Going through a bit of a motivation rut recently, mostly due to "YAY I GRADUATED WAIT NOW WHAT," stuff, but I'll try not to let that seep too much into these previews. Definitely not when we reach the two Michigans, as I have a lot of thoughts on them (mostly relating to the words "FUCK ‘EM").

Iowa, however is a school much like Minnesota in that I should hate them more than I do. Partially due to my Iowa family (love ya guys!) and partially due to the excellent BHGP blog here on SBNation. Of course, Iowa has the advantage of actually beating my beloved Badgers in recent memory (including basketball TWICE last year, which is just unacceptable). Mostly, though I have respect for Iowa as a school that isn't always great, but almost always decent. (And Ricky Stanzi, who I think y'all over-rate. SHOTS FIRED)

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Well now. It looks like the SEC and Big 12 are tired of the current bowl structure and want their own "Rose Bowl". Probably a smart move on their part. Here are some quotes off the WWL's B1G Blog:

In a wildly interesting development, those two leagues announced today that their champions would meet annually in a Jan. 1 bowl game, unless one or both of those champions is in the new four-team playoff. The conferences didn't say where the bowl would be or if it will be folded into an existing bowl; expect current bowls like the Sugar and Cotton to fall all over themselves trying to land this whale of an event.

I would agree with what Bennett writes later in the article...this would seem to cement a Pac-12/B1G matchup in the Rose Bowl even if the top team from either (or both) conferences makes a playoff. Also it looks like the other "BCS" bowls just took a hit as none of them can reasonably claim a spot on Jan 1 and expect to have anyone watching:

The Big 12/SEC game will also try to challenge the Rose for New Year's Day supremacy; the two leagues said in their announcement that they would play the game in primetime on Jan. 1, likely right as the Rose Bowl is wrapping up.

What are people's thoughts?

/sobs

/tears ACL

Hey, at least y'all have Drew Brees to look upon fondly in your past!

Okay, that's a little unfair. Purdue isn't a bad team, but they certainly are not a good team. I regret not paying more attention to college football growing up, because those Purdue teams of the later ‘90s and early Aughts looked like they were fun to watch and ya know... good. Unfortunately, the Purdue team I've known in my college career (WHICH I JUST FINISHED, WOO... sorry) has been nothing except mediocre. Hopefully, that can change sometime soon and I can expand upon my Purdue paradigm.

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NOTE: This is coming up later than usual because I had a final today, and so spent all of the past week studying/procrastinating on OTE. As such, this may be a bit shorter/less in depth than other posts. Sorry, but graduating takes a bit higher spot on the priority scale right now than Northwestern football.

Northwestern: I hate you guys. Now, now, don't get defensive. It's not that I have any animosity towards you (unlike Iowa [LINKY]), it's just that you always, ALWAYS, manage to get more wins than you should. Yes Chadnudj: I'm disagreeing with you on Northwestern just being a bit away from super-stardom. And I'm not the only one to notice this. [LINKY] Far and away, Northwestern has been the luckiest school in the nation in terms of winning more than they should. Don't get me wrong, it gives us some great games. I enjoy the upsets when they occur (EXCEPT 2009, GO EAT A BAG OF SPOILED SPINACH FOR THAT), but it makes my numbers look worse. Except come bowl season. Y'all suck at the bowls.*

*In all honesty, Northwestern has gotten a rough bowl slot the last few years. Texas A&M wasn't a 6-6 team in quality last year.

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Hello college football fans and fellow B1G members! Help your new brother Nebraska represent the Big 10 conference and give us a national victory over the SEC.

Everybody get on board, get on your facebook acct and vote Big Red! We caught up 4,000 votes last night and today is the last day! But we need your help to tell others, family, friends, anybody that this would be great exposure for the Big 10! Spread the word and let's get it done, Go Big Red!

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/49855/huskers-closing-in-on-am-for-gameday

My memory maybe fuzzy on this, but I remember a few years back that either Jon or Graham or both went on a vacation to the south. On The Rivalry, Esq., they did a write up of the different places they visited and I could swear they included a picture of General Sherman in a southern town with a plaque admonishing him for the atrocities he enacted upon the south. So I am wondering if anybody else remembers this, and if I am remembering the Sherman statue correctly, and if so, where is this statue located?

Since there's not Big Ten 2012 preview this week, I thought I'd write something else that had been on my mind. The gap in previews gives me a perfect opportunity for this, so thanks editors! And here we go...

If you're anything like me (and there's only one of me, so stop trying*), you would want more than a supposition to give credence to a decision. I've previously given my rational for my rating system and its various methodologies, and I've alluded to why I made those decisions. For the most part, I have made methodology decisions based on gut. However, I've made efforts to make sure that those are the right decisions, and plenty of times I have discarded bright ideas because they didn't hold up with the data. So this is my attempt to illuminate to y'all why I made those decisions. (whether or not you read this is immaterial. It's really just to make sure that it's open to those who want to view it). In no particular order...

*my twin is nothing like me

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After 3 rounds of the draft, Illinois leads the B1G with overall draftees. Illinois. Not even any 3rd round guys, 4 guys in the top 48. That's second in the nation to Alabama's 5. This, from the 27-7 loss vs Minnesota Illinois. Which really begs the question: Just how awful was the Zooker? I never hated on him much. But this showing in the draft has me rethinking that. It also asks the question: Does Illinois have more talent than previously expected, or are they losing more than previously expected?

Wisconsin leads the way with 3 draft picks. Ohio State has 2. UM, Nebraska, PSU, MSU, & Iowa all have 1.

Little odd, isn't it?

Ohio State: I have to thank you. Not just for the awful season you just went through, though that was fun*. The problem is that the poor season makes it a little harder to hate you. It's like kicking someone when they're down, it just feels wrong somehow (the same thing happened with Michigan over the last few years). It's much more fun to see a successful giant cruise along, and then laugh when they stumble. Duke vs. Lehigh this year, Michigan vs. Appalachian State (see, I'm even throwing you a bone), etc. Schadenfreude is more gratifying that way, and 6-7 squads don't inspire that same fervor.

But then! You had to go hire Urban Meyer, who acted like a stupid jerk meanie** and you all got huffed up about how you were coming back to take over the Big Ten and it was going to be back to the days of the old powers, etc. And all that good, old fashioned hate came rushing back. So thank you :) ***

*with the exception of that one game which we won't acknowledge.

**I actually don't really care about the recruiting thing. That's the way of the game. Still, I don't have to like it if a Wisconsin recruit goes somewhere else.

***I fully acknowledge that Wisconsin has had our down years as well, and I will deserve all the scorn sent my way when we go 7-5 this year.

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The prime-time TV schedule for the upcoming season have been announced on the ESPN B1G blog. Some good matchups made the list, from Boise @ MSU to OSU @ PSU (I see a White Out coming). Still no change to the lame "no night games in Nov" rule but that's not unexpected. NOTE: This list does not include the Michigan/Alabama game since the B1G doesn't control the rights to that one.

Full schedule and a breakdown of totals for each team below the jump...

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