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College football teams mired in mediocrity

Started by Billy F 1988, October 08, 2021, 03:04:34 PM

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michravera



nexus73

The entire Pac-12 qualifies for the mediocrity label after going 0-fer in bowl games. 

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

ran4sh

Michigan and a few more Big Ten teams once USC joins. Texas once they join the SEC.
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DTComposer

Quote from: ran4sh on July 01, 2022, 05:39:28 PM
Michigan and a few more Big Ten teams once USC joins. Texas once they join the SEC.

I wouldn't give USC that much credit yet. They've consistently underperformed relative to expectations at least the last dozen seasons. Looking at pre-season vs. final AP polls, there's four seasons since 2010 where they've started off top-15 and ended outside the top 25 (including 2012, where they were the pre-season #1).

I see only two seasons (2011 and 2016) where they've significantly exceeded expectations, 3 seasons where they've "met" expectations (and all three of those put them outside the top 15), and seven seasons where they've fallen short (final poll is eight spots or more lower than pre-season).

Now they're going to a conference where the competition is, on the whole, significantly more challenging, coming off a 4-8 season (yes, I know this is a couple of seasons away), and having to play several cold-weather games each year. I would be completely unsurprised if they stay in the middle of the Big 10 pack for the first six to eight years.

Alps

Quote from: ran4sh on July 01, 2022, 05:39:28 PM
Michigan and a few more Big Ten teams once USC joins. Texas once they join the SEC.
I'm amazed to hear UCLA and USC are joining Big Ten. I get that they're going nationally but damn. I disagree USC is gonna hurt Big Ten. They'll vie for the championship but ya know... Michigan and O*io are east. UCLA and USC are west. So in the end it won't matter much.

1995hoo

The Big Ten could merge with the Pac-12. Split into two divisions and have the first-place teams meet in a championship game. But it'll be December, so they probably ought to pick someplace warm. I hear Pasadena has a big stadium that might work.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 02, 2022, 09:45:32 AM
The Big Ten could merge with the Pac-12. Split into two divisions and have the first-place teams meet in a championship game. But it'll be December, so they probably ought to pick someplace warm. I hear Pasadena has a big stadium that might work.

Here's a problem that we're rapidly approaching: you can play at most 9 conference games per season. In a 16-team conference, you can play 9/15 possible opponents, or 60%. If we get to 18-team conferences you can play 9/17, or 53%. When you're only playing half the teams in your conference, you essentially have two separate conferences whose champions agree to play each other. It's just taking the Rose Bowl and playing it in December instead of January.

Schools like Minnesota, Northwestern, and Indiana sell season tickets based on having Ohio State or Michigan on the schedule. As some of those schools have those teams replaced on their schedule with UCLA or (potentially) Washington, that hurts their ticket sales.
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1995hoo

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 02, 2022, 10:11:38 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 02, 2022, 09:45:32 AM
The Big Ten could merge with the Pac-12. Split into two divisions and have the first-place teams meet in a championship game. But it'll be December, so they probably ought to pick someplace warm. I hear Pasadena has a big stadium that might work.

Here's a problem that we're rapidly approaching: you can play at most 9 conference games per season. In a 16-team conference, you can play 9/15 possible opponents, or 60%. If we get to 18-team conferences you can play 9/17, or 53%. When you're only playing half the teams in your conference, you essentially have two separate conferences whose champions agree to play each other. It's just taking the Rose Bowl and playing it in December instead of January.

Schools like Minnesota, Northwestern, and Indiana sell season tickets based on having Ohio State or Michigan on the schedule. As some of those schools have those teams replaced on their schedule with UCLA or (potentially) Washington, that hurts their ticket sales.

Oh, I understand completely. It's one of the things that's been a drag about conference realignments in the past–splitting into divisions means you don't see some longtime rivals but once every six years. Takes away some of the interest factor. The new NCAA rule that allows elimination of divisions with the top two teams in the standings meeting for the conference championship might help with that, at least in theory.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

NWI_Irish96

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 02, 2022, 11:12:15 AM
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 02, 2022, 10:11:38 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 02, 2022, 09:45:32 AM
The Big Ten could merge with the Pac-12. Split into two divisions and have the first-place teams meet in a championship game. But it'll be December, so they probably ought to pick someplace warm. I hear Pasadena has a big stadium that might work.

Here's a problem that we're rapidly approaching: you can play at most 9 conference games per season. In a 16-team conference, you can play 9/15 possible opponents, or 60%. If we get to 18-team conferences you can play 9/17, or 53%. When you're only playing half the teams in your conference, you essentially have two separate conferences whose champions agree to play each other. It's just taking the Rose Bowl and playing it in December instead of January.

Schools like Minnesota, Northwestern, and Indiana sell season tickets based on having Ohio State or Michigan on the schedule. As some of those schools have those teams replaced on their schedule with UCLA or (potentially) Washington, that hurts their ticket sales.

Oh, I understand completely. It's one of the things that's been a drag about conference realignments in the past–splitting into divisions means you don't see some longtime rivals but once every six years. Takes away some of the interest factor. The new NCAA rule that allows elimination of divisions with the top two teams in the standings meeting for the conference championship might help with that, at least in theory.

Yes, that helps some. If in a nine game conference schedule you assume that in any given year, one of OSU is playing 5 road games and UM is playing 4, that's 9 road games between them, so that's 9 teams hosting them. On average, you can get one of them at home every other year. That may help grease the skids a bit (in addition to the money).
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%



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