Major College Football Teams Should Pick on Someone Their Own Size

Is anyone else sick of seeing big time college football programs blow hapless small schools out of the water on opening weekend?

Year after year we see BCS teams open their season against 1-AA teams, who barring a miracle don't stand a chance.

Oh sure, Appalachian State beat Michigan last year in the "Big House." It was one of the worst seasons in the history of Michigan football, and probably the best for App. State. Everything went as good as it could go for the Mountaineers, and the Wolverines couldn't buy a break. As much as I love the underdog, even I know that the game was little more than a fluke.

It could happen, if the stars line up and the ball bounces just right. A Georgia Southern could beat a Georgia....But they probably won't.

Countless other lower division schools line up one after the other to get their brains beaten out without even thinking they could win the game. At the end of the game the small school sticks their hand out, and the big school presents them with a nice fat check for showing up. Which brings me to my first point.

The small schools get into these games for a big paycheck. Many times the small school walks away with more than a half million dollars.The money often goes toward building newer, better facilities in hopes that they will be able to attract better athletes. But what does that really say? We'd rather make money than win games? That's sure is what it looks like.

As a highschool football coach myself, I wouldn't want to put my kids in a game that I knew they couldn't win. These schools put their players on the field in front of 70-80,000 people,when they're used to crowds of around 15,000. Let them be beaten 66-3 on opening weekend. That's not my idea of getting your season off to a good start.

The old adage says, "You get better by playing against better competition". While that may be true, nobody learns from being humiliated. Shame on these schools for doing that to their kids.

On the other side of that coin, I understand that 1A teams would like to open their season with a win. They'd like to be able to empty the bench and get alot of kids on the field and on film. It's also a good opportunity for coaches and players to hone skills, and refine game plans before starting conference play.

But aren't there enough Idaho's out there? (Sorry Idaho fans, it's nothing personal.)

You know the teams I'm talking about. 1A teams that go 3-8 every year and finish the season ranked at 103 in the country, but they are at least 1A teams with a chance to contend.

Wyoming, Florida Atlantic, Alabama-Birmingham, there are plenty of cupcakes out there for the Penn. State's of the world to kick around.  There's no need to bring Jacksonville State or Maine into this.

On opening weekend, Penn State drummed Coastal Carolina 66-10, with "Joe Pa" tying Bobby Bowden's all-time win record, but should it really count if the win comes against a AA team?

In Columbus Ohio, the Buckeyes whipped Youngstown State to the tune of 43-0. OSU coach Jim Tressel scheduled the game as a favor to YSU in return for giving him a head coaching job  back in the day. In the game Ohio State starting running back Chris "Beanie" Wells was injured and had to be carried off the field. Not exactly what a coach wants to see in what amounts to a meaningless game.

Tressel should do himself a favor and beef up the schedule so he doesn't get run off the field by yet another SEC team come bowl season.

1AA teams should stay in 1AA, and 1A teams should stop offering deals that the smaller schools can't turn down. There is a reason for the different divisions. The smaller schools can't win, and have no business trying. The big schools can't lost, and have no business proving that against a team that's just in it for the money.

Shame on these coaches for scheduling these games year after year. They should man up and at least play a team from their own division. Sure they might lose, but at least there won't be anyone calling them out for picking on the little guy.