It's the College Football thread!

[Imran Siddiqui]

The ND v. USC game will be the most-watched game of the regular season. The Pitt and Purdue games will probably be the most-watched ESPN games of the regular season.

I thought you knew by now that how big a game actually is has nothing to do with ratings, but on which team is better.

Put it to you this way. Last year, ND was pretty bad, but I bet their game against USC got more ratings than USC's matchup against Cal. However, I don't think anyone would dispute the 'bigger game' was USC v. Cal.

[DanS]

I thought you knew by now that how big a game actually is has nothing to do with ratings, but on which team is better.

Why would I know something that just ain't so? It's not like this is the NFL or something. Rivalries, emotions, traditions, history, etc. matter in college football.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by DanS
Why would I know something that just ain't so?

You are so lost. I DanS'd you btw. You can't actually believe the ND v. USC last year was a bigger game than Cal v. USC. If you do, you are lost beyond hope, and just too big of a homer to be worth anything.

[DanS]

You can't actually believe the ND v. USC last year was a bigger game than Cal v. USC.

The ND game had a much bigger impact on how the nation and NFL scouts viewed USC and its players than did the Cal v. USC game.

The players definitely notice the added national attention of the ND game. All the big players from years past come back because they want to see their team put the smackdown on ND. The stadiums all sell out. Big game time.

[DanS]

In any event, I still don't think ND is the 5th best team in the country.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by DanS
The ND game had a much bigger impact on how the nation and NFL scouts viewed USC and its players than did the Cal v. USC game.

The players definitely notice the added national attention of the ND game. All the big players from years past come back because they want to see their team put the smackdown on ND.

And that is the last time I take anything you say about college football seriously.

The Cal v. USC game was the far bigger game. Anyone who disagrees is delusional or an incredibly large ND homer. In any case, their opinion is not to be taken at face value.

[reismark]

This is an utterly fascinating argument.

Needless to say, I agree with Imran that last year, USC/Cal was the more relevant game... but last year is last year, and USC/ND this year ranks up there with, say, Texas/OSU. Not nearly as important as the conference games towards the end of the year that will decide the BCS berths, but still up there.

And yes, they are the #5 team in the country.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Actually 12th according to the rankings... possibly 11th or 10th after today

[DanS]

I've seen plenty of USC games this year.

Which ones?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hawaii, Oregon, and ASU were on ABC and affiliates (ie, ESPN)

[DanS]

Which ones were regional telecasts, which were national, and which were ESPN?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Damned if I know... besides, what's the point, other than your idiotic ratings determine the biggest college football games theory?

Though I'm sure if USC wasn't part of the Pac-10 and had its own network, it could get a lot more national broadcasts than it does now

Unless you are saying that, if USC v. ASU or USC v. Oregon was a regional matchup, that ND v. BYU is a bigger game than USC v. ASU or USC v. Oregon. In that case, all you are doing is digging your own hole deeper

[DanS]

Damned if I know...

OK, I'll tell you. Both ASU and Oregon were regional broadcasts. Hawaii was on ESPN2. In the Washington, D.C. area, the only game I could watch was the Hawaii game, and a couple minutes of ASU as bonus coverage. And these are the back-to-back national champs. As stated, the first ND game I couldn't watch was ND-Washington.

The first USC game with national exposure, the first game with a big game feel will be the Notre Dame game. ASU barely sold out the USC game. 10,000 tickets were available to anybody a week before the game. This is not a big game.

Pitt, Michigan, and Purdue were tough tickets for the home fans, even though ND was expected to stink it up. ND almost sold out Husky stadium when they are the definition of suck, for God's sake! Big game time. Every week. The players know the difference between a big game and not so big game.

[Apocalypse]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I don't know about Tennessee. Some weeks UT looks amazing (2nd half of LSU).

Tennessee is not UT.

Texas is UT.

It's going to stay that way until Tennessee football greatly improves to be better than Texas football. That's how it is decided.

I got a speeding ticket from a Tennessee State trooper who disagreed with me and hates Texans. The cost of gas to go to court and get it scratched would have been half the cost of the ticket and pretty much take up a day of time. According to some other Tennessee State Troopers, it would have been scratched too.

[Imran Siddiqui]

ASU barely sold out the USC game. 10,000 tickets were available to anybody a week before the game. This is not a big game.

Look at ASU's ranking and now look at USC's ranking. Compare them to their rankings at the end of the year (ASU will definetly be recieving votes, having them in the Top 30). That's far more of a big game than ND vs. Pitt, when Pitt will probably have 6 losses when the season is done.

The amount of tickets sold or ratings has absolutely nothing to do with it. The quality of the opponent does. The Pitt game maybe gets a pass because it was the first game of the season, but even then Pitt was ranked 23rd (or so). Michigan State was unranked when ND faced them, but that was far more of a big game than the Pitt game.

Btw, this is also why Michigan v. Ohio State is a better rivalry than Auburn v. Alabama. The Iron Bowl has far better atmosphere in the stands and is far more electric (it is the rivalry with the most hatred involved), but Michigan v. Ohio State almost always involves two teams in the hunt for the national championship or a major bowl.