(02-05-2021 09:14 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-05-2021 03:15 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I’d be pretty shocked if that Illinois - Nebraska game gets played in Ireland as planned.

What is the rationale for having an Illinois - Nebraska game in Ireland anyway?

Illinois' schedule now shows that game being played in Champaign IL.

I’m torn on what Penn St and Mich St’s final game of the year should be. On one hand, playing each other that week makes sense as that match up is usually has implications for who wins the East.

on the other hand, it’s a crowded weekend with a lot of really good rivalry games being played. Maybe it makes sense for them to play the next to the last weekend and be the premier Big 10 game for the week.

(02-18-2021 09:23 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(02-05-2021 09:14 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-05-2021 03:15 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I’d be pretty shocked if that Illinois - Nebraska game gets played in Ireland as planned.

What is the rationale for having an Illinois - Nebraska game in Ireland anyway?

Illinois' schedule now shows that game being played in Champaign IL.

Yes, it was moved in the last couple of days because of the virus.

But even if there was no virus, I just don't find a compelling reason for Nebraska and Illinois to play a game in Ireland. I don't see any connections there, unlike say with BC (a Catholic school in a heavily Irish-American city) or Notre Dame.

It's like when Jim Harbaugh took the Michigan team to Italy and conducted a practice in Rome. A head-scratcher.

(02-18-2021 11:00 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-18-2021 09:23 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(02-05-2021 09:14 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-05-2021 03:15 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I’d be pretty shocked if that Illinois - Nebraska game gets played in Ireland as planned.

What is the rationale for having an Illinois - Nebraska game in Ireland anyway?

Illinois' schedule now shows that game being played in Champaign IL.

Yes, it was moved in the last couple of days because of the virus.

But even if there was no virus, I just don't find a compelling reason for Nebraska and Illinois to play a game in Ireland. I don't see any connections there, unlike say with BC (a Catholic school in a heavily Irish-American city) or Notre Dame.

It's like when Jim Harbaugh took the Michigan team to Italy and conducted a practice in Rome. A head-scratcher.

It's sort of like a bowl trip for two fanbases who probably aren't going to be able to go to a real bowl game.

(02-18-2021 11:00 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-18-2021 09:23 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(02-05-2021 09:14 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(02-05-2021 03:15 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I’d be pretty shocked if that Illinois - Nebraska game gets played in Ireland as planned.

What is the rationale for having an Illinois - Nebraska game in Ireland anyway?

Illinois' schedule now shows that game being played in Champaign IL.

Yes, it was moved in the last couple of days because of the virus.

But even if there was no virus, I just don't find a compelling reason for Nebraska and Illinois to play a game in Ireland. I don't see any connections there, unlike say with BC (a Catholic school in a heavily Irish-American city) or Notre Dame.

It's like when Jim Harbaugh took the Michigan team to Italy and conducted a practice in Rome. A head-scratcher.

I wasn’t really a fan of Illinois agreeing to that game (more that it was moving a Big Ten home game). There was some reasoning that most Illinois students and alums are from Chicago, which is definitely a heavily Irish town. FWIW, the biggest party day of the year at Illinois is “Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day”, which is typically held a week or so before the actual St. Patrick’s Day since it often falls during spring break. Granted, that was a big stretch.

At the end of the day, it was an attempted money grab by Illinois. The Irish host was willing to pay a guarantee of revenue in excess of a typical Illini home game and Nebraska was the opponent since their fans will buy tickets to go anywhere. This game was going to end up with substantially more Nebraska fans there than Illini fans despite being an Illinois “home” game, so I’m not sad at all that this is returning to a true home game again (especially with this being Bret Bielema’s debut).

The Irish government and tourism industry has partnered to get American football teams to play games in Dublin at Aviva Stadium.

They plan to have a game a year for at least five years. Covid has caused cancellations last year (ND/Navy) and this coming season.

https://collegefootballireland.com/?fbcl...hQ4HtOwEdY

https://collegefootballireland.com/off-t...rtnership/

FBS vs FCS games in 2021
In odd number years the Big Ten West teams are not supposed to schedule any FCS teams.

How did Northwestern get away with scheduling Indiana St? That can't possibly be a legacy contract. What's up with that?

Maryland haven't won a bowl game in over a decade. That needs to change - and fast. I think the schedule lays out quite nicely this year - 7-6 with a bowl win is workable even with the auto-losses factored in.