Congratulations Auburn on the 2010-11 NCAA Football BCS National Championship. There may be a handful of flaws with the BCS system but it says something when 4 different SEC teams have won for the last 5 straight years (and 7 out of the last 13 winners have been from the SEC).
Time to start counting the days down until next football season.
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
11 January 2011
26 December 2010
Reshaping of the Big Ten Confernence
A little tardy to the party, but reinforcement can only do just that - reinforce the point. The new Big Ten Conference Names and logos stink. Ten or Twenty years ago...fine. But for 2010 and the dollars they probably shelled out, no thanks. The 2010 regular season performance of the NCAA Big Ten football teams really put them back on the map in the BCS conversation. Not the #1 conference but finally the ability to have them in the conversation again.
The new logo
The Big Ten changed their logo from the creative Big Ten title hiding the number Eleven in the negative space in between the letters to the newer two in one "Big" "10" combination. It retains a level of creativity, but added a level problem solving to understand the full logo. No harm for the college graduate audience, but not much of a comparison to the revamped PAC-12 shield that will be going live. Here are some links to more information about the changes: Big Ten Artist comments and Big Ten artwork.
The new divisions
This is the one that demands a revision as the logo will probably grow on the fans. What ever happened to North, South, East, and West groupings? And who possibly came up with Legends and Leaders? Was this some joke towards the teams who are in the Leaders conference? Sure. Leaders is an admiral title to be branded with, but compared to Legends it doesn't really match up. What were these people thinking?
The new logo
The Big Ten changed their logo from the creative Big Ten title hiding the number Eleven in the negative space in between the letters to the newer two in one "Big" "10" combination. It retains a level of creativity, but added a level problem solving to understand the full logo. No harm for the college graduate audience, but not much of a comparison to the revamped PAC-12 shield that will be going live. Here are some links to more information about the changes: Big Ten Artist comments and Big Ten artwork.
The new divisions
This is the one that demands a revision as the logo will probably grow on the fans. What ever happened to North, South, East, and West groupings? And who possibly came up with Legends and Leaders? Was this some joke towards the teams who are in the Leaders conference? Sure. Leaders is an admiral title to be branded with, but compared to Legends it doesn't really match up. What were these people thinking?
13 November 2010
Football trips 2010, Alabama & Michigan
I can already say that I have attended two football games at renowned stadiums even though the NCAA football year is many weeks from over. This year I was able to go to Florida at Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL and Illinois at Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. Both were awesome adventures to log into my sporting venues journey.
The first game I went to this year was the SEC matchup of the Gators and the Tide. This trip was the 5th for my annual away game crew and the 7th SEC stadium I have been to for a game. Florida got whooped. The final score was 31 - 6 and as far as I was concerned the game ended when we failed to convert for points from within the ten yard line on our first drive . I do have to mention that the tailgaiting experience was the best I have witnessed yet. I thought Ole Miss was going to be tough to beat, but the Quad did it. I am going to leave that a bit open and not compare it to Florida, but there were several great things to talk about.
Below are some pictures from our weekend in Alabama. I recall that this stadium holds 101,000+. Don't quote me and feel free to comment the exact amount at this game or what the stadium holds.
Driving by the front of Bryant-Denny Stadium
Inside looking down from our near top row visitor section seats - at the band.
Again, looking way down.
One of the popular local eateries we went to. Dreamland Bar-B-Que. Apparently this was the original location as compared to the one farther out on the highway.
My order of ribs and beans at Dreamland. I like to talk about food and present my findings here. But I also still try to not say anything if I have nothing good to say. Let's just keep it simple - I won't be headed back to Dreamland if I go back to Tuscaloosa.
This is a picture of our fried pickles from Bottomfeeders. Decent.
My 2nd trip this year was to the University of Michigan while I was up in freezing country visiting my in-laws. Another great venue to hit. Let me explain.
Here are my pics from that day.
The back of the south endzone sign looking up from the street.
Entering into the stadium gates - the south west corner.
A Hail to the Victors! Memorial, again south west corner.
Looking ahead from our seats.
Some game time action.
A look at the west side sky box (press section).
Another look at the field.
A pic of the east side sky box.
The visitor section. If you look carefully you can actually see Illinois fans.
The attendance for the day: 111,441. This is the largest stadium event I believe that I ever have been to thus far.
One more look at the field.
The final score. It ended by Illinois failing to make the mandatory 3rd OT 2 point conversion. Just Crazy.
22 September 2010
Big 10 or BigTwelve?
