It’s quiet on the board so thought I would throw up a silly poll:
Which *non-rival Big 10 squad irritates you the most?
*I defined non-rival as any Big 10 team other than Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Penn State is not a rival and while Nebraska might get there it’s gonan take at least a generation of us taking their lunch money before that has a chance to become a thing.
It’s hard as so many teams irritate me:
—The Kittens annoy me because while we beat them pretty often I (irrationally) feel like we should beat them all the time. Also we’ve played a lot of competitive games with them and some of our losses have been particularly painful (Brew pick 6, etc.). It’s also annoying that they have so many journalist alums which means they always get vastly more volume of coverage and complimentary coverage than they deserve.
—Nebraska is completely annoying as they are basically a rural more hopeless version of us on a delusional acid trip (former helmet schools trying to reclaim long lost glory). Also they have the ugliest mascot in the Big 10. I’ll never forget meeting a Nebraska fan shortly after they were announced to join the Big and when I warmly welcomed him he quipped that he ‘wasn’t worried about Minnesota’. That stuck in my craw and I really enjoyed beating them 2 years in a row under Kill and just annihilating them last season. Scott Frost will probably win eventually but I look forward to piss pounding them again this year. Mike Riley destroyed that roster.
—Purdue used to annoy me but they’ve sucked too much this decade to worry much. Even last year’s loss felt more like an aberration than a renewal of hostilities. Will always fondly remember the Cupito option keeper game and the Shannon Brooks double stiff arm game. Brohm is a good coach but I don’t think he’s long for this conference and while beating them this year is no sure thing, I think our future against the Trains will look a lot more like the 2010s than the 2000s.
—Indiana used to annoy me a bit but we never play them anymore. Also, just two weeks before the infamous Iowa drunk hick trash game we beat them by 2 scores on what was a very memorable Saturday in my life.
—Illinois sucks too much to worry about. I laugh at their delusion and dysfunction but they don’t bother me other than having to look at those hideous clown car uniforms they wear.
—Growing up, my inherited hatred of Michigan led me to look almost fondly at both Ohio State and Sparty. Michigan State as an institution is disgusting but as long as they are a thorn in Michigan’s side it’s tough for me to hate them.
—Ohio State has both brought glory/relevance to the Big 10 and prevented a lot of Michigan and Wisconsin conference titles. For that alone I mostly salute the Buckeyes. It helps that we don’t have to play OSU or Sparty all that often.
—I don’t mind Penn State and it amuses me that Matt Limegrover’s OLine ranked in the low 100s in adjusted line yardage last year despite blocking for Saquon Barkley. Limey is almost singlehandedly holding that program back which is hysterical.
That said I will always resent that 2006 (?) game when we beat them fair and square and they got bailed out in OUR HOUSE by a phantom PI in which literally no DB was within 2 feet of the intended WR.
—Maryland and Rutgers aren’t really Big 10 teams and the Terps will only annoy me if we lose to them again the next couple years.
What say you, proud denizens of Gopher Nation?
Which *non-rival Big 10 squad irritates you the most?
*I defined non-rival as any Big 10 team other than Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Penn State is not a rival and while Nebraska might get there it’s gonan take at least a generation of us taking their lunch money before that has a chance to become a thing.
It’s hard as so many teams irritate me:
—The Kittens annoy me because while we beat them pretty often I (irrationally) feel like we should beat them all the time. Also we’ve played a lot of competitive games with them and some of our losses have been particularly painful (Brew pick 6, etc.). It’s also annoying that they have so many journalist alums which means they always get vastly more volume of coverage and complimentary coverage than they deserve.
—Nebraska is completely annoying as they are basically a rural more hopeless version of us on a delusional acid trip (former helmet schools trying to reclaim long lost glory). Also they have the ugliest mascot in the Big 10. I’ll never forget meeting a Nebraska fan shortly after they were announced to join the Big and when I warmly welcomed him he quipped that he ‘wasn’t worried about Minnesota’. That stuck in my craw and I really enjoyed beating them 2 years in a row under Kill and just annihilating them last season. Scott Frost will probably win eventually but I look forward to piss pounding them again this year. Mike Riley destroyed that roster.
—Purdue used to annoy me but they’ve sucked too much this decade to worry much. Even last year’s loss felt more like an aberration than a renewal of hostilities. Will always fondly remember the Cupito option keeper game and the Shannon Brooks double stiff arm game. Brohm is a good coach but I don’t think he’s long for this conference and while beating them this year is no sure thing, I think our future against the Trains will look a lot more like the 2010s than the 2000s.
—Indiana used to annoy me a bit but we never play them anymore. Also, just two weeks before the infamous Iowa drunk hick trash game we beat them by 2 scores on what was a very memorable Saturday in my life.
—Illinois sucks too much to worry about. I laugh at their delusion and dysfunction but they don’t bother me other than having to look at those hideous clown car uniforms they wear.
—Growing up, my inherited hatred of Michigan led me to look almost fondly at both Ohio State and Sparty. Michigan State as an institution is disgusting but as long as they are a thorn in Michigan’s side it’s tough for me to hate them.
—Ohio State has both brought glory/relevance to the Big 10 and prevented a lot of Michigan and Wisconsin conference titles. For that alone I mostly salute the Buckeyes. It helps that we don’t have to play OSU or Sparty all that often.
—I don’t mind Penn State and it amuses me that Matt Limegrover’s OLine ranked in the low 100s in adjusted line yardage last year despite blocking for Saquon Barkley. Limey is almost singlehandedly holding that program back which is hysterical.
That said I will always resent that 2006 (?) game when we beat them fair and square and they got bailed out in OUR HOUSE by a phantom PI in which literally no DB was within 2 feet of the intended WR.
—Maryland and Rutgers aren’t really Big 10 teams and the Terps will only annoy me if we lose to them again the next couple years.
What say you, proud denizens of Gopher Nation?
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