Week 2 College Football Game Thread

[SumnerH]

Maryland should help them get into Virginia, which is good recruiting area, especially Hampton roads. Rutgers doesn't help them at all since anyone worth their salt in NJ was already going to a Penn St or another Big Ten school anyway.

Even in the local area nobody cares about Maryland football; in an area where college football isn't exactly huge to begin with, they're behind Penn State, UVA, VA Tech, Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan, OSU, and probably a few others. I lived with a Maryland grad who's a big sports fan for a decade and the only time I ever heard the football team mentioned was during Friedgen's first year. And he was actually good for about 3 years, but nobody cares except the weekend that you're in the Orange Bowl.

People in Virginia know that, and I also can't imagine that switching from the ACC (where they at least got some exposure in VA and VA Tech games) to the Big Ten is going to improve their already mediocre ability to recruit in Virginia.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

My best friend in the world went to the University of Maryland, and he's a massive sports fan.  I've never, not one time in my life, heard him even mention the Terps football team.  Basketball?  All the time, but I'm not sure he could name a football player from there in the past decade.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Decided to make one stinking bet today.  A small parlay on Oregon State over 58 (currently at 68, easy win), UTEP getting 21 points from Texas Tech (UTEP is currently winning outright 26-23 with 5 minutes to go) and Air Force in a pick 'em.  Air Force defense shuts down Wyoming the entire game.  With 3 minutes left and a 13-10 lead, Air Force gives up a 9 play, 75 yard drive and a touchdown on third and goal to lose 17-13.  Unreal.  That's what I get for going against my rule of betting on or against the service academies.

 

[MuzzyField]

It appears that the Big-10 is the long awaited new MAC-mini. Get Urban an Ambien cocktail... Stat!

 

[Infield Infidel]

Even in the local area nobody cares about Maryland football; in an area where college football isn't exactly huge to begin with, they're behind Penn State, UVA, VA Tech, Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan, OSU, and probably a few others. I lived with a Maryland grad who's a big sports fan for a decade and the only time I ever heard the football team mentioned was during Friedgen's first year. And he was actually good for about 3 years, but nobody cares except the weekend that you're in the Orange Bowl.

People in Virginia know that, and I also can't imagine that switching from the ACC (where they at least got some exposure in VA and VA Tech games) to the Big Ten is going to improve their already mediocre ability to recruit in Virginia.

 
Oh I agree no one cares about Maryland. I was talking about how other Big Ten teams will have more opportunities to recruit the area that they haven't in the past. It's a marginal benefit but a benefit nonetheless.
 
It might be the only benefit to the conference's competitiveness from the two most recent additions. They'll get plenty of TV money I guess, but they didn't extend recruiting area much, the programs suck, and there may have been the opportunity cost of not going after better programs or programs in more fertile recruiting areas. 
 
edit- But hey they've got Rutgers basketball to look forward to.

 

[Clears Cleaver]

B1G needs to approach Texas, OU and Kansas to join. That would help somewhat. Doesn't get them into the deep south or California, and I'm not sure they can get into those areas. what becomes of KState and OkSt I have no idea. or the rest of the b12 in that scenario. 

 

[Chemistry Schmemistry]

I don't see the point. Is college football about rivalries and teams you know? But I didn't want Rutgers and Maryland, either. Good schools, but there's no sense that it's Big Ten country.

If this is a long-term trend, and I see no sign that it's going away any time soon, the SEC will remain at the top of the heap for a long time. A league presence in Texas isn't going to do anything for Michigan because Michigan is a brand anyway and one visit to Texas every five years or so won't move that needle very much. We seem to have decent connections in some southern states, though. It's not like elite athletes in Florida aren't aware of Michigan and Ohio State.

I think when cable systems see the BTN ratings in the NY Metro area, they're going to be a little disappointed that Joe in Manhattan still doesn't give a shit when Iowa plays Minnesota. But, really, what could they expect?

We are moving toward to the end of conferences, slowly but surely. I'd worry about that more in Mississippi than I would in Michigan.

 

[Infield Infidel]

Gary Pinkel was on the ESPN college football podcast last month and went into detail about how Missouri has pivoted its recruiting from Texas to more in Florida/Georgia. It's a big shift because Missouri usually had at least one game a year in Texas, and had success with player like Chase Daniel.  so they had more exposure there. Now they got to either Georgia or Florida every year and have to work new areas, and kind of abandon places they knew better. 
 
(Back in July ESPN College football podcast had all the Power 5 coaches for interviews, they were all really great.)

 

[wonderland]

After moving to the Big 12, Wvu tried recruiting Texas more, while moving away from Florida. They've scrapped that and are back heavy in Floroda along their traditional recruiting areas.