cupcake games

[tennesseekilt]

I don't know about the rest of you, but this week sort of feels like a bye week to me or at least a glorified scrimmage. And we have THREE on the schedule like this, plus an actual bye week. It's a tale as old as time, I know, and I also understand the SEC is tough, but I would much prefer to watch the team play a lower-tier power conference school where a win is at least respectable on paper than see another 40-50-point no-win beatdown over a no-name school. Other than to fill a slot and pay money to small schools, what's the point?

/end rant

 

[volfaninky]

Ask Ky… they have feasted on the easiest schedule in the conference for years and reaping the rewards of wins which leads to better recruiting which leads to more competitive in conference.

Kids want to win not play Pitt or BYU etc

 

[tennesseekilt]

Ask Ky… they have feasted on the easiest schedule in the conference for years and reaping the rewards of wins which leads to better recruiting which leads to more competitive in conference.

Kids want to win not play Pitt or BYU etc

That is definitely the kind of good point I'm looking for. Just having a hard time getting 'excited' for Akron. LOL

 

[Jeff Clark]

Get used to it when the SEC goes to a 9 game schedule then all out of conference games will be cupcakes

 

[Voldawg1970]

The cupcake games are the ones that typically are a given win. I agree and would like to see more power games. Those are the games that shows where you are either strong or weak. However, The big loss in these game are injuries. I have said before and I will say again,,,, I would play all the guys that do not get much playing time to build them and save my starters for FL. Yeah, I know, there will be tons of you all that disagree and thats fine but next week is important. This week really means nothing unless we lose and our second string guys are, or should be, much stronger than Akrons whole team...

 

[volfaninky]

That is definitely the kind of good point I'm looking for. Just having a hard time getting 'excited' for Akron. LOL

We play enough games in conference to get excited, we aren’t the MAC. Haha

I also think the cupcakes gives all kids an opportunity to play and grow in the program, who otherwise might transfer before developing.

 

[37620VOL]

You get to play your backups and see if you can trust them in bigger games. Three cupcakes with the rest of our schedule is definitely reasonable.

 

[WestTennesseeVol]

I mean, a glorified scrimmage is exactly why they schedule these games. They don’t get pre-season games like the NFL, so this is the time to fix errors and get guys on the field

 

[Gandalf]

I don't know about the rest of you, but this week sort of feels like a bye week to me or at least a glorified scrimmage. And we have THREE on the schedule like this, plus an actual bye week. It's a tale as old as time, I know, and I also understand the SEC is tough, but I would much prefer to watch the team play a lower-tier power conference school where a win is at least respectable on paper than see another 40-50-point no-win beatdown over a no-name school. Other than to fill a slot and pay money to small schools, what's the point?

/end rant

What is the point?

Thats the point - and cupcake or not, a team is judged on the number of wins. As we saw this last week, not all cupcakes go down so easily.

 

[EZE]

The cupcake games are the ones that typically are a given win. I agree and would like to see more power games. Those are the games that shows where you are either strong or weak. However, The big loss in these game are injuries. I have said before and I will say again,,,, I would play all the guys that do not get much playing time to build them and save my starters for FL. Yeah, I know, there will be tons of you all that disagree and thats fine but next week is important. This week really means nothing unless we lose and our second string guys are, or should be, much stronger than Akrons whole team...

I’d love to see a Power 5-only scheduling requirement loosely following the NFL model and rotating the conferences that we play from year to year.

 

[sechamp2012]

I don't know about the rest of you, but this week sort of feels like a bye week to me or at least a glorified scrimmage. And we have THREE on the schedule like this, plus an actual bye week. It's a tale as old as time, I know, and I also understand the SEC is tough, but I would much prefer to watch the team play a lower-tier power conference school where a win is at least respectable on paper than see another 40-50-point no-win beatdown over a no-name school. Other than to fill a slot and pay money to small schools, what's the point?

/end rant

A post similar to this on Gigem board before A&M v App game

 

[volinSmyrna]

A post similar to this on Gigem board before A&M v App game

Yep. We were saying the same thing before Ga St too. I'm just glad we can reasonably expect to blow "anybody" out. That, in and of itself, is progress at the beginning of Year 2.

 

[IndianaVol]

3 cupcakes + 3 'give me' wins in conference (aka Vandy, Mizzou, USCe) and you are bowl eligible...point being is don't look for the cupcakes to go away anytime soon.
Especially with the 9 game SEC schedule forthcoming - will be the only way most teams get bowl eligible.

 

[sjt18]

The only way to get rid of cupcake games in part or in whole is to go to a true playoff system where losing to "good" teams hurts your chances of the BCS or a good bowl bid.

I would like to see the current system replaced with 4 "super conferences" of 16 teams each. Each of those conferences would then play a 2 round championship to determine its champion followed by a two round playoff to determine the National Champion. This would mean that teams might even benefit by playing tough early OOC games.

