Alabama cancels Home & Home with Michigan State

[4down20]

Did it have something to do with Saban not wanting to go back to East Lansing? yes, I know they said the 9 game scheduling coming up, but is there another reason is what I am wondering.

They just wouldn't schedule it to start with. Plus, he goes back to LSU which I'm sure is much worse than Lansing.

I personally believe it's because of the college playoffs and the fact that what little bit of importance SoS had is now gone. It's going to be all about winning your conference and going undefeated on the easiest possible schedule to secure one of the top4 spots.

It's bullshit and will ruin college football. Hope everyone who wanted playoffs so badly is happy.

 

[rolltide14_0]

Did it have something to do with Saban not wanting to go back to East Lansing? yes, I know they said the 9 game scheduling coming up, but is there another reason is what I am wondering.

Not to mention, in 2016 the B1G could be a SIXTEEN team conference.


Saban's Head Coach Record at Michigan State


1995–1997 – Beginning in 1995, Saban moderately improved MSU's fortunes, taking the Spartans to minor bowl games (all of which they lost by double-digit margins) in each of his first three seasons. From 1995 to 1997, Michigan State finished 6–5–1, 6–6, and 7–5. In comparison, MSU had finished 5–6, 6–6 and 5–6 (prior to NCAA forfeits) in 1992–1994.


1998 – On November 7, 1998, the Spartans upset the No. 1 ranked Ohio State 28–24 at Ohio Stadium. However, even after the upset and an early-season rout of then-highly-ranked Notre Dame the Spartans finished 6–6, including three last-minute losses featuring turnovers, defensive lapses, and special-teams misplays, and failed to earn a bowl invitation.


1999 – Saban led the Spartans to a 9–2 season that included wins over Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. However, the two losses were routs at the hands of Purdue and Wisconsin. Following the final regular-season game against Penn State, Saban abruptly resigned to accept the head coaching position with LSU. Saban's assistant head coach and successor, Bobby Williams, then coached MSU to a Citrus Bowl victory over Florida, giving the Spartans an overall record of 10–2 for the 1999 season. It would be the best season in terms of wins for the Spartans since 1965, and it would see the Spartans reach their highest ranking since the 1966 team.[20] Future NFL Head Coach Josh McDaniels served as a Graduate Assistant on Saban's 1999 coaching staff.

Nothing more to it at all. We're going to the 9 game conference schedule and there are "uncertainties of the conference football schedule in those years".

To Mamba's comment on rescheduling the FCS teams, there aren't any scheduled yet....there were no teams scheduled except Mich st..

What happens when we start changing around the weeks in which we can play the Spartans, but then it conflicts with their conference schedule? And vice-versa. Best to get it out of the way now rather than making it a last minute deal. Michigan st. wouldn't be too happy about that, neither would we.

Also...."The Tuscaloosa News has learned that Alabama is working on a netural-site game in 2016 with a "big-name opponent." So looks like we're still looking to have a good game here that will fit.

 

[rolltide14_0]

highly doubt it. LSU actually has balls.

strip this magic turd of its powers! LSU has no balls, only corndogs

 

[Kid Vicarious]

strip this magic turd of its powers! LSU has no balls, only corndogs

Our corndogs > your beanie weenies

Suck it gump!

 

[4down20]

strip this magic turd of its powers! LSU has no balls, only corndogs

 

[trojanfight]

They just wouldn't schedule it to start with. Plus, he goes back to LSU which I'm sure is much worse than Lansing.

I personally believe it's because of the college playoffs and the fact that what little bit of importance SoS had is now gone. It's going to be all about winning your conference and going undefeated on the easiest possible schedule to secure one of the top4 spots.

It's bullshit and will ruin college football. Hope everyone who wanted playoffs so badly is happy.

my wish is that at some point the scheduling makes a difference....not a 100 % sure but thought I read something awhile back that FCS opponents don't factor into schedule strength. example if team A plays pretty much 4 out of conference gimme games...sunbelt, MAC a fcs team....then another team plays teams from bcs conferences... standford schedule looks very good right now...I think it has 5 ranked teams.. and I would expect in a playoff scenario they get in over someone like lsu/Alabama.....whichever doesn't win conference

 

[trojanfight]

Nothing more to it at all. We're going to the 9 game conference schedule and there are "uncertainties of the conference football schedule in those years".

To Mamba's comment on rescheduling the FCS teams, there aren't any scheduled yet....there were no teams scheduled except Mich st..

What happens when we start changing around the weeks in which we can play the Spartans, but then it conflicts with their conference schedule? And vice-versa. Best to get it out of the way now rather than making it a last minute deal. Michigan st. wouldn't be too happy about that, neither would we.

Also...."The Tuscaloosa News has learned that Alabama is working on a netural-site game in 2016 with a "big-name opponent." So looks like we're still looking to have a good game here that will fit.

why is it ALWAYS a neutral site. I mean sure I guess its better than nothing. just seems to be pretty clear that Alabama prefers to avoid playing true road games. penn st a few years ago was only road game they had in non conference play in like 10 years. yeah we get it alabamas the best right now...but maybe just maybe its more the formula for success, winning at the vote box than on the field.

 

[Gator]

Do we have another BS temporary schedule next year in the SEC or are they hammering out the real one for next year?

I sure hope the SEC is hammering out a 9 game schedule and that is the reason it is taking sooo long. It seems we have had these "temporary" schedules for ever. It would really suck if we go to nine games and have to endure another round of these "transition" schedules.

