SB Nation - Michigan Wolverines

Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings!

SCM — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:43:19 -0000

Apologies for the unannounced sabbatical everyone, if things go according to plan hopefully there will be some content provided on a more regular basis once the conference basketball season gets underway at Indiana on New Year's Eve. If there's anything in particular you'd like to see as a more "regular" feature on the site over the course of the football offseason and the basketball/hockey season, please feel free to drop us a line and let us know in the comments. Regardless here's wishing you and yours the best this holiday season and of course, Go Blue!

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Big Ten Expansion: 11+1 Can't Equal 12

Bama Hawkeye — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:45:34 -0000

Here's the thing about this Big Ten expansion: it's going to be a big deal. Otherwise, it's not going to happen. If adding a twelfth team only add to the Big Ten coffers by 9.09% (or 1/11th of the current total), the deal is a wash. The Big Ten isn't going to add a school and expand for a wash. They will only expand if the expansion creates an increase in funding above and beyond what they would have received otherwise. If 11+1=12, expansion won't happen. 11+1 must equal more than 12.

Now before you and tell me that the Big Ten will make big money from a title game, recognize that your point is ceded. It will be a moneymaker for the league. However, if the expansion does not increase regular season fees by at least 9.09%, each school will receive less money from the league during the regular season. I will posit that if any part of this deal is a financial loss, it is not happening.

TRE is your one stop shop for all things Big Ten Expansion related...

Graham discusses pros and cons of adding a 12th team...and who it might be.

Lake Erie M argues for mega-expansion and a 14 team league

BHGP lists the 4 most important issues surrounding expansion.

Chadnudj details the benefits of the North/South split

That's why, you need to think big, or get out of the discussion. Big Ten expansion is not about "finding a rival for Penn State." Big Ten expansion is not about finding any local twelfth school so that the league can have a championship game. Big Ten expansion is about increasing the percentage of college sports dollars that go directly into the coffers of each institution. I am not saying this in a derogatory or cynical way. It's exactly what expansion should be about. If you're going to upset this apple cart by adding a new member, there better be some huge HUGE benefits. That was what the league got when Penn State joined. That's what the league should get now.

So stop thinking small. Join me after the jump and start thinking Big. After all, it's in our league's name for a good reason.

Let's add that 12th Team:

Remember, think BIG. Here are the teams that I think by themselves can satisfy this requirement:

Notre Dame

Yes, it's the league's white whale (and I appreciate it that the Irish again hired a coach who can personally live up to that moniker.). At the same time, it is still the most recognized name and brand in college athletics. It would be a coup for the league. It would be a perfect fit (and they'd find a way to get the Irish into the AAU; don't sweat that). If Notre Dame would say yes (and they won't), this search would be done.

Texas

Do you remember that Texas reached out to join the Big Ten in 1993/94? Shortly before the Horns and Aggies (along with the state's two successful piggybackers) joined the Big 8, Texas talked with the Big Ten about becoming the league's 12th member. The Big Ten was under a self-imposed expansion moratorium, though.

Today, I don't see Texas joining. They are the New York Yankees of the Big 12. They have every conceivable advantage and limited revenue sharing. Why would they leave that situation for long road trips (the shortest Big Ten trip would be longer than the longest Big 12 trip) and equitable payouts? Do you think the Yankees would leave baseball's system for football's - where they would share (most of) their dollars evenly with Green Bay? Texas is in a perfect situation.

Nebraska

Yes, the Big Ten wants to dominate the Omaha media market. No, this would be about adding a football giant. Tom Osborne, for one, would listen long and hard. He's preached against the Southern-dominance of the Big 12 since its inception. I don't know if the Huskers take the offer, but it's a much closer call than you might think at first blush. And don't give me the "Big 8/12 founding member tradition garbage." It doesn't pay the bills.

Maryland

This is all about DC. The ACC has the market surrounded. The Big East has roots in the market (during hoops). The Big Ten can move on the area by adding the Terps. It's a contiguous state, which could use the move to recruit in more fertile areas (Ohio and Pennsylvania). Yes, Maryland is thought of as a basketball school first. I don't think that stops the inquiry. I don't know that Maryland jumps, but I bet they look long and hard at it.

