Bowl games unfair to the Big Ten!!

by Andrew

Bowl games unfair to SEC? No way. In fact, they are unfair to the Big Ten.

In all fairness, how many bowl games does the Big Ten get to play in the midwest? Let's let the facts speak for themselves. Where does the SEC play their bowl games in 2009-2010?:

Kentucky - Music City (Nashville, TN)
Georgia - Independence(Shreveport, LA)
Tennessee - Chick-fil-A(Atlanta, GA)
Auburn - Outback (Tampa, FL)
LSU - Capital One (Orlando, FL)
Florida - Sugar (New Orleans, LA)
South Carolina - Papajohns.com (Birmingham, AL)
Ole Miss - Cotton (Arlington, TX)
Arkansas - Liberty (Memphis, TN)
Alabama - BCS Championship (Pasadena, CA)

So, of the SEC teams playing in bowls, all but two (BCS Championship and Cotton) of them are playing in states with SEC teams. Sure, you could say that both teams get an equal number of tickets to distribute. With the exception of the BCS games, no teams other than Michigan or Ohio State have the fan base to take advantage of this fact in the "less sexy" bowl games.

Besides the obvious advantage of playing in front of friendly crowds, there's the environmental factor. How many offenses relying on precise routes and finesse could survive in mid November in the midwest? Teams in the midwest play in the snow and rain facing frigid conditions. Ever taken a bone-rattling hit in sub-freezing conditions? Ever tried rolling back to toss a hail mary when the ball is as hard as a rock in similar conditions? Bowl games played in the south naturally favor speed and finesse.

As someone who has tremendous respect for football traditions in the north and south, I have to say that this entire argument is one that is unfair to both sides. The two conferences play two different brands of football, each suited for the environments they play in. The Big Ten will naturally be at a disadvantage playing in SEC country no different than the SEC would be at a disadvantage playing in the midwest (ticket sales and fanbases aside).

That's my take. I hope I've contributed to the ongoing debate.