A Question of Focus

[Blaze1up]

Were not Iowa, no one cares about the Rose Bowl. We want 6 !

[The Dude]

We had an Iowa fan on here awhile back that basically said Rose Bowl first, rivals second, national championship whenever. And we were all like

 

 

That's right! I forgot about that guy. I even remember responding to that thread.

 

Did some searching. Here's a post from zeek, who talks about the Rose Bowl, but seems to mention it as secondary to the BCS National Championship game several times. LINK

 

Here's a post from Coqui (OSU fan) showing the same goals I listed above, with MNC first and Rose Bowl second. LINK

 

I can't find that thread you're talking about, papersun, but I know I posted in it. So far what I've found doesn't support the goals in the order I listed, and I can't find the post on BuckeyePlanet where I got this order, either. This is turning into a boondoggle.

 

My apologies if this thread is based on a bad recollection.

I believe that sentiment does exist in some circles. I remember towards the end of the season reading an argument between two Hawkeye fans about which was more important.

[In the Deed the Glory]

As a coach I am appalled that any sports team could have anything less than the pinnacle championship available to them as their ultimate goal for the program. What do you have to strive for then, mediocrity?

 

The National Championship is all that matters, perfect example would have been 2001. If we win that NC game, do you think Colorado would have been happier than us considering they beat us and won the Conference Championship? No because every time they would talk about that game, we could throw the Crystal Ball in their face and that is the ultimate trump card.

 

Hell no, they wanted the whole damn thing. Just like any other normal program with a chance at winning the National Championship should. I get this out of Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan State, and Minnesota. Maybe Iowa and Wisconsin, but Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State? That doesn't seem normal.

 

I knew eventually we would find there was something weird about this little fraternity we were joining...

[knapplc]

Anyone have any idea who the three people are who voted for the Rose Bowl? Are they all just people who live in SoCal?

[Caven]

Used to be the Big Ten winner went to the Rose Bowl - and the other nine teams sat home because the conference permitted only one team to go to a bowl per year.

 

This has a lot to do with the gut reaction of many older B10 fans. Just think of the year that Nebraska played for the MNC after not even winning the North. Instead of doing that - you would have been sitting at home for the holidays. How many years before the BCS did the Rose Bowl team have a chance for at least a share of the NC? Until very recently playing in the Rose Bowl was the ultimate goal because it gave you a marquee game to try and get that last final push for the votes necessary to win the title.

 

Yes, you will get fans that in the heat of the moment will say beat Michigan or make it to the Rose Bowl as their number 1 goal - but let's get real. Every single fan wants their team to win the title. If OSU goes 4-8 but they beat Michigan, their fans aren't truly going to be happy about that season. Go 11-1 regular season, make the B10 title game and end up playing in the MNC game and winning? Fans aren't truly going to care that the single loss on the season is to Michigan. Yes they would rather it have been to ANYONE else - but they are still going to consider the season a massive success.

 

Hell - when we enter the Thanksgiving game against you guys undefeated and you squeak out a victory against us because we are looking ahead to the B10 title game and the MNC game after that, I won't consider the season a bust even

[GSG]

Used to be the Big Ten winner went to the Rose Bowl - and the other nine teams sat home because the conference permitted only one team to go to a bowl per year.

 

This has a lot to do with the gut reaction of many older B10 fans. Just think of the year that Nebraska played for the MNC after not even winning the North. Instead of doing that - you would have been sitting at home for the holidays. How many years before the BCS did the Rose Bowl team have a chance for at least a share of the NC? Until very recently playing in the Rose Bowl was the ultimate goal because it gave you a marquee game to try and get that last final push for the votes necessary to win the title.

 

Yes, you will get fans that in the heat of the moment will say beat Michigan or make it to the Rose Bowl as their number 1 goal - but let's get real. Every single fan wants their team to win the title. If OSU goes 4-8 but they beat Michigan, their fans aren't truly going to be happy about that season. Go 11-1 regular season, make the B10 title game and end up playing in the MNC game and winning? Fans aren't truly going to care that the single loss on the season is to Michigan. Yes they would rather it have been to ANYONE else - but they are still going to consider the season a massive success.

 

Hell - when we enter the Thanksgiving game against you guys undefeated and you squeak out a victory against us because we are looking ahead to the B10 title game and the MNC game after that, I won't consider the season a bust even

 

[ADS]

I voted for the MNC, and it's not even close. I was too young to remember the first ones, I need to experience that.

[bigg10]

The thing with the Rose Bowl is it's almost always been our best against their best. I see some of you have read the history of the Rose Bowl and that is some of it also. The B10 does not have the same bowl alignments as other conf's. As such, there are certain areas we wish to defend and take great pride in being the one's who get to defend it. Now no one would turn down a NC, of course not. Would we like to put a thorn in the SEC's side in that area? Yes. That takes two very good teams, 1 to play for the NC and 1 to defend our conf in the Rose. Make sence?

So both are VERY important, which one is slightly more important will vary slightly from fan to fan. But almost all will agree they are both very important.

I mean it's our bowl, has been for many years and preserving that history is important, with out our history, what are we? I know you all know about taking pride in your history.

As for a rivalry, it's not always about hate, I respect Wisky very much, I have defended them on here many times. It's just when almost since the beginning of college ball, you have played the same team and have somewhere around a 50/50 record it tends to be a game you look forward to and root like h@ll that you win. I would guess if you took a poll of Iowa and WI fans, and said would you have still wanted Nebraska to join if you knew that would mean the end to the IA/WI tradition and history, I would bet many would say, nope don't need Nebraska then. The B10 dropped the ball on that one. Yes we know Nebraska brings good competition to the table and more money for the schools, ect, but history you cant buy.