Missouri

Missouri has already said that they would entertain the offers. Good for you, Mizzou. Missouri feels like it has received a raw deal from the Big 12 in football each of the last three years. The Big Ten would control, instead of split, the St. Louis market, while making an entry into Kansas City. Of the adding one combinations, this has the greatest likelihood of actually happening.

Here's who is not on the list:

Pitt

Like I said at the outset, this isn't about finding a partner for Penn State. In 17 seasons, the Lions have developed a nice rivalry with Ohio State and a hatred for Iowa. They don't need to bring their little brother school into the family just to have someone to kick around. Also, Pitt adds nothing but a 12th team. If you believe me when I write that this expansion has to be about more than that, then you know why Pitt won't happen.

Rutgers

I'm late coming around on this, but Rutgers adds nothing but a 12th team. Rutgers doesn't "give the Big Ten the New York market" any more than adding Middle Tennessee State would give the league the Nashville market.

West Virginia, Cincinnati, Louisville, Syracuse

They don't add anything but a 12th team.

Iowa State

Now you're just being silly.

Let's Think Bigger

An interesting article in the Tribune yesterday tipped the Big Ten's hand. They're not limiting their thoughts to 12 teams. They are also looking at the possibility of 14 teams in the league. What? Seriously? Yes. Who would this be?

How about Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. Add those three to the league and you control the media markets of the upper Midwest and great plains states. That doesn't add much. But, you add one of the Top 10 football programs, one of the Top 10 basketball programs, and a legitimate contender in both. That I find interesting. How do these divisions strike you:

Big Ten North	Big Ten South	or....	Big Ten East	Big Ten West
Michigan	Ohio State		Penn State	Nebraska
Michigan State	Indiana		Ohio State	Kansas
Wisconsin	Purdue		Michigan	Missouri
Minnesota	Kansas		Michigan State	Iowa
Iowa	Missouri		Indiana	Wisconsin
Northwestern	Illinois		Purdue	Minnesota
Nebraska	Penn State		Northwestern	Illinois

I like them, too. I'm partial to the North/South alignment (playing each team in their division, their permanent rival across from them on the list, and one rotating school each year), but I wouldn't argue with the East/West breakdown either. It just doesn't lend itself as well to the split.

Would the three Big Twelve schools come together? Yes, Kansas leaves K-State behind, but i don't think that they'd worry too much about that. Coming together might make the move more palatable for the joiners. I don't know enough about the numbers to know if it would make the league more profitable for the members, but my suspicion is that it would.

If you believe that the league will go for a more balanced geographic approach, maybe it's Missouri, Pittsburgh and Maryland. Look what that could do:

Big Ten North	Big Ten South	or...	Big Ten East	Big Ten West
Michigan	Ohio State		Maryland	Missouri
Michigan State	Maryland		Penn State	Iowa
Pitt	Penn State		Pitt	Minnesota
Wisconsin	Purdue		Ohio State	Wisconsin
Minnesota	Indiana		Michigan	Illinois
Iowa	Missouri		Michigan State	Northwestern
Northwestern	Illinois		Indiana	Purdue

When you add three teams, you're adding a championship game, but you're also adding 12 extra regular season games. That's increasing regular season product by more than 25%, and likely adding a premium to the value. It's a good deal for all involved.

Let's Think Biggest

Reread the money quote from the Tribune. The league is also considering 16 team options. What? Sixteen? What would that look like? My friends, it would look like the start of a playoff system.

Big Ten East	Big Ten North	Big Ten West	Big Ten South
Penn State	Michigan	Iowa	Ohio State
Indiana	Northwestern	Minnesota	Illinois
Maryland	Michigan State	Wisconsin	Missouri
Pitt	Purdue	Nebraska	Kansas

How would you schedule this for football? Let's dream a bit. Each team plays the three teams in their division, and four teams from another division. The eighth game will be decided by standings and played on Thanksgiving weekend, with the first place teams facing off in the league championship semi-finals. You could rotate what divisions face each other for full slates and what divisions meet head to head on Thanksgiving weekend. Do you think that Big Ten semi-final weekend would get ratings? TV Money? Attention?