While I was on my honeymoon a few months back some of the more prestigious NCAA football conferences attempted some major adjustments. The PAC10 ended up adding 2 teams and is planning to rename and re-brand their conference so they can finally have a conference championship like the SEC and Big 12.
What I am very curious about is the potential renaming of the BigTen and the Big 12. I bring this up because the BigTen already had 11 teams and has now added one more. So will it now become the BigTwelve? And a bit down south, the Big 12 had twelve teams and now will have 10. Will they then change to the Big 10?
Overall, the changes for the BigTen and the PAC10 should definitely help college football.
What I am very curious about is the potential renaming of the BigTen and the Big 12. I bring this up because the BigTen already had 11 teams and has now added one more. So will it now become the BigTwelve? And a bit down south, the Big 12 had twelve teams and now will have 10. Will they then change to the Big 10?
Overall, the changes for the BigTen and the PAC10 should definitely help college football.
28 July 2010
Football Season Is Upon Us!
I have been counting the days until kickoff and my annual away game trip with my friends to Alabama. We are down to 38 as of today. The iPhone app Big Day Lite is making the experience so much easier. Check out this pic of the app on my phone - the swamp and all.
I was looking more into the conference changes today and discovered that the Big Ten will now be the Big Twelve and the Big 12 will now be the Big 10. How weird is that? The logos and potential name changes should be interesting.
05 December 2009
Interesting coaching situations at the end of the NCAA football 2009 season
The 2009 NCAA college football is ending with another onslaught of head coaches and schools parting ways. Nearly all of the men so far really didn't have much say in the matter. Before you read any further, please know that this is a mini Bobby Bowden tribute. Yes, I am a Gator fan, but this man deserves it.
So far we have separation between:
I, like many recognize that this is merely a component of the college football business. But this year is starting to stand out. Someone to to step up and speak to the obvious. There can only be so many undefeated and #1 schools every year. I know that you can only be the best by striving to be the best, but recently it seems like expectations are in some cases ridiculous. In my opinion, the schools should let the scenarios play out a bit longer. Let's talk about the 3 biggest names to date: Charlie Weis, Mark Mangino, and Bobby Bowden.
Charlie Weis. Yes, I know every big school wants to be #1. Or, at least in the mix annually. But the way Notre Dame heaps on the pressure is just ridiculous. Not to say a 6 and 6 season should be acceptable, but maybe you are just in a rut right now. Your NBC contract irks me every time I think about it. Join a conference already. Wake up Notre Dame, you are not college football. You are just one of the 100+ teams. Maybe if you joined the Big East and stopped stacking up your schedule you could get back on track.
Mark Mangino. I know little about this situation and can't even tell you Kansas' win loss record. But why is everyone thinking the same thing except those with the decision making power at Kansas...hello, you are a basketball school. Mark was doing a good job.
Maybe I'm getting softer in my older age or maybe I just don't have all of the information the insiders have. Or maybe I have been focusing on the Gators and watching the long overdue Charlie Strong about to get his own squad. But as of tonight I think that at Mark Mangino should have stayed. And as for Notre Dame, it's not just the coach - there is a lot more to it. I know you have a tremendous following domestically. So what. Do you really think bringing in another coach is going to get you in the BCS game within 3 years? You are an educational institution after all. Study the odds, study something, it isn't going to happen. It is going to take some time and more importantly someone to realize that.
This brings us to Bobby Bowden. Yes, if you know me personally you know that I always start my FSU smack talk with something to the matter of FSU being a girls school, since it started as a an all women's college. I put the I hate you act on with the rest of them on game day. However, I still have a lot of respect for the Seminoles even though I am a true Gator fan. Especially for Mr. Bobby Bowden. One could claim he invented football in Florida. He has more wins than any other college football coach except JoePa and numerous consecutive seasons with top 10 teams. I just feel strongly that the man should have had a better exit AND on his terms. If he wanted one more year for the next five years than so be it. There wouldn't be the brand of FSU football without Bobby Bowden.
Thank you Bobby Bowden for what you gave the game and the State of Florida. And I hope you go out for another coaching job and whoop up FSU.
So far we have separation between:
- Charlie Weis and Notre Dame,
- Steve Kragthorpe and Louisville,
- Mark Mangino and Kansas,
- Bobby Bowden and FSU,
- a handful of Georgia Assistants being shipped out,
- as well as a list of others from different schools.
