This will be a winter of discontent. Big 10 football had a horrible bowl season. We finished 2-5 with blowout losses in the BCS games.

Ohio State was overwhelmed by Florida, and Michigan was trounced by USC. Both were supposed to win big. In retrospect I should have expected Michigan to lose. They haven't won a bowl game in 75 years! Plus USC has a great coach that actaully makes adjustments at halftime.

Ohio State is another story. They should have competed better. Florida looked like a team ready for the championship game. Ohio State looked like a team ready for a pre-season scrimmage. Troy Smith lost millions of dollars with terrible performance (3 completions, 35 yards, 0 tds) and his teammates did nothing to help him. A debacle!

Minnesota, Purdue, and Iowa all stunk it up, too. The Chokin' Gophers did it in style with a record setting fall-from-ahead loss.

Wiisconsin and Penn State were the only bright spots. They beat vaunted SEC teams Arkansas and Tennessee. Yet, SEC cluckers don't want to give them any credit. And the country is dog-piling on the Big 10. A win is a win. Arkansas was a media darling and many expected them to beat Florida in the SEC championship. They never had a lead on Wisconsin. And Penn State was supposed to be outclassed in every way, yet they doubled the score on Tennessee. GIVE THEM CREDIT!

As a defiant member of the Big 10 (Northwestern U, U of Illinois), I say we are still the best conference. Or at least we have the best players. Big 10 coaching in the bowl season was terrible. Over half of the coaches should be fired for ineptitude and lack of creativity. The offenses were dull and predictable. The defenses were unprepared. Well coached, innovative Boise State would have beaten Ohio State too.

So to regain our dominance, we need to find some coaches. Then we can shut up all that noise coming from the South and the West.

But for now, it is going to be a long winter. Go Wisconsin basketball.