Roll Tide Roll

This past Saturday's American college football games saw the number one ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes retain their top ranking again by both the AP and USA Today Top 25 Rankings.

However my two favorite teams both lost again this past week by the following scores:

• Iowa State University Cyclones lost to the University of Texas Longhorns by a score of 14 to 37 bringing the Clones' record to 2 and 2. www.cyclones.com
• Butler University Bulldogs lost to the Jacksonville Dolphins by a score of 7 to 31 bringing the Dogs' record to 1 win and 3 losses. http://butlersports.cstv.com/

Due to my earlier comments regarding Iowa State University's (ISU) non-conference football opponents -- such as Toledo and UNLV -- I was thinking about better schedule choices ISU could make for future football seasons.

We need to ask the question -- what is worse for an NCAA Division 1A football team like ISU?

1.) Risking being defeated soundly by major 1A teams like Ohio State University or the University of Michigan, or

2.) LOSING to an NCAA Division 1AA team such as Toledo.

As I formulate my answer I am reminded of the legendary football coach for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide -- Paul "Bear" Bryant. As the story goes Coach Bryant played a major role in desegregating college football by asking the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans to play his team in 1970. The key point here is that USC's team included some African-American players while Alabama's players were as white as Michael Moore's stomach after a long winter :)

The end result of this historic football game served a great purpose because it forced the Alabama alumni/football boosters to see first hand that their all white team was NOT superior to a "mixed team" which USC was at the time.

http://www.amazon.com/Turning-Tide-Game-Changed-South/dp/1931722943

My point here is that I want my ISU Cyclones to play major college football teams even though it increases our risks of a losing season and no chance of playing in a bowl game. ISU needs to play teams like Ohio State University - not because of any race issues but because I think some of my fellow alums need a wake up call much like the Alabama fans did in 1970 -- there are better teams out there and we need to step up to the next level to compete OR admit our mediocrity by dropping to NCAA Division 1AA.

Keep marching,

Todd