Question: Why are there “cupcake” games in college football?

[Tide&True]

I get that the SEC is a tough conference but overmatched out of conference teams are an exercise in futility. I could maybe justify it at the beginning of the year but not after that.

What do you think?


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[JBama_in_PCOLA]

I get that the SEC is a tough conference but teams that are overmatched is an exercise in futility. I could maybe justify it at the beginning of the year but not after that.

What do you think?


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They need money though. We need games. They go hand in hand. They want their programs to grow. Blue bloods have the money this schedules are made.

 

[RTR91]

I get that the SEC is a tough conference but overmatched out of conference teams are an exercise in futility. I could maybe justify it at the beginning of the year but not after that.

What do you think?


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Who do you suggest Alabama get the week before Auburn if you don't want a cupcake after the beginning of the year?

 

[Tide&True]

Who do you suggest Alabama get the week before Auburn if you don't want a cupcake after the beginning of the year?

A fair question. I know the Barn does it too. I think this year the divide is even greater since this Bama team is so good. I also was thinking of one year not long ago where one the “cupcakes” played dirty and cost us a couple valuable players.


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[TIDE-HSV]

A fair question. I know the Barn does it too. I think this year the divide is even greater since this Bama team is so good. I also was thinking of one year not long ago where one the “cupcakes” played dirty and cost us a couple valuable players.


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What would your "ideal" schedule be? Remember what mid seasons against Clemson or Notre Dam might mean in terms of attrition, as opposed to the "cupcakes" you seem to abhor...

 

[cuda.1973]

They need money though. We need games. They go hand in hand. They want their programs to grow. Blue bloods have the money this schedules are made.

Heard a report, a week or so ago, that Kent St. is going to pocket over $12M, over the next 3 seasons, by being the cupcake. The point of the report being is that they can run a nice little program, with that kind of money in the bank.

And without places like Kent St., where are undersized DBs going to play?

 

[tattooguy21]

Another thing....many conferences play the same number of cupcakes. They usually put them all art the front of the season. I personally feel that CNS set the standard by playing a major P5 opponent to open the year. I look at 2012 vs Michigan as setting the stage to what has become a standard wind CFB.

What would your "ideal" schedule be? Remember what mid seasons against Clemson or Notre Dam might mean in terms of attrition, as opposed to the "cupcakes" you seem to abhor...

I get that the SEC is a tough conference but overmatched out of conference teams are an exercise in futility. I could maybe justify it at the beginning of the year but not after that.

What do you think?


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[Tide&True]

What would your "ideal" schedule be? Remember what mid seasons against Clemson or Notre Dam might mean in terms of attrition, as opposed to the "cupcakes" you seem to abhor...

I think part of my argument, if you could call it that, is about more interesting matchups. I’m a Bama fan through and through but I don’t get excited about a game like this. I suppose I should look at the overall scheme of things....sustaining through a hard season...but that doesn’t make it more interesting to the fan. After all, at the end of the day it is about entertainment as well.


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[crimsonaudio]

I'm fine with it - I want the easiest path Bama can get to the playoffs. I know they'll be challenged in the SEC so I don't mind the cupcakes as teams like Bama still end up playing one of the tougher schedules in the country year in and out.

 

[Tide&True]

I'm fine with it - I want the easiest path Bama can get to the playoffs. I know they'll be challenged in the SEC so I don't mind the cupcakes as teams like Bama still end up playing one of the tougher schedules in the country year in and out.

Down the road we will likely have more playoff games (6 or 8, money talks). If that happens maybe we could give up at least one of them.


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[crimsonaudio]

A better solution would be to force the cupcakes into a lower division - bigger than FCS but beneath the current P5 teams. Choose the top 64 or so teams and go go for it.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I get that the SEC is a tough conference but overmatched out of conference teams are an exercise in futility. I could maybe justify it at the beginning of the year but not after that.

What do you think?


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In a word, money.

Bowl games came into existence because of money.

Conferences came into existence because of money.

