The BCS Championship Game between the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles and No. 2 Auburn Tigers will serve as the final game to decide the best team in college football in a non-playoff format. While a four-team playoff beginning next season is a good start, college football still has a long ways to go to eliminate controversy. Still, it appears by all accounts that the BCS did indeed get this national title matchup correct, as the Seminoles and Tigers are playing like the top two teams in the country. Only one can win on January 6, 2014 in the Rose Bowl, but you can guarantee that both teams will be well prepared for this game, having over one full month off since each team played in their conference championship game.
- My views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products Inc. and its affiliates.
Before we get to a BCS Championship Game preview breaking down the Seminoles and Tigers, take a look at the latest results from the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. The latest Discover Fan Loyalty Poll revealed that overall, one-third of college football fans across the country use social media while they watch their favorite team play. Breaking down the numbers further show that 50 percent use it to cheer on their team, while 7 percent do so to comment on the opposing team. A small number, just 2 percent, criticize their own team on social media. Thirty-one percent do all three when they log on.
Is this true of fans of the Clemson Tigers or the Ohio State Buckeyes? Keep reading to find out how you can voice your opinion on which team will win the big game in Miami on January 3. Thanks to Discover, college football fans are going to get the opportunity to show just how active they are on social media, especially when it comes to this season’s Orange Bowl. Keep reading to find out how you can join the party!
Of those who do use social media throughout their favorite team’s game, 38 percent of men and 32 percent of women use social media to taunt their friends. Millennials are most likely to take to social media while watching their team play, as 56 percent log on during the game, but other age groups don’t lag far behind. Check out those numbers as well as some more fun facts from the latest survey below:
- 40-49, 40 percent
- 30-39, 38 percent
- 50-64, 26 percent
- 65 or older, 17 percent
- 66 percent of women use social media to cheer on their team, compared to 36 percent of men
- 18 percent of women log on to social media in order to criticize their team, cheer on their team, or comment on the opposing team, compared to 43 percent of men who do all three
- 32 percent of women use social media to taunt their friends, while 38 percent of men dish it out online
* Discover Products Inc. sent me a Gift Card for participating as a Blogger in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll program
When the ‘Noles and Tigers tangle in Pasadena, it will be a game featuring two of the six finalists for the 2013 Heisman Trophy. Of course, we will know the winner of college football’s top honor by then, as that announcement will come this Saturday, with FSU QB Jameis Winston entering as a heavy favorite. Still, nobody can discount what Auburn RB Tre Mason has done, especially over the past two games against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Missouri Tigers. Both of these players have had fantastic seasons, and are extremely responsible for their respective teams earning a bid to play in this season’s BCS Championship Game.
When you look at Florida State, you obviously think of Winston and the Seminoles’ No. 14 ranked passing offense. But, they also rank 27th in rushing yards at over 200 yards per game. Yet, while everyone may want to talk about the fact that this team puts up the second most points per game on offense this season, it may be more telling that they allow the fewest points per game by any defense in the nation. Giving up just 10.7 points per game, FSU has won as many big games with its stifling defense as it has with its explosive offense. That will need to be the case in this one as well, as Auburn has proved it can put up points with the best of them in 2014.
The Tigers are not known for their passing game, but they are No. 1 in the nation in rushing yards per game. That means that as good as the Seminoles are at running the ball, no team does it better than the Tigers, who average over 335 rushing yards per game. When you have a talented back like Mason carrying the tote, as well as Nick Marshall running the option at quarterback, this is a team that needs to run to succeed. If Florida State can find a way to limit Auburn on the ground, then Tallahassee will be celebrating a national championship for the first time since 1999.
With that being said, there is no doubt that fans will be looking forward to this season’s BCS Championship Game, and with good reason. But, we have to get back to the Discover Orange Bowl and the social media campaign with which it comes. This is historical in terms of the large part that fans can play in voicing their opinion in a major college football bowl game!
Leading up to the official announcement of the Discover Orange Bowl matchup, fans everywhere were able to let the world know which team was the most deserving to play in Miami on January 3, 2014. Fans with rooting interests for various teams all weighed in to let the committee know that they would support their favorite team in this season’s Discover Orange Bowl. While the response was overwhelming, that was only Phase One!
Phase Two is about choosing sides. Are you pulling for #Clemson? Are you hoping for one more big game from Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins? Or, are you rooting for the #Buckeyes? Would you like to see Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde put up plenty of points after coming up short in the Big 10 Championship Game? The vote is in your hands!
The Discover Orange Bowl wants to know which side you are on when it comes to the big game in Miami on January 3. Are you rooting for the team from Death Valley to travel south and claim another victim in the new year? If so, make sure to visit http://www.discoverorangebowl.com/ and tweet your support for the Tigers, using the hashtag #Clemson as well as #DiscoverOrangeBowl. But, if you are rooting for Ohio State to win its first bowl game under Urban Meyer, then use the hashtag #Buckeyes, as well as the #DiscoverOrangeBowl from the website and in your tweets. In fact, feel free to upload images to the site and go crazy by showing your support for #Clemson or the #Buckeyes on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
After you vote, feel free to keep the discussion going by tweeting #Clemson or #Buckeyes, remembering to use the hashtag #DiscoverOrangeBowl. Through an interactive social media dashboard at http://www.discoverorangebowl.com/, both Clemson and Ohio State fans can monitor just how socially active their fan base is through a real-time conversation meter that builds based on volume of messages fans send with team specific hashtags/keywords or #DiscoverOrangeBowl. Now that we know the two participants in the big game, it will be interesting to see which school’s fan base will be more active through social media!
So, how active are you on social media? Whether you are rooting for #Clemson or the #Buckeyes, or even just looking for a great game between the two, regardless of which team winds up on top, make sure to voice your opinion during the college football bowl season. Is your team one of the 70 who will be playing in one of 35 bowl games in December or January? Better yet, did your team get invited to play in one of the final five BCS Bowl Games? If so, how will you be using social media during the big game? If you have a strong rooting interest in the #DiscoverOrangeBowl, then I think you know what you need to do to show your school spirit and undying support for either #Clemson or the #Buckeyes!
So, while we are all excited to watch the Seminoles and Tigers battle for the final BCS Championship trophy, make sure to go and vote on which team you will feel will win this season’s Orange Bowl in Miami, brought to you by Discover. It promises to be a great game, as well as a great experience for college football fans everywhere!
Discover has been an incredible sponsor for college football throughout the entire season. Aside from their participation with the Orange Bowl, they also are in charge of the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll, which asks college football fans across the country all sorts of entertaining questions related to their favorite college football team. You can follow Discover on Twitter and Facebook and make sure you use the hashtag #FanLoyaltyPoll!
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.
