The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.
Is this the new normal? The new Bloomington? The new Big Ten? Good afternoon, and happy Monday. Three-quarters of the MNW household are struggling with some form or residuals of the flu, and the other one is me. That, of course, has led to no resentment of the fact that I am healthy other than […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
B1G Wrestling Season!! This weekend is the opening weekend of the B1G rasslin season and we’re back to preview things and give you the hot takes you never knew you wanted and probably actually don’t want. January 9th 6:00 PM CST Ann Arbor, MI The B1G dual season kicks off with some intra-state hate in […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
Who ya got? (AND WHY?) WSR: Go Ducks. Please. Don’t make me cheer for Miami like I’m 10 again. Thumpasaurus: Do I need a reason to claim Indiana is winning? It doesn’t particularly matter who they’re against. This is the best college football team I’ve ever seen. I don’t see anything special enough about Oregon […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
Remember when Rutgers basketball was relevant? When Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr. were leading the Scarlet Knights to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 1976? When Steve Pikiell looked like a genius who’d finally cracked the code at a program where basketball coaches go to have their careers questioned? That was […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
Hey ho, it’s me, BRT, writer of volleyball, football, and now, apparently, a tiny bit of basketball. This is a little less onerous than it usually would be as a Nebrasketball fan though, because this year… they are actually good? I’ve been following (I use the term somewhat loosely) Big Ten basketball for about 13 […]
2 months ago | 5 reads
I WILL DEFEAT YOU, CAMPUS IT An installed toilet! A baby who’s still sick! A delicious mushroom soup! Toilet: I Am A Genius He-Man When last we spoke, I was uninstalling, cleaning up after, purchasing, and installing a new toilet, because…well, I have been advised by counsel—WHO IS DEFINITELY NOT LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER, I […]
2 months ago | 3 reads
By way of a story, of course. Happy 2026 to you and yours. Stress eating an entire bag of harvest cheddar Sun chips and drinking a Cherry Coke-style Poppi in the parking lot of my local Aldi, in case you would like a window into where I’m at. This article ends with a preview of […]
2 months ago | 6 reads
Soak it in—when the clock strikes midnight, it’s just College Football Playoff talkers from here on out. Armed Forces Bowl Rice Owls (5-7) vs. Texas State Bobcats (6-6)12pm | ESPN | TXSt -18.5 | O/U 55.5 | at Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, TX) The first of two 5-7 teams to play today, as […]
2 months ago | 6 reads
This is a column to check in on the rest of the football world, but since it’s 2025 in America I will beat you over the head with The Agenda, which in case you’ve forgotten is “Big Ten Superiority Unless It’s Funny.” You may have noticed that I haven’t really used the “Unless It’s Funny” […]
2 months ago | 8 reads
Indiana Hoosiers 38, Alabama Crimson Tide 3 RUReady4Brazil: Can you believe how far we’ve come from Indinia? BuffKomodo: My son was born in December, 2020. Indiana football would go on to lose in the Outback Bowl to an Ole Miss team with a losing record during a strange time in our culture. From there, Indiana […]
2 months ago | 9 reads
First, a brief recap: ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27 Las Vegas Bowl: Utah 44, Nebraska 22 Citrus Bowl: Texas 41, Michigan 27 Brian Gillis: Michigan played hard in a back-and-forth affair against Texas, but a couple of late Bryce Underwood interceptions paved the way for a disappointing 14-point loss to the Longhorns. A fitting end, you […]
2 months ago | 7 reads
Well, it’s safe to say that this game isn’t the headline news for either team or fanbase right now, as both programs are facing big changes that are dominating attention and storylines. For Nebraska, that’s probably just as well, because honestly, I don’t see this one going particularly well for the Huskers. The Bigger Storylines […]
2 months ago | 4 reads
FOR ALL THE SUN, CITRUS, AND COTTON! Mortgages and Vegas, too. Seems legit. It’s Iowa-Vanderbilt and a wholesome, Devils-do-care Sun Bowl—then terrible storylines the rest of the night. Would you like previews and a place to talk about those games? HERE YOU GO! ReliaQuest Bowl #23 Iowa Hawkeyes vs. #14 Vanderbilt Commodores11am | ESPN | […]
