BS B1G Power Rankings

Last night's festivities in Ass. Hall left Bucky the Badger sitting alone atop the conference.  Bo Ryan has effectively re-focused his team after the loss of Gasser. After some early losses, they're playing some of the best basketball in the nation.

Bo Ryan demands all B1G foes bow before him.

1. Wisconsin
Why does anyone ever doubt Bo Ryan during January/February?  Gigantic white kids love cold gyms.

2. Michigan
A good blend of young firepower, seasoned experience and coaching in Ann Arbor...Trey Burke stirs the drink.

3. Minnesota
They were asleep for the entire first half of their loss in Bloomington...and still almost came back to win.  They're too good to have a half like that again.  You can't underestimate the importance of felon Senior enforcer Trevor Mbakwe to this team.

4. IU
If they had a good coach help them on gameday, they'd be the best team in America...their talent keeps them among the elite in spite of sideline inadequacy.

5. aOSU
To me, this might be the most-flawed team in the upper echelon of the conference...not real big, not real experienced...but very athletic.

6. MSU
Izzo is able to cover discrepancies and flaws with consistent intensity...and their powerful front court makes them a handful for about anyone in the nation.  Speed will end up killing them though...as will an officiating crew that uses their eyes to watch the Spartans under the basket.

7. Illinois
Rugged early schedule has beaten up the Illini and showed that they don't belong in the top half.

8. Iowa
This team plays at a high tempo, and it killed opponents in the pre-con...not so much in the conference. Their schedule has been the worst in the conference; they'll be lucky to leave January with three B1G wins.

9. Purdue
The Illinois game was big for Purdue...but without a couple more games in which the defense comes to play, our Boilers will be in the bottom-third of the conference for most of the season. Tonight's game v. Nebraska is nearly a must-win.

Purdue is showing signs of life as effort and fight has been prevalent in most of the B1G games...But they'll need to get much more efficient off offense in a hurry to get close to the bubble.

10. Northwestern
Wildcats doing what the Wildcats do.

11. Nebraska
They've looked better than the Cornhuskers from '11-'12 at times...at others, they've looked as bad as any team in the nation. Games in the 40s are too frequent for them to expect any post-season play.

12. Penn State
Penn State was pounded into a fine dust by Purdue in a game in which Purdue really did nothing well...Not good.

My Olympic Podium

The olympics are over.

Gone are the overdrawn opening and closing ceremonies with washed-up musicians and artsy concepts that really don't work...Gone are the five stations of coverage on my cable service...Gone are moronic complaints by a few of my friends who didn't want to see any media during the day because they wanted the winner of the men's trampoline to be a surprise (DRAMA!!!).

I liked watching the US basketball team play...because it's real basketball and there was more emotion and effort in many of those games than most NBA playoff games. I enjoyed watching some of the gymnastic events because they're typically doing something that seems to be impossible without some sort of gravity-defying device.  I loved seeing David Boudia win the gold on the 10m platform because it's always good to see the Chinese lose when they're favored...and even better when it's at the hands of one of the best Purdue athletes of all time.  I also liked watching women's beach volleyball...because of the strategy.

But the talent wasn't only on the psuedo sandy beaches of downtown London.  Here are the athletes that grabbed my attention and didn't let go:

Lauren Perdue (no relation) won the gold in the 4x200 Freestyle relay...and rejected Bron Bron's advances early in the olympics.  From what the rumors tell me, she might be the only olympian that had the will to say "no" while in the olympic village. She gets the BS bronze.

Not much wrong with Leryn Franco...other than she really didn't compete in the women's javelin; but she was there...and that alone earned her a BS silver medal.

Female olympic sprinters were generally a pretty brawny bunch...not my type.  But, the US' Allyson Felix brought up the average.  I always appreciate really good teeth...and she's got plenty of those.  But her training not only brought her gold on the track, but here at BS as well.

Those who finished just off the podium:

McKayla Maroney.  She would have medaled had I not had to watch her pout after winning the silver.

British heptathalete gold medalist was hyped as one of the host country's best chances of winning gold...she not only won, but she was super-clutch in doing so.

Granted, I didn't get to see a ton of events...but I actually saw these ladies competing, and they stood out.  Feel free to add your favorites in the comments below...

The best news about the olympics being over is that their ending signals that football is nearly here. T-minus a little over 18 days until our Boilers host Danny Hope's last employer.

Bits of BS for November 18, 2010

It's all in the details...listen in.

Gabcast! BS Bits & Pieces #4

Bits of BS for 11-16-10

We're introducing a new feature here at BS wherein we will give you yet another avenue to our opinions. Because we know you just don't have enough.

On a periodic basis, perhaps twice a week, b-dowd and/or I will record some quick hit thoughts and post them up in a more bite-sized portion.

Today is an 11-minute bite, which may or may not be the typical length. Who knows? We sure don't.

Enjoy.

Bits of BS - 11-16-10




[Update: We're going to go with "Bits of BS" for now.]