November 24th, 2010 at 11:42 AM ^
So much OSU bashing fodder in that article. The only thing better would have been TP's comments on the matter.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:44 AM ^
WOW, I would love to see that matchup, but its going to be hard considering both of those teams will be playing in BCS bowls and ohio will be playing in the capital one bowl....
November 24th, 2010 at 11:44 AM ^
I almost decided that I wouldn't mind seeing one of them in the MNC.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:47 AM ^
Agree. I almost want to see a MNC with Oregon's offense against TCU's Defense.
Or, maybe even a 55-52 game with Oregon and Boise St.
Or the Heisman #1 and #2 in Auburn and Boise St.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:58 AM ^
True. It would be entertaining either way, and I feel confident enough that Oregon or Auburn would take care of business against either TCU or Boise (I have a slightly irrational bias against the mid-majors). After Boise throttled Fresno, and with Virginia Tech's nine-straight wins (albeit against an ugly ACC), I could even rationalize their selection for the game. Especially if they handle Nevada.
Plus, let's be honest, do any of us want to see a fourth-straight SEC national champion?
November 24th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^
The Heisman #1 and #2 will also be Oregon and Boise.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:44 AM ^
Posted the same thing a little late. Comparing the SOS's is interesting.
He says they don't play the "Little Sisters of the Poor" in a year osu played Eastern, Ohio, and Marshall. Oh, by the way, TCU's Sagarin SOS is 68, Boise's 73, and D-bag U's 59. Big effing difference. I'd love to see TCU beat that ass in a bowl game.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^
My post went up mere seconds before yours. I like the SOS comparison.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:52 AM ^
And getting to play IU, Purdue, and Minnesota doesn't support his argument either; and their non-conference heavy, Miami (YTM), is unranked.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/schedules/team/2010/ohio-state-buckeyes/
November 24th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^
OSU has played a grand total of 2 teams this year with less than four losses. One of them is Ohio U. and the other is Wisconsin, who they lost to.
November 24th, 2010 at 2:27 PM ^
Ohio U has less than four losses? We need to start adding some headlocks into our gameplan.
November 24th, 2010 at 3:12 PM ^
Sorry, but I can't help but disagree with you. I don't think Gee was meaning to bump up OSU, but rather say that TCU and Boise don't play anybody worthy of going to the MNC. TCU has beat a very mediocre Oregon State team that recently lost to Washington St. and their only big win is against Utah, who has been struggling as of late. Boise, similarly, beat an up and down VTech and won against the same Oregon State team. Now, I don't know much about how SOS is calculated, but it seems that the numbers are fudged because they played such highly ranked teams at the time.
I hate to beat a dead horse, but these teams records would not be what they are if they played in a power conference. If they get to the MNC this year, then fine. If they don't win (I don't care how close the game is), then all talk of ever putting in a Boise or TCU should end forever.
Just my two cents.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:47 AM ^
I do agree with him that playing 7 or 8 games in a strong conference is much more of a test that playing 1 or 2 teams a year from a strong conference. BSU/TCU are espn pawns to advance their agenda of having a playoff so they can make more money. If it werent for them hyping them 24/7 there is no way they would have the attention and rankings they have been getting.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:54 AM ^
I don't think ESPN is making them the "sweethearts" by any means. Every week on the BCS Countdown show, they are both mostly trashed as not having played anyone and undeserving. This despite the fact that TCU has played 6 bowl-eligible opponents, Boise 4 and Oregon just 2 (USC technically isn't bowl-eligible with their ban, but it's silly to use 1 to enhance an argument in my opinion).
They also look at Oregon winning 15-13 against Cal and say "man, it's just all about escaping with wins." But when TCU wins by 5 after being up by more than 20, they say "UNACCEPTABLE, TCU must dominate every opponent and blow them out!" The double-standard is frustrating.
November 24th, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^
What's frustrating as a fan is what E. Gordon Gee didn't say. If he want's to say the Boise and TCU are playing the "Little Sisters of the Poor," then I challenge Gee to get his AD on the phone and demand they schedule one of the two. The problem is that it doesn't benefit OSU, or any premier Big Ten or SEC school, to play these teams because if they lose it will be a media frenzy and they will drop significantly in the polls. If they win, it won't help them because everyone will say they were supposed to. Boise and TCU are doing what they can to help themselves and play better teams, but not many schools want to play them.
Long story short....E. Gordon Gee is a coward.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:49 AM ^
keeping it classy at OSU.
The prez and Pryor must both be on the same debate team. The both have foot and mouth disease.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:52 AM ^
foot in mouth disease?
one is curable. the other is the Ohio state bird
November 24th, 2010 at 12:25 PM ^
I don't know what about Gee's misguided opinion is not "classy".
