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.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Do you think they care now? Rivalry games mean much less now.

 

[JohnnyGossamer]

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

Dude... Years ago FSU and Florida beat one another then played AGAIN for the national title. That was with with 2 teams playing for the title. It was 1997. FSU won in the regular season then lost the chsmpionship game. Did rivalries matter then?

1997 Sugar Bowl - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[happjack]

Do you think they care now? Rivalry games mean much less now.

They care, there's always going to be a stain on this National Championship for Ohio State fans because of the Michigan loss. They know when they're walking around Cedar Point this summer in National Championship gear Michigan fans will give them one of these.

 

[HailtoPitt]

They care, there's always going to be a stain on this National Championship for Ohio State fans because of the Michigan loss. They know when they're walking around Cedar Point this summer in National Championship gear Michigan fans will give them one of these.

View embedded media

But at the end of the day them losing to Michigan didn't matter. Do any Steelers fans care about losing a game to the Ravens in 2005 before going on to win the SB. I doubt anybody cared or remembered, but I guess the Ravens fans can thump their chests.

 

[pittdan77]

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.

It's almost like years ago when Clemson lost to a pretty average team on a last second field goal and still went on to win the NC.

 

[Upg bobcat]

But at the end of the day them losing to Michigan didn't matter. Do any Steelers fans care about losing a game to the Ravens in 2005 before going on to win the SB. I doubt anybody cared or remembered, but I guess the Ravens fans can thump their chests.

This is true, and that's what is sad about it to me. One of the beautiful things about college football is that rivalries meant more than in any other sport. But college football has been eroding and continues to erode the importance of rivalries with 16+ team conferences without divisions, requiring more in-conference games, 12 team playoffs, etc.

 

[Chairman Moe]

It's almost like years ago when Clemson lost to a pretty average team on a last second field goal and still went on to win the NC.

Blewitt didn't blow it

 

[pittdan77]

This is true, and that's what is sad about it to me. One of the beautiful things about college football is that rivalries meant more than in any other sport. But college football has been eroding and continues to erode the importance of rivalries with 16+ team conferences without divisions, requiring more in-conference games, 12 team playoffs, etc.

The "importance" of rivalries have only been measured by their effect on revenue for a long time now. That's why PSU doesn't really bother with rivalry games because they can get 100k to show up to watch them throttle just about anyone.

 

[Upg bobcat]

The "importance" of rivalries have only been measured by their effect on revenue for a long time now. That's why PSU doesn't really bother with rivalry games because they can get 100k to show up to watch them throttle just about anyone.

If the 12 team playoff existed in 2007, and WVU goes on to win the national championship, then that rivalry and 13-9 doesn't mean much. But the importance of that rivalry game under the landscape as it existed in 2007 was huge. If the 4 team playoff still existed this year, OSU-Michigan would have been more important because it was a must win game for OSU to make the playoffs; the loss would have prevented OSU from having a shot at the national championship.

 

[Chairman Moe]

The "importance" of rivalries have only been measured by their effect on revenue for a long time now. That's why PSU doesn't really bother with rivalry games because they can get 100k to show up to watch them throttle just about anyone.

You ever notice that the really good teams have just one true rival, and several rival "wannabes"? Look at Alabama. Their "true" rival is Auburn, but Ole Miss and LSU are chomping at the bit. With Penn State I am "guessing" that their current rival is OSU, but with OSU's true rival being Michigan, PS is the bit chomper here

 

[pittdan77]

If the 12 team playoff existed in 2007, and WVU goes on to win the national championship, then that rivalry and 13-9 doesn't mean much. But the importance of that rivalry game under the landscape as it existed in 2007 was huge. If the 4 team playoff still existed this year, OSU-Michigan would have been more important because it was a must win game for OSU to make the playoffs; the loss would have prevented OSU from having a shot at the national championship.

No argument but financially, this system is more desirable so rivalry games just aren't as important.

 

[Rupart33]

You ever notice that the really good teams have just one true rival, and several rival "wannabes"? Look at Alabama. Their "true" rival is Auburn, but Ole Miss and LSU are chomping at the bit. With Penn State I am "guessing" that their current rival is OSU, but with OSU's true rival being Michigan, PS is the bit chomper here

Land Grant trophy, very meaningful.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

here is a question, do conference championship games matter anymore? do regular seasons matter anymore??

college football champions Ohio State finished 4th this year in the big 10..

 

[cbpitt2]

Since Pitt and WVU will not be making the cfb playoffs any time soon, yes rivalries matter.

 

[pbrad]

I believe a lot of rivalries have gone by the wayside. They just are not as important today as they were 20 years ago.