The Iron Bowl ceased to be played for four decades because of money.

Mercer University - a small, private school in Macon, GA - can play Auburn and Alabama and walk off with a minimum of $3 million guaranteed ($1.5M each game). That can go a LONG way at a school of 8,600 students, particularly when they aren't paying $7 million a year to a head football coach.

I "get" the frustration with it. But it's a sort of way to redistribute wealth, a sort of "contribution to education" elsewhere. I won't go to the Mercer or Citadel of WCU games because of the travel cost, but a lot of people only get to see Alabama in person through such games, too.

It's a scrimmage that counts and besides - we have losses on our ledger to La Tech (twice), Central Florida, Northern Illinois, and ULM. There once was a time it wasn't the guarantee for us it is now.

 

[PA Tide Fan]

I think it's wise to have a few cupcake games strategically scheduled through the season. It gives some guys who get banged up in the tougher games a chance to rest and heal an extra week. It gives the coaching staff an extra week to prepare for the tougher games. It give the backups a chance to gain experience in case they have to step in during a tough game due to a sudden injury.

 

[Tide&True]

A better solution would be to force the cupcakes into a lower division - bigger than FCS but beneath the current P5 teams. Choose the top 64 or so teams and go go for it.

I like that. So, instead of a team we can beat by 50+ maybe we can beat by half that. In other words more of a competition.


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[Tide&True]

In a word, money.

Bowl games came into existence because of money.

Conferences came into existence because of money.

The Iron Bowl ceased to be played for four decades because of money.

Mercer University - a small, private school in Macon, GA - can play Auburn and Alabama and walk off with a minimum of $3 million guaranteed ($1.5M each game). That can go a LONG way at a school of 8,600 students, particularly when they aren't paying $7 million a year to a head football coach.

I "get" the frustration with it. But it's a sort of way to redistribute wealth, a sort of "contribution to education" elsewhere. I won't go to the Mercer or Citadel of WCU games because of the travel cost, but a lot of people only get to see Alabama in person through such games, too.

It's a scrimmage that counts and besides - we have losses on our ledger to La Tech (twice), Central Florida, Northern Illinois, and ULM. There once was a time it wasn't the guarantee for us it is now.

All valid points. I did think about some attending “cupcake” games because the tickets a cheaper and it offers them a chance to experience the venue instead of watching it on TV


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[Tide&True]

I think it's wise to have a few cupcake games strategically scheduled through the season. It gives some guys who get banged up in the tougher games a chance to rest and heal an extra week. It gives the coaching staff an extra week to prepare for the tougher games. It give the backups a chance to gain experience in case they have to step in during a tough game due to a sudden injury.

I do see the value of this as well. So, let’s just say, “to everything there is a season and a purpose under heaven.”


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[KrAzY3]

Alabama's SoS is currently at #10, which is well ahead of other contenders. So that needs to be said.

force the cupcakes into a lower division - bigger than FCS but beneath the current P5 teams. Choose the top 64 or so teams and go go for it.

I'd ok with something akin to that, even though I also argue Alabama's SoS is already high enough. You can't really exclude cupcakes, I mean the Big 10 added two of them to their conference on purpose. To me it might be best to have a dual solution (which won't ever happen). Drop the extra 12th game, that was done just to get more FCS games, and then at the same time I'd like to see them cull teams to around 90. This would clean things up considerably, but neither will ever happen.

 

[ReturnToGlory]

All I can say is....any game in which the University of Alabama is one of the competitors, I'm all for it.

 

[Tide&True]

All I can say is....any game in which the University of Alabama is one of the competitors, I'm all for it.

Of course I’ll watch but it’s like eating an actual cupcake...I can do without the calories [emoji41]


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[TiderJack]

I get that the SEC is a tough conference but overmatched out of conference teams are an exercise in futility. I could maybe justify it at the beginning of the year but not after that.

What do you think?


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Simply put it is the economics of college football. The "cupcakes" need the money to support their athletic programs.