2 months ago | 4 reads
Iowa! Vanderbilt! A game…we actually want to see? It gives me the vapours just thinking about it, but we are about to watch ranked Iowa take on ranked Vanderbilt in the Tampa…and actually be a little excited about it? ReliaQuest Bowl The Facts, Ma’am #23 Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) vs. #14 Vanderbilt Commodores (10-2)11am | ESPN […]
2 months ago | 1 read
Given everything that’s unfolded in Ann Arbor over the past few weeks, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that Michigan’s season isn’t over and that the Wolverines still have a bowl game to play. With so much off-the-field news, the Citrus Bowl has become somewhat of an afterthought. Which is a bit ironic, given the matchup. […]
2 months ago | 6 reads
Illinois in the Music City Bowl, USC in the Alamo Bowl, some hoops on—what more do you need in life? Good morning, good afternoon—wherever you are, I hope you’re doing well. Bowl Games Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs1pm | ESPN | LaTech -10 | O/U 50.5 | at Independence […]
2 months ago | 9 reads
Northwestern football does something legitimately exciting.Good morning or afternoon, wherever you are. One bit of news, then off to the open thread. You’re not drunk, I’m not drunk, that’s a real NCAA football headline in the year of our Lord 2025. The last time I can count being legitimately excited when Northwestern’s offense got the […]
2 months ago | 3 reads
When USC takes the field against TCU in tonight’s Alamo Bowl, the Trojans will look like a very different team than the one that won nine games and finished tied with Michigan for fourth place in the Big Ten this season. The Trojans will be led by junior quarterback Jordan Maiava (who led all Big […]
2 months ago | 3 reads
I joined OTE full time just after the 2014 season, which means this is only the fourth bowl preview I’ve ever had the opportunity to do. I never imagined I’d have to do them in consecutive seasons! Illinois plays Tennessee in the ostensibly neutral-site Music City Bowl tomorrow, and I have a slow week at […]
2 months ago | 1 read
There are plenty of Big Ten teams that are powers on the court, and the names I could list would probably bore you: Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois… yawn. All of these teams are doing well so far this year, were expected to do well this year, and likely will continue to do well this […]
2 months ago | 2 reads
Well…assuming you count Maryland and Oregon as “Big Ten”. I hope you’ve had a pleasant holiday season. It’s starting to snow sideways here in Minnesota, and I already did my Midwestern Dad duties for the day: shoveled and salted the church walk after realizing there was nobody to do it before the 10:30am Mass, then […]
2 months ago | 4 reads
Eight bowls. Most are terrible. Let’s get weird. Go Bowling Military Bowl Pittsburgh Panthers vs. East Carolina Pirates10am | ESPN | Pitt -10.5 | O/U 53.5at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, MD) What I’m excited for: East Carolina starting quarterback Mike Wright. The super-senior transfer, most recently at Northwestern, turned up in Greenville and proved […]
2 months ago | 4 reads
Why this game? Don’t ask questions, that’s why. Pinstripe Bowl Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Clemson Tigers11am | ABC | Clemson -2.5 | O/U 47.5at Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York, New York) misdreavus79: Here’s something neat: James Franklin’s first loss at Penn State was to Northwestern. His last loss was… to Northwestern. James Franklin’s first […]
2 months ago | 5 reads
Northwestern and Minnesota both win their bowl games, and isn’t that the nicest thing we can say about the whole endeavor. A win in a third rate cold weather bowl game is still better than no bowl invite, or a loss in a third rate bowl game.—Midnight Rambler GameAbove Sports Bowl Northwestern Wildcats 34, Central Michigan Chippewas […]
2 months ago | 4 reads
Grading the hire of Kyle Whittingham to replace Sherrone Moore as head coach of Michigan Wolverines football. Michigan has signed outgoing Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham to the same role, per ESPN and Brett McMurphy and Jeff Passan and Shams Charania and probably MLive dot com and/or TMZ, too. The deal lasts five years, […]
2 months ago | 2 reads