FB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[HSCTiger74]

It looks like I bought tickets in a Texas section so I'm torn between trying to make an even trade with a scalper to get in an OSU friendly or neutral section or being the one guy sitting in a see of burnt orange wearing scarlet and gray.  I figure the latter option might come with some funny stories.

RC ... congrats on getting your tickets. Have a great time, and wear your scarlet and gray with pride. The Longhorn fans will be rabid and vocal, but I'm sure they'll treat you graciously. It's not as though you were planning to go to an Eagles game wearing Giants colors.

[Mr. Ypsi]

It looks like I bought tickets in a Texas section so I'm torn between trying to make an even trade with a scalper to get in an OSU friendly or neutral section or being the one guy sitting in a see of burnt orange wearing scarlet and gray.  I figure the latter option might come with some funny stories.

RC ... congrats on getting your tickets. Have a great time, and wear your scarlet and gray with pride. The Longhorn fans will be rabid and vocal, but I'm sure they'll treat you graciously. It's not as though you were planning to go to an Eagles game wearing Giants colors.

Or an Eagles game in a Santa suit.

[SaintsFAN]

Craigslist is good for something.  I placed a "wanted" ad and got a couple discounted offers given my circumstances. 

Something tells me you've been on there in search of talent to the 3rd degree...  and decided that you could just as easily entertain yourself in other ways on there.   

[Small but Slow]

RC - Have fun and be safe at the Fiesta Bowl! 

The Big Ten (eleven) has been embarrassed this bowl season.  Iowa looked good and Northwestern didn't look bad, but the rest appeared overmatched athletically.  IMO northern FBS football teams are going to have difficulty competing against southern football teams until they start playing in domes.  Given a choice, top athletes are going to choose to play in warm weather locales.  Cold weather schools are at a distinct disadvantage recruiting some of the top prospects.  As fans we enjoy the purity of the environment of outdoor stadiums, but coaches at warm weather schools use that as a recruiting tool against the cold weather schools.

[pradierguy]

Cool video about COTY winners. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWZ6YKH4Uwg

[pradierguy]

Focuses on LK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I552z_wFiRE

[formerd3db]

RC - Have fun and be safe at the Fiesta Bowl! 

The Big Ten (eleven) has been embarrassed this bowl season.  Iowa looked good and Northwestern didn't look bad, but the rest appeared overmatched athletically.  IMO northern FBS football teams are going to have difficulty competing against southern football teams until they start playing in domes.  Given a choice, top athletes are going to choose to play in warm weather locales.  Cold weather schools are at a distinct disadvantage recruiting some of the top prospects.  As fans we enjoy the purity of the environment of outdoor stadiums, but coaches at warm weather schools use that as a recruiting tool against the cold weather schools.

SBS:

You do have a point there.  BTW, not taking anything away from Missouri, because Pinckle and crew have breathed new life into that program and doing it the right way from what we know.  However, Northwestern did play very well, but blew the game.  The could have easily won just as well as Missouri.  IMO, though, that was one of the better bowl games to watch this year.

[SaintsFAN]

RC - Have fun and be safe at the Fiesta Bowl! 

The Big Ten (eleven) has been embarrassed this bowl season.  Iowa looked good and Northwestern didn't look bad, but the rest appeared overmatched athletically.  IMO northern FBS football teams are going to have difficulty competing against southern football teams until they start playing in domes.  Given a choice, top athletes are going to choose to play in warm weather locales.  Cold weather schools are at a distinct disadvantage recruiting some of the top prospects.  As fans we enjoy the purity of the environment of outdoor stadiums, but coaches at warm weather schools use that as a recruiting tool against the cold weather schools.

We were talking about this exact thing in a bar on Saturday night with some SEC bandwagon fans.  I would like to see some of these "warm weather" schools come up to the Midwest and play roadgames later in the season.  They can say all they want about having conference games... LSU had reschedule Tulane for later in the year bc of the Hurricane.  I think Ohio St would be able to avenge a couple of the losses in November in Columbus. 

The thing that REALLY gets to me is the fact USC won't visit South Bend unless its in early October.  Notice how when the game is played in Los Angeles, its the last week of the season, but not when its in South Bend.

[Small but Slow]

As much as football purists and midwest football fans would like to see a late season match up between the SEC and Big Ten powers there is no incentive for the southern schools to do it.  The environment today in FBC is not conducive to encouraging such match-ups.

[formerd3db]

As much as football purists and midwest football fans would like to see a late season match up between the SEC and Big Ten powers there is no incentive for the southern schools to do it.  The environment today in FBC is not conducive to encouraging such match-ups.

RC - Have fun and be safe at the Fiesta Bowl! 

The Big Ten (eleven) has been embarrassed this bowl season.  Iowa looked good and Northwestern didn't look bad, but the rest appeared overmatched athletically.  IMO northern FBS football teams are going to have difficulty competing against southern football teams until they start playing in domes.  Given a choice, top athletes are going to choose to play in warm weather locales.  Cold weather schools are at a distinct disadvantage recruiting some of the top prospects.  As fans we enjoy the purity of the environment of outdoor stadiums, but coaches at warm weather schools use that as a recruiting tool against the cold weather schools.

We were talking about this exact thing in a bar on Saturday night with some SEC bandwagon fans.  I would like to see some of these "warm weather" schools come up to the Midwest and play roadgames later in the season.  They can say all they want about having conference games... LSU had reschedule Tulane for later in the year bc of the Hurricane.  I think Ohio St would be able to avenge a couple of the losses in November in Columbus. 

