Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable :: The week after, just sitting around

The Big Ten Bloggers are back with another roundtable. Sort of a season wrap-up theme. Off The Tracks brings it.

1. Minnesota, Michigan, and Indiana got absolutely torched in rivalry games this weekend. Please feel free to diagram your revenge scenario/taunting celebration as appropriate for when you stomp a rival/get stomped by a rival in such fashion.

ZN: I think the only team that I truly feel passion after a win or a loss would be Michigan. Now, I know that they don't view Penn State as a "Rival," since they've got enough of their own. In fact, I'm not so sure I view them as a true "rival," either. But after losing to the Wolverines for the last 120 years, it was a special kind of feeling after Penn State ran off 32 unanswered points. The Lions won 46-17, which was a larger margin of victory than any of the Wolverines' versus Penn State. Even when Penn State was really, really bad, Michigan never beat Penn State by more than 27 points. Michigan went 3-9 this year, giving them a solid dose of humility, but I'm not so sure it has had the desired effect. Michigan fans just seem more pissed off than ever. It sort of reminds me of the Notre Dame situation. So, did you not see it yet? I'm taunting Michigan by just restating what has happened this season, and topping it off by comparing them to Notre Dame. But to talk briefly about Michigan State. It was fantastic to beat them, after Penn State blew a big lead last year. Plus, knowing that Mark D'Antonio and his crew could only muster up some pathetic stalling techniques (calling those timeouts at the end), just made me even happier to blow them out of the water. It just makes the PSU-MSU "rivalry" better.

2. The results are in an the Big Ten didn't do well this year. What does the conference need to do in the bowl season and next year to regain esteem?

ZN: BEAT FREAKING MAC TEAMS!!! DAMMIT MICHIGAN, INDIANA, ILLINOIS!!! YOU'RE PATHETIC! Thank God none of you are going to a bowl game. You're a disgrace to the Big Ten, and I don't even like this freaking conference!

3. For Penn State fans, what is your plan to defend the title. For everyone else, how will you topple the Nittany Lions next year?

ZN: Are you ready for this? The Penn State defense should be (barring any early-entries to the NFL) even BETTER next year! Holy shit, where's the Tylenol?! The Nittany Lions return its first-team All-Big Ten quarterback, an All-Big Ten running back, All-Big Ten guard, the defensive line from Hell itself, All-American Linebacker Sean Lee (who will want blood after missing this season), first-team All-Big Ten linebacker Navorro Bowman, and the best coach in college football. Do I think we have a shot next year? You bet!

4. Of the 109 other teams in Division 1A, pick one you absolutely would love to face in the postseason and pick which bowl game (other than BCS championship) you would play them in.

ZN: I'm probably like every other Penn State fan and blogger, but I really want Oregon to beat Oregon State. Penn State deserves to face USC (if the Lions don't back into the BCS Title Game) in the Rose Bowl. I would rather lose a close game to USC, than play Oregon State again. Sound crazy? It should, because it is. Ok, so maybe I wouldn't really want a loss to USC, but I still think taking the risk by playing the Trojans will reap bigger rewards for Penn State, as well as the Big Ten Conference overall. Imagine if Penn State goes to Pasadena, and just lays a beat-down on USC? One can dream.

*Ed.-I'm not sure what's exactly in store for the rest of this week, as I'm leaving for Kentucky tonight. The Michigan State game review will be up probably tomorrow, but maybe not until later. Although, I could always try working hard and get it done today. We'll see.