The BIG 2019

Discussion in 'College & Amateur Soccer' started by WolverineFutbol, Apr 30, 2019.

  1. WolverineFutbol

    Aug 1, 2012
    After getting three teams to the College Cup in 2018, will the BIG show well in 2019? Hard to say this early, but things look good so far. To kick off discussion, here are the newest Wolverines:

    https://mgoblue.com/news/2019/4/30/...es-nine-member-recruiting-class-for-2019.aspx

    I haven't seen any of these guys play. It looks like a good recruiting class on paper, but as we all know the transition to college is easier for some than others, so we'll have to wait until August to evaluate the group.

    Congratulations to Maryland for winning it all last year, and good luck to everyone this year. Hope to enjoy another BIG national championship this year!
     
    TimB4Last repped this.
  2. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    I will allow myself to comment from a Maryland fan's perspective ...

    Last year's B1G standings:

    1 Indiana - always excellent
    2 Wisconsin - always tough
    3 Michigan - always trouble (for us)
    4 Michigan State - always difficult

    5 Maryland - deceptively good

    6 Penn State - inexplicably bad
    7 Rutgers - more than inexplicably bad
    8 Northwestern - confusingly bad
    9 Ohio State - happily, but astonishingly, awful.

    Ohio State. Let's start at the bottom, with The Once-Proud Ohio State University. How did they fall so far? It seems as though very recently OSU was competing for a National Championship. Didn't they just hire a very promising coach? WTF is going on? MD beat them 5-0, about half the goals we scored all season.

    Northwestern. Shouldn't they be pretty decent? In Illinois, not so far from Chicago. What am I missing? We beat them handily, in Evanston, redefining handily as 2-1 in overtime.

    Rutgers. If Chicago is one of our soccer hotbeds, what can we call freaking NJ? Shouldn't Rutgers be tearing it up in soccer, even if most of the best players NJ produces want to GTF outta there? We won 2-0 in Piscataway. Okay, Piscataway, that explains it.

    Penn State. Sure, PSU is out in the middle of nowhere, but Pennsylvania clubs are turning out tons of talent. Won't any of them stay in state? We raced in front, 2-0, let them tie it up, then won it in OT, because we needed the extra conditioning.

    Whoops, gotta go - I'll return and analyze the top of the table. [Yes, we finished 5th. :oops: ]
     
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  3. WolverineFutbol

    Aug 1, 2012
    This cracked me up. I expect you'll finish a bit better than 5th this year.
     
  4. onewhoknows

    onewhoknows Member

    May 18, 2005
    For most teams except for Maryland and Indiana, there have been cycles of success and the not so good. Every team except Indiana and Maryland have finished 8th or 9th in just the five years. Ohio State won the Big Ten as recently as 2015, Northwestern and their 1/2 funded scholarship program won 3 Big Ten Championships in 2011, 2012 and Penn State won 2 in 2012, 2013. Wisconsin won only 8 games over a two year period in 2014, 2015 before winning Big Ten Tournament in 2017. Michigan finished 4-11-4 as recent as 2016 before winning Big Ten Championship in 2017 and Michigan State finished 8th in 2015 with a play-in loss before heading to Final Four this year. All but Indiana, Maryland, Michigan and Northwestern have either finished 9th in the league or lost the play-in game and Indiana had to pull off an improbable tournament Championship in 2013 to make NCAA after a 6-11-1 regular season a year after winning the national championship. In fact this past year, Indiana won their first Big Ten Championship since 2010. Lots of parity in the league where strong fluctuations in standings among the teams year to year (other than IU and MD) are the norm.
     
  5. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    College soccer history, baby. That's the good stuff! Shoot it right into my veins.
     
  6. Branko Segota

    Branko Segota Member

    Feb 24, 2003
    I believe you will see a bit of an improvement in Coach Brian Maisonneuve's Buckeyes in 2019. A bit of a harsh statement for a guy who took over the program at the end of the spring season in 2018.
     
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  7. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    It's a harsh world out there. I'm rooting for him to do well, but they were bad last year.

     
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  8. catfish9

    catfish9 Member+

    Jul 14, 2011
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Several highly rated local guys have transferred to OSU after starting somewhere else and they are keeping some pretty good incoming guys in state for next 2 classes. Will be interesting to see if there is big improvement.
     