I know that this is a radical change from anything that college football has done. And, I realize that these divisions will move away from the traditional rival system (thus, likely making it a non-starter). But, this is the time to think in these terms. The stodgy Big Ten is allowing itself to dream right now. It should be encouraged to think as big as it can.

Remember: Think Big

Over the next 12-18 months, you'll read periodic articles focused on one small addition to the Big Ten roster. Remember that won't happen. If expansion occurs, it will be because the Big Ten was able to get Bigger.

h/t on the title to Frank the Tank.

Addendum:

We never said what we were going to name this Bigger Big Ten. Sure, we could stick with the easy moniker and keep the Big Ten. Or we could go to the Big 14 or Big 16. But we can do better than that. We need something that demonstrates our dominance in college football. Something that shows that we will not only compete with those Southern units, but that we will dominate them. Got it...

THE UNION

Gen. Sherman approves.

The NFL Draft says, "ACC > Big 10!"

BirdGT — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:00:17 -0000

A lot of the Big 10 talking heads have flooded our humble abode since the Orange Bowl announcement. They have denounced, degraded, and mocked the ACC's defensive state of affairs. One thing they fail to bring is facts. I like facts. I like facts that are numbers. Here are two numbers for Big 10 fans: 19 and 3. The ACC has had 19 defensive players taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since full expansion in the 2005 season. The Big 10 has had 11. The ACC has had 3 Pro Bowlers emerge from those 19 1st rounders (Beason, Mario, and Cromartie). The Big 10 has had 0. Those are some interesting facts for Big 10 fans to mull over. Here are 5 more interesting facts about ACC/Big 10 defensive players taken in the 2006-2009 NFL Drafts:

5. Georgia Tech has had 6 defensive draft picks since 2006. That's more than Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.

4. Duke hasn't had a player taken in the NFL Draft since 2005.

3. The Big 10's highest Draft Pick since 2006 was A.J. Hawk, the fifth overall pick. He was four picks after Mario Williams.

2. All four Drafts saw more ACC defensive players taken than Big 10 players.

1. The ACC has had 81 defensive players drafted since the 2006 NFL Draft, which is 6.75 players drafted per team. The Big 10 has only had 62, which is 5.63.

Really when you factor Ohio State and Penn State out of the Big 10, there's not much talent going to the NFL. It's the definition of a blue collar conference. Good defensive coaching is what keeps them afloat in major out of conference match ups. I kinda believe they play the isolationism game and simply avoid major OOC games until bowl season. The ACC and Big 10 have met only 9 times since full expansion. The ACC holds a 6-3 edge over the Big 10 in that time span.

What do you think about the Big 10 talent level? Do you think the Big 10 hides behind their conference schedule? Let me know your thoughts.

Barry Alvarez's Big Ten Expansion Talk Has A Logistical Problem

Oops Pow Surprise — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:00:20 -0000

For years, the Big Ten has been struggling with just what the hell to do about the whole "11 team in the conference" thing. It's made the BXI a bit of an anomaly, being that it's the only I-A conference without either a conference championship game (SEC, Big XII, MAC, C-USA, ACC) or a round-robin schedule (Big East, Pac-10, MWC, WAC, Sun Belt). After all, when it comes to automatic bowl bids, you'd want the conference to, y'know, pick the right team, right?

Well... maybe not. As Jim Delaney will be more than happy to remind you, the Big Ten has this funny habit of sending two teams to the BCS nearly every single season--and grabbing more of that filthy BCS lucre. So until a championship game nets as much money as a second BCS bid (a little under $5 million for the conference for the second team) or the conference slips enough to stop consistently sending the second team, the impetus isn't exactly strong to expand.

