The Week five results of the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll are in, and they deal primarily with the two things most Americans look forward to the most on the final Thursday in November: turkey and football. Thanksgiving has almost become synonymous with food and football, with turkey leading the way, especially with college football fans. It turns out that many have much to be thankful for as we approach another Thanksgiving holiday this coming, but perhaps nobody in college football is more thankful than the BCS Committee members following a crazy weekend of games. That means that the Week 14 BCS Projections will reflect some huge changes entering the final two weeks of the 2013 NCAA Football campaign.
- My views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products Inc. and its affiliates.
While the Week 14 BCS Projections will be something that fans of the Baylor Bears and Oregon Ducks will hardly be thankful for as we enter the Thanksgiving weekend rivalry games, the BCS Committee members are extremely happy with the fact that the BCS Championship Game picture became a bit more clear following decisive victories from the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Arizona Wildcats. But, before we get to what the rest of the games mean for the latest BCS Standings, take a look at the results of the Week five Discover Fan Loyalty Poll.
The Week five topics related to Thanksgiving, asking college football fans whether they would give up their seat at the dinner table in exchange for free tickets at the 50-yard-line to watch their favorite team play. Overall, 42 percent of the fans surveyed said that they would rather pass on turkey than pass the pie around the table, opting to accept the free tickets to watch their favorite team play. While that number is high, the majority – at 55 percent – said that they agree with the sentiment that home is where the heart is, and that even free tickets at midfield to watch their favorite college football team play would not be enough to get them to skip Thanksgiving dinner with their family.
It seems that while turkey and football go together, just don’t make fans choose one over the other. The majority will try to find a way to thoroughly enjoy the best of both worlds!
When breaking the data down by conference, fans of an SEC or American Athletic Conference team were most likely to take the free tickets, at 46 percent, which is three percentage points higher than the average fan. On the flip side, fans of Pac-12 teams said that they would not skip the traditional Thanksgiving Day festivities, as 60 percent would pass up the tickets in favor of spending the day with family. This Thanksgiving, only fans of four teams would have to make that decision, as the only two college football games scheduled are the Ole Miss Rebels traveling to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns hosting the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Both of these games will have bowl implications, but neither will have any ramifications on any of the five BCS Bowl Games.
Still, what choice would fans of those teams make this Thanksgiving? I can tell you that at one time, many more fans would have been forced to make this same decision, as many of these classic rivalry games were once played on Thanksgiving or the following day. What would you do if your favorite college football team played on Thanksgiving and you were offered free tickets at the 50-yard-line to watch them? Would you forego Thanksgiving dinner with the family? Would it matter how much the game meant in terms of rankings and standings? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
* Discover Products Inc. sent me a Gift Card for participating as a Blogger in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll program
What about when it comes to the dinner menu on Thanksgiving? This is certainly more of a personal preference, with many people having such different tastes. In the longstanding debate over which Thanksgiving dinner staple people cannot live without, college football fans weighed in and turkey sits squarely on top, proving that the debate may not be as close as some may feel. Turkey takes the top billing with 48 percent, followed by stuffing at 20 percent, pie at 9 percent, mashed potatoes at 7 percent and cranberry sauce at 2 percent. Surprisingly, 12 percent said that another item of food is No. 1 in their hearts. While stuffing and pie and the top two musts on my Thanksgiving dinner plate, I would love to know what of the rest of you would say – especially the 12 percent who did not choose any of the top five food items as their No. 1 choice. Once again, feel free to weigh in with your own responses below.
As far as the Week 14 BCS Projections are concerned, the top five will have some drastic changes. The Bears and Ducks can officially kiss their BCS Championship Game hopes goodbye. While Baylor can still qualify for a BCS Bowl Game, they will need some help over the next two weeks. Oregon likely saw any chance of reaching a BCS Bowl Game disappear with its blowout loss against Arizona. While scheduling weaker opponents may seem like a bad idea in terms of impressing voters and preparing for big games Thanksgiving weekend, at least the top three teams can say that they lived to see another day by keeping their national championship hopes alive. Much like the fans who were surveyed in the latest Discover Fan Loyalty Poll said, the top three teams will remain the same. After that, however, you will notice quite a difference. Take a look:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Florida State Seminoles
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
4. Auburn Tigers
5. Clemson Tigers
6. Missouri Tigers
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys
8. Baylor Bears
9. Stanford Cardinal
10. Oregon Ducks
11. South Carolina Gamecocks
12. Michigan State Spartans
13. Arizona State Sun Devils
14. Fresno State Bulldogs
15. Northern Illinois Huskies
16. Wisconsin Badgers
17. LSU Tigers
18. Oklahoma Sooners
19. Central Florida Golden Knights
20. Louisville Cardinals
21. UCLA Bruins
22. USC Trojans
23. Texas A&M Aggies
24. Duke Blue Devils
25. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
How do you see the Week 14 BCS Standings looking when they are revealed on Sunday night? The top three are a given at this point, but things could look quite different after that point. After all, they say if you do not like the current BCS Standings, then just wait a week, as they are likely to change. The question is, how much could they change again following some huge games over Thanksgiving weekend?
Make sure that you stay tuned to Boston Super Blog for all of the latest polls and results from the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. We have got you covered throughout the remainder of the 2013 college football season, leading all the way up to the BCS Championship Game! Make sure to Like Discover on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!
The Discover Fan Loyalty Poll is conducted twice a month by Rasmussen Reports, a nationally recognized leader in polling, who gathers sentiment by phone from 1500 college football fans who follow games at least once per week on television, radio, in person or online. The Poll leads up to the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl. Discover’s commitment to college football includes relationships with ESPN and Notre Dame Football on NBC.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America’s cash rewards pioneer, and offers home loans, private student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its direct banking business. It operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.