    Fitballer, JoeSoccerFan and TimB4Last repped this.
  9. ThePonchat

    ThePonchat Member+

    #ProRelForUSA
    United States
    Jan 10, 2013
    I've Been Everywhere Man
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Ohio State did win the inaugural Columbus Crew Spring College League. I know they had 4 transfers that immediately helped them in the spring.

    But, it’s still the spring. Never saw them only winning 1 in Fall 2018, I expected wins against the schools they SHOULD beat. I’m sure Mais will turn it around.
     
  10. WolverineFutbol

    Aug 1, 2012
    The BIG voted in support of sponsoring Sasho's proposal to make soccer a two season sport. The real work, which is convincing the NCAA to adopt the proposal, now begins.
     
    bigredfutbol and TimB4Last repped this.
  11. WolverineFutbol

    Aug 1, 2012
    bhoys, JoeSoccerFan and TimB4Last repped this.
  12. roadrunnerecuador

    Jul 17, 2008
    My son played with Harry Pithers. He's a very good player. Technical, tough as nails, and relentless. He's quite small. His style of play could lead to injuries in the foul-ridden college game. Hope not. I think he will be an asset to the Wolverines.
     
    WolverineFutbol and TimB4Last repped this.
  13. WolverineFutbol

    Aug 1, 2012
    The preseason coaches' national poll has Maryland and Indiana in the top spots, and MSU and Michigan are both ranked. It should be another tight race for the BIG regular season championship, and I definitely don't see any easy conference games this year.

    Hope everyone enjoys the season and Go Blue!
     
    Real Mobile, OverseasView and TimB4Last repped this.
  14. stphnsn

    stphnsn Member+

    Jan 30, 2009
    Preseason rankings are a waste of time. A team that lost 11 starting-caliber players is ranked #2 in the country? I'd like to believe it, but I don't.
     
  15. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    #1 MD has lost a ton of players, 2 Fwds, GK, LB, CB, couple of MF (including an underclassmen). It could still work out, but I think MD will suffer early before coming into their own around tournament time.
     
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  16. WolverineFutbol

    Aug 1, 2012
    Preseason match:

    Michigan 2, Cincinnati 1

    Wolverine goals: Zakyi and Callow, a Cinci native
     
    Real Mobile repped this.
  17. SoccerLover829

    Manchester United
    United States
    Aug 21, 2018
    Anyone has preseason update on Georgetown @ Penn State match?
     
  18. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    WolverineFutbol and JoeSoccerFan repped this.
  19. ThePonchat

    ThePonchat Member+

    #ProRelForUSA
    United States
    Jan 10, 2013
    I've Been Everywhere Man
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As bummed as I am, this makes a lot more sense than the flop of Westfield.

    I just won't be there in attendance anymore. But, I will enjoy not freezing from the wind, snow, and rain that Westfield ALWAYS had.
     
  20. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    November in Maryland may not be the garden spot, either.
     
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  21. ThePonchat

    ThePonchat Member+

    #ProRelForUSA
    United States
    Jan 10, 2013
    I've Been Everywhere Man
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I figured as much, but...at least I won't have to deal with it!
     
  22. Real Mobile

    Real Mobile Member

    Sep 10, 2004
    Michigan 3-0 over Cornell. UM has scored three goals in each of the three games they have played this year. Giving up four goals in their opening game loss is rather disturbing, but 3-4, 3-1, 3-0, shows an encouraging trend. We’ll see what happens today when they play Washington in a Sunday match, having just played on Friday. The Huskies also played on Friday, so I suppose it’s all fair, but games with tired players are more likely to produce injuries than quality soccer. Washington is undefeated and just beat MSU on Friday. This should be a tough match. Go Blue!
     
    WolverineFutbol and TimB4Last repped this.
  23. WolverineFutbol

    Aug 1, 2012

    Yes the offense has a lot of weapons this year! The nine goals are without any goals from Hallahan and Osman, our leading scorers from last year, both of whom are excellent scorers.
     
  24. WolverineFutbol

    Aug 1, 2012
    Damn I spoke too soon!

    Washington 1, Michigan 0

    The Wolverines did a lot of things well: more possession, more shots, more SOG, more corners and less fouls. But they came up empty. I don't expect this team to be shutout often, but it can be a cruel game.
     

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