 

[SaintLouisVol]

You have to schedule a home/home deal to get OOC P5 schools on your schedule. That makes things a little tougher. Plus, SEC schools just don't need a big OOC win to earn the grand prize, so why risk it?

 

[peaygolf]

”They” say strength of schedule is important. BS.

Get the wins. It’s all that matters. It’s was General Neylands approach back in the day, and it still applies.


and yes, I’m biased based on where I went to college, but playing, and paying patsies, funds these athletic departments. Without Austin Peay playing UGA last year, Bama this year, and UT next year, they would struggle to fund programs.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

I don't know about the rest of you, but this week sort of feels like a bye week to me or at least a glorified scrimmage. And we have THREE on the schedule like this, plus an actual bye week. It's a tale as old as time, I know, and I also understand the SEC is tough, but I would much prefer to watch the team play a lower-tier power conference school where a win is at least respectable on paper than see another 40-50-point no-win beatdown over a no-name school. Other than to fill a slot and pay money to small schools, what's the point?

/end rant

Just look at this game as a pit stop. It's not really practice, but it's not really the Daytona 500. It's a chance to make live tune-ups before we get back on the track.

 

[FranklinVFL]

While I agree with the overall feeling....the 10 game all SEC schedule during COVID was a massive schedule that always had top tier games on, I do understand the need for these glorified scrimmages and do not want them to go away.

1. These games basically will finance the lower tier and FCS schools sports programs. Without these games, sports would end for a lot of kids after high school.

2. I look at these as pre-season games that actually count--let your 1st string get some reps vs. other teams and identify areas to improve.

3. Get some reps in for the backups and younger players. Athletes want to be on the field. While a FR or a backup may not get a lot of live game time during a SEC game, these help the younger guys and backups to get some experience with the college game and the speed of the game at this level.

Now, when SEC goes to 9 games, I see teams going to 2 G5 games and 1 FCS school for OOC games. Likely would do first two weeks of G5, then 4-5 SEC games, then FCS school, then remainder of schedule....with a bye week in there somewhere.

 

[Jeff Clark]

While I agree with the overall feeling....the 10 game all SEC schedule during COVID was a massive schedule that always had top tier games on, I do understand the need for these glorified scrimmages and do not want them to go away.

1. These games basically will finance the lower tier and FCS schools sports programs. Without these games, sports would end for a lot of kids after high school.

2. I look at these as pre-season games that actually count--let your 1st string get some reps vs. other teams and identify areas to improve.

3. Get some reps in for the backups and younger players. Athletes want to be on the field. While a FR or a backup may not get a lot of live game time during a SEC game, these help the younger guys and backups to get some experience with the college game and the speed of the game at this level.

Now, when SEC goes to 9 games, I see teams going to 2 G5 games and 1 FCS school for OOC games. Likely would do first two weeks of G5, then 4-5 SEC games, then FCS school, then remainder of schedule....with a bye week in there somewhere.

Yeah i could see Tennessee starting off with 2 cupcake games every year then playing one late in the season before the game with Missouri.

 

[BlueLineVolFan]

I don't know about the rest of you, but this week sort of feels like a bye week to me or at least a glorified scrimmage. And we have THREE on the schedule like this, plus an actual bye week. It's a tale as old as time, I know, and I also understand the SEC is tough, but I would much prefer to watch the team play a lower-tier power conference school where a win is at least respectable on paper than see another 40-50-point no-win beatdown over a no-name school. Other than to fill a slot and pay money to small schools, what's the point?

/end rant

I’m sure people are going to hate this but I agree. Im so over ALL the SECvsFCS games. It makes the Saturday boring when it comes to SEC play. Don’t get me wrong I understand how tough our conference is and it makes sense to not play power 5 schools but I hate it. It’s like work. I know I have to do it to pay the bills but I’m not fond of it lol

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I have zero problem having an Akron sandwiched between Pitt and Florida and then a bye with @lsu and Bama next. For a long time we were having UF, UGA, SECW Team and then Bama with a bye after Bama. I have no idea what we were thinking back then.

 

[volfaninky]

And drop the stupid tie in with Bama!! What’s it doing for us??

 

[tennesseekilt]

I’m sure people are going to hate this but I agree. Im so over ALL the SECvsFCS games. It makes the Saturday boring when it comes to SEC play. Don’t get me wrong I understand how tough our conference is and it makes sense to not play power 5 schools but I hate it. It’s like work. I know I have to do it to pay the bills but I’m not fond of it lol

Some good points on this thread but this is exactly how I feel.

 

[tennesseekilt]

And drop the stupid tie in with Bama!! What’s it doing for us??

Nothing. Not a damn thing. Even if we were winning it sometimes, how is it fair that we should have to play the top West team EVERY SINGLE YEAR?

 

[Sarms58]

For these type games you have to schedule someone lowly enough so that’s it’s not a home and away arrangement as is usually required when playing another power 5 team. We get 4 conference home games a year and need at least 3 more just for the economics. It really is about the money to a large extent.