It's Saturday in Athens

It's Saturday in Athens

Thursday, September 2, 2010

UGA/UF twice?? No!! OSU/MICH twice?? Shame on you Big 10.

As a Dawg fan, how would you like to make the annual trip to Jacksonville, whoop up on the Gators, only to have their fans saying "no biggie, we'll return the favor in a few weeks"....... I thought so.

Essentially, this is what the Big 10 has created for one of the most storied rivalries in our great game, Ohio State vs. Michigan.

Nobody was more thrilled to see the addition of Nebraska to the Big 10 this offseason than me. This gave the Big 10 their 12th team (confusing, I know), FINALLY allowing them to create a Conference Championship game. I don't think there is a soul outside a 40 mile radius of Columbus, OH who wasn't sick of watching Ohio State win the conference, and get to sit down and rest while most other conferences were hosting Championship Games. This was giving OSU about a month and a half off and a cakewalk into a big-time BCS Bowl. Thank the good Lord, now they will have to earn their way in, playing the first week of December.

But the Big 10 did Ohio State, Michigan and the rest of college football a major injustice yesterday, with the announcement of the two created divisions, who's champions will face off in the Conference Championship game. OSU and Mich were NOT put together.

Nothing could have dilluted "The Game" (as dubbed by many fans of both teams) more. Now when the two schools meet every November, they have to know that this could just be the first time they meet this season.

Extreme rivalries in college football, like those of UGA/UF, OSU/MICH and ALA/AUB are a major part of what makes college football so special. There is nothing like the feeling you get the morning of playing your most hated foe. Unique to college football, the teams truly do not like one another. They are playing for the unbreakable pride of their respective schools, not to be outdone by the other. In the NFL, when rivals play, such as Dallas and Washington, Green Bay and Minnesota or Atlanta and New Orleans, you see the players fraternizing on the field before the game, and shaking each other's hands during. They likely take one another out to dinner after the game since they rarely get to see one another. You won't see this on the college gridiron, without a doubt making rivalries much more special.

Yet, these college rivalries I speak of, should only come around once a year. Bragging rights and Border Wars are such a wonderful part of ther game. I could not imagine going the whole offseason bickering with Florida fans, saying "yeah you beat us the first game, but we got you the next". It just doesn't work like that. After seeing my team leave it all on the field, and raising our helmets in victory, that's it. 364 days of bragging rights coming my way! Not 35 days. Not 21 days.....

You made a big mistake Big 10. You should have taken a note from the SEC, when they expanded and broke into divisions in 1992. I am pretty sure the thought of splitting Georgia and Florida never existed. Now for Ohio State and Michigan fans, the morning of "The Game", can only be looked at as a potential scouting trip to see what they may bring your way in a couple weeks, when they could possibly play again. Fans of both teams, you should be shaking your heads this morning. You were just robbed of something very, very special.

GO DAWGS!!! 2 days til we tee it up between the hedges!!!

1 comment:

  1. I see your point. I don't know, part of me agrees with you, but part of me would love to see Florida State beat Miami twice in the same season. :-)

    ReplyDelete