Who Wants A Second Helping Of Elephant?
by Holly Anderson on Aug 25, 2010 12:56 PM EDT
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PrintSo, my own SBN home is in a bit of an uproar over a piece Spencer wrote on the future of the Ohio State-Michigan series, and an interesting phenomenon keeps cropping up: We're getting a lot of reader mail and comments from Increasingly Inaccurately Named Big Ten types who think the possibility of the Buckeyes and Wolverines meeting twice in a season (as in, once for their regular matchup and once in the conference championship) would devalue the rivalry. And some of them are really upset about it. And I didn't realize until today why I thought that was so odd.
Is there anybody here who wouldn't love a second crack at Alabama in any given season? We play them on the regular, but meeting them in the Georgia Dome in December would be something special, right? Am I missing something? It's never worked out that way so far, but I'd be more excited about seeing my "favorite" rivals again than any other team in the SEC. What about y'all?
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Voted hooray rematch
But interestingly, none of the yearly rivals have ever met in the SECCG, so I’m not sure quite how much they have to worry about.
by Incipient_Senescence on Aug 25, 2010 1:23 PM EDT reply actions
Tennessee/Alabama in Atlanta
is number one on my sports bucket list
by Will Shelton on Aug 25, 2010 1:24 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Honestly
I never thought about the possibility EVER happening until 2 minutes ago (thanks Holly).
And when I did, I got goosebumps. I can imagine the Georgia Dome in orange, crimson and whole lotta hate and I personally don’t think for ONE SECOND that the level of animosity would lessen a fraction, especially with an SEC title, BCS berth and possibly a National Championship spot on the line.
Think big, BIG TEN!
¡Viva La Revolución!
~1990-92...
This was actually talked about quite a bit, and viewed as a pretty big positive actually. I have no idea what the deal with the OSU/UM fans is with the exception of stodginess to the point where Tennessee and Alabama look innovative.
If you had asked me back in 1992 how many times I thought Tennessee and Alabama would meet in an SECC game by 2010 I’d have said around 5 or 6 times. Not zero, assuming neither program got the SMU treatment.
I'd love to see it
but the math is against it. When you only play 8 conference games, for a pair of rivals to have a rematch in the SEC-C, then one of them by default is going to have to start by overcoming having lost at least 12.5% of its conference games.
I should go back and check...
see how often rematches occur in title games. I just figure it may be more than the base 12.5% because the better programs tend to get the better yearly opponents. Or if it’s shockingly less often.
Rematches in Atlanta
1999 – Alabama/Florida
2000 – Florida/Auburn
2001 – LSU/Tennessee
2003 – LSU/Georgia
2004 – Auburn/Tennessee
None of the traditional rivalries (Florida/LSU, Auburn/Georgia, UT/Bama) have ever met in Atlanta
by Will Shelton on Aug 25, 2010 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Only five times
But no traditional rivalries, and all five occurred in a six year span.
by Incipient_Senescence on Aug 25, 2010 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
That's an excellent point, Will.
While I don’t have a ’Dawg in the Tennessee-Alabama fight, I can sympathize, because I take the Georgia-Auburn rivalry just as seriously, and I would love the opportunity to see the Bulldogs get a rematch with the Plainsmen in Atlanta.
Holly is absolutely right . . . a second shot at a major interdivisional rival would enhance the rivalry, not detract from it. Why would anyone think that fans of either team would say, “We can’t stand y’all during the regular season, but, now that we’re playing a nationally-televised neutral-site game to settle the conference championship, it’s not as big a deal”?
Beyond that, though, Will’s point that the historical rivalries that bridge the divide have never been renewed in the SEC Championship Game ought to shed some light on the Big Ten’s thought process. What about the current state of Michigan football leads the folks in the Midwest to think the Wolverines would even make it to Indianapolis? The ACC structured its bizarre divisions based upon an assumption that never came to fruition: Florida State and Miami meeting in the championship game. The Big Ten needs to set up divisions that make sense on their merits rather than try to plan a pairing that may not come to pass.
Go 'Dawgs!