I, like many recognize that this is merely a component of the college football business. But this year is starting to stand out. Someone to to step up and speak to the obvious. There can only be so many undefeated and #1 schools every year. I know that you can only be the best by striving to be the best, but recently it seems like expectations are in some cases ridiculous. In my opinion, the schools should let the scenarios play out a bit longer. Let's talk about the 3 biggest names to date: Charlie Weis, Mark Mangino, and Bobby Bowden.
Charlie Weis. Yes, I know every big school wants to be #1. Or, at least in the mix annually. But the way Notre Dame heaps on the pressure is just ridiculous. Not to say a 6 and 6 season should be acceptable, but maybe you are just in a rut right now. Your NBC contract irks me every time I think about it. Join a conference already. Wake up Notre Dame, you are not college football. You are just one of the 100+ teams. Maybe if you joined the Big East and stopped stacking up your schedule you could get back on track.
Mark Mangino. I know little about this situation and can't even tell you Kansas' win loss record. But why is everyone thinking the same thing except those with the decision making power at Kansas...hello, you are a basketball school. Mark was doing a good job.
Maybe I'm getting softer in my older age or maybe I just don't have all of the information the insiders have. Or maybe I have been focusing on the Gators and watching the long overdue Charlie Strong about to get his own squad. But as of tonight I think that at Mark Mangino should have stayed. And as for Notre Dame, it's not just the coach - there is a lot more to it. I know you have a tremendous following domestically. So what. Do you really think bringing in another coach is going to get you in the BCS game within 3 years? You are an educational institution after all. Study the odds, study something, it isn't going to happen. It is going to take some time and more importantly someone to realize that.
This brings us to Bobby Bowden. Yes, if you know me personally you know that I always start my FSU smack talk with something to the matter of FSU being a girls school, since it started as a an all women's college. I put the I hate you act on with the rest of them on game day. However, I still have a lot of respect for the Seminoles even though I am a true Gator fan. Especially for Mr. Bobby Bowden. One could claim he invented football in Florida. He has more wins than any other college football coach except JoePa and numerous consecutive seasons with top 10 teams. I just feel strongly that the man should have had a better exit AND on his terms. If he wanted one more year for the next five years than so be it. There wouldn't be the brand of FSU football without Bobby Bowden.
Thank you Bobby Bowden for what you gave the game and the State of Florida. And I hope you go out for another coaching job and whoop up FSU.
Credit to Whig.com, where this picture was pulled from.
27 September 2009
When is enough?
I attended the Florida Gator football game this past weekend in Lexington, Kentucky against the Kentucky Wildcats and I saw the hit that took Tim Tebow out of the game live and then later saw the ambulance drive by with him inside on the way to the hospital. It was a scary sequence of events but not something most of us football fans haven’t seen before. The difference last night was that it was Tim Tebow, our Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, who may now be out for a while. He will most likely be back at the helm for our next game against LSU, but either way, out for a bit – and I am by no means a medical doctor.
We all know that concussions are part of the game of football. One of the ugly parts, but the players understand and choose to take this risk. It’s easy for me to sit here and talk about this type of thing having never actually played a down of organized contact football, but I respect the situation none the less. I bring all of this up because it is going to be interesting to see and hear the commentary the next 2 weeks from the media and other schools regarding whether or not Tebow should have even still been in the game figuring the Gators were up 31-7 in the third quarter and in control of the game.
I think there is a lot more to the situation then people give it credit for. There is of course the primary conversation of whether or not the game was over and then there is the discussion of running up the score. But, I think there is more to it. As far as the game being over, sure Florida was dominating the game, but try and tell either football team that with 20+ minutes left on the clock that the game was over, or the 50,000+ paying fans. Yes, I do think the game was more or less over (where Kentucky couldn’t come back) at the end of the 1st quarter, but there’s more to it than that which I will get to in a minute. As for running up the score, maybe it’s because I’m a Gator fan, I do think it’s okay to score 50-60 points on another NCAA opponent…especially in this specific game against another SEC eastern team. Kentucky is a good squad and is capable of scoring 4 touchdowns of their own. So what am I really trying to say? I guess what I am getting at is that when is it acceptable for a team like Florida to go out there and test lots of their plays? We keep hearing that teams like Florida leave starters in too long, run up the score too high, and the games are more or less over when they are 20-30 points up.
