Forgot about Indy. Also, could be Yankee Stadium if ND gets their way.
Ha, that's about right as far as football stadiums in Omaha go. I think the highschool I went to is the biggest football stadium @ 6000 capacity (pretty big considering the one I went to in Mich was only like 500, haha. But there is a really nice new baseball stadium on the way where the Omaha Nighthawks are going to play. But no, I think the point of your picture is pretty much accurate when it comes to having the conf. champ. game here. It would be cool to only have to drive 15 mins to see UM in the game though.
I live in Chicago. Great place to watch a game. Open air in the winter (real football). And plenty of nightlife for people in from out of town.
Alternate the game between Chicago and Indy if you need to, but even with that I would be in heaven.
FWIW, they had the hoops tourney at the United Center for several years (currently it is in Indy), so a Chicago-Indy aproach is very possibly the blueprint they would follow.
This just in:
Michigan runs an offense predicated on being able to easily and crisply complete certain passes.
Play the damn game indoors.
... is fundamentally a run-based system not a pass-based one. If we were talking about TTU or OK or Cincy, I would agree with you. We are not. Running in bad weather is much easier than passing in bad weather and Michigan would not be at a disadvantage.
Yes, I'm aware of the zone read. However, if the offense were based on running and passing was a nice thing to have occasionally, you could make a reasonably strong argument that DRob should've started last year. DRob should not have started last year.
When does the Michigan offense struggle frustratingly? When we don't complete swing passes to the rb's and we don't complete bubble screens or we complete the bubble screens but don't block well or when te's drop passes.
Or, compare board discussions about receivers and board discussions about rb's. A trillion questions, comments, and answers about outside receivers, slots, and formations to best utilize receiver talent. There are mere hundreds of thoughts on running backs for next year.
The running game is important, and is maybe the platform upon which everything else is built. BUT, when Denard came into the game against Big Ten opponents last year, the offense became one-dimensional, predictable, and less potent. If we can't pass, we can't win. Play indoors.
Any offensive system is going to work better indoors, i.e. where the weather is not a factor. But that was not the question. The question was weather RR's zone read system would put Michigan at a disadvantage vis a vis other B10 teams in a conference championship game played outdoors (specifically, Soldier Field) in December. I don't think it would at all. If anything, being a running-based system, it should put Michigan at an advantage vis a vis teams that are passing-based systems.
And I never said RR's zone read did not require signficant and sophisticated passing component to be effective. But, again, that applies to all systems not just RR's zone read. Any system that is one-dimensional is much easier to defend. To the extent that bad weather makes it harder for Michigan to pass presumably it makes it harder for the other team to pass too. And, for that reason, whichever team is more dependent on the pass is likely to be at a disadvantage. That is all I said.
Fair enough.
I would love for it to be in Chicago, I'm from the city too. But Soldier Field is the smallest stadium in the NFL, at roughly 60,000 seats. They'd probably want somewhere bigger. My bet is Lucas Oil.
The football seating capacity for Lucas Oil is only 63,000.
Not going to happen, but would be incredibly awesome in all ways.
Hosting it in the D is not that far fetched...the Superbowl has been to town.
Fuck the ski jump. I wanna go sledding.
Let it be a rotating game between Indy, Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. All have either nice local stadiums and/or fun cities to visit.
I don't see a problem with playing at Soldier Field. Big 12 has played their championship games in KC, not much warmer there in early december.
I would say it's definitely either Indianapolis or Detroit.
I would say it's definitely either Indianapolis or Detroit.
A true Big Ten Conference game in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field anyone?
every other year in Chicago
in betwen it rotates b/t Det, Indi, Minny,
I live in Chicago and my parents live outside of Indy. Either is fine with me!
If Mizzou comes aboard, then Edward Jones Dome in STL comes into play also.
GO BLUE
I think the best choice would be Lucas Oil in Indy.
Definitely seems like Indianapolis would get it
Playing in Cleveland, even though it would be east of most teams in the conference. While domed is nice for corporate fans, I don't think an outdoor cold weather game would affect attendance one bit. If they can sell out Arrowhead for the Big 12 Championship game, the Big 10 would have no problem either.
I'm also not opposed to having on campus championship games. Reward the best team in the conference. Unless Northwestern or Indiana win, is their really a small stadium in the conference? And if either Northwestern or Indiana won, I'm sure that either school could work to host the game at Soldier Field or Lucas Oil.
Of course, having on campus games might cause some logistical issues unless the conference championship game is two weeks later. But why should the Big Ten just accept the previous models.