 

[RegentDenali]

Of course they did. Got to make sure all OOC slots are available for those one time home games against the might of the Ohio Valley, Colonial Athletic, and Southern conferences.

 

[WizardHawk]

They just wouldn't schedule it to start with. Plus, he goes back to LSU which I'm sure is much worse than Lansing.

I personally believe it's because of the college playoffs and the fact that what little bit of importance SoS had is now gone. It's going to be all about winning your conference and going undefeated on the easiest possible schedule to secure one of the top4 spots.

It's bullshit and will ruin college football. Hope everyone who wanted playoffs so badly is happy.

Yeah, because their wishes directly caused this. :rollseyes: Whatever happens doesn't have to be a permanent situation. We don't yet know the criteria and how far SoS will weight on it.

 

[4down20]

Yeah, because their wishes directly caused this. :rollseyes: Whatever happens doesn't have to be a permanent situation. We don't yet know the criteria and how far SoS will weight on it.

unintended consequences. Adding more spots means you can get in with a weaker schedule. TCU for example made the top4 in both 2009 and 2010 while playing in the weak MWC that didn't even have Boise St at the time. All because they went undefeated.

The criteria isn't going to be that much different than the BCS. And the SEC champion is automatically going to get a bid, no questions asked. The other conferences champions will also likely get an automatic spot as well, unless it's some 9-3 team or something like that. Then it will alternate with the ACC. As such, you go undefeated or only have 1 loss, win your conference and all is golden. There is no real reason to play a tough OOC game anymore and college football becomes more regional instead of more national like it needs to be.

The only way SoS will start to matter is if there is somekind of "arms race" with it. Where a conference is able to get 3 or 4 teams in based purely on SoS. And that is not going to happen because people, the ultimate motivator for all this, will have a fit. Just like they did in 2011 which is the entire reason we have it now. Meanwhile the money grabbing bowl games still exist.

Writing is on the wall.

 

[Kid Vicarious]

my wish is that at some point the scheduling makes a difference....not a 100 % sure but thought I read something awhile back that FCS opponents don't factor into schedule strength. example if team A plays pretty much 4 out of conference gimme games...sunbelt, MAC a fcs team....then another team plays teams from bcs conferences... standford schedule looks very good right now...I think it has 5 ranked teams.. and I would expect in a playoff scenario they get in over someone like lsu/Alabama.....whichever doesn't win conference

Take a look at LSU's schedule and tell me it isn't tough.

 

[4down20]

my wish is that at some point the scheduling makes a difference....not a 100 % sure but thought I read something awhile back that FCS opponents don't factor into schedule strength. example if team A plays pretty much 4 out of conference gimme games...sunbelt, MAC a fcs team....then another team plays teams from bcs conferences... standford schedule looks very good right now...I think it has 5 ranked teams.. and I would expect in a playoff scenario they get in over someone like lsu/Alabama.....whichever doesn't win conference

There are many different formulas for SoS. I personally penalize teams for FCS teams in my SoS formula.

LSU has a great schedule, not sure what you mean there. Alabama's was looking weak at the start of the year, but it's already picking up. Stanford is not going to get in over them, sorry.

 

[BigAppleBadger]

Bama needs to play at least 3 scrub teams, can't have a real non-con game if they're playing 9 SEC games.

 

[rolltide14_0]

why is it ALWAYS a neutral site. I mean sure I guess its better than nothing. just seems to be pretty clear that Alabama prefers to avoid playing true road games. penn st a few years ago was only road game they had in non conference play in like 10 years. yeah we get it alabamas the best right now...but maybe just maybe its more the formula for success, winning at the vote box than on the field.

Yeah because we never beat good teams on the field....:rollseyes:

 

[rolltide14_0]

I hate when teams schedule games like these...

Portland St.
Idaho St.
Eastern Washington

Then surround them with games vs Hawaii or Utah St. and it supposedly makes their schedule so much greater....

Or hell, just filling your ooc with San Diego St., syracuse, Minnesota Golden Gophers....that makes it so much better.

But I guess if your team ain't that good, then these will be decent games.

 

[UNA Lion]

Cant wait to see who they replace with these games. Bama should have cancelled the fcs games imo.

Agree. Would really have liked to see the MSU series.

 

[charlie42s]

My initial thought when I read about the cancelation was shame on Bama for canceling their only OOC opponent for those seasons and then shame on the other SEC teams that have backed out of agreements with other Big Ten teams.
Then I remembered that Texas canceled a series with Minnesota over a disagreement concerning the BTN. Most possibly it had to do with rebroadcast rights. I get the feeling that we aren't being told the absolute truth.
I can't accept Bama backing out of the series because of possible scheduling conflicts that won't occur for years. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[TigerBait1971]

nice sandwich......

bump....

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

They just wouldn't schedule it to start with. Plus, he goes back to LSU which I'm sure is much worse than Lansing.

I personally believe it's because of the college playoffs and the fact that what little bit of importance SoS had is now gone. It's going to be all about winning your conference and going undefeated on the easiest possible schedule to secure one of the top4 spots.

It's bullshit and will ruin college football. Hope everyone who wanted playoffs so badly is happy.

I heered that they won't care about winning your conference.

Whatever the reason, I'm about 98% sure that this has nothing to do with Bama being scared of Michigan State, but it most likely does have something to do with setting themselves up for the playoffs somehow.