Analyst Desmond Howard on NIU

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SelectionSunday

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Desmond Howard got me to thinking last night, specifically regarding ESPN's tired mantra/agenda.

As I was sitting there watching the NIU/Ball State game, listening to Howard doing color, saying, "No disrespect to the Big Ten teams that NIU has beaten, Iowa and Purdue, but this Ball State team is by far the best team they have played this year."

I think Howard was gagging as he read the bullet points from the mother ship (ESPN).

But those are exactly the wins the morons at ESPN are pointing to as to why NIU is ranked ahead of the likes of Michigan State and Wisconsin. So the wins are great if you're NIU, but trash if you're in the Big Ten?

Can't have it both ways, guys. If it's not a good win for a Big Ten team, why is it considered a notch in the belt for an NIU?

To be clear, I understand the Big Ten is nowhere near on par with the SEC and is behind the Pac 12, but it's ridiculous how much grief the Big Ten gets from the mother ship when you look at what the ACC and Big XII have to offer. I would argue at worst the Big Ten is the equal of both those conferences, especially the ACC, which is basically Florida State and Clemson and that's it. And has ESPN taken a look at the ACC's awful record in BCS games since the BCS came into being?
 

SelectionSunday said:
Desmond Howard got me to thinking last night, specifically regarding ESPN's tired mantra/agenda.

As I was sitting there watching the NIU/Ball State game, listening to Howard doing color, saying, "No disrespect to the Big Ten teams that NIU has beaten, Iowa and Purdue, but this Ball State team is by far the best team they have played this year."

I think Howard was gagging as he read the bullet points from the mother ship (ESPN).

But those are exactly the wins the morons at ESPN are pointing to as to why NIU is ranked ahead of the likes of Michigan State and Wisconsin. So the wins are great if you're NIU, but trash if you're in the Big Ten?

Can't have it both ways, guys. If it's not a good win for a Big Ten team, why is it considered a notch in the belt for an NIU?

To be clear, I understand the Big Ten is nowhere near on par with the SEC and is behind the Pac 12, but it's ridiculous how much grief the Big Ten gets from the mother ship when you look at what the ACC and Big XII have to offer. I would argue at worst the Big Ten is the equal of both those conferences, especially the ACC, which is basically Florida State and Clemson and that's it. And have they taken a look at the ACC's awful record in BCS games since the BCS came into being?
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I agree with much of your sentiment but don't really have an issue with the Howard comment. Purdue is garbage this year so calling a Ball State team that is in the hunt in the MAC better than them is almost certainly true. In regards to Iowa, Ball State is probably on par with them overall. I have always viewed the top of the MAC as being equivalent to the middle portion of the Big Ten most years. So with that being said his comment is probably not far from the truth in the grand scheme of things.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I agree with much of your sentiment but don't really have an issue with the Howard comment. Purdue is garbage this year so calling a Ball State team that is in the hunt in the MAC better than them is almost certainly true. In regards to Iowa, Ball State is probably on par with them overall. I have always viewed the top of the MAC as being equivalent to the middle portion of the Big Ten most years. So with that being said his comment is probably not far from the truth in the grand scheme of things.
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What he's saying is you cannot give NIU credit for beating Big10 teams and then in the very next sentence say that Ohio State hasn't beaten anyone all year.
 

thats like saying NIU and OSU beat both Iowa and Purdue that NIU will give OSU a run for its money.
 

I agree that Purdue is garbage. Iowa is not. The Hawkeyes are a solid squad.

If NIU is getting credit for beating Iowa, so should Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin, especially the latter two, who won on the road. Michigan State won @ Iowa City by double digits at a time the Hawkeyes were on a roll. Badgers also won in Iowa City by double-digits. NIU won in Iowa City by 3.
 



Totally agree with the OP on this one. NIU would be a fifth or sixth place team in the Big Ten at best. If Wisconsin gets past the Gophers there is a part of me that would like to see them take apart NIU in the Orange Bowl. They beat the NIU team that won the MAC in 2011 49-7 on a neutral field.
 

Love to see Minnesota take on NIU in the Orange Bowl!
 

Iowa is a pretty good football team. Ferentz stresses a physical brand of football and that's what I saw when they pounded on us. They lack a bit at the skilled positions, but when you play Iowa, you better pack a lunch.
 



badgergopher said:
Totally agree with the OP on this one. NIU would be a fifth or sixth place team in the Big Ten at best. If Wisconsin gets past the Gophers there is a part of me that would like to see them take apart NIU in the Orange Bowl. They beat the NIU team that won the MAC in 2011 49-7 on a neutral field.
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2013 Skunks are not as good as the 2011 Skunks. And NIU wasn't as good that year as they are this year. Not saying you are wrong in saying that NIU would be a middle of the pack B1G team this year, but I don't see the skunks blowing out NIU that way this season.

As for the OP, I think Iowa is a better team than Ball State, but it would probably be a close game. The fact that it is debatable makes it an easy shot for ESPN to take at the B1G. The B1G needs to do well in bowl season this year to start getting more respect.
 

OSU, MSU, and Wisconsin need to deliver in bowl season

fridge2012 said:
The B1G needs to do well in bowl season this year to start getting more respect.
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Absolutely. That's the best way to keep ESPN from talking about their Big Ten bullet points, ad nauseum.

I'd say it's epecially important that Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin deliver wins for the Big Ten in bowl season. If not all wins, at least 2 of the 3. For now those three have separated themselves, and all three are going to draw high-quality opponents. The same likely applies for the Gophers or Nebraska if they end up representing the Legends in the Big Ten title game.
 

fridge2012 said:
2013 Skunks are not as good as the 2011 Skunks. And NIU wasn't as good that year as they are this year. Not saying you are wrong in saying that NIU would be a middle of the pack B1G team this year, but I don't see the skunks blowing out NIU that way this season. As for the OP, I think Iowa is a better team than Ball State, but it would probably be a close game. The fact that it is debatable makes it an easy shot for ESPN to take at the B1G. The B1G needs to do well in bowl season this year to start getting more respect.
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True on all points.
 

To shut up the pundits, I'd like to see the B1G do two things: (1) start winning the bowl games against the top level competition, and (2) start scheduling and winning more out of conference games against the other BCS conferences (especially the top teams in those conferences). SS made the comparison to the ACC and the Big 12. I really wish there was some way our conference could work out a deal like basketball's Big 10/ACC Challenge or hockey's Big 10/Hockey East challenge. Let's see which conference is better top-to-bottom.
 



badgergopher said:
Totally agree with the OP on this one. NIU would be a fifth or sixth place team in the Big Ten at best. If Wisconsin gets past the Gophers there is a part of me that would like to see them take apart NIU in the Orange Bowl. They beat the NIU team that won the MAC in 2011 49-7 on a neutral field.
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Check out what TCU has done since it joined the Big XII. They were a 'BCS Buster' darling like Boise St. when they were in the Mountain West and now they are in the middle of the pack in the Big XII, barely a .500 team in their last two seasons. NIU would struggle greatly in the B1G.
 

BTW Desmond Howard is a terrible analyst! Stick to Gameday
 

Haven't watched much MACtion, but I'd have to imagine Ball St would run PurDONT out of the stadium and have a decent matchup vs Iowa for the first half, maybe 3 quarters before getting pounded into submission by better talent. But I do agree with the original poster's point about giving NIU votes/credit and taking Wisky's/MSU's away.
 

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