Deep Thoughts

OSU vs Marshall on Thursday?  Why not???

Just marking the instant reaction to Ohio State moving its season opener with Marshall to Thursday, September 2….

It seems like Buckeye fans don’t want any part of it.  That they prefer the traditional Buckeye Saturday in the ‘Shoe and that a Thursday night kickoff makes OSU just like everybody else. 

FALSE.

There are three main reasons why this move makes total sense. 
#1… school’s not in session, so people can take that Thursday off work, spend the day on campus, then avoid the early September heat with a night game. 

#2… in all likelihood this game ends up on ESPN, which means OSU’s march to a National Championship begins on its own national stage in front of poll voters and coaches across the country. it’s against a team (and in full disclosure, I grew up in Huntington, went to Marshall and love the school to death… BUT) breaking in a new head coach, a very shaky QB and a likely OSU rout.

#3… two more days.  The advantage of getting two extra days of rest and preparation for game #2 come at the expense of… NOTHING!  It just makes sense for both teams!  OSU gets Miami the next week and Marshall has a huge game at rival WVU the following Saturday. 

I come down solidly in support of this… OSU has to compete for national spotlight time just like another school, the difference being OSU will deliver a major national audience that practically no one else can match.

Very shaky quarterback? Only if you mean shaking with confidence.

It’s a bad idea. The first game? How do we tailgate? What about the alumni band?  Ohio State tradition? Follow the money. Let’s go ahead and move Christmas to March since nothing is sacred.

I agree that the placement on Thursday is brilliant.  At a time where the nation is hungry for nationally televised football, Ohio State will deliver with a season opener before the big weekend.  The atmosphere on campus will be tremendous, and the energy will carry over from a huge Rose Bowl victory in January to catapult the Buckeyes into 2010. 

The problem is the opponent.  I’m not asking for a top ten matchup, but the cake walks the Buckeyes (and arguably many other top tier programs) schedule during the beginning of the season are boring.  This may be a problem on a larger scale, but when dealing specifically with this game, I don’t think its worth hyping because the opponent is a joke.  Match it up to Troy, San Diego State, New Mexico State and Ohio University (all teams OSU has played in the past).  These make for yawner weekends where we can only anticipate the start of the NFL season. 

If someone wants proof why the NFL is superior to NCAA Football, simply look at this example, and match it with the mess that is the BCS (the only bowls worth watching are when something is on the line), and the current coaching mess in college football, they need look no further. 

That’s enough, game is placed well but uninteresting.