This was tough, as I don't really like that many teams in college football (I generally just cheer for the underdog), but here's what I came up with;
10. UTEP/Hawaii
9. Kansas State
8. Missouri
7. Washington State
6. California
5. Oregon State
4. Colorado
3. Washington
2. Oregon
1. Iowa State
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As we now know, I’m the strange one and this isn’t easy for me either. I don’t hate the Big Ten and I don’t necessarily hate winners either. I never really thought much about this until Andy’s first post and Matt’s analogy posts (I have my own analogy swimming around in my head but I’ve been waiting for Matt to finish his before I talk about mine). Like Andy I also tend to pull for the underdog although that isn’t always the case. I’m always pulling for the Big Ten to win in the preseason – even the teams that I have less good feeling toward or the one that doesn’t belong (That may be another post – each of your fascination with the lovable loser).
So here’s a shot at this. This may mean I am never invited back to the Carhart house even for the BTFFL draft but I really have come to realize that Michigan is probably my 2nd favorite college football team. If Wisconsin isn’t going to win the Big Ten, I pull for Michigan. I like Michigan’s tradition as well.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I harbor some resentment towards Michigan. It does have advantages that my team does not have (although some of those have been earned) and after Wisconsin beat Michigan, the first words out of my mouth were “Hail to the victors, my ass.” I certainly savored beating such a national powerhouse. However, and I’ve had this conversation with Matt, if Michigan wasn’t consistently one of the best college football teams in the country, my joy in beating them would not be nearly as intense as it is. There was no such thrill after any of the non conference games this season although I was happy. In fact, thinking about this, I wouldn’t know anyone else’s rouser to mock after beating them. If Michigan wasn’t as good as it is, or other national powerhouses, there would be no underdogs to root for. To pull for an underdog, there has to be a dominant team. So while I don’t necessarily like the powerhouses, I understand that part of what I enjoy about sports comes from these kinds of relationships.
In addition to Michigan, I guess I’d say I like Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois in the Big Ten the most. Northwestern doesn’t belong, Purdue is just odd. Indiana’s okay. I kind of like Penn State. Michigan State, blah. Ohio State is the most like teams I don’t like outside the Big Ten or at least I think of it that way.
I also like the PAC-10 quite a bit. Out of the PAC-10 I probably like Cal, Washington and Oregon the most.
Outside the Big Ten and the PAC-10 there are not many teams that I can say I like. I don’t hate Georgia, Auburn or UNC the way I do most southern schools. I don't have a good reason why. I do not like the Big Twelve – I think of it as the Big Ten without the academic standards.
Well, not a list but some thoughts.
I don't have a solid favorite list w/ the exception of #1, but here it is;
1 Iowa State
Mizzou
Kansas
UTEP
Vandy
West Virginia
Cal
Oregon
Washington
Idaho
Boise St.
Arizona State
Hawaii
Colorado St
Pitt
UConn
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