To All The Haters and Big Ten Fans!!!!!

Last week, I put together my ELITE EIGHT of college football for this season. And, the fine fans of the Big Ten schools lambasted me for not putting any of their schools amongst the elite. Well, like I said…those schools were in the 9-14 range….but definitely NOT in my top 8. I heard that I don’t know anything about the Big Ten schools….yet I live just outside of Cincinnati…and am force-fed Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan games all year instead of seeing the ACC and Pac-10 games that are on regional coverage elsewhere. Heck, I had to see the OSU-Cincinnati game last week…then OSU-Marshall this week, though the latter turned into quite a game. Again, it isn’t a slight to the Big Ten…it is my honest assessment of the NCAA landscape.

This past weekend, Michigan lost to a bad Notre Dame team. A Notre Dame team that couldn‘t beat a down BYU squad. Then, down the road in Columbus, Ohio State needed a dumb fake FG to beat mighty Marshall [who were embarrassed at home a week ago]. Iowa, a 25 pt favorite, squeaked by Iowa State. Wisconsin didn‘t look good against those mighty UNLV Rebs either. Hey, all of those were wins though.

Purdue did blow up Ball State…and Minnesota lit up Illinois State. Penn State looked bad against a weak BC team; Northwestern was rolled up at home against the Sun Devils. And, UCLA defeated a game Illinois squad. But, give it up to Indiana….who went into Oregon and beat the Ducks in their season opener!!!

BILLYMOON1
I have seen like alot of other people, that you have no Big 10 teams in your list, instead you have teams like Miami, FSU, Texas(where on earth do you get them in the top ten?!?!), and Florida?!?!. 4 teams that didn't make it too the Big game last year, Miami is the closest to that, and they are very overrated by EVERYBODY. FSU doesn't have a Quarterback, Texas hasn't ever beaten the Sooners in the past couple of years(in fact i think they were blown out last year). They also dont play well enough to be that good. And Florida? You've got to be kidding me, what were they 8-5 last year? The days of Florida domminence are gone, with the loss of Miami's Seniors over the past two years, the loss of Steve S. from Florida, and the fact that FSU got beat by CLEMSON last year, kinda shows that. I'll give you a top 10 that's more like this:

1. University of Southern Cal
2. University of Georgia
3. Oklahoma
4. (tie) University of Michigan
(tie) The Ohio State University
6. LSU
7. University of Miami(OH)
8. University of Miami(FL)
9. West Virginia
10. Purdue

Miami-OH in the Top 10??!?!?? NEXT!!!!

PETE101945
you need to drink more of what you have been drinking, the big ten should have two teams in what you call the top 8.
you had to be drunk when you watched games this week end or what we all think is true, that you really don't have an idea of what you are saying.

I don‘t drink, actually….and if you saw the Big Ten this weekend….you‘ll see why I don‘t have any of them in my Elite Eight. Thanks for your input, however.

KEMFAM1
What about the Wolverines? They got to be in the top 8. I know they have a young QB but they still have to be there.

HOLTCD
Most of you are right. The Big Ten (11) rarely gets the respect they deserve. Anyone following college football in recent years would see Ohio State and Michigan in this "top 8" group. GO BUCKS!!!

DNLSERAFINI
Where are all of you Big Ten Teams? The Big Ten is just as strong as ever and several teams should be up in that mix including Ohio State, Michigan, and Iowa. Ohio State may have lost some players on both sides of the ball but it looks as if they are going to be just as strong as before. Ohio State all the way!

DARBY2v
Looks like the same typical stuff that all the other sports fans put out. Of course this list excluded any team from the Big 10, but again, nothing new. Georgia will end up losing 3 games this year though.

TEUFE1314
michigan gets no respect, yet still wins. Michigan needs to be on the list, higher than Florida, higher than FSU!

Again....good calls!!