Let’s take a look at the overarching goals at hand. Florida is gunning for another championship, the 3rd in 4 years. So Florida needs more than 15-30 minutes of football to work through their playbook and test out different packages with all of the players. This was only Florida’s 4th game this year. In the first game, Tebow only played into the 2nd quarter. The second game he played into the 3rd quarter. And then Tebow played the whole game against Tennessee, their 3rd opponent. I know Tebow and the other Gator athletes practice quite a bit, but they really need to play 60 minutes to ensure they are prepared for upcoming opponents. I think having an athlete like Tim Tebow in during the middle of the 3rd quarter is completely acceptable when there is a 24 point margin. Yes, it was taking a risk, and yes, this is what will happen sometimes. I’m sure if the exact situation was to present itself again, Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow would do it all over again.
I hope Tim Tebow ‘s head is okay and he is able to quickly to recover from this injury. But, I think the critics really need to look deeper into the situation before criticizing what Florida Football and many other schools are doing to prepare for a title run.
We all know that concussions are part of the game of football. One of the ugly parts, but the players understand and choose to take this risk. It’s easy for me to sit here and talk about this type of thing having never actually played a down of organized contact football, but I respect the situation none the less. I bring all of this up because it is going to be interesting to see and hear the commentary the next 2 weeks from the media and other schools regarding whether or not Tebow should have even still been in the game figuring the Gators were up 31-7 in the third quarter and in control of the game.
I think there is a lot more to the situation then people give it credit for. There is of course the primary conversation of whether or not the game was over and then there is the discussion of running up the score. But, I think there is more to it. As far as the game being over, sure Florida was dominating the game, but try and tell either football team that with 20+ minutes left on the clock that the game was over, or the 50,000+ paying fans. Yes, I do think the game was more or less over (where Kentucky couldn’t come back) at the end of the 1st quarter, but there’s more to it than that which I will get to in a minute. As for running up the score, maybe it’s because I’m a Gator fan, I do think it’s okay to score 50-60 points on another NCAA opponent…especially in this specific game against another SEC eastern team. Kentucky is a good squad and is capable of scoring 4 touchdowns of their own. So what am I really trying to say? I guess what I am getting at is that when is it acceptable for a team like Florida to go out there and test lots of their plays? We keep hearing that teams like Florida leave starters in too long, run up the score too high, and the games are more or less over when they are 20-30 points up.
Let’s take a look at the overarching goals at hand. Florida is gunning for another championship, the 3rd in 4 years. So Florida needs more than 15-30 minutes of football to work through their playbook and test out different packages with all of the players. This was only Florida’s 4th game this year. In the first game, Tebow only played into the 2nd quarter. The second game he played into the 3rd quarter. And then Tebow played the whole game against Tennessee, their 3rd opponent. I know Tebow and the other Gator athletes practice quite a bit, but they really need to play 60 minutes to ensure they are prepared for upcoming opponents. I think having an athlete like Tim Tebow in during the middle of the 3rd quarter is completely acceptable when there is a 24 point margin. Yes, it was taking a risk, and yes, this is what will happen sometimes. I’m sure if the exact situation was to present itself again, Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow would do it all over again.
I hope Tim Tebow ‘s head is okay and he is able to quickly to recover from this injury. But, I think the critics really need to look deeper into the situation before criticizing what Florida Football and many other schools are doing to prepare for a title run.
Florida @ Kentucky '09
I have been working in Louisville, Kentucky every other week for over a year now and made sure to get tickets to this past weekend's NCAA football game with the University of Florida at the University of Kentucky down in Lexington. Below are some of the pictures I took on Saturday. Not the best photography, but something to share. It rained almost all week before and some more the morning of the game. We were lucky during the actual game time to see the sun and not have any rain.
The cloudiness in some of the pics is actually some smoke from a cannon or fireworks.
The cloudiness in some of the pics is actually some smoke from a cannon or fireworks.
20 September 2009
Headed to Lexington
Well, the 3rd weekend of college football is over already. Me and the rest of the NCAA football fanatics wait all year for the season and then it just goes by so fast.
Florida pulled through and beat Tennessee as expected but not by the margin that was widely predicted. The upsets came this weekend with Washington over Southern Cal and Florida State beating up on BYU.
I am really looking forward to attending next weekend's Florida game at Commonwealth Stadium against the Kentucky Wildcats as it will be the 5th SEC stadium I get to visit. And I have tickets ahead of time. Having tickets before the day of a Florida game is a rarity for me as they are always so hard to get. Or should I say, how expensive.
I will try to post some pics next week.
Florida pulled through and beat Tennessee as expected but not by the margin that was widely predicted. The upsets came this weekend with Washington over Southern Cal and Florida State beating up on BYU.