November 24th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^
I wouldn't describe it as classless, but it is pretty self serving.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^
both of those teams would give OSU an awesome game. This dude's comments anger me.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:51 AM ^
BSU would truck OSU. Incidentally I think you are going to find MSU out of the BCS picture if things stay as they are. OSU travels better and Wiscy will be in the Rose Bowl.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:52 AM ^
And there won't be a two loss OSU in the BCS. Period. Let's shut these bastards up.
And OP - +1 for finally getting a good OSU bashing thread going this week. GO BLUE!
November 24th, 2010 at 11:53 AM ^
I hope both BSU and TCU get in and make the MNC game and it is the lowest-rated "championship" game in its short history. I also hope Gee gets really upset and comes out in favor of a playoff. It would be worth agreeing with a Buckeye if it finally ended up producing a real champion determined on the field.
November 24th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^
He benefits from status quo. It's the same reason Mark May hates the Mountain West; The Mountain West is better than the big east and he knows it, so he has to tear it down.
Before BSU and TCU a 2 loss Big 10 team would typically play in a BCS game. I hope OSU gets killed by TCU or BSU in a BCS game this year.
November 24th, 2010 at 12:29 PM ^
chance of that match-up. Wisconsin would have to lose to Northwestern after giving up half a grand on the ground last week to the zookers...color me skeptical of that happening.
November 24th, 2010 at 12:21 PM ^
He used 2007 as an example of why a) the BCS is good and b) Boise State and TCU shouldn't be allowed to play in the BCS championship?! Let's see...in 2007, OSU made the national championship despite losing to unranked Illinois because WVU couldn't beat an unranked Pittsburgh. Then OSU lost in a non-competitive game to a 2-loss LSU team. So the season finished off with two 1-loss teams and seven 2-loss teams, many of whom never played each other.
So Gee's example of why the BCS works and why the BCS should not allow mid-majors to participate in the national championship is a season where the championship was largely decided by the polls rather than the results on the field and a 2-loss team won the championship. So he's saying that that the BCS should favor a 2-loss LSU team over an undefeated Boise State or TCU because they play too many weak teams (so their non-conference schedules are irrelevant) and that the BCS is good because it doesn't let deserving teams fight it out
November 24th, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
He said Ohio State's eighth-ranked football team, which plays rival Michigan on Saturday, is in the top 10 in the nation not only on the field but also in terms of academic progress.
academic progress? is he furreal?
November 24th, 2010 at 12:57 PM ^
I think what President Redenbacher meant is that they're students have topped a 10th grade reading level. Still a bit of a stretch.
November 24th, 2010 at 3:02 PM ^
November 24th, 2010 at 6:18 PM ^
I was just going to say.. When you are sitting at or just above HeywoodJablowme State in academics every day a student athlete achieves a C its setting the bar pretty high!
November 24th, 2010 at 12:56 PM ^
I share his disdain for Boise State, TCU and their ilk. I also like the fact that Gordon Gee is a University president who actually knows Boise State and TCU and where they fit in the world of collegiate football. I'd like to think that Mary Sue Coleman knows, but I'm not terribly confident about those prospects.
I think it is qualitatively different for the schools that play in conferences like the Pac-10, Big Ten and SEC.
I also agree (although it is a bit outside of the scope of the interview) that a playoff system for college football is filled with about a thousand unintended consequences that are mostly very bad.
So I like Gordon Gee. I don't use this week as an excuse to hate everything about The Ohio State University.
November 24th, 2010 at 2:31 PM ^
As an alum of both U of M and Vanderbilt, I couldn't disagree with your opinion of Gee any more if I tried. When he was at Vandy, he eliminated the freaking athletic department in some supposed high minded idealistic move. Now that he's in charge of the ultimate football factory, he defends them against bad assed Boise and TCU. He is a hypocritical bastard.
November 24th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
in that neither TCU nor BSU should be playing for a national title. Replace Boise or TCU with Michigan in the WAC/MWC and Michigan is undefeated in conference. When Boise's "big" conference game is against Neveda, something is wrong.
For non conference Boise beat VT, yet so did James Madison. They beat Oregon State also, which is pretty bad this year losing to Washington State among others.
TCU's "big win" is against Oregon State...
I do not see how anyone can justify either of these teams playing for the national championship. If this is the future of college football then Michigan needs to leave the Big Ten and find a cupcake conference to join where they can be assured undefeated seasons each year...
November 24th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^
I agree with Gee...that neither TCU nor BSU should be playing for a national title. Replace Boise or TCU with Michigan in the WAC/MWC and Michigan is undefeated in conference. When Boise's "big" conference game is against Nevada, something is wrong.
Moreover, replace "Ohio State" with "Michigan" in the prefatory part of the story, and I'd be saying the same thing about where Michigan ought to fit in the general BCS picture. We have waaaayy more in common with Ohio State than with Boise State.
November 24th, 2010 at 1:21 PM ^
...from the team who lost back to back national title games. Who's not worthy again?
