My predictions for future conference realignment

[mountainman]

Notre Dame's football team, to my way of thinking anyway, is truly a national team. I know some other teams have large followings, but I doubt any are on the scale of the Fighting Irish.

Considering their national appeal, I would be surprised if they join a conference. The landscape of college football would have to change before that would happen. IMHO.

I read somewhere where they are expanding the airport that serves South Bend to accommodate the airplanes and traffic their football program is generating.

[Eric]

And if they joined the Big East, think of the rivalries they'd flush down the toilet. The Irish have rivalries with Stanford, USC, Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue, and Boston College even though they discontinued that for the time being.

I agree with Spence, they have too many things going for them as an independent anyway.

[Spence]

UAB in the Big East???

Your right about the Big 10 not wanting to expand, cause when they reach 12, I believe, they will be FORCED to play a championship game. And that's something NO one up there wants, at least I dont think they do. Cause it might hurt their chance of a NC.

Having 12 teams doesn't mean you have to have a CCG, it means you can have a CCG. Also having a CCG doesn't hurt the chance at a NC, (athough it provides an extra obstacle) it hurts the chances of sending two teams to the BCS. Especially because the rivalry games are at the end of the year. Ohio State and Michigan could be undefeated going into the game and the loser not only would miss the CCG, they would probably miss the BCS at large. It has happened to almost every conference with a CCG. The BCS bowls don't like to invite teams that lose their last reg. season game. A conference championship game would do nothing for the B-10. It doesn't make sense for them to adopt a CCG.

[billybud]

Most "popular" college football teams...Harris Poll..

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris ... sp?PID=331

[billybud]

Goes with the territory...they are in good company with FSU and Ohio State.

Folks, who aren't just anti-catholic, will be envious of the Domers' tradition, independence, access to media, network deals, and other trappings of success.

Heck, when FSU was in it's dynasty run, folks loved to hate FSU....

My prediction is that if WVU wins a NC this year...folks will be howling about hating WVU...it comes with the territory.

[billybud]

Did anybody care about FSU before BB came to town?

Bobby hit FSU about the same time as football took off in the media. FSU became a household name as did Miami. When I went to FSU, college football was maybe two games a week on black and white TV (there were three channels). Very few folks knew football outside their region and there was not the kind of national talk shows, ESPN, etc. In the south, folks knew Bama, Georgia and in the midwest it was Ohio State and Michigan...and of course there was Ara and Notre dame.

Bobby and FSU hit a congruence of the explosive media coverage and the explosive population growth of Florida.

But FSU, under Peterson in the 60's wasn't chopped liver...in the year I graduated from high school, 1964, FSU lost only one game, beat Miami, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma. It has been said that the Bear, at Bama, after FSU tied them in '67, would nol longer schedule FSU.

In a real down spell, FSU lost 10 games in 1974, 8 games in 1975...Bobby arrived in "76 and by 1977 had the Noles at ten wins.

Bobby was the right guy, who hit at the right time...but, with Florida's resouces, it could have been almost any good coach...Miami has been successful through Schnellenburger, Jimmy Johnson, Erickson, Davis, Coker.

[billybud]

Yep....Syracuse is really bad...don't know what happened to them...the Orange used to put out some pretty good teams.

Pitt...I don't know if Pitt's time as a major power is past...since 1990, Pitt has had 11 seasons with 6 wins or less and only 5 seasons with more than 6 wins. I guess this year will give a clue.

[Eric]

I think Pitt will be 9-1 before they take on West Virginia and Louisville for the last 2 games of the year. I know I sound like a broken record.

I just don't think that USF, Rutgers, or UConn will pose a threat to Pitt for 3rd place this year. All the breaks went against Pitt last year like Dion Byrum and making a bad snap that hits the snap holders head....stuff like that.

[colorado_loves_football]

Yep....Syracuse is really bad...don't know what happened to them...the Orange used to put out some pretty good teams.

It hasnt' been that long ago the Orange were pretty good. In fact, but for a loss at Temple, 2004 they were in the BCS, and would have been a deserving participant there. We might be premature in 'passing judgement' on their program, after all, they are 'transitioning'.

Pitt...I don't know if Pitt's time as a major power is past...since 1990, Pitt has had 11 seasons with 6 wins or less and only 5 seasons with more than 6 wins. I guess this year will give a clue.

In this day and age, I think 6 wins says a program is 'competitive'. I don't think you should set the bar too high, if you are going to be 'fair'.


I think we are all being far too critical of football programs (Syracuse, Pittsburgh) just to name two, that traditionally have been outstanding.
Sure, Syracuse was anything but 'decent' last year. Even so, I seem to recall they gave W. Virginia a game, didn't 'they? so, it's all relative.

I'm interested, in seeing how Pitt will do with alumnus Dave Waanstedt at the helm. He's supposed to be the 'savior' of the program, guess we'll see.

[mountainman]

The view from this mountain top that this Mountaineer sees is that ole Coach Wannstandt first did the public relations thing to help put butts in the seats, then went out and got the Panthers a very good recruiting class and now is turning his attention to building the team on the field ..... not bad, not bad at all.

We'll see.

[Derek]

So, Notre Dame is America's most popular team. They are America's most disliked team also. Any arguments with that statement?

Not at all....I agree with that wholeheartedly.

[Eric]

Really. If I had to make a 1-119 list of teams that I like in descending order, Notre Dame is #120 Ohio State would barely sneak in at #119

[Derek]

My preference would be for the Big E to take Clemson and Md from the ACC, E Carolina, and UCF.

I cant see Clemson leaving, but I like the idea.

I remember the good ol days of Vince Dooley...Clemson and Georgia were heated rivalry's, but it's kinda cooled off and even forgoten by some modern younger fans.

Clemson gotten better off the last few years, Bowden is doing a good job with them. There were several years, where they just sucked.

They just seem to be missing something.

[billybud]

The Clemson /South Carolina match is one of those state splitting civil wars like FSU/Fla and Bama/Auburn....

Clemson will not leave the ACC and it is very unlikely that Maryland (an original founding team) would. If the Big East is to expand, it will have to take mid majors. That was what the ACC saw looming and the mid majors available on the Atlantic Seaboard were not a good fit (academic or sports wise) for the conference.

[colorado_loves_football]

The Clemson /South Carolina match is one of those state splitting civil wars like FSU/Fla and Bama/Auburn....

I think the smartest thing the ACC did was get Virginia Tech, BC, and Miami from the Big East. Now, they are in position to challenge for the NC, every year. FSU, while not necessarily a NC team, still nearly upended what many considered to be a NC 'contender' in Penn St. I'm guessing that's why FSU is ranked higher than Penn St, in the coaches poll.

Clemson will not leave the ACC and it is very unlikely that Maryland (an original founding team) would. If the Big East is to expand, it will have to take mid majors. That was what the ACC saw looming and the mid majors available on the Atlantic Seaboard were not a good fit (academic or sports wise) for the conference.

I don't think the ACC will be losing any key members anytime soon. 12 is a 'comfortable' number. It gives a conference stability.