I am really looking forward to attending next weekend's Florida game at Commonwealth Stadium against the Kentucky Wildcats as it will be the 5th SEC stadium I get to visit. And I have tickets ahead of time. Having tickets before the day of a Florida game is a rarity for me as they are always so hard to get. Or should I say, how expensive.
I will try to post some pics next week.
07 September 2009
NCAA Football Week 1 2009
There are only 2 more games left to finish off week 1 of college football. Tonight's Labor Day showdown with Miami at Florida State and Cincinnati/Rutgers. With that said it was nice to see the SEC go 11-1 Thursday through Sunday. Our only loss was Oklahoma State beating Georgia.
Football season is back!
Football season is back!
30 August 2009
NFL Network is a gift.
I just recently realized that we now have the NFL Network. Although I really think it is some big tease just for pre-season football, it has been nice. All of last year we did not get NFL Network on tv in my area (south Florida) without paying extra. So I never check the channel. Of course, the first several months when it went from free to pay by channel a couple of years back I used to check hoping it would be back all the time, but not recently. So a few weeks back when my brother from New York was visiting I walked into the living room and saw football on and the NFL logo. I was like, "What. What is this?" And of course he said, "It's NFL Network." Duh.
So there you have it. Comcast is giving us NFL Network again in one of the basic or extended cable packages. I just wish someone told me sooner. Let's just see if it lasts past the first week of the season. Thanks either way Comcast. Football everyday on tv is the best.
So there you have it. Comcast is giving us NFL Network again in one of the basic or extended cable packages. I just wish someone told me sooner. Let's just see if it lasts past the first week of the season. Thanks either way Comcast. Football everyday on tv is the best.
18 July 2009
SEC Football Stadium Sizes
***Updated 24 September 2011***
The last post I wrote got me thinking about stadium sizes, particularly the SEC stadiums. After reviewing the sizes of the largest college football stadiums I learned that 4 of the largest 10 (including NFL) are NCAA SEC stadiums as well as 7 out of the top 25. Rankings are based on capacity and not record crowds.
Here are the top 7 SEC stadiums in the top 25 (non-racing). The first number is capacity and the second if noted is largest recorded crowd.
#3 - Neyland Stadium (102,037 / 109,061) - University of Tennessee
#5 - Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821) - University of Alabama
#9 - Sanford Stadium (92,746) - University of Georgia
#10 - Tigers Stadium (92,542 / 93,039) - Louisiana State University
#12 - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field (88,548 / 90,907) - University of Florida
#13 - Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) - Auburn University
#24 - Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250 / 85,000) - University of South Carolina
Other SEC Stadiums. Same numbers as noted above.
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000) - University of Arkansas
Commonwealth Stadium (67,606 / 71,024) - University of Kentucky
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (60,580 / 62,657) - University of Mississippi
Davis Wade Stadium (55,082) Mississippi State University
Vanderbilt Stadium (39,790) Vanderbilt University
And if you were wondering, here is the list of the top ten:
Other search words: biggest, seats, attendance
Sources:
List of American football stadiums by capacity by wikipedia.org
utsports.com
rolltide.com
georgiadogs.com
lsusports.net
gatorzone.com
auburntigers.com
gamecocksonline.cstv.com
ukathletics.com
olemisssports.com
mstateathletics.com
vucommodores.cstv.com
The last post I wrote got me thinking about stadium sizes, particularly the SEC stadiums. After reviewing the sizes of the largest college football stadiums I learned that 4 of the largest 10 (including NFL) are NCAA SEC stadiums as well as 7 out of the top 25. Rankings are based on capacity and not record crowds.
Here are the top 7 SEC stadiums in the top 25 (non-racing). The first number is capacity and the second if noted is largest recorded crowd.
#3 - Neyland Stadium (102,037 / 109,061) - University of Tennessee
#5 - Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821) - University of Alabama
#9 - Sanford Stadium (92,746) - University of Georgia
#10 - Tigers Stadium (92,542 / 93,039) - Louisiana State University
#12 - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field (88,548 / 90,907) - University of Florida
#13 - Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) - Auburn University
#24 - Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250 / 85,000) - University of South Carolina
Other SEC Stadiums. Same numbers as noted above.