November 24th, 2010 at 2:12 PM ^
Sure TCU/Boise can win one game a year against a top-20 team the first weak and sometimes in a bowl game, but they would loe a couple games a year and never be in this conversation in the SEC, Big Ten or Pac10. Just my guess, I don't really know how you could give a firm answer on that hypothetical.
November 24th, 2010 at 4:17 PM ^
You have to admit, though, if you had to pick ONE school that knew what it meant to be unworthy of playing in the BCS title game, it would have to be OSU. Two blow-out losses and one gift-wrapped win - res ipsa loquitur .
November 24th, 2010 at 4:52 PM ^
Also, I thought his calling of BSU's opponents "little sisters of the poor" was hilarious.
November 24th, 2010 at 4:57 PM ^
........to be in the minority, as far as TCU/BoiseSt. is concerned. I believe that TCU and BoiseSt. deserve the high rankings they are at. Both schools have shown in the recent past that they can be competitive with schools from the BCS conferences.
The mid-major schools have played in BCS bowls now in 2005, 2007-2010 and have only lost 2 games so far, one of them to another mid-major. Only Utah's victory over Pittsburgh in 2005 was a game not against a highly ranked opponent, and Utah spanked them badly. The mid-majors have also been scheduling BCS conference teams for quite awhile now during the regular season and have acquitted themselves very well. This year everyone wants to dump on both TCU and BoiseSt. for their win vs. Oregon St. Sure, OreSt. has lost to such teams as WashSt. and Washington, but they have also kicked the crap out of Cal and, most recently, USC. They will likely end the season at 5-7, but with 4 of their losses to top ten teams. OregonSt. is not quite as bad as their final record will suggest.
One of the biggest complaints against the mid-majors is their lack of having to play the tough teams week-in and week-out. Question:How many teams that have won a MNC, or even gone to a BCS game, have had to play the tough teams week-in and week-out? None of them. Occasionally, some of the BCS conferences have quite a few very good teams, but not all the teams in a given BCS conference are even what may be considered "good". Given the scheduling of the top mid-major teams and their desire to play more of the teams typically ranked in preseason polls, and with usually one or two other quality teams within their conferences, the difference in quality opponents between most BCS conference teams, and those of TCU or BoiseSt. this year, is not the 9 or 10 games people want to put on them, but probably closer to 3-4 games per year. This year, for example, has Auburn's schedule showing 7 quality teams. That is NOT having to play tough teams week-in and week-out.
Oregon has only 5 or 6. LSU has only 6, possibly 7. Stanford has only 4 or 5.
No team in the country ever has to play tough teams week-in and week-out, and most times any specific team in a BCS conference doesn't win every single game on their schedule. The depth of schedule strength is there, but it is so minimal to be a non-factor when comparing a top mid-major to a BCS conference top team.
When speaking specifically of tOSU, as they are prominent in the remarks above, it has been noted about the schedule strength differences. When speaking of quality opponents, they have only 5 or 6 on their schedule.
I don't have any doubt that either BoiseSt. or TCU would win at least 10 and possibly go unbeaten in the B10, dependent on schedule. Take out Auburn from the SEC and plug one of them in. My guess is they win at least 10 games with a decent shot of doing what Auburn has done so far.
Like I said, I seem to be in the minority as to giving them more credit than most. That, and I'd like to see one of them in the MNC game, which should give even more momentum for a playoff system.
November 24th, 2010 at 10:13 PM ^
blow out every non-AQ teams has to count for something. I mean they're a non-AQ team and they have shown to be vastly superior than their conference foe. Ditto with TCU with the exception of SDSU. It's one thing to go undefeated without blowing everybody out, it's another thing to go undefeated while blowing everybody out in the process.
November 24th, 2010 at 6:02 PM ^
It's ridiculous that the president of a university is making these types of comments. It's unnecessary and comes off as being a bully.
Secondly, Gee says that when he was president of an SEC school it wasn't like they were playing the Little Sisters of the Poor each week. Hate to break it to you Mr. Gee, but you were at Vanderbilt. For the schools that played you, you WERE the Little Sisters of the Poor.
November 24th, 2010 at 7:28 PM ^
I met Gee during my senior year of HS when he was still the Chancellor of Vanderbilt. I was on the waitlist at that time and my tour guide had made a big point of explaining how well loved Gee was by the students. After my tour ended I saw him talking to a student and decided I might as well go try to talk to him (hell, I wanted to go there pretty badly). I introduced myself and he took a ton of interest in me, took my info, and e-mailed me a few times--he told me if they took anyone off the waitlist, I'd be pretty high up. Thought he was a great guy.
Then I received a letter a few weeks later that I was not selected from the waitlist. I chose Michigan and haven't looked back (even after The Horror). That fall, Gee went to OSU as President. Go figure.
(to those saying "OMG YOU GOT INTO MICHIGAN AND DIDN'T PICK IT IMMEDIATELY?!" I am from out east and had to consider all of the schools I applied to, as Michigan was no discount).