College football championship. Notre Dame/Ohio State

[H2o]

Congrats to Tre and the Buckeyes, even though it comes at the expense of my Irish. Enjoy looking down at the rest of the College Football landscape. 

[Big Turk]

I hate Ohio State so so so very much.

[msw2112]

12 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Reality is a 12 team playoff changes the path to a championship.  With that being said TTUN, The Game, doesn’t matter anymore unless it is a W that stands in the way of making it in. Which it rarely ever will.

 

I think it took awhile for the Buckeye fan base to understand that after it being the opposite for so long historically.  But it’s more of an nfl process now and rivalries will exist in a much more muted way. 

 

I agree with the above post, in part, and disagree in others.  I will also be up front and say that I am a Michigan graduate and huge fan, so I have a bias.  I dislike Ohio State a lot, despite having several friends and neighbors who are graduates of the school.

 

BEFORE the playoff even began, I was on record saying that 12 teams was too many.  There were many teams that definitely did not deserve to be in the playoff.  Ohio State lost two games and by virtue of that, didn't deserve the opportunity to be in the playoffs and play for a national championship.  The importance of the regular season in college football was what made it great.  When Michigan and Ohio State played their final game in November, it used to be for all the marbles.  Now, the loser of that game got a second chance.  Had the loss to Michigan been Ohio State's ONLY loss, they would have had a better argument for getting in, but with TWO losses, they didn't deserve a shot.  The NFL and other professional sports have a different format, but the meaningful regular season was what made college football unique.  I don't dispute that Ohio State had the most talented roster in the nation and had continuity at head coach (unlike Alabama, Michigan, and Washington, who were all in the 4-team playoff last season, but lost their head coaches), so they should have been the favorite to win it all.

 

I think that "The Game matter anymore" and "it took a while for the Buckeye fan base to understand that" are revisionist history.  After Michigan won in November, the Ohio State fanbase was devastated and embarrassed, losing to a Michigan team with 5 losses and virtually no passing game.  They were calling for Ryan Day to be fired.  Now, it's convenient to say that "The Game didn't really matter" but that's just not the case for THIS season.  It damn well mattered in November.  Coach Day himself was on record saying how much losing to Michigan hurt him and his family and how it was the worst thing to happen in his life.

 

That said, I agree that on a go-forward basis, the 12-team playoff will take some of the juice out of The Game.  Now that a 2-loss team has won the National Championship, teams will approach the regular season differently.  Had undefeated Oregon gone on to win the Championship this change would not have been as dramatic.  In that case, the #1 seed would have appeared to have a lot of value and teams would strive for it.  This year, the final four teams were the 5, 6, 7, and 8 seeds, with Ohio State being the #8 seed.  Going forward, there just won't be as much on the line in the regular season and assuming Michigan gets back to its usual standard (which it should based on its recent recruiting success and familiarity with the new coaching staff), both teams should be in the top-12 and in the playoff, so there's a good chance there will be some rematches in the future.  When Michigan won it all last season in the 4-team playoff, they were the #1 seed, had a 15-0 record, and beat their biggest rival during the last regular season game.  A couple of other teams had previously done the same.  With the changes in college football, I'm not sure we'll see that again.

 

Notwithstanding all of that, Ohio State didn't create the new system, but they played their best football in the playoff and once they were in, they made the most of their opportunity and won it all, so I begrudgingly congratulate them.  And thanks to Michigan last season and Ohio State this season, the Big Ten has quieted the arrogance of the SEC.

[YoloinOhio]

7 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

 

I agree with the above post, in part, and disagree in others.  I will also be up front and say that I am a Michigan graduate and huge fan, so I have a bias.  I dislike Ohio State a lot, despite having several friends and neighbors who are graduates of the school.

