Note: I intentionally omitted the subject in my final sentence for effect. That is what you call an implied subject. In contrast, when you leave out the subject and don't even realize you did it because you do not know how to compose a sentence, that is called incorrect grammar. But, then, I am sure you knew that.

I am a B10 fan not a ND fan, but otherwise, I agree with most of what you wrote. I also think ND is awfully quick to call out the B10 on its recent slide in football performance. ND would have been (at best) in the middle of the pack in the B10 the past few years. ND's schedule has been heavily watered down and they still can't make it to a bowl game (no, the Hawaii Bowl does not count as a bowl game — it is as much of a joke as the Pizza Bowl).

ND should do whatever they feel is in their best interest. Stay independent. Join the Big East. Whatever. The B10 added PSU in the early 90's with great success. The B10 launched the B10 Network several years ago to even greater success. The B10 will expand again in the next couple of years and move forward, with or without ND, almost certainly to further success. The B10 is the #2 conference for academics (second only to the Ivy League) and runs neck and neck with the B12 and SEC for best overall athletic conference. If ND were in the B10, its graduate level academics would struggle to make the middle of the pack and its undergraduate academics would be behind NW and on a par with Michigan's. In terms of endowment, they would be around third or fourth.

ND is on the very short list (with Texas) for invitation to the B10 almost solely because of its historical significance in one sport — football. With each passing year of mediocrity, ND's football cache declines. If I were ND, I would jump at the chance to join the B10 while the offer still exists. Regardless, the B10 will be adding 3-5 teams over the next few years (probably 2-3 from the Big East), all of which will be ecstatic to join. This will further enhance the B10 in athletics (and, hopefully, academics) and expand the B10's reach into the largest media market in the country — New York/NJ/Philly. Having ND as one of those three teams instead of, say, Syracuse or Pitt or Rutgers is a no brainer, but it is not essential. The past 20 years have proven that. ND's future without the B10 is far less clear.

First, the Big10 has lost it's credibility. The OSU win last season did not gain it back completely. It only stopped the belief that the only athletic benefit of being Big10 champ was the right to be humiliated on a national stage. However, the universities still get large bills for being invited.

This is where I go after ND's 'ignorance'. If I am not mistaking, OSU has recently played IN Texas, IN SoCal, etc. Not all games are against neighbors w/in a bus ride distance. The Big12 has the model structure. They have teams in each division that have powerhouse-potential. They have the ability to have major non-con games home and away. They have huge rivalries built in division and in conference. This can be accomplished with the Big10+2. ND can still have its UM, MSU, and Purdue in-division rivalry. It can have alternating OSU, PSU, IU conference rivalry games. And it can still have non-con games against USC, BC, Navy, Miami, or whomever it wants to schedule. Oh and by the way, in stead of losing money on a trip to the Hawaii Bowl, maybe we can get a percentage of the automatic bids PLUS I bet the division champion can get some pretty good bids as well.

Chris Chambers
ND & Big10 Fan

If you were criticizing me for my typo (I mistakenly typed the word "you" as "to"), then you are correct. I made a typo. I am not a trained secretary and typing is not my strength. However, my comment was not directed at people making typos but people using "here" for "hear" or incorrectly spelling words because they do not know how to spell. Generally, I would not have mentioned even the poor spelling, but it was just too much to let slide when the error-ridden rants turned to blasting others for their intellectual inferiority.

Please learn before to return to ranting about how much smarter you are than everyone else around you. It's embarrassing.

Matt