B1G 2016: Introduction to Our Weekly Previews & Analysis

So here we are. Another year of Big Ten previews is coming your way, and if things go as planned, this year will be bigger than ever. If you are newer to Off Tackle Empire, I would like to welcome you. Please ignore the stains on the carpet, I swear they were here when we bought the place. For those who have been around for years, it's that time of year again and we could not be more excited. While football season is still where we have the most fun, I must admit that as a writer, our yearly B1G previews are probably the best stuff we churn out each year. If you have ever wanted to know things like, "What would a Purdue board game look like?" or "Why can't Illinois have nice things?" or even "The Five Stage of Jim Harbaugh" then you should check out this series.

On that note, we are going to be adding all sorts of new feature articles this year. From answering the question of, "What is your school good at?" to "What's the best tradition on game-day?" we are looking at really digging in to what makes College sports in the Big Ten so fun. We hope you will all join us over the next sixteen weeks or so. I think you'll really enjoy the fun. Oh, and remember, Fridays are for hate. We are really looking at upping our game again. You know, back to the good ol' days when we learned about Fitzgerald's penchant for uh... well, you know. If you know someone who needs a platform for their grievances, send them our way.

Got it? Good. Now I know some of you probably have a few questions. Lucky for you, I'm an all knowing entity who can sense what you're going to ask ahead of time. If I don't cover what you want to know, well, you weren't a good question.

FAQ aka "Questions I can come up with"

Wait, so what is B1G 2016 then? I don't get it.

Seriously? You don't get it? Okay. Let me recap... Each week we feature a Big Ten team. Each week you get a lot of coverage. Then like, we eat cake or something. Okay, not the last part, but feel free to eat cake. Cake is delicious.

Okay, I was kidding about that. Tell me more about the order. Are we going from our customary Purdue to whoever won the Big Ten last year with the exception of Michigan where Graham moves them down the line a few weeks because you love Jim Harbaugh?

So much to unpack here. To start, no, we will not be going in order of finish this year. For the most part we try and set it up that way for the inevitable year that the Spartans finish last and we start with them and point and laugh, but due to some unfortunate circumstances and just like, you know, writer's schedules, we're a little more haphazard.

As for our love of Jim Harbaugh, did you know that Harbaugh is an excellent example of Harbaughing? It's true. HIs ability to Harbaugh our Harbaugh is second to no Harbaugh. Harbaugh.

So what is the actual breakdown of schedule this year then?

Fine. The plan is as follows:

Big Ten Week (You are here)

Purdue

Nebraska

Rutgers

Illinois

Indiana

Minnesota

Maryland

Penn State

Wisconsin

Northwestern

America the Beautiful

Michigan

Ohio State

Iowa

Michigan State

Have any of you started watching the games yet?

Hahahaha. No.

I vehemently disagree with whatever the writer of my favorite team wrote. Can I whine incessantly and write pithy comments like, "LOL, do you even football bro?"?

Uh. Yes? I mean, I'm not the Mr. Police Person to tell you what to write or not write, but just be prepared to get a bunch of backlash from volunteer writers who Graham has handpicked to help make this a more holistic and enjoyable site. Oh, and then there's the whole thing about like, you know, productivity and all that jazz. Being mean isn't productive. That's why I would really encourage you all to write Fan Posts. One of the greatest things about OTE is that everyone can write. Sure, we might mock what you write, but JOIN THE CLUB! If you have something super great, let one of our team know and we'll check it out and try to highlight it if it's not insane. And even if it's insane, maybe we still highlight it. It will be fun.

So like, why are you doing this? What's the point?

Another excellent question. Honestly, this series has blossomed into a pretty neat thing. It started as being the most comprehensive Big Ten preview series on the internet. Graham and Jon had this thing on lock long before I was ever here, but if you think about it, we've gotten even more out of the series. Big Ten sports are fun, so let's talk about all the things we're good at. Let's throw some insults around. Let's remember that things are good and bad and in between. The point is that it's the offseason, so we have time to attack all sorts of random things.

Are you going to have a morning article every day or are we going to have to wait around and complain about your tardiness?

Hey, I resent that question...

(okay, fine. We'll try and be on time every day but please be patient. We're sometimes a little slow. It happens.)

What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Alright, I think I'm gonna end it right there. If you have more questions, drop them in the comments. Look forward to a great B1G 2016. See you in the stories.