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000) - University of Arkansas
Commonwealth Stadium (67,606 / 71,024) - University of Kentucky
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (60,580 / 62,657) - University of Mississippi
Davis Wade Stadium (55,082) Mississippi State University
Vanderbilt Stadium (39,790) Vanderbilt University
And if you were wondering, here is the list of the top ten:
- University of Michigan (109,901)
- Pennsylvania State University (106,572)
- University of Tennessee
- Ohio State University (102,329)
- University of Alabama
- University of Texas (101,624)
- Rose Bowl (94,118)
- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (93,607)
- University of Georgia
- Louisiana State University
Other search words: biggest, seats, attendance
Sources:
List of American football stadiums by capacity by wikipedia.org
utsports.com
rolltide.com
georgiadogs.com
lsusports.net
gatorzone.com
auburntigers.com
gamecocksonline.cstv.com
ukathletics.com
olemisssports.com
mstateathletics.com
vucommodores.cstv.com
13 July 2009
SEC Homes
It's a perfect day for a football blog post since there are only 50 days until the first NCAA football game of the 2009 season.
This year should be another great year for me. I have a lot to plan for with an upcoming wedding in May, but I am planning on keeping my weekends full with college football.
I have my annual away game weekend planned with my friends in Starkville, Mississippi. And I am going to add in a weekend in Lexington since I will be working so close in Louisville. Of course it is going to be hard to pass up watching Lane Kiffin and Vols come down to Gainesville.
But the real point of this post is stadiums. I was at a family reunion this past weekend and talked at length to a first cousin once removed about NCAA football as he is a big Alabama fan. Since I learned once again that another SEC team has more than one stadium, I figured I would take the time to review all of the SEC stadiums...mainly because I wasn't fully aware. After doing this research I have realized that the stadium in conversation - Legion Field in Birmingham, AL is only sometimes used for the Iron Bowl.
SEC East
Florida - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, FL
Georgia - Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA
Kentucky - Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, KY
South Carolina - Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC
Tennessee - Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN
Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, TN
SEC West
Alabama - Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL
Arkansas - Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayeteville, AK and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, AK
Auburn - Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL
LSU - Tigers Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA
Mississippi - Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/ Hollingsworth Field in Oxford, MS
Mississippi State - Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS
This year should be another great year for me. I have a lot to plan for with an upcoming wedding in May, but I am planning on keeping my weekends full with college football.
I have my annual away game weekend planned with my friends in Starkville, Mississippi. And I am going to add in a weekend in Lexington since I will be working so close in Louisville. Of course it is going to be hard to pass up watching Lane Kiffin and Vols come down to Gainesville.
But the real point of this post is stadiums. I was at a family reunion this past weekend and talked at length to a first cousin once removed about NCAA football as he is a big Alabama fan. Since I learned once again that another SEC team has more than one stadium, I figured I would take the time to review all of the SEC stadiums...mainly because I wasn't fully aware. After doing this research I have realized that the stadium in conversation - Legion Field in Birmingham, AL is only sometimes used for the Iron Bowl.
SEC East
Florida - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, FL
Georgia - Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA
Kentucky - Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, KY
South Carolina - Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC
Tennessee - Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN
Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, TN
SEC West
Alabama - Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL
Arkansas - Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayeteville, AK and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, AK
Auburn - Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL
LSU - Tigers Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA
Mississippi - Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/ Hollingsworth Field in Oxford, MS
Mississippi State - Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS
07 May 2009
College Football starts in...
Only 121 days left until Gator Football starts for 2009. There are 10 games the preceding Thursday and Friday.
You can find schedules here:
Gator Football
All NCAA Football
Start counting ladies and Gentlemen, start counting. It's just too bad congress can't change the BCS before we kick off.
You can find schedules here:
Gator Football
All NCAA Football
Start counting ladies and Gentlemen, start counting. It's just too bad congress can't change the BCS before we kick off.
12 January 2009
The Big12 South stinks..
The Big12 is not all they tried to say they were this year...
During this past year's NCAA football season the media and the Big12 tried to boast about being the exclusive powerhouse in college football. And better yet...better than the SEC.
Just take a look at the bowl scores and do the math yourself. Yes, the Big12 North did close the deal on their 3 games, but the Big12 South, really dropped the ball figuring they were the one's doing all of the talking.
North
W - Missouri skimmed by Northwestern.
W - Kansas beat Minnesota.
W - Nebraska beat Clemson by 5.
The South
L - Texas Tech dropping to Mississippi...the only team to beat the triumphant Gators this year.
W - Texas winning by a spot of a ball in the 4th against THE Ohio State.
L - Oklahoma State losing to Oregon.
L - And Oklahoma losing to Florida.
So they went 4-3 overall and the ones doing all of the talking only won 1 of 4.
In summary...The SEC is still the leader of the pack.
During this past year's NCAA football season the media and the Big12 tried to boast about being the exclusive powerhouse in college football. And better yet...better than the SEC.
