Buckeyes rooting for Wolverines and vice versa?!? Bulldogs rooting for Gators!? Gators rooting for the Bayou Bengals?! What's going on here?
I blame Stewart Mandel for trying to make conference supremacy objective and relevant. Dam that objective journalism!
I first learned of the SEC being the "best" conference at Baton Rouge in 2003 when the Dawgs played those Tigers. Amidst the chaos of the College Gameday set (the craziest I've ever been in for the record), a tiger fan approached me and said, 'I hate the color red, but the SEC is the $hit, isn't it?' Then I thought, '...yes, it is!' Since then, I've only seen the trend increase.
Look, if you especially hate a team when you play them, then you should not root for them in a bowl. Basically, if your game with another team is titled an official "Rivalry", then don't root for that other team. I know that it's tempting to root for a conference foe, but you must resist the urge. You have to resist from rooting for a "rival" especially if your rivalry is one of the best, e.g. Ohio St./Michian, Auburn/Alabama, Army/Navy, USC/Notre Dame, Oklahoma/Texas. I never want to see any of these respective fans rooting for their respective rivals. There's been too much Ohio St./Michigan and UGA/Florida love going on, and it's making me a bit sick in the stomach. I wanna hear more of that school up north, Gators wearing jean shorts (I don't know why UGA fans say that about UF fans, but I love it), and the streaks that hurt so much to teams like Georgia and Alabama. That's why COLLEGE football is so great: the intense rivalries. Once you start messing with the validity of rivalries, then you start messing with the essence of college football. I'm getting a little deep on ya here, but it's true.
Alison Preston
Cintia Dicker
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Then again, all of this arguing is kinda fun, and it gives me something to do when I'm bored at work.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
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Look, at least I'M consistent. I have contempt for VA Tech, and I want Kansas to do a major league smackdown on the "Ho-hums" tonight!!!
Are we done here??
DC Sports Nut: Nats,…
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Under normal circumstances I'd agree with you-- typically, I'd be prepping for Armageddon with the number of Buckeyes (myself included) pulling for TSUN to win their Bowl Game-- but it's not that simple this year.
I detest Urban Liar, and I'm still WAY bitter about last year and the fallout that has followed. So who should I have pulled for? A team that embarrassed my guys, led by someone who ranks only slightly higher than Nick Satan and slightly lower than Rich Rodrigue$ on my greedy, slimy, jack-donkey scale? Or an underdog, a program led by a good human, one for which I have great respect, despite the fact that it is my sworn lifelong adversary?
See-- not so easy.
In this seriously FUBARed year in the NCAA, anything goes... now NEXT year will be a completely different story... I will be cursing any and all of you...
:)
buck-i-girl: RIP…
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You ALWAYS root for your conference in non-conference games. I've known that since I was about 8 years old.
CMason84
Brandon , FL
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LSU got into the NC because of their conference's success and reputation. I wouldn't mess with it if I were a dawg fan because they might have one (or two) losses next year vying for that same spot LSU had to lobby for this season. Conference wars influence strength of schedule; which determines preseason; which determines largely who ends up playing for the title.
I am so rooting for Va Tech to succeed tonight because no one will validate our conference unless the big boys do some damage.There's no need to root against them at this point (unless you feel like you got snubbed).
Deep South Sider
Atl, GA
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Yeah, poll making is subjective and needs subjective thinking about how tough a team's strength of schedule is. I just want rivalries to stay rivalries, 365 days a year.
It's ok to root for a conference opponent in a bowl game, but it's not ok to root for a rival. I don't think techies will ever root for UGA, so you're alright DSS.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
buck-i-girl,
you raise very good points; it's hard for me to disagree with you when talk about UF like that. I respect my team's opponents also, but that is also the reason why I "hate" them b/c they're good and they beat my team (that and their fans suck). I'm somewhat of an absolutist though and think that "hate" for a team should carry-over to the bowl games also. The Michigan-Florida game was a moral dilemma though; I didn't know who to root for last bowl season when WVU played GT. I knew those Mountaineers would brag about 'owning Georgia' b/c I already heard one brag about being the SEC champ after the '06 Sugar Bowl, but it's Tech. The truth is, I didn't root for either. I think that's possible.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
Good point. I have respect for the Buckeyes but I wouldn't be rooting for them openly if it benefited Michigan. Can't see it no matter how much I like and respect the job done by the Sweater Vest.
J. HOVA: BROOKLYN
Brooklyn, NY
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Good point but if every one of your conference foes that you defeated in the regular season wins thier bowl game it makes you look that much better, you know?
Boilermaker [xtra]…
Ada , OK
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Oh yeah, that definitely make your team look better, but I just don't want people rooting for a "rival."
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
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