rival, the man who helped lead the charge is relishing the rise of both the Big Ten and the improved competition.
“In 2012, I was kind of shocked,” Meyer said. “I came from the SEC, where it was very aggressive recruiting. When I say aggressive recruiting, I’m not saying rules violations. I’m not saying that. Your job as the football coach at Ohio State University is to go represent Ohio State with class, integrity and get the best football players in the country. What’s happened, you see in the Big Ten right now, everything from stadium atmospheres to money being spent on coaching staffs, as a result you’re seeing some excellent football teams competing at the highest level. Is that good for the Big Ten? Go ask [commissioner Jim] Delany how it’s going. It’s going pretty well; we have great football programs in the Big Ten Conference.”
At the top, there’s no really no doubt about that anymore after a national championship in 2014 from Ohio State and three bids to the New Year’s Six from the Big Ten in 2015.
The next step, though, is building more depth behind the conference elite if it’s going to truly stack up with the SEC.
“The top of the league, it’s a street fight,” Meyer said. “It’s a street fight. It’s not quite top-to-bottom yet, but they’re coming. I can’t talk about the Pac-12 because I wasn’t in that league, and I understand the Big 12 and the ACC are all very good.
“But right now it’s still the SEC, and I think top to bottom, we’re not where the SEC is yet. However, the top is pretty close.”
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post...ting-helping-to-shrink-the-gap-behind-the-sec
Go Gophers!!