Barry Alvarez didn't get that memo, though; according to ESPN, he's priming Wisconsin for the prospect of having another baby in the family:

Speaking to Wisconsin's athletic board on Friday, Alvarez, the former longtime Badgers football coach, said the conference already has investigated possibilities for expansion "from all over the country." And though he places no timetable on the search, Alvarez thinks conference commissioner Jim Delany will respond to a group of athletic directors and coaches who want expansion.

"I have a sense he is going to take this year to really be more aggressive about it," Alvarez told the board. "I just think everybody feels [expansion] is the direction to go, coaches and administrators."

All of this makes lots of sense; when teams miss two fellow conference members a year on a weird rotating schedule. A 12-team, two-division setup would simplify matters dramatically and eliminate any prospect of a 2002 scenario (and yes, we know OSU won the title; Iowa would have smoked that Buckeye team).

But if it were that cut-and-dried, it would have happened already. And there's one screaming bulletproof bitchgoblin of a problem in front of the prospect of expansion: logistics.

Here's a map of the Big Ten members:

There's a pretty obvious geographic division inherent in this setup; we've used the modern power of "Computer Internet" to make it more conspicuous:

Yeah. That's five to the west, six to the east. Moreover, there's really no moving that line east without disrupting the Michigan or Indiana rivalries. That's straight out of the question; Jim Delany may be ambitious, but he's far from an idiot.

Thus a problem: the most natural candidates for expansion are teams like Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Rutgers. Cincinnati or Kentucky if we're drunk enough to tell ourselves they'll work on academics. And they're all on the east side of that divide. That line might as well be a Berlin Wall. Go ahead, try to add any of those teams and show us where the new line is.

On the west, though, there aren't nearly as many possible candidates; moreover, they're basically all in the Big 12. So unless we want to bump Marquette or Wisconsin-Green Bay to I-A (err, FBS or whatever)--and what fun that'd be--it's time to start thinking about a little old-fashioned thievin'.

Iowa State is probably right out; they're a decent academic school, but they don't do much in terms of adding media attention. Further, their only real potential rival would be Iowa, and that gets its own special treatment already.

There's probably no way Nebraska leaves, and the two Kansas schools are likely too far away.

But what about Missouri? They've already got some bad blood with Illinois, and I kind of think the Iowa-Missouri thing could get real entertaining, real quick. Something about states that border Iowa that make them hate us. Feels fun. It brings the St. Louis media market into play, and a little less so Kansas City. St. Louis is probably more than enough. They're ranked as the #102 university in the country; not great, and it'd be the worst in the Big 10 Which Is Actually 12. But it's hardly an embarrassment, and merely aligning with the BXI could prop that ranking up to the standards of the rest of the conference.

Of course, that all depends on whether Missouri actually, y'know, wants to leave the Big XII. The Big 10 would have to make the case that it's in the school's best interest to join our conference instead and make it convincing enough that Delany doesn't have to go through the embarrassment of Missouri triumphantly announcing that they're staying in "the best conference in the land" or whatever they'd declare the Big XII to be in that scenario. Frankly, none of us have the stomach for that.

Philosophically, the case has already been made for expansion, and emphatically so. I don't think anyone's going to argue against a 12th team because 11 would be better than 12 for a conference. That's all settled. I just can't figure out who, aside from Missouri, would make any sense from a purely practical standpoint.

Or we could just say "screw it" and add Cornell.

[UPDATE: I'm fanposting it above this, but just to have it in the article: there's some good, interesting reaction from the Missouri POV over at Rock M Nation. Varied responses, as you might expect. Go check it out.--OPS]

Runnin' Utes Face Another Big Test against Sooners

BrysonCutla — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:23:31 -0000

More photos » by Laura Rauch - AP

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Next Game

Oklahoma Sooners
@ Utah Utes

Saturday, Dec 12, 2009, 1:00 PM PST
Jon M. Huntsman Center

TV: Versus

Q&A With Crimson and Cream: Talking Oklahoma Hoops

posted by Jeremy Mauss about 2 hours ago

0 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

Utah's big win against Michigan Wednesday must be in the past if the Utes hope to continue their success. Utah (5-4) took apart the Michigan Wolverines (4-4) and hope to ride the momentum on Saturday. Oklahoma (6-3) has been hot of late, riding a four game winning streak into Salt Lake City.

