Big Ten Power Poll - Post Week 1

by Bama Hawkeye on Sep 5, 2011 8:47 AM CDT in Big Ten Power Polls

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Let's be honest. Two of the easiest columns to write (and get feedback from your readers) are 1) the power rankings column and 2) the pop culture comparison column. Much like that magical day when somebody got their peanut butter on my chocolate (or did I get my chocolate in her peanut butter?), it was predestined that one day these two great columns would be brought together...

How am I back in this job? I gave this up! And then, Ted Glover goes on vacation and I have to fill in. It reminded me of when Joan Holloway had to go back to covering Don Draper's desk for a while. And that brought me to Mad Men. So let's walk inside the offices of Sterling Cooper and see the Big Ten employees that get us to buy products that we don't need...

(with a huge thank you due to Bama Hawk Girl for making these matches with me)

1. Wisconsin - 118 Points (10 First Place Votes) - Megan Calvet

The new hotness, she's risen to heights not expected. And yet, doing so hasn't quite earned her the respect that she may have anticipated.

2. Ohio State - 107 Points (2 First Place Votes)

Has had a long stretch of success, and likes being the face and name of the company. Just lost a big, long-time account, and it'll be a challenge to see if he can still be the dominant player that he has been.

3. Nebraska - 104 Points - Harry Crane

Made his way in with the big boys by finding a need and filling it. Still not a full partner, doesn't get a vote, and gets ushered out of the room when all of the big decisions are made. Turns bright red in the sun.

4. Michigan State - 79 Points - Ken Cosgrove

He seems to have all the abilities of the other account managers, but there are times he just doesn't play the game as well. Some big lapses left him in a position where he's now a subordinate to those who once were his peers.

5. Penn State - 76 Points - Joan (Holloway) Harris

Knows the tricks, and can handle the office better than anyone else. Knows the power of a red head. Decided to keep the baby, even when many others thought that she shouldn't have (And yes, in this analogy, JoePa is a fetus. How is that for avoiding stereotypes.).

6. Iowa - 72 Points - Peggy Olson

Has risen far above her presumed opportunities by making smart decisions and working harder than everyone else. Seems resigned to the fact that there are limits to how high she can go.

7. Northwestern - 64 Points - Pete Campbell

Comes from money, and is not afraid to use that. Thinks that things should be handed to him and that at some point, everyone will work for him. Hangs out with pretentious frat buddies with names like HoHo. Has a wife/coach who is far better than he deserves and who is really running the show.

8. Michigan - 55 Points - Bertrand Cooper

He started the firm, sold out, and then decided to start again. He gets easily annoyed by the games that Sterling plays, as well as the hubris of the young turks coming up. Has weird issues with shoes.

9. Illinois - 45 Points - Paul Kinsey

At one point, he seemed hip and cutting edge. Looking back, he was utterly dispensable.

10. Minnesota - 29 Points - Fred Rumson

Just when you think that he's about to get a big win, he dribbles it down his pants leg. May be in a more stable place now than where he was a couple of seasons ago.

11. Purdue - 21 Points - Miss Blankenship

Got the job done, but not in the attractive manner that viewers were expecting. Health issues may prove to be too big a burden to overcome. Had a history with Cooper that meant more to her than to him.

12. Indiana - 10 Points - Chauncey Phillips

And in this analogy, Duck Phillips is Jim Delany...

The Big Ten Power Poll was voted upon by the ten writers of this staff. 120 is a perfect score. 10 is the lowest possible total.

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Comments

I guess we're still feeling the effects of preseason hype

because if I’m going solely off of the first game, Michigan State is in the bottom four. Youngstown State had 6 more first downs at halftime, and 20 total for the game (MSU had 21). A 3 win 1AA team a year ago. 6 more first downs at halftime and within 1 score.

"I play for Penn State, we don't celebrate after TDs." - Penn State's Derek Moye, on being asked to act like he's celebrating a TD during a BTN shoot.

by ckmneon on Sep 5, 2011 9:05 AM CDT reply actions

I agree!

MSU should be 9th-after Michigan. The rest of the poll looks ok.

"You have no idea."

by nits4ever on Sep 5, 2011 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm there with you

but I am only one vote.

"Bama Hawkeye, you know, the Iowa blogger who actually uses reason and analysis." - Patrick Vint

http://www.offtackleempire.com

by Bama Hawkeye on Sep 5, 2011 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions

I'll agree, to an extent

I was at the game, and the entire time I was green in the face with nausea. So many missed tackles, so many missed assignments. The right-side of the O-line seemed pretty solid, but the rotation of the LT position made it weaker and I think Cousins knew that so he’d step into traffic to avoid the left side. There were a lot of times when Cousins made a bad play. For example, the TD to Cunningham, as spectacular a catch as it was, if Cousins had done his checkdown, he had his TE Linthicum open on the 5 yard line with no one around him. The D-line wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Hard to get pressure on the QB when most of the snaps are shotgun, and it’s a quick toss to a slant route. As Dantonio said, they nickle-and-dimed MSU with 3-4 yards a play. Their longest play of the game was 21 yards.

But there are some good points to the game. Although Cousins made some bad decisions, he was still his accurate, efficient self. The running game looked solid. Our LB group doesn’t seem to be that big of a drop-off as we’d expected (Bullough was all over the field making tackles).

It was an ugly, disgusting game. I talked to a few of the players after the game, and they said the same thing. But a win is a win, and there are plenty of things for MSU to work on. But they will solidify and get better. Remember how poor they looked against their two non-con last year? They patched up the problems and got a Big Ten championship.