The thing that REALLY gets to me is the fact USC won't visit South Bend unless its in early October.  Notice how when the game is played in Los Angeles, its the last week of the season, but not when its in South Bend.

That is exactly right because...the SEC schools are afraid of losing to a Big Ten school that late in a season for the reason you mention i.e. BCS.  (This is the same principle as the Big Ten not always wanting to play the MAC schools, although they have more regularly in the past years since the early 1990's; in essence the MAC schools are FCS i.e. DIAA calibur and they do pull the occasional upsets as they do, which I think is a good thing.  No reason why they shouldn't have the opportunity).  But getting back to the consideraton regarding the original question, in reality, the SEC is no different than the Big Ten in that regard because it is always the top tier 2-3 schools in that league vying for the possible shot at the so-called D-I mythical national championship game and/or one of the BCS bowls.  Both conference's top teams like to "beat up" on the lesser league teams and then whoever ends up playing for the league title, so be it.  Oh, of course, with the parity in today's college football world, there will be some middle and lower tier conference teams who pull the upset and spoil the season for the top teams in each league.  So, indeed, those couple of aspects play into some reasons why there is no incentive for the SEC to do a Big Ten late-season match-up.

In addition, SaintsFAN has a valid point.  While USC, UCLA, Cal have at times played early season non-conf games against Big Ten and other Midwest teams, more often than not it is the midwest region teams going out to California to play them.  Certainly with now 12-13 game regular seasons in D-I, there is plenty of room for both late and early season non-conf games as has been seen, so there is no reason to avoid those, again, other than some teams being afraid of a loss (and that is certainly a consideration for some teams when they are in their eras/stretches of having great power teams, albeit perhaps a small factor; also even though most schedules are made years in advance regarding the contracts for series as we all know, sitll in today's atmosphere there is still room to maneuver and this is not infrequent depending on if the schools are willing to do it).  Yet, as SaintsFAN says, I also would like to see USC and some of the other warm-weather schools come up to the Big Ten and/or midwest to play some of these teams late in the season, in the non-domed, non-warm weather area stadiums and see how they do.  I think you would see the southern teams losing a few of those games and not necessarily having the advantage.

This is not so far fetched of an idea as it is essentially similar to the  reasoning (and true for that matter) as to the NCAA having changed its rules regarding the early starts of the baseball seasons, and we all know how that worked before.  Still, while we must all admit that the majority of those southern baseball teams have fantastic talent and more than those of its northern opponents, it made perhaps it a bit tougher for lesser advantage in the early season games.

The bottom line is this (and everyone has their own legit opinion and discussed this ad naseum at times here on these boards) - until D-I goes to a true playoff system like FCS (D-IAA), DII and DIII, these controversy's will continue in the present form. 

[section13raiderfan]

Ah yes...winter football in Ohio.   Speed kills.....frostbite hampers speed....those hard passes feel like bricks, even with gloves on. Ask a punter how the ball feels in the winter. No wonder USC wants no part of ND after Halloween.  We cant simulate their speed. they cant simulate our weather. How you supposed to prepare?

I still say Cleveland made a mistake building their stadium as it is. It doesnt help their game either with the crew they have now. If ever a venue screamed for a retractable roof......Cleveland does.

The SEC recruits size with speed. The BIG 10 has some of both, but not necessarily in the same bodies. The linemen lack the "quicks" required to cope with the SEC rushers. However if they are knocked on their A....ses,  they are not near as fast. Seems that is a forgotten axiom in football these days.

I say if RC is in red in an otherwise orange section the cameras HAVE to pick that up. RC is gonna get on TV!  

[Small but Slow]

Ah yes...winter football in Ohio.   Speed kills.....frostbite hampers speed....those hard passes feel like bricks, even with gloves on. Ask a punter how the ball feels in the winter. No wonder USC wants no part of ND after Halloween.  We cant simulate their speed. they cant simulate our weather. How you supposed to prepare?

I still say Cleveland made a mistake building their stadium as it is. It doesnt help their game either with the crew they have now. If ever a venue screamed for a retractable roof......Cleveland does.

The SEC recruits size with speed. The BIG 10 has some of both, but not necessarily in the same bodies. The linemen lack the "quicks" required to cope with the SEC rushers. However if they are knocked on their A....ses,  they are not near as fast. Seems that is a forgotten axiom in football these days.

I say if RC is in red in an otherwise orange section the cameras HAVE to pick that up. RC is gonna get on TV!  

Exactly the reason cold weather schools are having difficulty recruiting against warm climate schools. 
A recruiting tactic of several successful southern coaches is recruiting high school basketball players as linemen.  Recruiters find guys who may be a little two short to play DI hoops at AAU tourneys and convince them to play high school football.  This method has worked to convert a lot of 6'6" or shorter high school power forwards to DE's or OT's depending on how they develop.  It's not a guaranteed method, but has been useful for several programs. 

[theaprof]

Catdomealumni.com Special: 2008 Stagg Bowl

2008 Stagg Bowl

Thanks for the video summary--it was pretty cool--I'd still like to score a dvd of the whole game!

[OC_SID]

rc: you saw a great football game. Did you stay for the entire game?

[HSCTiger74]

The thing that REALLY gets to me is the fact USC won't visit South Bend unless its in early October.  Notice how when the game is played in Los Angeles, its the last week of the season, but not when its in South Bend.

Why in the world would you expect them to do that? I doubt if they sit around the football offices thinking "what's the best way we can put ourselves at risk for a loss and freeze our butts off at the same time". At least when the game is in October the only disadvantage is playing on the road, just as it would be for the Irish in L.A.