RIP Big 10 Championship, 1902-2011
The Big 10 Championship is now a complete joke.
Michigan State got screwed last year (co-champions, tied with Wisconsin and the dirtiest program in college sports, Ohio State, who was arbitrarily sent to the Rose Bowl regardless, and who thereby completely escaped punishment for flagrant NCAA violations for which their coach was fired) because there was no championship game.
They got screwed this year (undisputed best record in the conference, which -- for many decades, and until this year -- would have been enough to earn the Rose Bowl appearance outright) because now there is a championship game.
And -- as if anything else was required to turn this once-great conference into the laughing stock of NCAA sports -- because of an egregious blown call at the absolute most crucial moment in the game.
Way to crap all over yourself, Big10. Hope the extra few dollars of advertising revenue is worth the shattered dreams of the student athletes from whose hands you snatched the triumph they had unevoquivically earned. May the stench of this travesty follow you to your graves.
Michigan State got screwed last year (co-champions, tied with Wisconsin and the dirtiest program in college sports, Ohio State, who was arbitrarily sent to the Rose Bowl regardless, and who thereby completely escaped punishment for flagrant NCAA violations for which their coach was fired) because there was no championship game.
They got screwed this year (undisputed best record in the conference, which -- for many decades, and until this year -- would have been enough to earn the Rose Bowl appearance outright) because now there is a championship game.
And -- as if anything else was required to turn this once-great conference into the laughing stock of NCAA sports -- because of an egregious blown call at the absolute most crucial moment in the game.
Way to crap all over yourself, Big10. Hope the extra few dollars of advertising revenue is worth the shattered dreams of the student athletes from whose hands you snatched the triumph they had unevoquivically earned. May the stench of this travesty follow you to your graves.