Booing and such
I'm just going to point out how idiotic the student section is, as a whole.
I'm not sure if it's because of lack of understanding in terms of how the BigTen works, how rankings work, or just stupidity.
When BigTen teams lose to terrible (read: MAC, C-USA, etc.) teams. It does 2 things:
One, it makes the BigTen look bad, which makes whoever the BigTen champion is look bad and not get a shot at a NC.
Second, we play 8 BigTen teams. It's always better for us to beat a good team than beat a bad team. It's also always better for us to lose to a good team, than lose to a bad team. If Illinois hadn't been decent last year, do you think OSU would have gotten to go to the NC game? Hell no.
This is WHY (or at least one of the reasons why) Dantonio is a terrible coach, especially for the BigTen. He gets all excited when we lose to App State and make the conference look shitty, then, his own team loses to the team that lost to App State, making his team look even worse.
When YOU, the Big House Student Section cheer when OSU is down by 8 or when Wisconson is trailing by 14 in the 2nd it makes us look classless, and it's like cheering against your team (by being excited to drop our strength of schedule).
Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't like OSU, but I would much rather beat an undefeated OSU team and crush their dreams leaving Tressel to drown his sorrows in Miller Chill than to play an OSU team that already had the NC possiblilty ripped from them, and are looking for a consolation prize (beating up on us).
Disclaimer: I really think it's too funny to not enjoy ND losing, just because... it's ND and I hate them.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:03 AM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 11:05 AM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 11:16 AM ^
It's silly when UF chants "SEC SEC SEC SEC" and it's silly when people tell me to root for OSU against USC.
Quite frankly, conference superiority means shit unless your self-esteem is so wrapped up in your favorite team that you need validation from jerk-off announcers and other fans (who aren't ever going to give you that respect you crave anyway).
People are always telling me rivalries and such are the big appeal of college football. Well, I don't like OSU. I'm not an idiotic "omg i'll never spend money in ohio!! lol!! tre$$el is a crook!" moron, but I don't see why I should cheer for them to win games.
So, in conclusion, Fight On USC!
September 9th, 2008 at 11:21 AM ^
My idea of a proper OSU score is 77-0 against, with multiple injuries, wide swaths of the stadium in ruins, and martial law being declared in Columbus. I don't care who's playing them.
Go, Trojans!
September 9th, 2008 at 11:16 AM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 11:17 AM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 11:19 AM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 11:34 AM ^
how shitty it felt two weeks into last season? There was literally nothing any Michigan fan could say to anyone in college football. Somehow I don't think any of the other teams in the Big Ten would trade those two weeks for some small measure of conference superiority. And frankly, until someone from the Big Ten thumps a USC or LSU in a BCS game of any magnitude the Big Ten isn't going to get respect. We can thank OSU, Illinois and yes, Michigan for that.
So while I understand your point, the only time I think its ever close to being "important" is if you plan on relying on voters to put you into the title game.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:37 AM ^
For the OSU/USC game...
Camaraderie of B10 - deep black hatred for OSU > General annoyance of B10 haters + 2007 Rose Bowl
September 9th, 2008 at 11:50 AM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 12:35 PM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 12:39 PM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 11:40 AM ^
Not only does it hurt our conference as a whole, it hurts us directly. When Wisconson comes into the Big House and mops the floor with us, it will hurt us that much more if they're not a ranked team. I can understand the OSU thing, but it's a matter of differed gratification.
If OSU is a 2 loss team when we play and (wait for it...) beat them (lol, but seriously now...) that's not nearly the heart-wrenching, James-Laurenitis-crying-the-sideline- inducing punch to the gut that beating the undefeated, Super-Soph-laiden, blowout-expecting Buckeyes.
Also, while it's a little classless, I just want Beanie's foot to explode off his ankle with 3 minutes left in the Illinios game.
Heartbreak is much more fun to cause than wallowing is to watch.
Also, Wisconson isn't out rival.
September 9th, 2008 at 1:14 PM ^
we have bigger things to worry about than strength of schedule
September 9th, 2008 at 1:53 PM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 2:58 PM ^
This week, yes. Fight On! Men of Troy
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:25 PM ^
Why do you single out our student section (or even our fanbase)? Do you honestly think that ANY other Big Ten fanbase was sad to hear we lost to Utah? If so, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you...
September 9th, 2008 at 7:27 PM ^
I single out the student section because I see/hear them the most.
Big Ten respect effects more than just NT games.
It effects what games are picked up by what channels, and how much add revenue the Big Ten gets for said games. It effects recruiting. Good players want to play in a conference that's highly regarded, not constantly degraded. Recruits want to play games that are on major channels, not ESPN U.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:30 PM ^
I don't really care about Big Ten respect and would like to see the conference suck. As Florida State showed in the 90s, the best way to have a ridiculous run is to play a bunch of crap teams year in and year out. If you win the big money games at the end of the year, no one cares.
I was rooting for Ohio, too.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:35 PM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 7:52 PM ^
Any 12-0 SEC team would get into the MNC before a 12-0 Michigan team any day of the week. The Big Ten gets absolutely no respect nationally after OSU's recent curbstompings. And it's not going to get any better when USC smacks OSU, and the Fucknuts proceed to roll through the Big Ten like usual.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:56 PM ^
And what happens when there are three 12-0 teams competing for those two slots? That was my point.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:00 PM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 10:26 PM ^
True. But all I'm saying is don't blow off your conference. I hate most of the teams in the Big Ten, and normally I wouldn't care how they do against the SEC, Big 12, whatever, but the absolute disrespect towards the conference lately is starting to get out of hand.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:55 PM ^
When was the last time a bcs team went undefeated and didn't make the NC game?
September 9th, 2008 at 8:51 PM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 10:56 PM ^
September 9th, 2008 at 11:45 PM ^
Um, no. Our NCs were in 01-04 and we didn't get another until 1918. We weren't in the WC from 07-16.
We only won titles while in conference.
September 10th, 2008 at 12:49 AM ^
September 10th, 2008 at 1:49 PM ^
Rooting for your conference is like kissing your sister, which is precisely why the SEC slappies do it.
I'll start rooting for tUoOS in out-of-conference games the day I start shitting gold.