When I visited DC, Jonny, Johnny, and I were talking about our favorite and most hated college football programs, so I decided to compile a list. Some of the schools that I like might seem sacri-michig-ious, but keep in mind that for the most part, I grew up in New Jersey, and that I don't have friends that go to MSU and that I wasn't schooled into hating any schools by my parents or friends. I watched football, and I liked the teams I liked and just disliked teams that I disliked. After the years, I've grown really proud that I'm a Big Ten man through and through, even if my preferences aren't the same as a typical Michigan fan.
MY FAVORITE TEAMS
1. Michigan
Tradition, passion, physical play. This video sums it up.
2. Penn State
My dad actually went to Penn State for his Masters degree before going to Michigan for his PhD, so I grew up liking Penn State almost as much as Michigan. Penn State's classiness is seen in the simplicity of their uniforms, which points to selfless play and team effort (they are my favorite football uniform). Penn State is led by the lovable Joe Paterno, whose longevity really is a testament to his greatness. JoePa has been through many different ages of evolution of college football, and to be able to maintain excellence in the program by evolving his own football philosophy really cannot be understated. JoePa did what Lloyd Carr (bless his heart) couldn't do and what Rich Rod won't do, and that is to evolve his philosophy as the game evolves. JoePa also has a knack for winning big games, as he is the all-time leader in bowl wins, with a record of 24-11-1. What's great about liking Penn State is that it never really interfered with my loyalty to Michigan because they never beat us anyway!
3. Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State (and most other Big Ten schools)
I love the Big Ten. What makes these three schools special is stifling defense and hard-hitting run offense, which is the trademark of the Big Ten. I don't have any real, deep personal connection to these schools, but I pull for them against almost any opponent because I believe deeply in the Big Ten football philosophy, and I want to see it succeed.
On Michigan State- It may seem puzzling to many Michigan fans that I favor Michigan State. I never hated Michigan State simply because they never seemed like a threat to Michigan, but after experiencing more of the Michigan culture, it's easy for me to see why Michigan fans hate it when State beats us, as rare as it is. Losing to Michigan State hurts more than any losing to any other school other than OSU, but beating them, to me, isn't all that special. I don't wish them ill will, but actually often pull for them against other schools that aren't in this top 5.
I will always root for a Big Ten team (except Ohio State) when playing non-conference games. Always. Even for Ohio State, I pull for them sometimes. Don't yell at me now. We can talk about it later.
4. Rutgers
I really wish I could make Rutgers higher, but I always root for them when I get a chance to watch their games, which is quite rare because their games are rarely televised in the Midwest. I don't know many of the players anymore, but the year when they went 11-2? EPIC. Jersey Pride!
5. Notre Dame
I would never call myself a Notre Dame fan, but there's a connection between the Notre Dame program and the Michigan program, and Notre Dame fans are among the few that can understand the pain of the mediocrity of the Michigan football program. I believe that great programs are meant to be great, and that historically powerful schools will always be better than the new up-and-coming schools. History means a lot, and tradition means everything, and Notre Dame realizes these same beliefs.
Honorable Mention - Pitt
This is simply because I love LeSean McCoy, sympathize with Big East football, and Maggie and Darren go there!
TEAMS I HATE
1. Florida
My hatred of Florida really is for the players and for the coaching staff, not so much for the fans, simply because I don't know that many Florida fans. Urban Meyer is the least classy figure there is in college football, and is basically a dirtbag. The following is a short list of Florida's transgressions.
Brandon Spikes Eye Gouge
In a game against Georgia, Brandon Spikes eye gouged a defenseless player. "Eye gouge" really doesn't describe the atrocity that happens. Watch the video. It's sickening. What's even more sickening is that Urban Meyer only suspended Brandon Spikes for half a game. HALF A GAME! If this crap happened in the NFL, Roger Goodell would slap on a suspension of at least 4 games without pay. Pat Forde correctly points out in his column that "nothing, not even thuggish behavior, will be allowed to substantively interfere with our pursuit of a repeat national title." Anyone who has watched any sports movie of the last century will know that high school and collegiate athletics are just as much about maturing men and strengthening character as it is about the game itself. Urban Meyer should be ashamed of his weak half-game suspension of an intentional cheap shot that could have ended a career. Watch the video below. It's sickening.
