So, for all those who DIDN'T watch this year's BCS National Title Game... (teams, Texas)

[ncopus99]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

True...and did so without Demarco Murray. It was a great game in Florida's backyard.

Florida's backyard... It's Miami's not UF. The fans that live down there (for the most part) are the U fans. Gainesville to Miami is a 6 hour drive. To put in spectrum, College Station to Baton Rouge is the same drive time. Is College Station now LSU's backyard...

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Yet another big factor SEC Homers don't want to discuss.

POLLEN.

The South is full of pollen. It can take weeks to adjust to high pollen levels. Pollen can cause watery eyes and shortness of breath. SEC teams have a whole season to adjust to the pollen. Big 10 and Big 12 teams don't. When Oklahoma had to travel down to swampland to play the Gators, is it any surprise they lost? They couldn't even see the ball. The pollen was just that bad.

Don't forget all that salt in the water and the air. It had to dehydrate them all, forcing them to be bloated from all the water.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by ncopus99

Florida's backyard... It's Miami's not UF. The fans that live down there (for the most part) are the U fans. Gainesville to Miami is a 6 hour drive. To put in spectrum, College Station to Baton Rouge is the same drive time. Is College Station now LSU's backyard...


Don't forget all that salt in the water and the air. It had to dehydrate them all, forcing them to be bloated from all the water.

Regardless of distance you're comparing apples to oranges. Same state, area, region.....not much different if OU would have played the Gators in Arlington.

[ncopus99]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

Regardless of distance you're comparing apples to oranges. Same state, area, region.....not much different if OU would have played the Gators in Arlington.

It is apples to apples. A different school (University of Miami) with loads of fans from the region are loyal to their school in town and are not fans of another Florida school (UF). Most UF fans reside around Central Florida (still 4 hours away) so it would be a drive and most likely a night stay away from home to attend game.

As for the same state comment, you do realize it potentially could take you over 11 hours to go through the state of Florida (Pensacola to Homestead) if you add in the Keys add 4 hours; that same drive could cross many of statelines i.e. 5 statelines from Jacksonville to Washington DC (11 hour drive).

Also to area/region, Miami's primary language/culture/structure is spanish/hispanic/concrete jungle and beaches. Gainesville's primary language/culture/structure is english/college town/suburbia and landlocked.

It is complete night and day; just like how a college town in Texas is to a another town that has a college in it in Louisana (with a same drive time difference away from each other). Again, Apples to Apples

But either way, Florida won and Oklahoma lost no matter what the excuse. It would have happened no matter where it took place.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by ncopus99

It is apples to apples. A different school (University of Miami) with loads of fans from the region are loyal to their school in town and are not fans of another Florida school (UF). Most UF fans reside around Central Florida (still 4 hours away) so it would be a drive and most likely a night stay away from home to attend game.

As for the same state comment, you do realize it potentially could take you over 11 hours to go through the state of Florida (Pensacola to Homestead) if you add in the Keys add 4 hours; that same drive could cross many of statelines i.e. 5 statelines from Jacksonville to Washington DC (11 hour drive).

Also to area/region, Miami's primary language/culture/structure is spanish/hispanic/concrete jungle and beaches. Gainesville's primary language/culture/structure is english/college town/suburbia and landlocked.

It is complete night and day; just like how a college town in Texas is to a another town that has a college in it in Louisana (with a same drive time difference away from each other). Again, Apples to Apples

But either way, Florida won and Oklahoma lost no matter what the excuse. It would have happened no matter where it took place.

But you also have to consider that there were hardly any Oklahoma fans at the game at all. The SEC had it set up where Florida fans received 95% of the tickets. If OU had a strong fan presence at the game, they would have won.

[e_cuyler]

Never been a big fan of that particular excuse. If you can't win in a hostile environment, you just aren't good enough, period.

Wonder how many USC fans were at that Rose Bowl game when they lost to Texas? And although Miami has won a lot of big games in the Orange Bowl, they've also had some major losses there too [that beatdown from Alabama in the early 90s was huge.] I'm sure if I went back I could find plenty of other cases where the "home" team lost a big bowl game.

