Believe it or not, the 2013 college football season only has one more week of games that will determine which teams go to which bowl games this postseason. With spots for all five BCS Bowl Games basically up in the air, it will take the conference championship games to decide which teams will play in the most prestigious college football games in early January of 2014. With so many changes to the BCS Standings with each passing week, it is becoming more and more difficult to predict which two teams will face off for the BCS Championship in Pasadena. While it would be playing it safe to just go out and say that the Florida State Seminoles will meet the Ohio State Buckeyes in this season’s BCS Championship Game, it would be ignorant to rule out the other possibilities.
If only the NCAA had implemented some sort of playoff system years ago, this conversation would be moot. While a four-team playoff will be great starting in 2014, it would have been even better this season. Unfortunately, four will still not be enough, but it is a step in the right direction. For that, we should all be thankful.
- My views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products Inc. and its affiliates.
Speaking of being thankful, the latest results of the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll are in, and college football fans – to no great surprise – are thankful for great food and fantastic football. The order on that may vary depending on which fan you ask. With so many critical games on tap that will decide the champions of the major college football conferences this weekend, some fans will be more thankful than others when it comes to their favorite teams, while others will be seeking the comfort of their favorite foods once they find out that their team is not going to a BCS Bowl Game. Some already discovered that over Thanksgiving weekend during all of the intense rivalry games.
Before taking a look at what the five BCS Bowl Games may look like in January, take a look at the complete results from the latest Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. The Week five poll asked college football fans whether or not they would give up their seat at the dinner table this past Thursday 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! After all, I know that I would! But, if push came to shove a few days ago, which event would you have selected? Free football tickets or food with the family?I have to admit that had I known ahead of time about some of the fantastic finishes from this past weekend, especially if any of Saturday’s games had been played on Thanksgiving, I may have been tempted to take the tickets and pass on the pumpkin pie!
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 past Thanksgiving, only fans of four teams would have had to have made that decision, as the only two college football games played this past Thursday featured the Mississippi State Bulldogs pulling off an overtime upset against the Ole Miss Rebels to win the Egg Bowl, and the Texas Longhorns knocking off the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Both of these games did have bowl implications, but neither will have any ramifications on any of the five BCS Bowl Games.
* Discover Products Inc. sent me a Gift Card for participating as a Blogger in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll program
What about when it came to the dinner menu on Thanksgiving? This is obviously 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 it was discovered that turkey sits squarely on top, proving that the debate may not be as close as some may feel. Turkey took 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 were once again the top two must-haves 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.
With only five BCS Bowl Games and over a dozen teams fighting for those 10 spots with just one weekend remaining before the matchups are announced, so many things can happen on Saturday. Of course, the one game on Friday night could loom large for a handful of teams as well. When the Northern Illinois Huskies take on the Bowling Green Falcons to decide the MAC Championship, the winner is not guaranteed to play in a BCS Bowl Game. The MAC is not an automatic-qualifying conference. Although, if the Huskies win and finish in the top 14 of the BCS Standings, then they are likely to receive a bid to a BCS Bowl Game. A loss would take them out of the running and leave the door open for another team, including, perhaps, one that does not even play this weekend.
On Saturday, the biggest three games are clearly the conference championship games that will decide the ACC, Big 10 and SEC. If the Florida State Seminoles and Ohio State Buckeyes win their conference title games, especially if they do so in convincing fashion, it will be awfully difficult to see the winner of the SEC Championship Game between the Auburn Tigers and Missouri Tigers getting past either one. A loss by the Seminoles or Buckeyes would completely open the door for either of the Tigers, but if all three win, we are likely looking at a Florida State vs. Ohio State matchup for the BCS Championship on January 6 in Pasadena.
Of course, what is expected to happen and what actually happens have been quite different over the past few weeks. Will the conference championship games be any different? I took that all into account when making my BCS Bowl Game predictions entering the final regular season weekend of the 2013 college football campaign.
So, without further complications…
BCS Championship Game – Florida State Seminoles vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Orange Bowl – Clemson Tigers vs. Missouri Tigers
Sugar Bowl – Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Baylor Bears
Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Central Florida Golden Knights
Rose Bowl – Stanford Cardinal vs. Michigan State Spartans
I am completely unsure if any of these five matchups will take place in January. Nobody is sure what the five BCS Bowl Games will look like until after this Friday and Saturday. All 35 bowl games will be announced on Sunday evening, although we should at least have a slightly more clear picture of what the BCS Bowl Games will look like following this weekend’s action. Wins by Florida State and Ohio State will be the least complicating for the voters and computers, especially if Missouri knocks off Auburn, as I predict they will. Still, I would not rule anything out when it comes to the 2013 NCAA Football season. To do so would be unwise.
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.
