By Andrew Jenck
So, it’s been two years now, and we’re all still getting used to the Ducks playing in the Midwest every other Saturday. The Pac-12 is set to become a slightly better Mountain West, and I’m trying to recover from that Oregon State loss to Houston on Friday. Some argue the break from traditions leads to more powerhouse matchups. Why wait till January for Oregon and Penn State to face off when they can do it in September? However, whenever I tuned into a game not featuring the Beavers, I feel mixture of resentment and frustration without any enjoyment. The conference realignment is that of taking the red pill in the Matrix where I come to the realization that college football as a sport itself is lame actually.
I’m biased since my team was tossed aside by the establishment, but taking that aside, we are losing unique attributes that made college compelling compared to the NFL. As a Beaver fan, we rarely have flashy players who’d make a SportsCenter Top 10, even during great seasons. None of that matters when you enter Reser Stadium; the buzzing of chainsaws at every third down, the sea of orange in the student section, and the newly added lights at every OSU touchdown. No autumn is complete without a trip to Corvallis, an atmosphere alluring even to those who aren’t typical sports fans. My mom has no idea who’s in the playoff hunt, but she’s partying as hard as my dad whenever the Beavs beat the Ducks.
The fandom and passion for our teams remain, but what’s missing are the odd pairings, where a scrappy, farmland team could shock No. 1 ranked USC, as happened in 2008. Sure, Oregon and Illinois are two distinct schools, but there’s no real history. Certain traditions are best to end; playoffs will always be better at determining a champion than going by a vote of sport analytics. However, stripping away the history and dynamics could result in lesser investment because the playmaking of college football, especially compared to the NFL, ain’t that great. Even among the nation’s best, there’s lack of stability, players more prone to mistakes that the pros would only make on a Thursday night game. Look at how lopsided most of the playoff games were last season. Even if the game is exhilarating, it will not appeal to fans if it’s not in the conference of their team.
This may seem like hyperbole now, but sports analytics agree that the realignment phase has only begun, with the ACC likely next on the chopping block and smaller SEC and BIG 10 teams likely to be cut. Experts predict we could see a fifty-team league more like the NFL. Larger schools have the larger fanbases, yes, but even they are outnumbered by the other 100 teams who may not want to give the backstabbers their attention. Why bother with a rip-off-NFL when I can get the real one on Sundays?
I tune the TV to the Ducks playing at Penn State, it’s admittedly an exciting, grueling game set to come down to the wire. Then, I notice a marking on the field that reads, “Venmo BIG 10 Rivalry Series” for what’s only the sixth meeting between the two compared to 129 matchups with the Beavers. I switch to Prime Video and catch up on Gen V.