Here's the link.
Let's get the conversation going; why'd you vote the way you voted?
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Cornelius Vanderbilt
Founding Blogger, c. 1873
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11 comments:
This is a criminally stupid idea. The way to get this program onto a cycle of improvement is to maximize victories and the way to do that is to schedule non-conference games that we should win (without making them so laughably easy that they're embarrassing).
Easy non-conference games are the key, right now, to winning records and bowl games -- and those are the key to better recruiting and a full stadium and more better recruiting. A chance to lose badly in front of huge crowds is not the way to bring top recruits here. No one ever looks at a 2-9 team and says they were actually pretty decent because they had an incredible strength of schedule.
Whoever agreed to this should be fired.
Its only stupid if the Ohio State as currently constructed shows up. Luckily I'm expecting the Buckeyes to be in the 2nd of a 3 year long probationary period which will include loss of scholarships. I also expect Jim Tressel to be fired by then. So hopefully we can whollop them in front of 110,000 fans. That would be sweet.
VSLNation road trip?
Every and any non-conference game we play at this point should either be a) guaranteed victory, or b) elevating the program. We'll have two years under our belt with CJF's recruits and (hopefully) the administration's support, not to mention the whole of fall practice to put in our gameplan since it's the opener.
The key thing to remember is that this is not 2010 Vanderbilt vs 2010 Ohio State. If it were, this wouldn't be too too bright - but we have a couple of years to get our team together. I don't think CJF et al would have scheduled this matchup if they were expecting a 56-0 beatdown, and I'm pretty sure they believe they can get up there and play a competitive game. Hell, we play SEC powers close all the time, no reason we can't do the same to a B1G team that has a way of folding in the face of SEC opposition (especially if they get their Arkansas win asterisk'd away)...
And the opening game rotation of Big Ten teams continues. Maybe with the Tressel fiasco this thing turns out to work in Vandy's favor, but clearly this deal was worked out before the incriminating emails surfaced, thus on the assumption that Ohio State circa 2013 will be the program as currently constructed. So I think you have to judge it on that basis.
I'm open to being convinced otherwise, but at first blush this looks like a pretty bad idea. I'm not saying we can't or won't play OSU close or maybe even win under CJF, but look at what happened when we played Michigan in 2006. That blowout in the Big House may have brought in some money for VU, and if so that's great, but it was very nearly the difference between Vanderbilt going to a bowl game and not going. The Dores finished 4-8 that year, with three extremely close, heartbreaking 4th quarter losses -- by 3 to Bama, 2 to Arkansas, and 6 to Florida. Say one of those games goes in Vandy's favor. That would mean the loss to Michigan in the opener (as opposed to, say, a win over EASTERN Michigan in the opener) is the difference between bowl eligibility -- with all that comes with it, e.g. money, additional practice time, morale and recruiting boost, more season ticket sales and NCC donations, etc. -- and staying at home another year. Possibly the difference between a winning record and a losing record.
I think these are important considerations that should play into these scheduling decisions, and I'm not naive enough to think that the administration didn't consider them. That said, I'd like to know exactly what calculation is being made in the choice to schedule this kind of game, what tradeoffs are being considered and so forth. I want to believe that this is more than just a short-sighted money play or an overly brazen assessment of the likelihood of victory or a deal based mainly on personal relationships between the schools' administrators.
When's the next DW online fan chat?
Any word on if we are simply getting paid to do this or are we getting a return visit from the Buckeyes? That could really alter my perception of this decision.
Looks like Ohio State will finally beat an SEC team....
Terrible decision. Echo the sentiment of a few posts before. While we may have improved with 2 years under CJF helm, we would should not go jump the shark taking on OSU. Yes, SEC > MEEK10, but why chance it? To start the season nonetheless. Poor decision Vandy.
Passing this along:
Jim Callis of Baseball America answered one of my questions about Vandy pitching. Pretty telling that he says Jack Armstrong's a top 5 round prospect for the MLB draft, but is mostly riding pine for Vandy.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2011/2611522.html
I don't think this is a horrible idea. I like that our guys will play in front of another 100000+ crowd. I posed the question earlier, would you rather play 4 horrible non cons (*cough like Kentucky) and hope for 2 SEC wins or would you like to play maybe 2 tougher non-cons? I think playing tougher opponents leads to a better team. my .02
This will be a "statement" game for the Commies, who will win the game by more than three points.
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