The Sooners were ranked as high as #16 in the preseason. OU will be lead by Willie Warren who is averaging 18.6 points with 5 assists per game. There have been concerns that Warren isn't accepting the leadership role well. Complimenting Warren in the backcourt will be Tony Crocker who has improved much this season averaging 13.7 points and 7 rebounds per game.

For the Runnin' Utes they must continue

what they have been doing on the glass. Utah outrebounded Michigan 34-21. Rebounding and winning loose balls have been the struggle in this early season. Utah will be lead defensively by David Foster who is averaging about 4 blocks per game. On the offensive side it will be the energetic freshmen Marshall Henderson who had a career game against Michigan with 22 points.

This game looks to be a toss up as both teams are very athletic and well coached. This will be the Sooners second road game of the year and must match the intensity of Utah to be able to come away with the win. Utah has been highlighting this matchup for quite some time and it should be electric in Salt Lake City. The key for the Runnin' Utes will be to rebound, win the loose balls and control Willie Warren. Defensive minded Jace Tavita will receive the challenge.

Utah Gets a Big Win, Defeats Michigan 68-52

Michael Rueckert — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:31:41 -0000

More photos » by Steve Griffin - AP

13 days ago: Utah guard Jace Tavita (2) passes around Michigan guard Darius Morris (4) during first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Salt Lake City, Wednesday Dec 9, 2009. (AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Steve Griffin)

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Final - 12.9.2009	1	2	Total
Michigan Wolverines	27	25	52
Utah Utes	35	33	68

Complete Coverage >

The Utah Runnin' Utes got a big win tonight against the Michigan Wolverines, beating them by 16. This team has been up and down all season, but came to play tonight. Boylen's team came out fired up and controlled the entire game. This was the first game of a crucial home stand, which should give them good momentum going into the Oklahoma game. With the win the Utes will improve to (5-4) on the season, while the Wolverines drop to (4-4).

True freshman Marshall Henderson played the best game of his short career scoring 22 points off the bench in just 28 minutes. He started the game about as well as he could have, having 16 points by halftime. He hit 4 big three pointers, and played with a lot of emotion.

Carlon Brown struggled early, but took over in the final period. Michigan made a run at the Utes cutting their lead to 4, but Carlon Brown scored 7 points in the final four minutes helping put the game out of reach. He scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. He added 8 rebounds to a good game that should help him get back to the level he should be playing at.

As expected, Manny Harris was phenomenal for Michigan. He single handily brought Michigan back into the game late in the second half, but it wasn't enough. He scored 25 points on 8-16 shooting with most of his shots closely contested.

Jim Boylen said in his press conference that they are focusing on giving up less layups and free throws. The interior defense was very good in this game, with Utah holding Michigan to just 34% from the field. Michigan only scored 16 points in the paint. David Foster had another great night defensively blocking 5 shots. The Utes did lose the free throw battle giving Michigan 20 free throw attempts compared to their 9. Michigan shot those free throws very poorly however, making just 11 of 20.

Although Michigan is now just .500 on the season, this is a big win for Utah. Michigan had high expectations coming into this season and should compete in the Big 10. Utah is showing that they have what it takes to make a run for the MWC title, they are already making big strides since their early losses.

Coming up next is another big home game against Oklahoma on Saturday at 2:00 PM. A win Saturday can greatly boost Utah's RPI score, and give them a bit of momentum going into conference play in January.

Utah vs Michigan Preview

Michael Rueckert — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:14:07 -0000

More photos » by Keith Johnson - AP

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Next Game

Michigan Wolverines
@ Utah Utes

Wednesday, Dec 9, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
Jon M. Huntsman Center

TV: CBS College Sports

Complete Coverage >

Jim Boylen's aggressive style of scheduling is rewarding the Runnin' Utes with a big home game against the Michigan Wolverines tomorrow night at the Huntsman Center. This will be the first game of what is probably the biggest home stand in Utah Basketball history with Oklahoma making a trip to Salt Lake as well on Saturday.

