I really don't get this whole cheering for a whole conference thing. It seems kind of like --my dad can beat your dad nonsense as kids. On some level I guess I preferred Ohio State make it into CFP versus not; as it seems that ESPN is pushing for competition (ratings) at conference level by there only being 4 slots for CFP.

Is this conference cheering thing really just an SEC SEC SEC thing or have you got caught up in it too?

Somewhat mixed. I don't ever want to cheer "Big Ten, Big Ten" the way the SEC does. When Ohio State is winning, I want to hear OH-IO and "We don't give a dam for the whole state of Michigan" and I want conference pride to be the last thing we're worried about. I'll also admit to be cheering wildly for Appalachian Sate over Michigan as that was just too good to pass up.

All that said, the structure of college football means conference strength matters and I like the fact that it does. I like the that Maryland and Stanford are playing tonight and that I have a reason to root for Maryland. In baseball, I don't root for teams just because they are in the American/National League (actually I'd rather every team I'm directly competing with suck), in college basketball I honestly don't care about non-conference play unless it involves my Buckeyes (other than the Big Ten/ACC Challenge). In football it legitimately seems to matter though and gives me at least a little stake in a lot more games than I'd otherwise have.

So in total, I am Buckeye fan first and foremost, but do enjoy usually rooting for conference mates out of conference.

(12-31-2014 01:01 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  Somewhat mixed. I don't ever want to cheer "Big Ten, Big Ten" the way the SEC does. When Ohio State is winning, I want to hear OH-IO and "We don't give a dam for the whole state of Michigan" and I want conference pride to be the last thing we're worried about. I'll also admit to be cheering wildly for Appalachian Sate over Michigan as that was just too good to pass up.

All that said, the structure of college football means conference strength matters and I like the fact that it does. I like the that Maryland and Stanford are playing tonight and that I have a reason to root for Maryland. In baseball, I don't root for teams just because they are in the American/National League (actually I'd rather every team I'm directly competing with suck), in college basketball I honestly don't care about non-conference play unless it involves my Buckeyes (other than the Big Ten/ACC Challenge). In football it legitimately seems to matter though and gives me at least a little stake in a lot more games than I'd otherwise have.

So in total, I am Buckeye fan first and foremost, but do enjoy usually rooting for conference mates out of conference.

Yeah, I think you sum it up pretty well.

The "SEC SEC" thing is something I found weird when I was living in Knoxville ... I grew up in Central Ohio as a Buckeye fan, especially since my mom was going to OSU when I was a teenager, so we got to go to the Horseshoe on her student tickets and cheer for Archie Griffin as the Buckeyes beat up on somebody and cheer for Dwight Hudson at Drum Major during halftime, who we had seen when he was in high school at Licking Heights.

The only "conference against conference" thing I picked up growing up was cheering for a fellow Big Ten school in the Rose Bowl, so long as it was not That School Up North.

I mean I cheer for conference wins because it makes the conference an in turn my teams look better, I could care less about mICHIGAN and the state of ohio though.

Both. Iowa well above and beyond Conference but at the same time, as Ohio1317 succinctly put, we are past the days of regionalism. Iowa needs a strongly perceived Big Ten just the same as every other Big Ten team does so it benefits Iowa for the Big Ten to have a big day today on New Year's.

well the Big Ten certainly showed its mettle this post season. Nice win by OSU to finish off a statement day by the conference.

(12-31-2014 12:01 PM)mikeinsec127 Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 01:01 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  Somewhat mixed. I don't ever want to cheer "Big Ten, Big Ten" the way the SEC does. When Ohio State is winning, I want to hear OH-IO and "We don't give a dam for the whole state of Michigan" and I want conference pride to be the last thing we're worried about. I'll also admit to be cheering wildly for Appalachian Sate over Michigan as that was just too good to pass up.

All that said, the structure of college football means conference strength matters and I like the fact that it does. I like the that Maryland and Stanford are playing tonight and that I have a reason to root for Maryland. In baseball, I don't root for teams just because they are in the American/National League (actually I'd rather every team I'm directly competing with suck), in college basketball I honestly don't care about non-conference play unless it involves my Buckeyes (other than the Big Ten/ACC Challenge). In football it legitimately seems to matter though and gives me at least a little stake in a lot more games than I'd otherwise have.

So in total, I am Buckeye fan first and foremost, but do enjoy usually rooting for conference mates out of conference.

Yeah, I think you sum it up pretty well.

Agreed. In the old Big East I think we had more of an us against the world mentality so it ran a little deeper. In the Big Ten its not exactly like that so I want to see my opponents do well so my team can try to beat good teams.

interesting process for me ... couldn't stand the ACC so all TERP here (plus the PIRATES lol) ... now I am enjoying the competition and really like the newness of the B1G for me ... unfortunately I am an ol' geezer so by the time any rivalries really develop i'll be watching on that sky-vision video board ...

I want the conference to do well in non conference regular season games and bowls, only makes NU look better and the conference as a whole. B10 has been getting alot of crap lately from the rest of college football. Feels good to give a heaping helping of it back.