Best Guess When OSU Kickoff Will Be Set
Does anybody remember from previous years how far in advance kickoff times for the OSU game have been set? I'm starting to look at flights from Miami or Fort Lauderdale to Detroit and I'm a bit surprised the latest flight out of Detroit on Saturdays is 7:30 (which would be difficult unless its a noon kick).
Usually 12 days before the game. Occasionally the networks can wait until six days. I don't think they've waited until six days for OSU any recent year.
When The Game is played in the Big House, it's almost always at noon. Down at the Snake Pit is a different story, they'll sometimes do 1:00 or 3:30...again, best guess. I googled the last few games and they've all been noon starts.
They have played the game at 3:30 ONCE in Columbus (2006). Not exactly routine.
And the game in 2001 was a 1 p.m. kickoff. That was in Ann Arbor.
The lights might but when that sun goes down it can still get pretty dang cold in November.
Ummm, this is the Big Ten...since when is cold an excuse?
Since we can have perfectly comfertable games at noon.....
That's nice for the football team to be tough and everything, but it's not about whether the football team can endure cold, wind, and snow it's about whether the fans can.
There's a pretty good portion of the fanbase that is elderly and/or infirm, and as we have seen a pretty good portion of the fanbase that won't go to games if the weather is lousy (See: Northwestern game 2008).
I have no problem sitting through crappy weather any time of day to watch a football game, but I completely sympathize with the 80 year old alum that can't do it anymore. I'd rather have his or her butt in the seat in the afternoon than have a half-empty stadium in the evening.
See 1995 Purdue game
The elderly can always give up their season tickets. If you need optimal time/weather conditions to enjoy a game, it might be time to give way to the next generation.
2006 when Michigan played Northwestern in freezing rain and a little snow flurries in 17-3 win. The student section was practically empty. I was there, and stayed the whole game though.
I thought it was basically always noon without exception.
The lights could change the start time this year
Always at noon in AA, but who knows if the new lights will tempt a 330 start.
The game is played at High Noon, unless of course the suits get in there and ruin it.
I'm more concerned with one particular "suit" who talks about tradition even while he is stepping on it. We'll see if he goes against what he was taught by the man he calls his "mentor" yet again.
Also, check flint for flights if you can arrange for transportation to / from ann arbor
I recall a 1:00 start time somewhat recently (think that was at Cbus) and 2006 game was definitely 3:30 because ABC was pimping #1 vs. #2. Hasn't been anything but noon in AA for years and years.
2002 was 1:00 PM in A2. Could be wrong thougjh.
I really think they should consider 3:30 starts for that game at the Big House. if it is a really big game nationally. The noon start is getting a little stale to me. It is not any colder here than in Columbus, and we have 3:30 starts there.
are in Columbus, odd years in Ann Arbor. Pretty sure the 1:00 kick was in Columbus.
In 2005 it was a 1 pm start. Other than that it is always noon, with the exception of 2006. Expect noon.
Thanks
I'd like a 3:30 game. Lights, camera, action suckeyes!
I hope for a noon game for selfish reasons. I love the early morning tailgate and it allows me to get home after the game by 6 or 7 at night instead of 9 or later
Hey, you know what, if I see one more thread about this I am going to drown a puppy in puppy blood. THE COI WILL PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS ON AUGU... oh wait, I see now. My bad. I guess that's just becoming a knee-jerk reaction for me whenever I see threads that mention OSU.
Carry on.
Back in the day, games always started at 1:30. It was only ABC then. But since TV has expanded, as has their choices of games, schools have had to deal with the noon or 3:30 start times.
Bo hated the later start times. I am feeling since lights are in, 3:30 games in November may come. Perhaps not right away. I still think Bo's sentiments are still directing Michigan’s choice of start times in late season home games. Again, it will depend on how the ND game goes. If everyone behaves themselves, 3:30 in November may come sooner as these tend to be billed as marquee games.
My memory was that all games started at 1pm, never at 1:30...so I went image shopping and found:
That's NW at Mich November 5, 1977, 1:00 pm.
I also found this:
Same season, 1:30 pm kick. Obviously A & M was a bigger game (PUN Alert!), and on ABC.
1969:
1943...3pm...$2.75:
No conclusion, but looks like most games were 1:30 starts, not the 1pm I remembered. I also wish I still had the shoebox full of ticket stubs I kept when I was a kid.
I think the rule is ABC has at least one B1G game at 3:30 every week, reserved for a marquee game. With Iowa/Nebraska playing Friday, the games November 26 are:
OSU at UM
Illinois at Minnesota
MSU at Northwestern
PSU at Wisky
Purdue at Indiana
Unless Northwestern/MSU is for the Legends division title the only other game big enough would be Wisky/PSU. If UM and OSU are both highly ranked I can see ABC/ESPN lobbying hard for the late kickoff.
we should not have a 3:30 start time in November. It is just too cold. Although I also agree the suits will muck it up. Bo will be pissed.
Hey Bo? A little help here?
Noon or one. Do it for Bo. Do it fir coach Carr. Do it because the vest is gone.
is placed on the tee and the whistle blows ...
There are three factors I can think of:
- Tradition and precedent. This means a likely 12 noon start. (My personal preference.)
- Weather. Despite the lights, and the NFL playing into January, I can see administrators avoiding a late start due to temperature, darkness, and snow. Remember also that the game is now on November 26, two days after Thanksgiving and a week later than it used to be. The avg. high that date in AA is 42, avg. low is 29, mean of 35, and record low of 10. This is actually 2 - 3 degrees colder than the avg high/low one week earlier. This makes the possibility of snow even higher. While the "snow bowl" is a huge part of Michigan/Ohio State lore, think what it would be like if a "snow bowl" game started at 3:30, or 7, or 8pm, instead of 12 noon. The parking, the roads, the whole thing, would be much, much worse with a game ending at 10pm then a game ending around 3:30pm. At least in the NFL, there is city infrastructure (i.e., hotel rooms in Chicago) that would allow for a weather emergency. I cannot see the roads and the city of Ann Arbor being able to cope with 60,000 plus people in 12 plus inches of falling snow.
- Money. This is the one wild card you can't predict. If someone wanted to pay Michigan enough to play a later game, maybe it would be worth it. If I understand correctly, the game with Alabama in Dallas will net Michigan MORE than a home game. I suppose if ABC wanted to pony in a couple million extra for a late start, it might be worth it.
Its always been noon at the Big House as far as I can remember
The 1985 game (Harbaugh to Kolesar) had to have been a 3:30 game.
This shot is right after the Kolesar catch with several minutes left in the game.
And the celebration after the final seconds ticked off...
After this, I think it's been at noon in Ann Arbor every time since. For the most part, it's been at noon in Columbus as well. In 06, it was a later start only because it was #1 vs. #2.
I am rooting for it to be 3:30 just to see the haughty traditionalists shit a brick on here.
You really don't have a life, do you?