 

BEFORE the playoff even began, I was on record saying that 12 teams was too many.  There were many teams that definitely did not deserve to be in the playoff.  Ohio State lost two games and by virtue of that, didn't deserve the opportunity to be in the playoffs and play for a national championship.  The importance of the regular season in college football was what made it great.  When Michigan and Ohio State played their final game in November, it used to be for all the marbles.  Now, the loser of that game got a second chance.  Had the loss to Michigan been Ohio State's ONLY loss, they would have had a better argument for getting in, but with TWO losses, they didn't deserve a shot.  The NFL and other professional sports have a different format, but the meaningful regular season was what made college football unique.  I don't dispute that Ohio State had the most talented roster in the nation and had continuity at head coach (unlike Alabama, Michigan, and Washington, who were all in the 4-team playoff last season, but lost their head coaches), so they should have been the favorite to win it all.

 

I think that "The Game matter anymore" and "it took a while for the Buckeye fan base to understand that" are revisionist history.  After Michigan won in November, the Ohio State fanbase was devastated and embarrassed, losing to a Michigan team with 5 losses and virtually no passing game.  They were calling for Ryan Day to be fired.  Now, it's convenient to say that "The Game didn't really matter" but that's just not the case for THIS season.  It damn well mattered in November.  Coach Day himself was on record saying how much losing to Michigan hurt him and his family and how it was the worst thing to happen in his life.

 

That said, I agree that on a go-forward basis, the 12-team playoff will take some of the juice out of The Game.  Now that a 2-loss team has won the National Championship, teams will approach the regular season differently.  Had undefeated Oregon gone on to win the Championship this change would not have been as dramatic.  In that case, the #1 seed would have appeared to have a lot of value and teams would strive for it.  This year, the final four teams were the 5, 6, 7, and 8 seeds, with Ohio State being the #8 seed.  Going forward, there just won't be as much on the line in the regular season and assuming Michigan gets back to its usual standard (which it should based on its recent recruiting success and familiarity with the new coaching staff), both teams should be in the top-12 and in the playoff, so there's a good chance there will be some rematches in the future.  When Michigan won it all last season in the 4-team playoff, they were the #1 seed, had a 15-0 record, and beat their biggest rival during the last regular season game.  A couple of other teams had previously done the same.  With the changes in college football, I'm not sure we'll see that again.

 

Notwithstanding all of that, Ohio State didn't create the new system, but they played their best football in the playoff and once they were in, they made the most of their opportunity and won it all, so I begrudgingly congratulate them.  And thanks to Michigan last season and Ohio State this season, the Big Ten has quieted the arrogance of the SEC.

Yes  The Game did matter at the time. A lot. But it shouldn’t have. We are all used to be it meaning so much. Then it was like ok well let’s see what they do in the playoff I guess. We had to keep reminding ourselves our season was going to keep going. And then it kept going. And then it was forgotten. That’s what I mean by it took awhile for the fan base to understand and I include myself, like my head knew it didn’t matter but my heart was like no eff that, it matters until it doesn’t. It’s never been like that. The seniors had no hardware. No gold pants. Now they have gold trophies. Gold pants used to be taken for granted, and they had none. Now they aren’t as relevant to success. It won’t be the same ever again. For better or for worse. 

Edited 17 hours ago by YoloinOhio

[GaryPinC]

36 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Yes  The Game did matter at the time. A lot. But it shouldn’t have. We are all used to be it meaning so much. Then it was like ok well let’s see what they do in the playoff I guess. We had to keep reminding ourselves our season was going to keep going. And then it kept going. And then it was forgotten. That’s what I mean by it took awhile for the fan base to understand and I include myself, like my head knew it didn’t matter but my heart was like no eff that, it matters until it doesn’t. It’s never been like that. The seniors had no hardware. No gold pants. Now they have gold trophies. Gold pants used to be taken for granted, and they had none. Now they aren’t as relevant to success. It won’t be the same ever again. For better or for worse. 

 

I think you're right in the long term, like 20+ years.  And you're a good and intelligent fan.  I've lived in Ohio (Mansfield and Cleveland) since the 80's and I'm thinking there's plenty of pig-headed Buckeye fans who won't let go of The Game for AT LEAST 10 years.  Especially if Michigan continues to enjoy more of the success in the rivalry.  You're talking about football since 1897 and over 125 years of animosity and history.  And you know there will be marketers on both sides continuing to stoke the rivalry!