I think all of us would agree here
fans of all six of those schools would love to see the other in December. And the longer it goes on without happening, the more anticipated it becomes.
by Will Shelton on Aug 26, 2010 7:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Not wanting a rematch = afraid of risk = choke in the NC game.
Prove me wrong, Big Whatever.
by David Hooper on Aug 25, 2010 1:52 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Lets do it
More excuses to drink beer, either in victory or in tears
"Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football." John Heisman
I think we can safely establish an enthusiasm for a UT/UA rematch.
Just search through previous comments/posts about the game. I know for sure that Will’s name will come up often.
I was looking for the
“no, because Alabama would have to vacate any victory anyway” option. Lacking that, I don’t see why getting another crack at the Big Elephant is a bad thing. Wouldn’t it be worth ruining their season twice? How is this a bad thing?
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Depends on how often it were to happen.
In reality it hasn’t happened ever, I know. But if UT and Bama were to meet regularly in the title game, then, yeah, I can see how the regular season game could lead to some “that’s ok, we’ll see y’all in the rematch” feelings for the loser. The loss would still burn, but it wouldn’t sting as much if another game could be counted on.
color us befuddled on this one as well...
the third saturday in october is one hellacious rivalry that would be neither dimmed or eclipsed by a post-regular season matchup between the two teams. hate’s hate and there’s plenty in this particular well to handle a return trip in december every once in awhile.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
By the way, if Tennessee and Alabama ever do meet up in Atlanta,
home and home jerseys should be mandatory. The first team to complain forfeits.
by David Hooper on Aug 25, 2010 6:33 PM EDT reply actions 9 recs
COSIGNED CON GUSTO.
________________________________
I will give my shirt for Tennessee today.
by Holly Anderson on Aug 25, 2010 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions
yes! yes! yesss!! yeeeess!!! & i concur wholeheatedly.
thanks to denial, i'm immortal
by thetennesseethumper on Aug 25, 2010 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions
you sure you don't want to try out them black jerseys?
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
Not if they come with the orange pants too
Friggin’ cursed orange pants.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
by Chris Pendley on Aug 25, 2010 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL
People who hated the black jerseys have to be happy that the Kiffin Era ended the way it did: the black jerseys will always be associated with that… er, black mark on the program so we’ll probably never see them again.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
I have an autographed picture of Montario Hardesty in the black jersey.
It is awesome. As he was.
Official MCM Hater!
"If anyone asks you, you fixed my television. Now go!"
i must admit
well, first, i’ll admit i’m a jersey-wearer. second, i got a black jersey AFTER [Redacted]* ran away. i just couldn’t pass up the the #14, because just like the black jersey, we’ll never see another like Eric Berry.
/ican’tquityouEBmancrush/
*EDSBS’d
thanks to denial, i'm immortal
by thetennesseethumper on Aug 26, 2010 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions
And I'll keep reminding everybody
that the black jerseys happened because EB and MH approached Hamilton about the idea. Those were the players’ jerseys, not Kiffin’s.
by David Hooper on Aug 26, 2010 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
i did not know that.
makes wearing black 14 a lil sweeter. :)
thanks to denial, i'm immortal
by thetennesseethumper on Aug 27, 2010 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions
A little more complete story:
They first asked Kiffin about the idea, and Kiffin let them talk to Hamilton directly. Kiffin probably dangled it as a bit of a carrot for hard practices, team loyalty, etc., but credit really should go to the players.
by David Hooper on Aug 27, 2010 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions
More likely, Kiffin didn't have the relationship with Hamilton so he used the players for cover.
The COEXIST bumper sticker is ridiculous. How are people supposed to get along when one side is flying planes into tall buildings or wearing sweater vests full of C4 and nails? The faiths are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
Could be the single best suggestion I've heard during the summer doldrums
The COEXIST bumper sticker is ridiculous. How are people supposed to get along when one side is flying planes into tall buildings or wearing sweater vests full of C4 and nails? The faiths are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
Well, you know...
