SI Article on Football Scheduling

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

The College Football Scheduling Game

Interesting article, including the following "spotlight" on Auburn:

Making Upgrades

 

While Tommy Tuberville expresses anger with ESPN, Auburn's athletic department keeps in close contact with the network.

Gary Bogdon/SI

When Tommy Tuberville spoke to the Montgomery Quarterback Club in October, he was carrying a 10-month chip on his shoulder. The previous December, Auburn, despite a 12-0 record and an SEC championship, was left out of the national title game, the 2005 Orange Bowl. Instead, fellow unbeatens Oklahoma and USC were selected, and the Trojans won 55-19.

During his speech Tuberville implied that ESPN's influence, combined with the bias of its broadcasters, is unfair to certain (read: SEC) programs. That night he argued that though only half the '05 season had been played, ESPN was hyping USC and Texas so much that the national championship matchup in the '06 Rose Bowl was already a foregone conclusion.

Tuberville was fed up with the Worldwide Leader, and he let his audience know it. "ESPN, I'll tell you," the Auburn coach said, "I don't have much to do with them anymore."

Perhaps Tuberville does not have much to do with ESPN anymore, but Auburn's athletic department certainly does. A few months before Tuberville's harangue, ESPN and Auburn were collaborating on upgrading the Tigers' nonconference schedule. Auburn, burned in the polls in 2004 for having played a I-AA patsy (the Citadel, though to be fair, that was only because I-A Bowling Green had backed out), was hoping to bolster its '06 nonconference slate.

"ESPN, you talk to those guys a lot," says Auburn senior associate athletic director Mark Richards. "We wanted to know where we could get some help for the '06 schedule. Who can we play?"

ESPN's Brown was on it. Soon Brown was back in contact with Richards. Washington State, Brown informed Richards, was willing to visit Auburn in a guarantee game. The Cougars were not demanding a home-and-home.

However, Washington State could only come to Auburn on Sept. 2, a date the Tigers had already earmarked for a game against I-AA Villanova.

"We realize that Auburn's gotta do what's best for their program," says Villanova senior associate athletic director Bob Steitz. "And playing us, after what happened in '04, isn't necessarily what's best for them."

Auburn and ESPN found a replacement game for Villanova. The Wildcats will now play at Central Florida. And yes, Villanova will still reap the same fiscal guarantee they would have received from Auburn. But if you are Steitz, what choice did you have? If you stand up to ESPN, how might that affect the number of times your nationally ranked men's basketball team gets airtime the following winter?

"You want to maintain the relationships you have," says Steitz, "but at the same time you want to protect the integrity of your program. It's a tightrope."

As for ESPN's role in this reshuffling, Brown says, "We don't get involved in the individual contracts between the schools. We're just a network trying to air the best games that we can."

But by playing matchmaker to a school's date requests, isn't ESPN already involved?

"We had a pretty good idea from Auburn what they were looking for," says Brown. "I would never have picked up the phone if Auburn didn't request it."

Discuss.

[Draven 0]

While I am really looking forward to the Washington State game this season, I do get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing that those lame brains at ESPN have any input into or football program be it scheduling or what have you. Maybe its because when I think of ESPN I imagine Corso, “Herby”, et al.

[JohnDeere 0]

Match making now? Whats next?

The NCAA will contract out ESPN to enforce recruiting rules?

[rolltoomer 0]

It's a frightening prospect that sportscasters and sports writers can influence the shape of things.

By voting as they did in '04, they partially set up "what they wanted--a game with the two Heisman winners". I say "partially", because if Oklahoma had lost somewhere along the line (e.g., if A&M hadn't contracted fumble-itis in the 2nd half), the gig would have been up.

To their credit, the AP backed out of the BCS for just that conflict-of-interest consideration.

But all along, there have been collusions: what bowl match-ups will produce the best gate (and influence champions)?

[PChamp119 96]

The WSU game scares me. I'm scared it'll be like GT all over again

[jumbo 0]

football is a big money maker, and Espn is a giant in the college and pro football world, If you want to play on the national stage on tv you have to play by there rules and it stinks that Espn has that much power but it the reality, Washington State is a lot better game than Villanova!

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

The WSU game scares me. I'm scared it'll be like GT all over again

231652[/snapback]

Expect nothing and you won't be disapoointed.

[WaReAgLe83 0]

I guess if anyone would have knowledge of who's open and who's not from week to week it would be ESPN. They sift through each week's schedule to choose games to air on 3 different networks. What bugs me is that the athletic dept. needed a middleman to find a better game. But if that's what it takes, I say go ahead. More 1-A, less 1-AA. Also, I believe that at one point (not sure if it's still true) had been shown more times on ESPN than any other school.

[CircleDrill 178]

This is just more proof that we need a REAL football championship rather than a farce of a voting system.

If you have to WIN your way to the NC, then stuff like this won't matter.