EDIT: Whoops, that Alabama beatdown was in the SUGAR Bowl! Sorry. But...Nebraska did also beat Miami in the Orange Bowl in 1995!

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by ncopus99

It is apples to apples. A different school (University of Miami) with loads of fans from the region are loyal to their school in town and are not fans of another Florida school (UF). Most UF fans reside around Central Florida (still 4 hours away) so it would be a drive and most likely a night stay away from home to attend game.

As for the same state comment, you do realize it potentially could take you over 11 hours to go through the state of Florida (Pensacola to Homestead) if you add in the Keys add 4 hours; that same drive could cross many of statelines i.e. 5 statelines from Jacksonville to Washington DC (11 hour drive).

Also to area/region, Miami's primary language/culture/structure is spanish/hispanic/concrete jungle and beaches. Gainesville's primary language/culture/structure is english/college town/suburbia and landlocked.

It is complete night and day; just like how a college town in Texas is to a another town that has a college in it in Louisana (with a same drive time difference away from each other). Again, Apples to Apples

But either way, Florida won and Oklahoma lost no matter what the excuse. It would have happened no matter where it took place.

Easy Cowboy: let 'er go!

Is your breakdown of Florida supposed to be impressive? Next time I'd like you to give me a rundown of how many geeks with a keyboard feign specialization on the inner-workings of all things Florida.

One man's apples is another man's oranges. I lived there so I think I have an idea what it's all about.

I lived just outside of a Tampa for a bit. I know about the state of Florida and its culture/team loyalties, but admittedly I'm no wannabe expert like you.

It was much more of a "home-game" for the Gators than Oklahoma. That's all I was saying. Doesn't take a regional specialist to figure this out. Ease up, Pardner.

Cheers.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by e_cuyler

I think you ignore the effect of scary mascots. Two sets of tigers, two sets of bulldogs, alligators, wildcats, even gamecocks. And just about every guy who is married or in a relationship learns to fear the Crimson Tide each month....

THIS post wins!!!!!

[ncopus99]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

One man's apples is another man's oranges. I lived there so I think I have an idea what it's all about.

I lived just outside of a Tampa for a bit. I know about the state of Florida and its culture/team loyalties, but admittedly I'm no wannabe expert like you.

Tampa is Central Florida so of course you would see a bunch of UF fans there since USF doesn't have a big fanbase.

I have lived in Tallahassee (north), Orlando (central), and Miami (south) over a span of 24 years. Each city was completely different from each other by miles in culture/lifestyle.

It was much more of a "home-game" for the Gators than Oklahoma. That's all I was saying. Doesn't take a regional specialist to figure this out. Ease up, Pardner.

Again, it wasn't a home game for either team just because UF fans were willing to travel where Oklahoma fans weren't.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by ncopus99

Tampa is Central Florida so of course you would see a bunch of UF fans there since USF doesn't have a big fanbase.

I have lived in Tallahassee (north), Orlando (central), and Miami (south) over a span of 24 years. Each city was completely different from each other by miles in culture/lifestyle.


Again, it wasn't a home game for either team just because UF fans were willing to travel where Oklahoma fans weren't.

I traveled throughout the whole state while I was there, Biggin'. I made a point to so I could delight in all those Florida Belles. Again, I'm aware of team loyalties and cultural shifts. I agree with you on this point. This is not hard stuff.

Question: Was it not closer for Gator fans to make the trip from Gainesville in comparison to the Sooners traveling from Norman, Oklahoma?

Given that they're in the same state, I'm guessing it was a tad easier for Florida fans to get to Miami unless they were wrangling pet gators the whole time on the trip down.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

Question: Was it not closer for Gator fans to make the trip from Gainesville in comparison to the Sooners traveling from Norman, Oklahoma?

Given that they're in the same state, I'm guessing it was a tad easier for Florida fans to get to Miami unless they were wrangling pet gators the whole time on the trip down.

You tell 'em! It was all because Florida had home-field advantage. OU had played poorly on the road all season. They NEVER had anything close to 50 or 60 point games on the road. Had the game been in Texas, OU would have steamrolled over Florida, put the steamroller in reverse, and then steamrolled over them again.