Recruiting Scandals
The SEC is known for cutthroat recruiting which often results in programs breaking unspoken rules to obtain the players they want. These scandals are well-documented, but I want to point out the little-known story of Patrick Johnson, a highly recruited cornerback. Patrick Johnson had a suspicious qualifying ACT score, as he scored 16 his first two times and 22 his third time, but no one questioned it or made an issue of it as he was deciding between Florida, Florida State, and LSU. Finally, when he decided LSU, Florida decides to rat out the kid and the NCAA needed to make sure that his exam score was genuine. The issue isn't so much with Florida telling officials, as it was probably the right thing to do, but that Florida didn't mention it in the recruitment process. Why did Florida wait for Johnson to commit to LSU before ratting him out? Would Florida have told the NCAA if Johnson committed to Florida? This really is a small matter, but Florida's bad track record when it comes to recruiting speaks for itself (again, visit the link above).
Running up the score
Urban Meyer loves running up the score. In his 2008 match against Georgie, up 49-10, he called two timeouts in the last minute just to rub it in the face of his opponents. He kicked a late field goal against Miami when he could have just ran the clock out with a 23-3 win. Urban Meyer is a douchebag. Running up the score is classless, and now that the Tim Tebow era is over, Meyer should expect teams to punch him in the mouth for it.
Florida fans cannot deny the sketchiness of their recruiting and the douchery of Urban Meyer. Tim Tebow may have been a Christian, but the way that team played was anything but Christian, which is why I have little respect for Tim Tebow. Whether or not people see it, he compromised his sportsmanship for wins, which is the primary crime of the Florida football program.
2. Ohio State
I hate Ohio State, I really do. But I must say that I hate Ohio State fans much, much more than the team itself. I don't care for their players, but there's no denying that they are pretty darn good and often very fun to watch. Jim Tressel is a n00b, but he isn't lowlife scum like some of the other coaches that I'll talk about. Who I hate are Ohio State fans, who despite having double digit IQs and crappy lives insist that they are better than us. This hatred of OSU fans is multiplied because of our recent losing streak against them, leaving Michigan fans with no real comeback. The thing about Ohio State is that when Michigan is good, the better OSU is, the better Michigan looks. I am convinced that the greatness of the legacies of the Michigan and Ohio State football programs are dependent on each other, that without our rivalry, the greatness diminishes (especially when you keep winning the Big Ten easily and losing in the National Championship game).
3. USC
USC, like Florida, does anything they can to win. They pay players with cars and money, giving them an obvious unfair advantage in recruiting. Their NFL talent comes from their NFL salaries. What's even more maddening though is that Pete Carroll was incredibly difficult to beat. Watching the Big Ten lose game after game to USC in the Rose Bowl was absolutely humiliating, and knowing that they had sketchy recruiting just made us want to beat them even more...which we didn't. But I need to give credit where it's due - Pete Carroll was a great coach. The more talented team doesn't always win the game. The more well-coached team does, and in most of Carroll's games, his team was the better coached. [Random rant: does it bother anyone else that Pete Carroll's teams always had tons of penalties but no one could ever stop them?!]
This is USC football's "do anything to win" mentality summed up in a play:
4. Boise State
Nobody likes whiners. Nobody likes kids who play crappy competition and then call themselves the best (like Ping Pong Playa). Most of all, nobody likes people with blue turf that makes games freaking unwatchable. Boise State has been consistently beating the teams in their division, and is starting to schedule more difficult non-conference games. This is all a feign. Their non-conference games, while seemingly difficult, are at the beginning of the season, before real chemistry is developed and when they are at their worst. Don't give me crap about them beating Oregon last year, because a performance in the opener is rarely a good sign of how good the team actually is. I would like to see Boise play some difficult opponents at the end of the season, which unfortunately won't happen because of their pathetically weak conference. We only get to see Boise State play quality opponents at their best in bowl games, where they have a 6-4 record and 2-4 since 2004, a surprisingly poor record considering their regular season dominance. Anybody can win a single bowl game, but a championship team should be one that has played a season of playoff football against playoff caliber teams.
Also, I hate their gimmicky offense.
5. West Virginia
I hate West Virginia because I like Rutgers, but more importantly, I hate West Virginia because I hated Rich Rodriguez and his gimmicky offense. Yes, I know that we have that offense now, but I would give anything to have an offense like Penn State, Iowa, or Wisconsin...basically have things the way they used to be. At West Virginia, Rich Rod had once-in-a-lifetime players for his system in Pat White and Steve Slaton, and I'm convinced that the coach didn't make the players, but that the players made the coach. In my opinion, this run-first spread offense wouldn't stand up against any Big Ten defense, which has also proven true these last few years at Michigan. Needless to say, I will still be rooting hard for the team this year, as my desire for Michigan football to succeed is much greater than my desire to see Rich Rod fail.
where's Johns Hopkins?
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