Going on recent history, maybe when the big ten doesnt choke in the big games they will get more attention. They went 1-6 in bowl games this year, their one win coming against S. Carolina, a decent program, but far from a dominant anything. They lost to the Pac-10, SEC, Big-12, and ACC, with the one win being against a lower tier SEC team.
The past is the past. Show me some results.