Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany doesn't have a problem admitting that the quality of football in his conference could be a little down. While most of the league's coaches swear parity reigns and the Big Ten is as strong as ever, Delany is humble enough to understand the obvious.
And that is this: A conference that just a year ago placed seven teams in the preseason Top 25 has just four teams ranked this year. And of those teams, only Michigan (No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 in AP) is higher than 15th.
|  | | Lloyd Carr's Michigan team is the only Big Ten team in the top 15. |
A case of disrespect? Hardly. It's more like a dose of reality. The Big Ten, which went 10-2 in bowl games in 1998 and '99, finished 2-4 in postseason bowl games last year, including Northwestern's 66-17 loss to Nebraska, which set a major bowl record for points allowed.
And with nationally recognized, big-name stars like Drew Brees (NFL), Drew Henson (minor league baseball) and Jamar Fletcher (NFL) no longer playing for conference teams, pollsters appear to be unwilling to give the Big Ten the benefit of the doubt.
"The rankings, the preseason talk, it's all largely predicated on how you finished the season previous," Delany said. "And obviously, we would have liked to have finished better."
Other numbers are just as convincing in supporting the Big Ten's demise:
The Big Ten posted a .639 winning percentage in non-conference games in 2000, its lowest mark since 1992.
The league went 2-8 against ranked non-conference opponents.
The league lost three home games to teams from the Mid-American Conference, with Ohio beating Minnesota 23-17, Toledo beating Penn State 24-6 and Western Michigan topping Iowa 27-21.
The Big Ten's two bowl victories were equal to that of Conference USA. But C-USA had four eligible teams, while the Big Ten had six. In those two victories, the Big Ten won by a combined four points.
Only four teams finished the 2000 season ranked in the Top 25, with Michigan receiving the highest vote at No. 10.
Put it all together and it's plain to see why some have bailed the Big Ten bandwagon.
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Big Ten, Big Tumble
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The Big Ten has placed at least four teams in the ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches poll in each of the last five years, but the conference has slipped in 2001. With only one team among the top 10 and the other three ranked 20th or lower, the parity within the conference is catching up to the Big Ten. Here's a look at the number of conference teams ranked in each of the last five preseason polls, the average ranking of those teams and the highest-ranked Big Ten team in each poll. |
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Teams/Avg.
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High team
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2001
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4/No. 19
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No. 10 Michigan
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2000
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7/No. 14
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No. 4 Michigan
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1999
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4/No. 11
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No. 4 Penn St.
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1998
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5/No. 12
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No. 1 Ohio St.
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1997
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5/No. 14
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No. 2 Penn St.
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"When you look at the league's record last year, you can understand why some people might question just how strong the Big Ten really is," said Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, who won three Big Ten titles in the 1990s. "But let them second guess us, because then we'll prove them wrong."
The Big Ten will get plenty of early-season chances to do just that. On Sept. 1, Penn State plays host to No. 2 Miami and Wisconsin visits No. 8 Oregon. Two weeks later, Purdue plays host to No. 16 Notre Dame and the week after that, Ohio State travels to No. 15 UCLA. After that stretch, it will be known whether the Big Ten is bouncing back or falling apart.
"We need some non-conference wins in September to set us up for a better national perception and higher rankings," Delany said. "Let's face it, the public accepts the rankings, even before the teams have played a game."
The mid to late '90s saw Big Ten football at its best, with the conference producing its first national champion in 30 years (Michigan in 1997) and a trio of Heisman Trophy winners in Eddie George, Charles Woodson and Ron Dayne.
Though the big-name recognition may be gone this season, conference proponents argue the conference is as competitive as ever and increased parity within the league has complicated having success out of it.
"I don't think the Big Ten has to defend itself to anybody," said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who coached the Hawkeyes under Hayden Fry and in the NFL before returning to Iowa two years ago. "I've been out of the Big Ten for 10 years and the biggest difference is, top to bottom, there are more dangerous teams out there. You have to be prepared each week."
The fact that three teams (Purdue, Michigan and Northwestern) shared the 2000 Big Ten title with 6-2 conference records supports that claim. As does the fact that a record 19 conference games were decided by 10 points or fewer.
"I remember (as an assistant) in 1979 with Hayden Fry, we felt that if we were just sound in all three phases of the game -- just sound -- we'd win at least half our games," Alvarez said. "Obviously, that's changed. If you think you're just going to go through the motions, roll your helmet out there and win, you're going to get beat."
But does that mean the Big Ten is stronger? Or is it a sign of mediocrity? The numbers say one thing, the voices another.
"I don't think it's a sign that teams have gotten worse," Illinois coach Ron Turner said. "I look at it as a sign that teams have gotten better, without question."
Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com. He can be reached at wayne.drehs@espn.com.
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