Bigtencompetitivenesspraise

Table of Contents

• Big Ten Competitiveness
• Big Ten Championships and Titles
• Respect for Big Ten Teams
• Challenges and Parity in Big Ten
• Perception and Reputation of Big Ten
• Big Ten as Preparation for Future Success
• Other

Big Ten Competitiveness

I always wanted to beat Michigan. When you come into the Big Ten you always want to beat the teams like Michigan and Ohio State. After what happened a couple of years ago, it's really great to get this win.

There is a tremendous parody in the Big Ten and home advantage has played out this season for every team -- Michigan State has also struggled on the road.

Guys are a little confused, and coach is yelling all the time. It's going to be a grind. The Big Ten is a grind-out conference.

That game two years ago, when we won 51-49 there? Yeah, I remember that. It's a tough place to play. But you have to steal a couple on the road (to win the Big Ten). It's going to be a grueling game. But you can't knock 'em off your schedule. You have to show up and play.

I knew the Big Ten was one of the best conferences in the country. Every night you're up against pros. It's just so competitive. You can get beat by any team. That's really what I like about the Big Ten.

We all understand the competitiveness of that conference and their success in competition with the Big Ten. I don't know anybody out there, as a coach, who doesn't have respect for the Mid-American Conference.

We probably should have taken three out of four from them, but every weekend you're going to battle in the Big Ten, no matter who it is. Whether it's the last-place team or the first-place team. Everything is pretty much at the same level. I think we're ready for it.

The Big Ten is the premier conference, it's the toughest conference, and to do it week in and week out really says a lot about the character of these guys.

Last year was a dogfight. A.J. had a big pick at the end. It was a tough, physical Big Ten game right down to the wire, and should be this year too.

I feel like every team in the Big Ten wants to kick the other's butt. So whenever you come into a game, it's war.

The Big Ten is so competitive. You don't know where certain teams are going to be two weeks down the road. We are just going to try and clean up our game and take it one game at a time.

Playing in the Big Ten is a lot of fun. The games are just so fierce and so competitive that you hang onto every at-bat as a fan, as a player, and as a coach. We're looking forward to it. We feel our team has grown through ups and downs in a very challenging February and March schedule and that's going to position us to do some exciting things in the Big Ten.

Big Ten Championships and Titles

We are thinking toward both the Big Ten and NCAA championships. We want to go to Michigan and win, but our focus is on the Big Ten championships in two weeks.

We won back-to-back Big Ten championships and that's something to be proud of. It's two in a row, but we have to do more for the NCAA championships.

We're always talking about the Big Ten title. We're going to try to bring it back. It would be very special to do that with what I think is the toughest schedule in history.

Of course they remember. But it's not gonna be about revenge; it's gonna be about the Big Ten championship.

We've got a lot more to lose than they (Michigan) have to gain. We're fighting for a Big Ten title. We don't want them to take that away from us.

What would you rather have, a state high school championship or a Big Ten championship?

I wish I would have won a high school championship, but a Big Ten championship would be awesome.

It's big, man. Nobody believed in us. We come in and go 11-1, win the Big Ten and then come here and win the Orange Bowl. I mean, you can't ask for more.

We're definitely excited about Michigan State. The Big Ten championship is what you play for.

It's pretty tough to say we're going to go out and win the Big Ten title with Michigan returning. But our aspirations are to battle for a Big Ten title.

It's the Big Ten and anything can happen, ... But I never thought I'd be out of the game before the second quarter was over.

I want to go the whole way to Omaha. I really think we have a good shot at winning the Big Ten. If we win the Big Ten, I think we'll host the playoffs in the new stadium, so that's what I'm looking forward to.

Respect for Big Ten Teams

Big Ten teams are sort of going on the road and playing -- not home games at the other place -- but neutral sites, where both teams can benefit financially.

I said last year they were going to make the Final Four. This year, I know they're going to make it to the Elite Eight just by the way they play, the style of play they play. They're still a tough team. Hopefully, we'll see them again in the Big Ten tourney, but they're a good team.

It's a very important game for us. We're both fighting for the same thing. The NCAA has taken five from the Big Ten Conference for as long as I can remember.

It's good to see when Wisconsin made a run and came at us that we were able to show a bit of character and perseverance and sustain it. That's what the Big Ten is about.

I think the two best teams in the Big Ten are going to go at it tomorrow night.

They are a great team. We're going to have to go in there and steal one. But to win the Big Ten, you have to go on the road and win some big games.

This team . . . probably does represent the Big Ten's best chance to go to the Final Four this season.

I've said all along there were six teams capable of winning the Big Ten, and that hasn't changed. Iowa has its work cut out for it, but they've helped themselves a lot this week winning at Indiana and beating Michigan State at home.

I'm excited about the Big Ten. It's great to have our league being talked about. I think every team in the league is making some strides, and I still think there are eight teams in the league that could win the Big Ten championship.

I think the Big Ten is a tremendous league.

They have their heads in the right places, they believe they can win this Big Ten and I can't say enough about them. They're ready to get after it.

The Big Ten has great offensive lines and great offensive-line coaching. It prepared me pretty well for the NFL.

Challenges and Parity in Big Ten

I can remember through the '80s, no one in the Big Ten could out to the West Coast and win and then in the '90s, they couldn't beat us. It's cyclical. It's a swing in momentum in conferences.

They're practically putting us in the bottom half of the Big Ten. I like it. It's always good to surprise people.

This weekend is like a Big Ten weekend. Both teams are solid. It should prepare us for Big Ten play.

