Ohio State’s last game was on Nov. 18. They won’t play again until the first week of January.
So, for 45-48 days they won’t play a game … neither will Michigan.
Why?
So, the game can be on New Year’s Day? Or the day after?
And the critics say there isn’t time for a playoff or it will be too pressing on the players, etc.
I don’t get it.
I know this is an amazing concept, but these people are students. Finals are in December. For the vast majority of players that have no shot at a football career, graduating is essential. At least they have a couple weeks of non-travel to catch up.
Yes of course we can get into a discussion about how they have tutors, or cheat on exams, or get extra breaks, but if the NCAA wants to even hope to keep some integrity in their college football programs they have to allow the players to get an education.
Jodi
On this we are in agreement
.
Jodi, how come all the other divisions of colllege football can seeem to manage a playoff? Graduating is of utmost importance to those players as none of them will move to the NFL from division 1AA, II, or III
The idea that D1 has the BCS instead of a playoff because of some sort of desire to preserve academics at the school is utterly ridiculous. The BCS is a money maker and that’s it. All the other divisions have playoffs and no one is worried about the academic success of those “student athletes.”
Players’ education? That’s a big joke for most of these guys, especially at the top football schools. When I was at UT, my roommate dated a football player. I remember during finals they partied like crazy – I had to tell them to shut up because some of us were actually trying to study. There’s almost nothing that will drive me around the bend more than claiming these guys are “student athletes”.
Jodi, I would agree with you were it not for the fact, like others said, the other divisions playoff during this time, and well, I don’t see too many basketball games being cancelled in December as well.
The “Student athlete” argument is one of the emotional topics(kind of like politicians saying any economic proposal will kill social security so that seniors automatically vote against any proponents) the conferences use to keep the BCS system in place, and there they control the money rather than the NCAA.
If I thought there were a chance that were remotely true, I would never make the comment.
It would make more sense to play the national title game at the conclusion of the season, and get football over so guys can focus on exams … not have them go 53 days without playing the game. With the national championship, christmas, new years, etc coming up, does anyone really believe their attention and focus is on “tests”?
When the school is playing your tuition to play football, and millions of dollars are on the line for the school for going to a BCS game, school pride/recruiting on the line, where does one guess the school wants the players attention? On tests? Or winning the national title?
I was a college athlete at a div. 3 school, which is the least interferring in education (shorter season, fewer games). At Junior colleges and Div. 1 and 2 (double the number of games), participating in athletics is often times in direction opposition to academics. Many coaches have teams do something ealry in the morning, classes during the day (at least they’re scheduled), practice in afternooon/evening, and then dinner. Then you get the choice of unwinding and doing something social, or studying because each professor thinks their class is the most important and that every hour in the classroom should be matched by at least an hour out of the classroom.
Student athlete? No, college athlete.
The NCAA at the top 25 level is essentially the minor leagues for the NFL.
I’m not a fan of the way it is, only pointing out the way it is.
But the real bonus of a college getting a bowl game (besides the money for the conference) is the additional 45 training days the NCAA allows them. If you team does not get a bowl bid, no extra practice. Gee I wonder what system they have in place to help the good teams stay ahead of the rest?
Ooooh, my first official slowtwitch mauling. I love this place 
Points taken. For the record, I love college football and would secretely love a playoff. The BCS as is certainly doesn’t tie up the season and determine a true national champion. Look at how many 1 loss teams there are to choose between for the national championship game. I am particularly bitter that my home team is 11-1, ranked in the top 10 and ineligable for a BCS game (if you know college football you can figure out who it is. And yes, their schedule was pretty weak this year, yada yada). How cool would it be to have the top 16 in a one month tournament?
But deep inside I’m a hopeless academic…
Jodi
Actually Jodi, Wisconsin is aperfect example of what is wrong with the BCS. 11-1 sure, but they played one real good team, michigan and lost. The only other remotely decent team was Penn State. Taking 11-1 on its face sounds good, but you don’t get the real story.
They put up a much better fight than Notre Dame against Michigan…
But Navy, Air Force, and Army were real fighters.
Jodi
ps. I never cease to be frustrated by Wisconsin’s schedule. Playing MAC teams will never get you respect. Alvarez needs to make a deal like Ohio State made with Texas. Find a great team and prove yourself outside of your conference.
Hey Jodi,
I’m from the Madison area and have a BS from the UW. This year WAS frustrating, because we didn’t know what to expect with a new coach. They played well and had a great season. Regarding the schedule, the pundits early on had Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, and Penn State as ranked teams ahead of the UW. So we played 3 of the 4 and went 2-1, it’s not our fault that Iowa and Penn State underachieved, is it?
I think the UW has some sort of contract with the MAC and that’s why they play at least one team from that conference every year. I had read that UW was to have played Oregon State, but Oregon State had to back out, and that’s how we got Buffalo as the last game.
I agree! It’s frustrating when you think you have a great team, but the schedule doesn’t pan out to be tough enough to prove it. However, it may have turned out to be for the better. A great confidence building season for Bielema. I was so impressed with him as a coach.
Yeah, I think the entire Big Ten has a MAC deal. We have to play at least one MAC team, but that still leaves I think 3 non-conference games open. Hopefully in the future they’ll schedule a really tough opponent. Even if they get their butts kicked at least we played the game.
I got my BS from UW in 2001. Go Badgers!
Jodi
We used to have a really cool, wacky, sociology teacher (and football and basketball coach) where I used to teach, who sported a sweatshirt that read, “Madison: A drinking town with a football problem”. He loved that darn sweatshirt.
2001? You are lucky, you had Alvarez the whole time. I was in school from 1989-1993 and suffered through some really horrible years for the football team. Of course, they made the Rose Bowl in 1994, the year after I graduated. I think that was their first bowl game in 10 years.
I really liked this years team. They were in the Michigan game until the fourth quarter, and I think that if they teams had played later in the season (instead of it being Wisconsin’s first Big-Ten game), the result might have been different. I was also very impressed at the way they methodically worked their way back into the Illinois game, when it looked like they were going to lose. It seems like every year this team loses at least one game they shouldn’t, but this year they didn’t do that. The only game I saw in person was the Indiana game. There were more Wisconsin fans there than Indiana fans, and I believe we were up 52-3 at one point. That was a good time. I think they will give a good game to whoever they end up playing in the Capital One Bowl. They really destroyed Auburn last year, I’m hoping for another performance like that.
I was a college athlete (played soccer D1) we had a lot more games than the football team…not all our games were on Saturday but we still managed to have an average GPA above a 3.1 as a team. The playoff system has nothing to do with studying or finals…the baseball players have wayyyyy more games than football and their season is during spring finals so I don’t think that this arguement holds much weight.
Do you honestly believe the football players spend as much time on football in those other schools than the ones in Div I?