Utah is coming off a big win over Idaho State as they improved to (4-4). After losing two in a row, this was more of a statement win, trying to prove that they are done with losing to mediocre teams. They are hoping to take whatever momentum that they have into this crucial week of big home games.

Michigan started the season ranked and got as high as No. 15 before losing three in a row. They have since rebounded with a win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff and are currently sitting at (4-3) on the season. They are still a good team, but haven't played well against good competition. This will be the Wolverine's first true road game of the season.

Michigan is led by sensational junior guard Manny Harris. He is averaging 21.1 points , 8.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game so far this season. Harris is a versatile player for Michigan who already has one triple double on the year, and was one rebound shy of a second one against Creighton.

Since returning from injury, JC transfer Jay Watkins has been a big factor for the Utes. In just three games played as a Ute he is averaging 11.1 points per game. He is coming off a 15 point performance in just 19 minutes against Idaho State. He had the game winning assist to Shawn Glover against Illinois.

Utah's star player, Carlon Brown, has struggled after a decent start on the year. Over the first four games of the season Brown was averaging 16.5 points per game. Since then he is averaging just 9 points per game. He is this teams biggest play maker and needs to get his game going to help the Utes keep any hope of making the NCAA tournament.

Michigan lacks great size, which is an advantage for the Utes. The Utes have skilled big men with David Foster, Kim Tillie and Jason Washburn. Michigan's two centers are only averaging 3 minutes per game, while the Utes give their bigs about 20 minutes per game. Look for Boylen to attack a smaller Michigan team in the paint.

Utah has played decent in big games thus far. They beat rival Utah State and had a come from behind victory over Illinois. They did however lose by 22 to Oklahoma State. Home court advantage could play a big part for the Utes, since this is Michigan's first true road game of the year. This could be one of the bigger crowds that the Runnin' Utes have had over the past few years.

To Rodriguez Or Not: A Seemingly Difficult Question With An Easy Answer

Dr. Charley West — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:35:26 -0000

CFN's Matthew Zemek attempted to lay a great quandary at the feet of all Mountaineer fans earlier today in his Monday Morning QB article (note, I said attempted). Here is his question to us:

Listen up, Old Gold and Blue backers: Would you rather be winning 11 games with Rich Rodriguez, or maintaining your dignity and winning nine games with Bill Stewart? Integrity and humanity are supposed to matter more than results, at least within certain parameters. Keep that in mind as you continue along the path with Mr. Stewart.

Now, don't get me wrong, I had to think about this for a little bit. But the answer was actually pretty easy...

It's 11 games with Rich Rodriguez, hands-down. Here's why.

Rich Rodriguez wasn't "The Product" or "Fraudriguez" until he left for Michigan. He was Rich Rodriguez, head coach of West Virginia University. Our school. Our coach. Sure, he had flirted with plenty of other schools, but we still loved in 2007, almost regardless of what he did the winter before with Alabama. He was still our coach. What came to light after the Michigan move didn't change how we felt about him until after he had left. As far as we knew, he wasn't cheating or breaking any major rules. He was just getting results. That's fine by me.
The difference between winning 11 games and 9 games is pretty significant. With 9 games, you're sneaking into a New Year's Day bowl game every few years, but mostly, you're confined to the third tier of bowl games. You're certainly not going to be playing in many (if any) BCS games. With 11 games, you're a perennial BCS player and a national championship contender. You're a player on the national scene. When you win 9 games, even though its still a decent accomplishment, you're just not on everyone's radar.
I don't think integrity and humanity really matter more than results. Sure, you have to have some of the aforementioned traits, but you also have to win. Bill Stewart is winning so far, but in Zemek's example, winning 9 games and being a great guy will always trump 11 games and being an asshole. I don't agree. It's not like Rodriguez was out killing hobos and street walkers on the weekends. He may not have been the greatest guy in the world, but when he's your coach, you don't quite see that big picture. You see him, on the sidelines, winning games for your university. I have used this example before, but to us at WVU, we see Lane Kiffin as "Lane Kiffin, douchebag." At Tennessee, they seem him as, "Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Volunteers." There's a big difference in perception when the jerk is on your sideline.