Just take a look at the bowl scores and do the math yourself. Yes, the Big12 North did close the deal on their 3 games, but the Big12 South, really dropped the ball figuring they were the one's doing all of the talking.
North
W - Missouri skimmed by Northwestern.
W - Kansas beat Minnesota.
W - Nebraska beat Clemson by 5.
The South
L - Texas Tech dropping to Mississippi...the only team to beat the triumphant Gators this year.
W - Texas winning by a spot of a ball in the 4th against THE Ohio State.
L - Oklahoma State losing to Oregon.
L - And Oklahoma losing to Florida.
So they went 4-3 overall and the ones doing all of the talking only won 1 of 4.
In summary...The SEC is still the leader of the pack.
07 January 2009
Fixing the College Football Bowl Situation
Playoff, +1, keep it as is... Something has to give.
Everyone that loves college football knows that the current situation needs to change. Yes, if you take a look at history, we are far better off with the BCS than we were a few years back without it. The crime is that it boils down to money, and not football or the students playing the game.
Personally, I blame the gridlock on the Rose Bowl and the PAC10 and BigTen. They won't release their grip off of the rights to the annual Pasadena trip.
I'll cut to the chase...
My solution isn't original, but also is the fastest to implement and the best middle ground offering compromise.
The Positives are:
Everyone that loves college football knows that the current situation needs to change. Yes, if you take a look at history, we are far better off with the BCS than we were a few years back without it. The crime is that it boils down to money, and not football or the students playing the game.
Personally, I blame the gridlock on the Rose Bowl and the PAC10 and BigTen. They won't release their grip off of the rights to the annual Pasadena trip.
I'll cut to the chase...
My solution isn't original, but also is the fastest to implement and the best middle ground offering compromise.
- Keep the current BCS ranking system. No, I don't think it is all that fair either, but it is a system that floats the best to the top.
- (Optional) Institute mandatory conference championships. This would equal out the amount of games and create harder schedules for those without. The 2 strongest conferences do this already.
- Keep the same BCS bowl rotation. 5 trump games in New Orleans, Miami, Pasadena, and Phoenix. And maybe switch up the sites every few years. By now, you are thinking...Huh. This guy is stupid.
- Here is where my +1 solution comes in. Make the 2 previous bowl games that hosted the championship the playoff sites with 1 vs. 4, and 2 vs. 3. The 1 vs. 4 would have been held in the Sugar Bowl, and the 2 vs. 3 would have been held in the Fiesta Bowl this year.
- Allowing the Orange Bowl to host the 4th most important matchup, with 7 vs. 8.
- And the Rose Bowl to have the 3rd most important with 5 vs. 6.
- The winners of the 2 'playoff' bowl games in Phoenix and New Orleans go to the final in Miami. Still allowing for the week after game. The dates would have to be shuffled around a bit every year. But I'm certain the Rose Bowl Parade fanatics would be the only ones to complain.
- The system will have to eliminate who gets automatic bids in to each bowl by way of conference leader.
The Positives are:
- This formula keeps the current quantity of bowls.
- Does not extend the bowl season.
- Allows for 4 teams to make their way into the final after the final BCS rankings.
- Somewhat of a compromise of the current system, a +1, and a playoff.
- The total amount of bowl teams are reduced by two because the 2 final teams play another game.
- Particular conferences do not get locked into select BCS bowls...boo hoo.
- Additional money for 2 of the 4 final teams. This could possibly be reworked or donated to other deserving causes or programs.
- Fans may not dish out the cash to go to 2 bowl games if their teams are that good. Ohhh my gosh.... ticket prices might have to go down. How crazy would that be?
12 November 2008
College Football Playoff...Never
This podcast with Herbstreit and Mike & Mike really sums it up. I like to blame the Rose Bowl scenario... i.e. PAC10 and SmallTen. Really good listening.
And the comments about the bathrooms are right on. What's up with that...Wash your hands.
Definitely dated if you are checking out this post in the future: week ending 14 November 2008
Click HERE to listen.
And the comments about the bathrooms are right on. What's up with that...Wash your hands.
Definitely dated if you are checking out this post in the future: week ending 14 November 2008
Click HERE to listen.
14 October 2008
Who gets to go to Miami?
The BCS may very well be in for another dose of "Who do we leave out this year?" With the Big 12 stealing the spotlight from the superpowers of the SEC, we are being led to believe that the champion crowned in Kansas City, Missouri on December 6th will certainly have proved their worth in the NCAA Football title race to compete for the overall championship in Miami.
