Originally Posted by cycloneworld 
R
Many of those 6-6 "bowl eligible" teams do this: Load up on cupcakes and go 4-0 or 3-1 in the non-conference. Go 2-6 or 3-5 in the conference. It's not really that hard. Iowa schedules layup games against NIU, Syracuse, and Western Michigan. That's 3 wins there. They play Minnesota who is worse than those cupcakes. That's 4 wins. So really all they have to do is beat to bottom feeders in the Big 10 to go to a bowl.
And this scenario is the same for 3 or 4 Big 10 teams. Very, very weak.
Well, last year Iowa lost to Northern Illinois and probably should have lost to Syracuse. They always play us non-conference as well.
It's hard to argue about Iowa's non-conference schedule when we are scheduling Toledo, Kent State and a 1-AA team.
As far as the Big 10 goes, it's not good this year. Plain and simple.
BCS conference wins for the Big 10:
Washington (2-6)
Washington State (3-5)
Syracuse (x2) (2-6)
Pitt (3-5)
Notre Dame (x4) (1-7)
Other wins:
14 vs MAC
1 vs CUSA
1 vs Sunbelt
6 vs 1AA
BCS conference losses for the Big 10:
Oregon (7-1)
Iowa State (1-8)
Missouri (7-1)
Duke (1-7)
Not to mention two losses to 1-AA schools, one of which was by a team that is currently tied for the conference lead, and may end up going to the BCS to represent the conference, and two more to mid-majors.
This is the weakest the Big 10 has been in a LONG time. There is at least parity in the conference. Ohio State and Michigan are clearly the two best teams, followed by a second "tier" of Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue and Illinois, and then a third tier of NW, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State with Minnesota bringing up the rear. Nobody there is really all that good.
Also just FYI:
1AA Teams played by conference (Record):
WAC: 10 (10-0)
Big 10: 8 (6-2)
Big 12: 8 (7-1)
SEC: 7 (7-0)
ACC: 7 (7-0)
MAC: 7 (5-2)
CUSA: 7 (5-2)
Big East: 6 (6-0)
MWC: 4 (4-0)
1A Independents: 4 (3-1)
PAC 10: 2 (2-0)
Sun Belt: 1 (0-1)
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