MSU will be fine this year. I expect a big jump in play between now and next week. A week of film study will solve a lot of problems.

Don’t hate on us too much this game :-) You can’t really compare this year’s YSU team to last years, since they had 32 players leave the team last year. The YSU coach himself said that this team is more athletic and faster than last year (I believe his words were “like driving a tractor at a NASCAR race”)

by SpartyFever on Sep 5, 2011 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions

It wasn't the D line's ability that bothered me

it was their complete lack of discipline. YSU started counting on MSU’s D line to overpursue, and they were almost never let down.

Missed tackles, missed assignments, yeah. It’s week 1 and a game that’s hard to get up for, sure, but also a simple playbook against a vastly inferior opponent.

Cousins, Baker, and Cunningham are all great players and played like it, and they probably didn’t play their best.

I’ve said before that I won’t judge MSU too much for this game, largely because MSU started off last season with unimpressive wins over vastly inferior opponents too, and I’ll stick with that. I still think MSU is the Legends Division favorite. That being said, it was one of the least impressive performances of the week in the league.

"I play for Penn State, we don't celebrate after TDs." - Penn State's Derek Moye, on being asked to act like he's celebrating a TD during a BTN shoot.

by ckmneon on Sep 5, 2011 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions

I still think MSU is the Legends Division favorite

As optimistic as I am about MSU, I still have a hard time counting MSU as the Legends Division favorite. Not because they’re not good enough, but because their schedule is pretty brutal. Nebraska has a pretty rough schedule too. If anyone is to be a Legends Division favorite, don’t count out Iowa or (believe it or not) possibly Northwestern.

If MSU can win three out of four of @Neb, @OSU, @Iowa, Wisconsin, I will count them as the Legend’s favorite

by SpartyFever on Sep 5, 2011 5:25 PM CDT up reply actions

I got to 11... then scrolled firther and was like

“12 WTF?!?!”?

then I remembered. Also, to the comments above. Yep MSU looked like doodie. YSU shouldn’t score on ANYONE until the 4th.

HELP IS ON THE WAY

~Banned at ATO since June 3rd, 2011, 2ish PM PST

by SouthBayBuckeye on Sep 5, 2011 9:29 AM CDT reply actions

Yea their TD drive was greatly assisted by MSU. The pass that was reviewed seemed to be unquestionably an interception. Watched it on DVR a few times, but because of the crummy camera angles it couldn’t be overturned. But there is one shot where there is some daylight underneath Adams, and all you can see is an elbow as he’s rotating and the ball is on his chest. But I understand why the refs made that call…can’t for sure say it didn’t hit the ground. Then later on, on 3rd and 6, Gholston jumped offsides which continued YSU’s drive.

It was just a matter of us shooting ourselves in the foot. The botched punt return by Martin also screwed us. MSU had a ton of dumb penalties.

The fortunate thing is that most of the errors can be easily corrected. It’s just a matter of execution.

by SpartyFever on Sep 5, 2011 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions

Bravo on the Olson and Campbell combination there

considering how that was played earlier in the series, it fits just right.

In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.

by Pariahwulfen on Sep 5, 2011 9:42 AM CDT reply actions

Should have read up further.

Two points for you, sir.

Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.

by Kyle McCann't on Sep 5, 2011 11:10 AM CDT up reply actions

This totally reminds me how pissed I was when Duck

just abandoned Chauncey outside his building. I wanted to punch him in the balls. I probably would’ve felt the same had Belcher made the catch in the endzone.

by Captain n Diet Coker on Sep 5, 2011 9:47 AM CDT reply actions

You're welcome.

That one was mine.

by Bama Hawk Girl on Sep 5, 2011 10:45 AM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions

My dismay at your cuttingly accurate portrayal of Iowa as Peggy

was tempered by your equally perfect comparison of Northwestern to the smarmy Pete Campbell. Plus, Northwestern fucks Iowa pretty much every year so it’s doubly apropos.

Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.

by Kyle McCann't on Sep 5, 2011 11:10 AM CDT reply actions

I admit, I giggled.

Off Tackle Empire - Ruling over the Big Ten since 2008.

by Hilary Lee on Sep 5, 2011 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions

I fit in here, nodding along.

There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.
- Woody Hayes

@normconquest

by Culp's Freaking Hill on Sep 5, 2011 11:44 AM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions

Northwestern comparison hits way too close to home for me.

I was actually buddies with a guy called HoHo, but he wouldn’t join the frat.

by Batman42 on Sep 5, 2011 12:34 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 2 recs

Damn trombone players

by Ossian on Sep 5, 2011 2:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Damn truth.

"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy

by BentNotBroken on Sep 5, 2011 1:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Best article ever

Dulls the pain of not having mad men until 2012 or whenever

Off Tackle Empire
The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.

by Graham Filler on Sep 5, 2011 11:54 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

Purdue rushed the field after beating middle tennessee

i want everyone to let that sink in.

"Your spelling and grammar errors belie a seriously skilled thought process"- therealCatnuts

by justsomehawkeyefan on Sep 5, 2011 11:56 AM CDT reply actions

This is misleading

Rushing the field to me means the students and fans were on the field. That didn’t happen in West Lafayette.

The players from the sidelines ran onto the field, but then again
1) Purdue was on a 6-game losing streak
2) They won on a last-second blocked field goal after being down most of the game

by chops1221 on Sep 5, 2011 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions