Blue Ribbon Analysis on ESPN

[thunder5]

Has anyone been reading these?

Today ESPN just posted the analysis for the Big Ten...

I read the one for THE OSU...it was kind of odd...

There was the typical butt sniffing that goes with THE OSU every pre-season...you know...they're gonna be great, blah, blah, blah...

But then at the end they gave grades to each unit....THE OSU was graded like this:

Offense: C
Defense: C+
Special Teams: B+
Intangibles: A-

As a contrast UTK had:

Offense: B+ (if memory serves)
Defense: A-
Special Teams: A-
Intangibles: B+

SO one team is a national title favorite and the other is predicted to finish 3rd in their division...

Do you all think this is a typo or is it an indication that Blue Ribbon sees the overwhelming farce that is the Big Ten...where a team can be graded this poorly but still be expected to win their conference AND be selected to play in the national title game once again?

[rexvol]

one plays in the SEC and one in the Little 10

[thunder5]

What I meant by my post but I don't think I said very well was...does this Blue Ribbon analysis expose a bias...

If you read their analysis...you would think OSU is hands down the favorite....then you get to the end and you see the grades they're given...

I mean....how can you build a team up so much...then give them an overal grade of a B- at best...it just doesn't add up...

My guess is that the grades are determined from some formula....one that accounts for things like returning starters, returning letterman, last years finish, etc.... but the article is written by someone with a bias...

How else could you explain such heaping praise for a team that grades out at barely average?

I mean....My parents didn't expect straight A's from me.....but I was certainly never praised to high heaven for bringing home high C's or low B's

[zehr27]

If OSU gets by USC they will pretty much have a free pass to the NC. Once the get to the NC they will again be beaten by an SEC team. I am not sure which SEC team will be the team to stomp OSU again but I hope it is UT.

[FO.CO. VOL FAN]

Originally Posted by blamie

What I meant by my post but I don't think I said very well was...does this Blue Ribbon analysis expose a bias...

If you read their analysis...you would think OSU is hands down the favorite....then you get to the end and you see the grades they're given...

I mean....how can you build a team up so much...then give them an overal grade of a B- at best...it just doesn't add up...

My guess is that the grades are determined from some formula....one that accounts for things like returning starters, returning letterman, last years finish, etc.... but the article is written by someone with a bias...

How else could you explain such heaping praise for a team that grades out at barely average?

I mean....My parents didn't expect straight A's from me.....but I was certainly never praised to high heaven for bringing home high C's or low B's

They have 20 returning starters so that can't be it.