[WAR EAGLE!!! 0]

The WSU game scares me. I'm scared it'll be like GT all over again

231652[/snapback]

Expect nothing and you won't be disapoointed.

231683[/snapback]

I am expecting to have a great time tailgating, to drink a beer or 12, and to watch Auburn whip WSU's ass....if I get 2 out of 3 of those, I will be happy

[rexbo 104]

The WSU game scares me. I'm scared it'll be like GT all over again

231652[/snapback]

I hope that Tuberville and Borges have learned their lesson on that game, and the Bowl game. After 2 long 'layovers' last season, Cox (and to be fair, the defense too) came out very flat; they need to find a way to get him in the groove early...

[SouthLink02 8]

Auburn will embarress WSU

[AUwareagle84 0]

Auburn 37

Wash. St. 7

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Auburn will embarress WSU

231827[/snapback]

I seem to remember a similiar prediction concerning our opener last year.

Please stop.

Now.

[SouthLink02 8]

Auburn will embarress WSU

231827[/snapback]

I seem to remember a similiar prediction concerning our opener last year.

Please stop.

Now.

231941[/snapback]

WSU is going to embarress Auburn

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Thanks.

[jumbo 0]

Auburn will embarress WSU

231827[/snapback]

I seem to remember a similiar prediction concerning our opener last year.

Please stop.

Now.

231941[/snapback]

the experts also said the same thing about the bowl game last year!

[quietfan 233]

The WSU game scares me. I'm scared it'll be like GT all over again

231652[/snapback]

I hope that Tuberville and Borges have learned their lesson on that game, and the Bowl game. After 2 long 'layovers' last season, Cox (and to be fair, the defense too) came out very flat; they need to find a way to get him in the groove early...

231810[/snapback]

Opening games always make me nervous, but as you say, hopefully last season's GT game & bowl game are fresh in everyone's minds and they (players & coaches) have learned their lessons.

A couple of other thoughts to help calm those nerves:

Muschamp is a more aggressive DC than Gibbs, and hopefully that translates into being sharper out of the gate for the defense.

A big problem in the GT game last year (IMO) was that we were replacing our entire offensive backfield and I'm not sure CTT and CAB were 100% sure what they could expect out of our new offense. In retrospect, the play calling in that first game seemed to reflect this uncertainty. Heck, we really didn't settle on our #1 running back until what, the 3rd or 4th game of the season? I'm sure they would have called plays differently if they had met GT as the 5th or 6th game of the season. This season opener, they know what they can get from Brandon Cox and Kenny Irons.

[tgr4lfe 220]

The WSU game scares me. I'm scared it'll be like GT all over again

231652[/snapback]

I hope that Tuberville and Borges have learned their lesson on that game, and the Bowl game. After 2 long 'layovers' last season, Cox (and to be fair, the defense too) came out very flat; they need to find a way to get him in the groove early...

231810[/snapback]

Opening games always make me nervous, but as you say, hopefully last season's GT game & bowl game are fresh in everyone's minds and they (players & coaches) have learned their lessons.

A couple of other thoughts to help calm those nerves:

Muschamp is a more aggressive DC than Gibbs, and hopefully that translates into being sharper out of the gate for the defense.

A big problem in the GT game last year (IMO) was that we were replacing our entire offensive backfield and I'm not sure CTT and CAB were 100% sure what they could expect out of our new offense. In retrospect, the play calling in that first game seemed to reflect this uncertainty. Heck, we really didn't settle on our #1 running back until what, the 3rd or 4th game of the season? I'm sure they would have called plays differently if they had met GT as the 5th or 6th game of the season. This season opener, they know what they can get from Brandon Cox and Kenny Irons.

232045[/snapback]

I agree with quietfan on this. I am only concerned about it from the standpoint that I think WSU is going to be a lot better than they have the last two years. We forget this team was at the top of the Pac10 3 to 5 years ago. Two straight 10 win seasons, than coaching change and two straight losing seasons. They have a lot of returning starters, including QB and skill positions. I for one am not taking them lightly and will be there treating it like the big OOC game that it is. I still believe we are above them talent wise. Like quietfan said we have experience at our skill positions where as we didn't last year with the GT game.

WAR EAGLE!!!!!

[abrnfanatc 6]

I honestly believe that this will be a high scoring game. It sounds like the WSU defense is pourous after reading about their spring practices and game. I do not believe that CWM will have the Auburn D playing at their entire potential for the first game for some reason either. If David Irons can lock up one side and the safeties can help Wilhite out with the WSU #2 guy (who happens to be fit in the Calvin Jackson mold - 6'6" 210lbs) then maybe they can hold the Cougars under 20-25 points. I see a game that ends up 35-24 or somewhere in that range, with the Auburn running game being the difference.

[JohnDeere 0]

My $.02

WSU will only score 3 points on AU. AU's above average SEC speed on defense will shut down WSU.

[vatz22au 142]

AU - 24

WSU - 10