The Rest of College Football

[UMStan White]

Acccording to the Indy Star today there are over 9,000 tickets available on Stub hub. Indy not expecting a huge event crowd. The paper suggests one reason for the glut is that Nebrask fans bought large amount when tickets originally went on sale and now are flooding the secondary market. Paper also suggests that because Wisky didn't clinch until this last Saturday, fans aren't making last minute preparations to come to this game, opting instead to go to the Rose Bwol assuming a victory. The game doesn't have mass appeal because it has no bearing on the BCS championship. Evn though I live in Indy, I don't expect to go. I don't have much interest in either team and would root for Wisky by default.

[entropy]

doesn't surprise me that Nebraska fans bought tickets. They did in the Big12 too. Either you're going or you think you can make money.

[Tom W]

well, researching this more.. seems like MSU had enough demand to sell their allotment. Wisky had to put theirs on sale to the general public...

neither team looks to be traveling well. This is why Teams like Neb, Mich , OSU and PUS have to be in the championship game each year.

Very odd, considering that the cheese factor is always pretty high when either the Bagers or Packers come to Michigan. IN fact, the only teams that don't seem to travel well are the ones FROM Indiana.

[hardtimesjake97]

It seems like Indy would be the best place in Big Ten country to have the game, Centrally located for everybody in the league nice warm toasty building. Also surprised by lack of Wisconsin turn out. Either way facility wise I can't think of a better place to have the game. Soldier field? Way too cold. Everything else is too far east, west or north and also outdoor freezing stadiums except Ford Field but that is in Michigan, Ohio would cry foul.

[Jeff Buchanan]

....... and then we have to get back to the fundamental question.

Did the Big Ten need to expand and did it then need two divisions and a CCG? I never thought it did. Esp, the CCG. It's nothing more than one more game that has the potential of eliminating a decent B10 team from a bowl that has a decent pay-out.

The empty seats in the stadium for the CCG is going to be mocked by the sports press that will continue to ding the B10 and advance the interests of the SEC. Talk about unintended consequences. Delaney is going to have to deal with this. Expansion, as has been proven multiple times over in pro-sports, is not necessarily going to produce more income for the participants and very likely can produce catastrophe.

[hardtimesjake97]

I'm pretty sure the craigslist ad in Indy was placed by a fan with SEC affiliation to make the Big Ten look bad. Just a hunch. We'll see if anybody got paid on Saturday.

[Mackenzie]

I guess the only thing about CCG's that I disliked with respect to the B1G was that, when we didn't have one, other conferences got more TV and media exposure which perhaps hurt the B1G in terms of recruiting or just general exposure. Also, not sure if an extra game did not help some teams with preparation for the bowl season. Maybe, maybe not.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I guess the only thing about CCG's that I disliked with respect to the B1G was that, when we didn't have one, other conferences got more TV and media exposure which perhaps hurt the B1G in terms of recruiting or just general exposure. Also, not sure if an extra game did not help some teams with preparation for the bowl season. Maybe, maybe not.

I think you're right about that. Exposure is good. Extra practices are good. But I'll tell you this. None of that was ever a major consideration in expansion or a CCG. Show me the money.

[Mackenzie]

Well, that too! But, who's counting!

[entropy]

.........i'm glad the BIG expanded.....

[lineygoblue]

I'm glad we expanded too, Ent. Nebraska adds a lot to the conference, and I'm pleased to have you guys. You're a better fit here too.

That being said, the CCG is a repeat game. Everybody knows that Moo lucked out when they beat the Badgers the first time around, and now Round 2 is going to be a Sparty beat-down. That's why Sparty fans aren't buying up the tickets. They're going to get their butts beat.

Right now, the only "rematch" that would sell the place out would be Mich v OlieO. It sucks, but that's reality we have today. Maybe in 4-5 years that will change.

[Wild Hoss]

Its not going to compare the the SEC CCG, but that's the semi-pro Super Bowl, so what can you expect?

I'm sure it'll have a better showing than some of the Big 12 CCGs though, and that's even with rematch that is expected to be somewhat lopsided, and no highly-ranked teams. Wait until next year, when its Top 10 Michigan against Top 10 Ohio State. Then we'll see a show.

[Tom W]

....... and then we have to get back to the fundamental question.

Did the Big Ten need to expand and did it then need two divisions and a CCG? I never thought it did. Esp, the CCG. It's nothing more than one more game that has the potential of eliminating a decent B10 team from a bowl that has a decent pay-out.

The empty seats in the stadium for the CCG is going to be mocked by the sports press that will continue to ding the B10 and advance the interests of the SEC. Talk about unintended consequences. Delaney is going to have to deal with this. Expansion, as has been proven multiple times over in pro-sports, is not necessarily going to produce more income for the participants and very likely can produce catastrophe.

I've never been keen on expansion, either, but at least we've got a decent player in Nebraska. Plus, all of these "superconferences" further isolate Notre Dame- does anybody really give a damn about them anymore?

As for the CCG, I think this talk about lack of interest is overblown. The place will be filled, the game will be decent and everything will work out. This year.

The whole CCG premise, however, presents more risks than rewards and shows that, by planning more, you allow more things to go wrong. For example, how laughable would it be if something freaky happens and UCLA pulls the upset for Skippy? Gee, that would make for a great Rose Bowl. Also, while it might have seemed like an okay idea six months ago, but how dramatic would last Saturday have been if both Michigan and that other team had both clinched their respective divisions already?

[iam416]

Leach to Wazzu. I think that's a hell of a get for them. And after the shit James and ESPN pulled on him, I hope he gets things going out there. Leach is probably perfect for them, as they have to win with cast-offs and leftovers.

[Jamie H]

Mike Price proved you could win there. I'm still not sure how he did it.