Big Ten Teams Playing Very Un-Big Ten-Like

When you think of football in the Big Ten conference, the first things that come to mind is usually a rugged, hard nosed, boring style of play – games ending with both teams scoring less then 20 points is not that abnormal. This type of style has caused most people in the media and fans in general to believe that the Big Ten probably doesn’t deserve to be in the same conversation as the SEC when it comes to National respect. Especially when you consider that the SEC has completely dominated in past championship games.

But has this type of style, which most Midwestern football fans have grown to love and admire, finally made teams in the Big Ten realize that this brand of football just doesn’t win National Championships anymore? Don’t get me wrong, Alabama is probably THE toughest team in football, but their athletic ability and speed is still above and beyond that of every Big Ten school.

With that being said, the Big Ten has entered the 2010 season with a new type attitude. Not only have some of these teams decided to turn towards a more up-tempo style of offense, but it would almost seem as if the “style points” that are attached to the human voters have made teams pour it on at the end of the game, instead of the normal run the clock out type of mentally. Ohio State scored more points this week (73 against E. Michigan) then they have in over 60 years. Wisconsin also put up 70 against Austin Peay, and Michigan scored 65 points against MAC opponent Bowling Green.

The type of points these teams are putting up is really beginning to change the view of the Big Ten from a National prospective. With Terrelle Pryor and Denard Robinson probably leading the way in the Heisman race so far, a new athletic, fast version of offense has taken over, and it would appear that it isn’t just a coincidence. These coaches aren’t dumb. They know that regardless of what the computer rankings say, two-thirds of the National vote comes from humans, and if the Big Ten can’t keep up with the rest of the nation when it comes to offensive ability, voters tend to notice, and they will pick the more exciting team to play in a bigger game.

Ohio State knows this, and Wisconsin and Michigan know this. Now if we can only see one of these teams do this against someone that isn’t in the f**king MAC or worse, then we might actually have something to discuss when it comes to the most exciting conference in the nation.