Do rivalry games even matter anymore?

[HailtoPitt]

What's the point of beating your rival when the other team ends up in the playoffs anyway? OSU's loss literally made no difference. They likely would have lost again to Oregon anyway. If GT would have beaten Georgia, then Georgia would still be in the Big 12 title game. There are of course going to be situations when beating your rival knocks them from the playoffs, but only if they are fringe anyway. More often it will knock an ACC or Big 12 team from contention, and not SEC or BIG teams.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Yes, they matter. And tOSU/Mich matters quite a bit to fans of those programs. Others do as well. I mentioned it in another thread but I expect people to be calling for Day’s head losing 4 in a row.

 

[forbesfield]

You need to ask the people that are actually in the rivalry.

 

[HailtoPitt]

You need to ask the people that are actually in the rivalry.

But why? If OSU wins it all, they won't care about that Michigan loss.

 

[Burgh15]

Day may get fired after this one. Ohio State also just lost on that sweet No. 5 seed, which probably would've put them in better position than the No. 1 seed.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

The answer, of course, is yes.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

But why? If OSU wins it all, they won't care about that Michigan loss.

Dude, you have no idea what you’re talking about. It may take a little sting out of it. But they’ll still care. Deeply.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Dude, you have no idea what you’re talking about. It may take a little sting out of it. But they’ll still care. Deeply.

And the people in Michigan will care a lot. No matter what happens the rest of the season.

 

[Pitt2009]

I get what the OP is saying. Did Alabama fans care that they lost to Auburn in 2017? Probably not after they won the national championship.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Friendly reminder that every other sport features teams that lose than proceed to win a championship

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I get what the OP is saying. Did Alabama fans care that they lost to Auburn in 2017? Probably not after they won the national championship.

Did the Auburn fans care?

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Did the Auburn fans care?

You can bet your arse that Bama fans still cared.

It doesn’t always ruin a season as much like Pitt did with WVU. So that aspect has been diminished. But both fan bases in these big rivalries still care.

 

[Pitt2009]

Did the Auburn fans care?

Yeah but Auburn beat the #1 team in the country. Pitt fans still talk about beating #2 Clemson and that wasn’t a rivalry game.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

You can bet your arse that Bama fans still cared.

It doesn’t always ruin a season as much like Pitt did with WVU. So that aspect has been diminished. But both fan bases in these big rivalries still care.

Yeah, I mean I'm pretty sure the people down in South Carolina cared about that game earlier today. And the people in Alabama care about that game that's going on now. And the Ohio State and Michigan people cared a lot about that game earlier today, even if one of them is still likely to make the playoffs. And the people down in Mississippi cared about that game last night. And so on.

Those games obviously still matter.

 

[forbesfield]

But why? If OSU wins it all, they won't care about that Michigan loss.

Yeah, they will. I got family on both sides. They will.