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Rutgers very first year in the Big 10 they went 8-5, finishing ahead of Michigan, Penn St. and Indiana in the East division. Also finished better than Illinois, Northwestern and Purdue from the West.
Maryland and Rutgers are in the B1G. They have been for a few years at this point. Every conference has weaker teams. Vanderbilt. Wake Forest. Washington State. Kansas.
Prince, I agree Maryland is an un-natural fit for the Big Ten. They were a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and literally lay on the Atlantic Coast. It sucked when they left the ACC, but reportedly the Big Ten tv revenues were desperately needed to keep Maryland's sport programs in busine$$.
To your football point, yeah.. Maryland football is weak right now. They're usually a much stronger basketball program, which also made them a great member of the ACC, arguably the historically best hoops conference. It is what it is..
As a UMD alumni, their Football program has never been considered a powerhouse. One of the discussions when they first announced moving from ACC to Big 10 was how much of a beating they were going to take in Football. And actually, at the time, the basketball wasn't anything to write home about either.
Do they belong? Not sure you can say that with the perspective of only 1 sport. Does Indiana belong? Northwestern?
A Cuse alum, here, whose school moved: As much as I LOVED that old Big East basketball, the Big East as we knew it, when we left, doesn't exist, anymore! And since football is the sport that really pays the mortgage, we HAD TO GO! The football has, as we know, completely sucked, but the non-revenue sports have been great, with two national chips in one weekend, this year! (cross-country, field hockey) and two other Final Fours (Women's lacrosse, Men's soccer!). And despite the horrible football, we got some nice Florida State BCS and CFP money, with a Clemson check on the way! (money's get disbursed among the conf's!)
I heard that Maryland didn't want to play second fiddle to Carolina and Duke hoops. If that 's the case, I understand! But it looks like UM is football third fiddle (or fourth) to Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa and Michigan. But a nice Michigan State CFP check (along with some OSU title dollars for 2014), is forthcoming.......!
Big 10 only took Rutgers because it is close to NYC and Maryland because it was close to DC, it was a clearly a money grad, and they say the NCAA is all about student athletes... riiiiiight
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