Now, before anyone takes this in another direction, let me clarify: I don't want Rich Rodriguez back at WVU under any circumstances. Once he left for Michigan, the metaphorical ship sailed on my perceptions of Rodriguez. He is forever "The Product" and "Fraudriguez" to me. But while he was still here, the situation was different. He was our coach.

So what is your answer to Zemek's question. Am I right, or just a heartless dick who doesn't care about the importance of "humanity and integrity?"

Big Ten Power Poll - Regular Season Final

Bama Hawkeye — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:08:54 -0000

Let's wrap this season up. We skipped two weeks so that everyone could get their final games played. Here are the results of the final vote. And as you plan your travels, here are some final thoughts about what to wear as you bowl...

1.	121 (11)	It was festive of the Rose Bowl to go with the Christmas-colored matchup. The Buckeyes will be wearing their whites in Pasadena.
2.	110	A side note: If you're going to a bowl game, you have to get the helmet T-Shirt. There is nothing better, win or lose, than pulling that out of the drawer 15 years later. Although they're the home, team, Georgia Tech has chosen to wear white. That means the Hawks will wear their black in the Orange Bowl.
3.	99	LSU is the home team, but they too prefer to wear white. Bring the Navy to the CapOne Bowl.
4.	85	Last year, the Badgers were humiliated in the Champs Bowl while wearing their whites. Let's hope for a different result in the reds.
5.	80	The 'Cats will be wearing white when they play Auburn on New Year's Morning. Hopefully you can make it out through your bleary eyes.
6.	62	Any Spartans who haven't been suspended yet will wear white as they face off with Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl.
7.	55	The Gophers will be decked out in white. I know that this is the three season-old jersey style. Apparently the play of the last two years hasn't moved a lot of product.
8.	46	I recommend rocking the basketball jersey while reminding everyone that Purdue is the basketball school in the state.
9.	25	Scrub team...scrub top. Perfect for the couch.
10.	21	Put on your slippers...you're not going bowling this year. Again.
11.	20	I'd wear this sweatshirt to remind friends that Illinois is still a part of the Big Ten. For now. If they lose to NIU next year, we'll have to reconsider if we have the right state school in the league.

Maize and Brew Dave, Adam Hoge, Hawkeye State, Pete Rossman, BoilerTMill , Joe Kutsunis, Rodger Sherman, Sam @ WWAHT, DailyGopher, Graham Filler, Law Buckeye, Bama Hawkeye, HMLee

The Rivalry, Esq has reached out to the SBNation Big Ten bloggers to create this poll. Its purpose: find a consensus as to the power of the Big Ten teams. We invited each SBNation Big Ten blog to participate. We will vote each week. Invitations remain extended to the writers of Black Shoe Diaries and the Crimson Quarry to participate.

Don't expect Donovan Warren back at Michigan

Mocking Dan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

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Apologies for overlooking this until now, but Michigan cornerback Donovan Warren is leaning toward entering the NFL Draft.

"I’m not saying one way or the other," Warren told the Detroit Free Press. "I’m definitely, I’d have to say heavily, I like the chances of me coming out."

On the year, Warren had 66 tackles, seven pass breakups and four interceptions. They are good stats, but Warren struggled at times this season. His playing speed get him beat by fast receivers and his agility is only ordinary for a cornerback.

Warren's high-point agility isn't the best and he can be beaten in the air. The picture with this post is of Wisconsin's Nick Toon, an above-average player. Toon rode up Warren's body to the high point and caught a touchdown pass on this play.

Where Warren is at his best is when he can be physical. He's good at jamming receivers at the line and can re-route smaller players. He's a dependable tackler and can help out against the run. Warren has even seen time at free safety, a position he may be able to hold up at in the NFL.

Warren has good size at a listed 6-foot and 185 pounds. Cornerbacks of Warren's size and skill generally don't last long in the draft, so don't be surprised if he's gone by the end of the second round.