Blind squirrels and nuts.
by David Hooper on Aug 25, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
OSU/UM fans like it being the last game of the year
and if they are in different divisions and meet in the title game, it would mean playing each other back to back. which would stink. didn’t something like that happen in the Big 12 and the winner of the regular season game was in national title contention but lost the rematch?
Academics and Accuracy apparently aren't important to the Big Whatever Conference
Increasingly Inaccurately Named Big Ten Conference
They should be forced to have an awkwardly named conference for contributing to the general confusion between the Big Ten and Big Twelve.
And, they make fun of Southerners’ inability to count….
The COEXIST bumper sticker is ridiculous. How are people supposed to get along when one side is flying planes into tall buildings or wearing sweater vests full of C4 and nails? The faiths are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
the only thing better than beating 'Bammer once
would be beating ‘Bammer twice in one season. i imagine that the Crimson folks would feel the same. even with a split (and requisite “we won the SECCG!” argument), it would only add fuel to the fire of the following season. but i suppose we SECers don’t know what we’re talking about and should just shut it. /shoutout trollidee 33/
thanks to denial, i'm immortal
by thetennesseethumper on Aug 25, 2010 8:14 PM EDT reply actions
U DUNT KNOW BOUT NO TRADITION!! >:O
______________________________________________
I will give my North Carolina for Tennessee Today. Apparently.
would love to meet them in SECCG
Whoopin’ ’em twice would be so nice.
Ahhhhhh, hey what about my cheering?!! Ahhhhhhhh - Swiperboy
I always laugh at all the hand-wringing about these anticipated effects of splitting into divisions...
… because it always reminds me of the same debate when the ACC split into divisions. After much ado over these same issues, they decided to put FSU and Miami in opposite divisions and started counting their money from the annual FSU-Miami re-match in Jacksonville.
Six years (and two stadiums) later, FSU and Miami have combined for a grand total of one appearance in the ACC Championship Game.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
I think golfballs03 hit it on this point
Also pointed out in the TSK article on the subject. I think we can all agree that the rivalry wouldn’t be diminished as our game is played now. But our rivalry has never taken place at the end of the year. In order to make it work, UM-OSU would have to change to mid-year (think about the frustration of moving to the 4th Saturday in October and then think about moving it a whole 2 months away), or to play two games back to back with the same opponent.
I know it would diminish the Iron Bowl (and simply be kind of ridiculous) to play Auburn two weeks in a row. And (if you can keep from laughing), imagine playing Kentucky two weeks in a row. It just doesn’t work. I think that’s where the problem stems from.
"You know, we had a lot of fun tonight. But there's nothing funny about vapor lock! It's the third most common cause of cars stalling. So please, take care of your car and get it checked!" -Joe Namath
I wonder if this is part of the reason why
Florida State and Miami played on Labor Day for a couple of years there – was the assumption that they’d be seeing each other again in December, and wanted as much space between as possible? Having a huge game early in the year can drive a fanbase crazy (see: Tennessee/Florida), but as an outsider I think it would be cool to see Ohio State and Michigan play right away.
Again, as a couple folks have mentioned, the easy solution to this is to put them in the same division.
by Will Shelton on Aug 26, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Same division seems to be the best bet
I guess the worry with that is creating a Big 12 north situation where one division is loaded with the powerful teams (assuming Michigan ever gets back there again). But I think they could arrange things to (usually) avoid that.
"You know, we had a lot of fun tonight. But there's nothing funny about vapor lock! It's the third most common cause of cars stalling. So please, take care of your car and get it checked!" -Joe Namath
by billycthulhu on Aug 26, 2010 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
The upside is weather.
If the game were earlier, the weather would be much nicer and allow for both a more pleasant afternoon for fans and a better on-field product.
But I do see where moving the game is a concession that the conference champ game is considered more important than the UM-OSU game, and that can be irritating.
by David Hooper on Aug 26, 2010 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Big Ten
It’s official. They are crazy North of the Mason-Dixon Line. If The Big Ten and Big Twelve cannot see the value of a Championship Game-THEY ARE BLIND or CRAZY!
"I will give my all for Tennessee Today."
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