UNIBERG
LSU is not the team it was last year.....as we saw this past Saturday....Oregon State is again a "spoiler team".....and will hurt many other bowl bound teams.... of course the PAC10 was again ignored....except for USC......the top two teams in the PAC10, USC and OREGON will battle for the ROSE BOWL....but unfortuantely, they do not play each other this year......

Oregon was beaten at home by Indiana. INDIANA!!! Oregon State lost badly to Boise State…which isn’t that big of a shock. California will be the team to battle USC for the Rose Bowl….and they get their shot.

VLADI97169
You can tell who ever did this has no football sence what so ever, where is MICHIGAN, Washington, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Why do you guys keep picking all those Florida teams? Just so you can look like IDIOTS at the end of the year. MICHIGAN just man handled a team that had a 14 game,(the longest) win streak in the nation. AHHH DUHH!!! You will see..........................................

I did see….Michigan lose to a bad Notre Dame team. As for “manhandled a team that had a 14 game win streak”….that team is a shell of the team from a year ago. Some guy name Roethlesberger was the QB then, and he’s gone. So, you didn’t BEAT that 14-game winning team. “Where is Washington”??? You gotta be kidding me!! And you smack me about my picks and “football sense“?? As for Iowa and Wisconsin….well neither looked that great this Saturday either…against much inferior opponents.

TBEAR
you forgot the best team in the big 10 and that would be MICHIGAN, very very good football team on both sides of the ball. they have very good quarterbacks (3) all who can start, great recievers, great defence, the running game needs a little work, but still solid. MICHIGAN can beat anybody in the nation. GOOOOO BLUEEEEE. tbear329

Except Notre Dame.

CLEVENGERB
You, as all others (so, dont feel bad) have overlooked, once again, the BUCKEYES. That is all that is needed to be said. Time will prove you, like the many others in the past, that the BUCKEYES are contenders for the Top 5, if not the Top 1. Dont underestimate a BUCKEYE! Don't you read History books???

What does “History Books” have anything to do with this season?? And we all know that OSU players don’t read history books, eh. Well, history tells me that Ohio State waited 34 years for its last championship. So, I guess we’ll see ya in 2038!!

MARINER410
Where did you get your alleged knowledge of football??? From listen to Terry Bow-Down on TV or reading the releases from these schools' SIDs.

Come on...show a little moxie and don't stick with the obvious choices...and thank God you didn't throw ND into the mix.

Yeah. Thank God….or I would have REALLY made those Michigan fans angry!! As for “sticking with obvious choices”….maybe there is a reason they are “obvious”. THEY ARE THE BEST TEAMS!!!!

AIRJOCKIE
You know nothing about college football. You give no respect to LSU but all kinds of respect to weak teams like USC and Miami(Fl). They play in weaker conferences and you talk like it is the second coming. Be a little more objective. LSU is the NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.

Let‘s see….if USC and Miami play in weaker conferences…then isn‘t it more likely for them to breeze thru the season and get to this BCS games??? As for LSU, geez, a #5 spot is “no respect”?? Especially since they have no set QB and their defense is young….not to mention a pretty tough schedule.

TBALLARD05
Obviously you dont know too much about college football! Michigan is a top 5 team, and with the light schedule this year, except for minor potential stumbling blocks against Purdue, Iowa, and Ohio St. they are a Orange Bowl lock!

Light schedule??? They are AT Ohio State and AT Purdue….two of the three teams that will fight with Michigan for the Big Ten title. Well, if Notre Dame tripped them up, then maybe games at Indiana, at Illinois and Minnesota also need to be put in the “stumbling block” category.

DIZANTBOI
Where is Ohio Sate Buckeyes?

They were teetering in my 9-12 range

So, again.....why am I so nuts for not picking Ohio State or Michigan in my top 8???  Yeah, if I extended it to the top 10 or 12...they'd be there...but they aren't my top 10.  So far, my top 8 teams have ZERO losses.  Michigan, already, has one.