Big Ten Conspiracies: How The NCAA & SEC Ruined Michigan's 2014-2015 Season

A nice little joke piece looking at a conspiracy about Michigan basketball.  FYI, not serious.

Big Ten Conspiracies: How The NCAA Ruined Michigan's 2014-2015 Season (Satire) http://t.co/z98S8vjDUT
— Thomas Beindit (@tbeindit) May 8, 2014

The SEC Fallacy And The Big Ten

There are a variety of reasons I am writing this article today, but chief among them is a recent article I read on ESPN regarding the Big Ten's current state (yes, I know it's ESPN).  After numerous upsets over the past two weekends, fans and writers have begun their annual write-off of the Big Ten and anointment of the SEC as the nation's greatest college football conference.  Granted, it's only two weeks into the season and the Big Ten still has several undefeated teams, but the momentum already seems to be going towards ripping on the Big Ten.

Before I address this argument and whether I believe it has merit, I want to point out a few things.  First, what determines the "best" college football conference.  Let's look at last season and particularly the bowl season.  The SEC clearly had the top teams.  Sending two teams to the national championship game and having several others in pretty big bowls.  However, they did not send the most teams to bowls for any conference and did not have the highest winning percentage of any conference.  For a conference that is anointed as the best on a yearly basis, those shed at least some doubt.

The Big 10 - Pac 12 Failure

The other day it was announced that the Big Ten/Pac-12 pact was dissolved. After the agreement was reached, Michigan scheduled a home-and-home contest with Utah. Now, Michigan is still holding up to their side of the bargain, and MSU will still play Oregon, but the annual 12 games a season between the two is off. So let's examine some particulars:


1. Sources say 4 teams from the Pac-12 were unwilling to agree to the scheduling. I don't know which 4 teams they were, but from what I've heard, Lane Kiffin and USC were major proponents against it. USC has become the perennial powerhouse of the conference since Pete Carroll took over in the early 2000s. And if Kiffin and USC balk at it, others would have certainly joined in. I know it hasn't been said, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Arizona and RichRod were part of this as well. Rich couldn't beat Big Ten teams when he coached inside the conference and he probably knows he would have a lesser chance now. Not to mention being mocked every time he played against the Big Ten.

BCS Playoff--Fair For The Big Ten?

Yesterday, headlines were made when a proposed BCS playoff system "model" was submitted by league commissioners. Supposedly, the commissioners came to an agreement on a 4 team, seeded playoff system that would hopefully begin in 2014. Though many of the details involved with this new postseason model remain unresolved , the commissioners will present their recommendation to a committee of university presidents that is scheduled to meet in Washington next Tuesday. The 12-member BCS presidential oversight committee, chaired by Virginia Tech President Charles Steger, still must approve the four-team playoff before it goes into effect.
   
As for selecting the teams, Scott and ACC Commissioner John Swofford indicated there has been serious discussion about implementing a selection committee similar to the NCAA tournament in men’s and women’s basketball.  A key issue will revolve around who exactly will be on the proposed committee and how much weight they would give to winning a conference championship and strength of schedule. Revenue sharing must also be resolved in the coming months.