There have been discussions about the Big Ten being down, and my reaction was, ?I don't think we're down,? ... I don't think we have a Kentucky or an Arizona in our league. But I'd rather have quality depth than shallow depth in one or two good teams. And I think that's what we have.

We've done what we set out to do and won all our dual meets and the Virginia Duals. But starting the Big Ten is a whole new season and a challenging one at that with virtually every team ranked.

This was a big game for us as far as playing our rival, IU, on our home floor and they came in here and beat us. To finish last in the Big Ten is something nobody ever wants to do, but I'm happy with our team due to the fact that they stuck with it and played hard through everything that's happened to us this year.

It's tough. We wanted to win the Big Ten. Five and three isn't terrible, but it's not where we want to be.

Last year, I thought the Big Ten was unfairly put down and very underrated. Interestingly, this year, I happen to think they're a little overrated only because I don't see a marquee team stepping out, like an Illinois last year.

Now you see MAC teams playing a lot of Big Ten teams tough. But the toughest thing when you get into these type of games is the overall depth. Recruiting-wise they still get, most the time, who they want. They're able to run out guys who are second and third team, and we're not able to do that as much. Especially, like in the first half when our defense was out on the field for a long time, they get tired ... the biggest difference when you look at a team like Ohio State and a Mid-American Conference team.

I have always said I take so much more pride in where we finish in the two months of going through the Big Ten. That to me is far more important than four days in one city. Now, I do like the atmosphere here and chance for rejuvenation for teams and kids.

Last year was a dogfight, ... A.J. had a big pick at the end. It was a tough, physical Big Ten game right down to the wire, and should be this year too.

I said it is going to be a crazy year and there are a lot of football teams that could win this league. I don't think that's changed. A lot of people can win the Big Ten, including the team we're playing this week and including us. Maybe I'm nuts, but I believe it.

Perception and Reputation of Big Ten

It was nice to beat a Big 10 team again. The win against Michigan State is a good morale booster for us going into these next six games before conference starts.

Well it looked like they really wanted to get two Big Ten teams together. Michigan couldn't fit it in the schedule and luckily Michigan State was willing to move our conference game to Thursday. To play in a game of this magnitude, the publicity you get on a national scale, it's just a great position to be in.

I walked away thinking this was not a particularly strong year for the Big Ten. Hey, I've been around this tournament for 21 years and I've seen a lot of good and great Big Ten teams come through. But this did not strike me as an impressive year.

I walked away thinking this was not a particularly strong year for the Big Ten.

I think this team understands what the Big Ten conference is all about. It's pretty tough to say we're going to win a Big Ten title with Michigan returning but we expect to be in the thick of it.

We've only won, what, three Big Ten games in the last two years?

People picked us to go sixth in the Big Ten, ... People said we should be happy with six or seven wins. Now we're on top of the Big Ten right now.

The Big Ten gets the ball rolling and the cash flowing.

All the experience that we did have last year and in the Big Ten this year is really paying off.

We faced all the Big Ten schools and they really showed themselves and represented Eastern Michigan well. I think they opened people's eyes up to what Eastern Michigan diving is all about.

People say the Big Ten's down, but every year, they have great teams. They always do well in the NCAA tournament.

The Big Ten is brand strong.

Big Ten as Preparation for Future Success

Being in the Big Ten, ... they're all going to be close.

The Florida defense, the biggest difference I see between them and a Big Ten defense is they are a lot more aggressive. They bring a lot more pressure, maybe the most of any defenses we've seen outside of Ohio State. I would say they are faster than most defenses we face in the Big Ten. ... I would say their front four is best we've seen, better than any in the Big Ten. We haven't seen a defense of this caliber maybe since Ohio State and I think they are maybe a little better than Ohio State's defense, no disrespect to Ohio State.

I think in the Big Ten, we're one of the better stadiums. We pack it in there.

We are beating good teams right now. The Big Ten has a lot of really good teams. We went up to Michigan State and lost, but we came back and got some things ironed out and played really well tonight.

The team is really pleased. We knew coming into the weekend these wins were critical in the conference race. Every game at this time of year in the Big Ten is a dog fight. I believe the team is in the right frame of mind at the most important part of the season.

The Big Ten tournament is pretty much up for grabs. Any team that steps on the floor can win that game.

IU returns their whole team. They finished second in the Big Ten last season, so they will be good.

It seems like everyone performed really well. We never thought we had a chance to win it this year. We are such a young team that this year was more about experience. That is why it's great to see, when you look at the competition, everyone performed well and gained the experience they needed. Next year, we should be one of the favorites to win Big Ten.

I believe it's gonna be one of those years where you could be 6-2 and be the Big Ten champion. I've said this since August at the Big Ten media luncheon. I think it's gonna be a very balanced, competitive year.

The Big Ten is probably too strong. College football has a certain amount of variability when it comes to who plays for the national championship, but if you look at the Big Ten and the quality of football, it is as good as it has ever been. The trouble is, you show up every week, and it's tough.

Getting these three wins puts a staple on the fact that we're a different team. But these were three wins we were supposed to have, and the Big Ten is a whole different season in itself. We're starting over now.

Of course they remember. But it’s not gonna be about revenge; it’s gonna be about the Big Ten championship.

Other

The Big Ten is almost like restarting the season again. Once the Big Ten starts, it's like starting from scratch. The Big Ten is like a different life.

I wasn't thinking we were going to be able to beat Ohio State because they won the Big Ten in good fashion. I'm pleasantly surprised.

Anybody can say this is just another Big Ten game. But in reality, it's not.

We're getting better at some stuff and there's a will to win. I think in the beginning they were in the backseat watching the Big Ten. ... There was a newness about the Big Ten that they had to understand. Now, we'll see if they understand.

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