“I thought the Big Ten was it and that there wasn’t better football than that, I really did,” Pitt head coach and longtime Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said. “Then when you come to the ACC, it’s better football.”
Narduzzi throws some shade at the B1G
- Thread starter joeydavid
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pittdan77
Athletic Director
Or maybe once you expand your horizons, you just realize the big ten is only the top league to old fossils who still cling to the rose bowl being the biggest game of the year. The athletes are down south, SEC and ACC sit atop college football right now.
I don't see his statement as throwing shade on the B1G; its giving credit to the ACC for how good it is.
But didn't we then lose to Northwestern that same season in the bowl game?
The game with all of the injuries to PITT players? Not to make excuses, but that team was hit with game ending injuries to JC and Peterman.
2017 College Football Conference Records
ACC Big 12 Big 10 Pac 12 SEC Overall
ACC 2-2 2-4 1-1 5-7 10-14
Big 12 2-2 1-2 3-2 2-2 8-8
Big 10 4-2 2-1 5-2 3-1 14-6
Pac12 1-1 2-3 2-5 2-0 7-9
SEC 7-5 2-2 1-3 0-2 10-12
Conferences records are cyclical of course, but to say that after last season is odd with the Big 10 (14-6) having the best overall record against all other P5 conferences and ACC (10-14) having the worst. 7 teams in the ACC were winless against the other P5 conferences with only Nebraska and Rutgers being winless for the Big 10.
Sorry for the bad formatting here.
ACC Big 12 Big 10 Pac 12 SEC Overall
ACC 2-2 2-4 1-1 5-7 10-14
Big 12 2-2 1-2 3-2 2-2 8-8
Big 10 4-2 2-1 5-2 3-1 14-6
Pac12 1-1 2-3 2-5 2-0 7-9
SEC 7-5 2-2 1-3 0-2 10-12
Conferences records are cyclical of course, but to say that after last season is odd with the Big 10 (14-6) having the best overall record against all other P5 conferences and ACC (10-14) having the worst. 7 teams in the ACC were winless against the other P5 conferences with only Nebraska and Rutgers being winless for the Big 10.
Sorry for the bad formatting here.
One year the past 3 before that tell a completely opposite story
You mean one year (2016) and it was Clemson, G Tech, and FSU going 10-0 while the rest of the conference was normal. In 2015 ACC was 9-13. In 2014 ACC was 10-11. In 2013 ACC was 7-13. Total 26-37. Big 10 was 30-35 which isn't much better but still better. If you go since the BCS (playoff) era, only the Big East is worse than the ACC with the ACC being dead last in bowl games.
What are the records against each other? Overall records can be questioned by strength of OOC schedules. For instance, Pitt could go 0-3 OOC this year and still be better than many B1G teams because of quality of opponent.
I understand what you are saying, but that is not what he is saying. Pitt obviously has to change their OOC if they want to have respectable records. But to say the ACC as a whole is better than the Big 10, you can only point to records on the field. The ACC had a great year in 2016. Other than that not very good. As for just ACC vs Big 10 since 2012, the Big 10 has a 2 game advantage. Each conference had one great year against each other in that stretch otherwise pretty even. But again they play each other so rarely I don't think it is as good a metric as records against all P5 conferences.
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OOC games are absurdly more difficult in the ACC. Many ACC teams play SEC teams annually plus Notre Dame while many of the B1G's wins were against bad teams and a terrible PAC.
The NFL draft ends up being the great equalizer- #1 & #2; then you have the B1G.
The NFL draft ends up being the great equalizer- #1 & #2; then you have the B1G.
More good teams, and less easy wins in the ACC... really no easy wins / weeks off.
That’s not an excuse... so don’t worry
It’s fact... 2/3 of the offense that had been productive got wiped out by cheap shots
Just a fact ... not an excuse when it’s clearly true
Pitt wins that game with both in healthy
He is a crotchety man. It just amazes me when people point to that game as a failure. Most teams would lose against other P5 teams if their starting RB and QB went down.
Lol. This board is absurd. Let’s point out that Narduzzi took a shot at the BIG conference, but then ignore the fact that he’s 1-3 vs the BIG in actual games. And I’m the a-hole for pointing that out? It’s the truth isn’t it?
Also, please stop with starting sentences with “not to make excuses” then go on to make excuses. In 2016, Northwestern went 6-6 in the so-called “awful” “overrated” “slow” BIG conference.
Just calling you all out on your BS. I understand it’s much easier to continue being a blind homer.
Also, please stop with starting sentences with “not to make excuses” then go on to make excuses. In 2016, Northwestern went 6-6 in the so-called “awful” “overrated” “slow” BIG conference.
Just calling you all out on your BS. I understand it’s much easier to continue being a blind homer.
Why would anybody ever think the Big Ten level of football "was it"?
That's not to hype up the ACC. But outside of a few teams in the Big Ten East, the conference as a whole isn't exactly the first one I think of when I think elite level of football with elite athletes.
That's not to hype up the ACC. But outside of a few teams in the Big Ten East, the conference as a whole isn't exactly the first one I think of when I think elite level of football with elite athletes.
Acc has better athletes top to bottom and they’ve discovered the forward pass. Better football all around
The Midwest folks live in their own bubble. I have friends who went to B1G schools- they literally think everything outside the B1G is subpar- regardless of the facts.
I was a young man the last time the B1G scored a point in a playoff game; enough said.
I was a young man the last time the B1G scored a point in a playoff game; enough said.
Narduzzi doesn't need to broaden his horizons. He's no novice football coach. Everything he says is with a stated purpose.I think many on the Rivals message boards need to broaden their horizons. SMH
He doesn’t need to broaden his horizons, he did. He coached in the big ten for years, then got a head gig in another conference.
Not including bowl games, ACC played 5 ranked opponents while Big 10 4 ranked opponents. By ranked I mean ranked at the end of the year.
In bowl games, ACC 4-6 with 0-3 record vs ranked teams (obviously Alabama by far best team). Big Ten 7-1 with 3-0 record against ranked teams.
I agree with Notre Dame comment. The Big used to play them more than any conference but since ND is playing ACC basketball, that is the deal. ND was 3-3 vs Big 10 over that last 5 years while 13-7 over ACC in same time period. Two years ago the ACC strength was better than Big 10 but not last year. If you do the same analysis of the 5 seasons before these two seasons, ACC not as strong. As for the NFL draft, I have no idea what that has to do with team play. If there is a big disparity, it doesn't seem to matter on the field in college. The biggest argument is ACC only had 4 teams over .500 last season while the Big 10 had 8 teams. If Narducci made this comment 2 years ago, I would agree for that season. But not last season or the previous years before the ACC big year.
