The AAC currently has 5 teams in the top 25

[Burrito]

Louisville beat Rutgers yesterday 102-54. The Big Ten found themselves a real gem

[notkirkcameron]

Louisville beat Rutgers yesterday 102-54. The Big Ten found themselves a real gem

They'll fit right in. The Big Ten's entire history is based on thinking they are more successful than they actually are. It's the only culture where naming your divisions "Legends" and "Leaders" wouldn't be laughed out of the room, and where Illinois and Wisconsin qualify as basketball powerhouses. The idea that a school in New Jersey "delivers the New York market" fits right in to this mode of thinking.

The Big Ten has won 10 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments, good enough for fourth place behind the Pac-12, ACC, and SEC. However,only six of those national championships have taken place since the Moon Landing, and three were won by Bob Knight's Indiana. Only one Big Ten team has won the National Championship since 1990 (Michigan State in 2000).

It's not any better on the gridiron. In the BCS era, the Big Ten won one BCS Championship (Ohio State 2002) out of a possible 16. Prior to that title, a Big Ten team had not won an undisputed National Championship since Ohio State in 1968 (Michigan won a split title in 1997, and Nebraska and Penn State both won National Championships while neither was a member of the Big Ten). The Big Ten only put another two teams into the #1 vs. #2 BCS Game (Ohio State in the 2006 & 2007 seasons, where the Buckeyes went 0-2, getting beaten by a cumulative score of 79-38 by Florida and LSU.

[BillikensWin]

Louisville beat Rutgers yesterday 102-54. The Big Ten found themselves a real gem

They'll fit right in. The Big Ten's entire history is based on thinking they are more successful than they actually are. It's the only culture where naming your divisions "Legends" and "Leaders" wouldn't be laughed out of the room, and where Illinois and Wisconsin qualify as basketball powerhouses. The idea that a school in New Jersey "delivers the New York market" fits right in to this mode of thinking.

The Big Ten has won 10 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments, good enough for fourth place behind the Pac-12, ACC, and SEC. However,only six of those national championships have taken place since the Moon Landing, and three were won by Bob Knight's Indiana. Only one Big Ten team has won the National Championship since 1990 (Michigan State in 2000).

It's not any better on the gridiron. In the BCS era, the Big Ten won one BCS Championship (Ohio State 2002) out of a possible 16. Prior to that title, a Big Ten team had not won an undisputed National Championship since Ohio State in 1968 (Michigan won a split title in 1997, and Nebraska and Penn State both won National Championships while neither was a member of the Big Ten).

They only used Leaders and Legends because Felons and Fall Guys tested poorly with focus groups.

[Bill Marsh]

Louisville beat Rutgers yesterday 102-54. The Big Ten found themselves a real gem

They'll fit right in. The Big Ten's entire history is based on thinking they are more successful than they actually are. It's the only culture where naming your divisions "Legends" and "Leaders" wouldn't be laughed out of the room, and where Illinois and Wisconsin qualify as basketball powerhouses. The idea that a school in New Jersey "delivers the New York market" fits right in to this mode of thinking.

The Big Ten has won 10 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments, good enough for fourth place behind the Pac-12, ACC, and SEC. However,only six of those national championships have taken place since the Moon Landing, and three were won by Bob Knight's Indiana. Only one Big Ten team has won the National Championship since 1990 (Michigan State in 2000).

It's not any better on the gridiron. In the BCS era, the Big Ten won one BCS Championship (Ohio State 2002) out of a possible 16. Prior to that title, a Big Ten team had not won an undisputed National Championship since Ohio State in 1968 (Michigan won a split title in 1997, and Nebraska and Penn State both won National Championships while neither was a member of the Big Ten). The Big Ten only put another two teams into the #1 vs. #2 BCS Game (Ohio State in the 2006 & 2007 seasons, where the Buckeyes went 0-2, getting beaten by a cumulative score of 79-38 by Florida and LSU.

I like where you went with this and completely agree.

Just to nitpick on one point. With a state population of 9 million, Rutgers doesn't have to deliver the NY market to bring a very good market in its own right.

With regard to the NY market, the Big Ten has such a big presence with alumni in NY - especially Penn State - that I don't believe their thinking was for Rutgers to bring the NY market but for Big Ten alums to bring a significant chunk of it once they had a local team to get them on cable outlets.

[whiteandblue77]

Louisville is a sham No. 5 in the Coaches poll. Show's you how coaches are afraid of putting Creighton in the top 10. Here's your great Louisville Cardinals:
NON-CONF.SOS:161
NON-CONF.RPI:60
RPI:37
SOS:113
vs. RPI TOP 25: 1-2
vs. RPI TOP 50: 3-4
vs. RPI TOP 100: 3-4
vs. RPI TOP 150: 6-4
vs. RPI SUB 150: 15-0
vs. D1 21-4
Louisville's BEST wins:
43 Nov. 29 Southern Miss 69-38
48 Jan. 12 Southern Methodist 71-63
24 Jan. 18 @ Connecticut 76-64
Number 5?????

[Bill Marsh]

Louisville is a sham No. 5 in the Coaches poll. Show's you how coaches are afraid of putting Creighton in the top 10. Here's your great Louisville Cardinals:
NON-CONF.SOS:161
NON-CONF.RPI:60
RPI:37
SOS:113
vs. RPI TOP 25: 1-2
vs. RPI TOP 50: 3-4
vs. RPI TOP 100: 3-4
vs. RPI TOP 150: 6-4
vs. RPI SUB 150: 15-0
vs. D1 21-4
Louisville's BEST wins:
43 Nov. 29 Southern Miss 69-38
48 Jan. 12 Southern Methodist 71-63
24 Jan. 18 @ Connecticut 76-64
Number 5?????

Agree. It's a joke. Here's RPI Forecast:

1. Arizona
2. Kansas
3. Florida
4. Syracuse
5. VILLANOVA

Funny thing. It's Villanova I see there at #5. Not Louisville. Syracuse-Louisville would make a great Elite 8 game.

6. Duke
7. Wisconsin
8. Wichita State
9. CREIGHTON
10. St Louis

Funny. Another Big East team shows up in the top ten, but again no Louisville. No one at all from the AAC.

17. Cincinnati - first AAC team, suggesting they won't even make it out of the first weekend. But still no Louisville.
24. Louisville - finally making their appearance, barely in the top 25, not the top 5.

If conferences are to be judged by their best teams, the Big East's top 2 teams are way ahead of the top 2 teams in the AAC