 

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/war-sparked-sports-rivalry

[YoloinOhio]

19 minutes ago, GaryPinC said:

 

I think you're right in the long term, like 20+ years.  And you're a good and intelligent fan.  I've lived in Ohio (Mansfield and Cleveland) since the 80's and I'm thinking there's plenty of pig-headed Buckeye fans who won't let go of The Game for AT LEAST 10 years.  Especially if Michigan continues to enjoy more of the success in the rivalry.  You're talking about football since 1897 and over 125 years of animosity and history.  And you know there will be marketers on both sides continuing to stoke the rivalry!

 

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/war-sparked-sports-rivalry

No I agree with all that but to be fair a lot of Michigan fans insisted that Sparty was their actual rival for decades when they were losing The Game every year. I actually think the 100 year war means (meant?) more to Ohio State than them. We don’t have an in-state rival. 
 

and yes the marketing is outrageous it’s funny how they show the promos always with the double bird and all the fights and punches over the years. They hype it up that way and expect to not see flag planting and pre/post game fighting. 

Edited 16 hours ago by YoloinOhio

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

Reality is a 12 team playoff changes the path to a championship.  With that being said TTUN, The Game, doesn’t matter anymore technically  unless it is a W that stands in the way of making it in. Which it rarely ever will. It used to be if you lost that game you were out of the big 10 championship and if you were out of the big 10 championship you were out of the playoff. And before that with the BCS if you lost a game, any game, you were probably  out. 

 

I think it took awhile for the Buckeye fan base to understand that it’s more of an nfl process now and rivalries will exist in a much more muted way. 

 

With no playoff, one loss often eliminated a team. Two losses was an almost certain elimination. And before the BCS a team could even go undefeated and not earn a title. A 12 team playoff is vastly superior to those systems. Let’s also remember that these are kids - even if they are well compensated kids. They should have the opportunity to grow and improve over the course of a season. 

 

The current format also makes it a near certainty that two hated rivals from the same conference will meet in the title game. Won’t that be a day?

[YoloinOhio]

1 minute ago, BarleyNY said:

 

With no playoff, one loss often eliminated a team. Two losses was an almost certain elimination. And before the BCS a team could even go undefeated and not earn a title. A 12 team playoff is vastly superior to those systems. Let’s also remember that these are kids - even if they are well compensated kids. They should have the opportunity to grow and improve over the course of a season. 

 

The current format also makes it a near certainty that two hated rivals from the same conference will meet in the title game. Won’t that be a day?

It almost just happened with Penn state. Tbh I would have hated that. Blah. I mean I guess they aren’t a “hated” rival but that would have been boring 

Edited 16 hours ago by YoloinOhio

[GaryPinC]

18 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

No I agree with all that but to be fair a lot of Michigan fans insisted that Sparty was their actual rival for decades when they were losing The Game every year. I actually think the 100 year war means (meant?) more to Ohio State than them. We don’t have an in-state rival. 
 

and yes the marketing is outrageous it’s funny how they show the promos always with the double bird and all the fights and punches over the years. They hype it up that way and expect to not see flag planting and pre/post game fighting. 

😂  My buddy did grad school at UM and took me to 6-8 games and I dated a girl from MSU for a time.  I definitely feel the same way you do, OSU fans get far more worked up about The Game but it definitely means something to UM.  They also definitely have a rivalry with MSU, who they consider their hillbilly little pipsqueak brother.  So they usually pretend the MSU rivalry doesn't matter until they suck bad enough.

 

The UM fans were just insisting about Sparty because the couldn't beat OSU and knew it would piss off Buckeye fans to talk it down.  They actually weren't beating Sparty many of those years either, it was really a helpless, dreary time for them.😂  Just say "Rich Rodriguez" if you want to get them worked up.

 

Totally agree about the marketing.  Cripes, even going to a Big Ten game is like going to a NBA game, just a blitz of lights, sounds, ads, video and music trying to cover 8 minutes of commercials every 15 minutes.  And people complain about NIL.

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

It almost just happened with Penn state. Tbh I would have hated that. Blah. I mean I guess they aren’t a “hated” rival but that would have been boring 

 

My wife and I have family in Central PA. One of my aunts literally used to walk to her job at the PSU library. They kinda hate tOSU there now. Pitt might still be that for some of the older folks, but we’re still probably second for them.