And what about the SEC? Surely when the cloud of dust settles in Atlanta on the same day (06 Dec) and the one left standing has however many loses, they deserve to scrap it out in Dolphins Stadium. Don't they?
Well the BCS Standings come out for the first time next week and we'll get a peek of what's to come. It looks like we're due for USC, BYU, Boise State, or Ball State to spoil the easy pick 'ems. And don't forget about Penn State. If they run the table, JoePa's crewAtlanta, Auburn University, Ball State, BCS, Big 12, Boise State, BYU, College Game Day, Kansas City, Lee Corso, NCAA football, definitely deserves a shot at an early Spring Break.
I can just see it now. College Game Day at the Iron Bowl at the end of the season, when Alabama tries to finish the regular season undefeated. Corso incorrectly picking the War Eagle...I mean Tiger...what is the Auburn mascot anyway? And all of the Playoff signs in the background being hoisted by my beloved SEC brothers and sisters.
And what about the SEC? Surely when the cloud of dust settles in Atlanta on the same day (06 Dec) and the one left standing has however many loses, they deserve to scrap it out in Dolphins Stadium. Don't they?
Well the BCS Standings come out for the first time next week and we'll get a peek of what's to come. It looks like we're due for USC, BYU, Boise State, or Ball State to spoil the easy pick 'ems. And don't forget about Penn State. If they run the table, JoePa's crewAtlanta, Auburn University, Ball State, BCS, Big 12, Boise State, BYU, College Game Day, Kansas City, Lee Corso, NCAA football, definitely deserves a shot at an early Spring Break.
I can just see it now. College Game Day at the Iron Bowl at the end of the season, when Alabama tries to finish the regular season undefeated. Corso incorrectly picking the War Eagle...I mean Tiger...what is the Auburn mascot anyway? And all of the Playoff signs in the background being hoisted by my beloved SEC brothers and sisters.
07 October 2008
a BCS playoff...not at least for 5 years
For those of you who haven't seen the news flash or can't read between the lines...there will be no BCS playoff. Best case scenario is 2014. I know this is old news, but this season is shaping up to be another blockbuster and who knows how it will end this time.
Click HERE for an article posted on the Fox BCS site that paints the situation as "healthy".
Maybe I have a biased viewpoint being a big SEC fan, but the PAC10 and Big Ten aren't helping matters not letting go of the Rose Bowl. I understand their perspective a little bit since a trip to Pasadena has been theirs since the start, but if we all ever want a better system we need to shift gears to a playoff of sorts, plus 1, etc...
As for the other conferences, why would they want to let 2 SEC teams lock down on 2 highlight spots every year.
Click HERE for an article posted on the Fox BCS site that paints the situation as "healthy".
Maybe I have a biased viewpoint being a big SEC fan, but the PAC10 and Big Ten aren't helping matters not letting go of the Rose Bowl. I understand their perspective a little bit since a trip to Pasadena has been theirs since the start, but if we all ever want a better system we need to shift gears to a playoff of sorts, plus 1, etc...
As for the other conferences, why would they want to let 2 SEC teams lock down on 2 highlight spots every year.
18 September 2008
SEC football matchups are thick this weekend.
No matter where you are looking for previews and story lines pertaining to the upcoming weekend's college football match-ups, you are probably reading or hearing about what the SEC has to offer.
The key games being Florida @ Tennessee, LSU @ Auburn and Georgia playing out of conference at Arizona State. One that is off most radars is Alabama @ Arkansas. A lot of action among these 4 games to choose from. And as usual the TV gods have spaced them out for the most part for our viewing pleasure.
On a final note...
Even though I am a die hard Gator fan, I really am subconsciously focused on the Bulldogs Saturday night. They really need to represent the SEC strong this weekend. Especially after the Tennessee @ UCLA upset during week 1.
My personal pics:
Florida and Auburn winning by only a few, but, Georgia and Alabama winning by decent margins.
The key games being Florida @ Tennessee, LSU @ Auburn and Georgia playing out of conference at Arizona State. One that is off most radars is Alabama @ Arkansas. A lot of action among these 4 games to choose from. And as usual the TV gods have spaced them out for the most part for our viewing pleasure.
On a final note...
Even though I am a die hard Gator fan, I really am subconsciously focused on the Bulldogs Saturday night. They really need to represent the SEC strong this weekend. Especially after the Tennessee @ UCLA upset during week 1.
My personal pics:
Florida and Auburn winning by only a few, but, Georgia and Alabama winning by decent margins.
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