10 – Auburn/Alabama- I actually have no reason to hate either of these schools (especially Auburn, because of the wife’s control over future happiness), but I do have a problem with their seemingly “Segregation Now, Segregation Forever” stance toward my alma mater, the Troy Trojans. Alabama, in particular, has been very George Wallace by not playing either Troy or the other –other in-state school, UAB. Alabama, after a 2012 tilt with FAU, will have played every current member of the Sun Belt, save Troy and unsurprisingly, up-and-coming South Alabama. I was surprised to learn of Alabama’s unwillingness to play Troy or even UAB, which is a part of the University of Alabama system, seeing as how Alabama has played Samford twenty times (they were able to get a tie in 1935) and Birmingham-Southern three times (BSC only scored a touchdown, IN THREE GAMES) without suffering a loss. You would think they would like to keep their unbeaten streak against Alabama teams not named Auburn alive. Granted, all twenty-three of these games happened between 1906-1944, with the Auburn series being halted from 1908-1947, so I guess they had to play someone.
Auburn, on the other hand, as played UAB once, shutting the Blazers out. Other than that, they also played Samford and BSC. Samford notched a tie while losing the other 25 games. BSC was able beat the Tigers on three occasions, all by shutouts. Still missing from the schedule are the Troy Trojans.
9 – Middle Tennessee
I just hate them. They are Troy’s in-conference rival and I hate everything about them. Well, everything except the MTSU donor who gave the money to create the Palladium Trophy. We bring it out once a year to remind them what it looks like before we take it back home.
8 – FAU/FIU
These two teams are responsible for the last two Troy home losses and costing the team two outright SBC Championships. We would have had a string of four straight SBC Championships and one tie. As the wife pointed out, I should blame Troy for these losses, but that's nonsense. The F_U schools are on the list. Also, I’d love to blame MTSU for the other championship tie, but we kind of stole it from them (Miracle in Murfreesboro, win!).
7 – USC
My hatred for the “other Trojans” has waned in recent years, though it has begun to rise again with the arrival of Lane Kiffin, who Bobby Petrino’d Tennessee (though he did have enough class to wait until season’s end). I don’t exactly know what I hate about USC, but they seem to have a Miami-like swagger, but they can’t pull it off.
6- Penn St.
Yet again, I don’t know exactly why I hate Penn St., but I think it’s because one of the earliest football games I can remember is the 1996 Outback Bowl, when Auburn played the Nittany Lions. My dad and grandfather were cheering so hard for Auburn and it was the first time I ever cheered on Auburn’s side. Now, I just feel bad for, Joe Pa.
5- Tennessee
Oh, my God at that orange. It is enough to make anybody hate you, but add Big Fat Phil to your sideline and you have the Tennessee that existed throughout most of my football lifetime. Granted, I liked Peyton Manning and Tee Martin was underrated, but they were one of the first teams I looked at and just knew they weren’t as good as they were hyped to be.
4- Notre Dame
Where to start with the Irish? I think when your only redeeming feature is Rudy, there is a problem. I think Notre Dame started my hatred of northern teams before I even knew it. Until the SEC started the National Championship winning streak, it seemed people didn’t believe that good football existed outside of the Big Ten, Pac-10 and Notre Dame. Plus, I thought the Irish gave Ty Willingham a raw deal.
3 – LSU
Hands down, this team has caused me more pain in two games that were separated by four years than any team has caused me ever. The 2004 Troy-LSU game was hard enough to lose after battling it out for four quarters. The 2008 game was a completely different beast. Because the game was not televised, I was at my buddy Justin’s house to watch the Alabama-Mississippi State game. My only Troy updates were from the ticker which, as we amassed our 31-10 lead after three quarters, caused me to jump up run around his house. Nothing hurts more than your team allowing 30 unanswered points in the fourth quarter while you can only watch via a TICKER!!!! It still hurts.
2- Oklahoma
Granted, I know they’re good, but I hate them. I hate their red. I hate their Sooner carriage. I hate the OU. I hate everything about Oklahoma.
1- Ohio State
Nothing in this world makes me feel more hatred than Ohio State. They are the premier team in the Big 10 and yet they still can’t win the big game (except for that one time, but it’s been more than a decade and I mean, what have you done for me lately?). I think my main problem stems from the Big 10 in general. They think they are above every other conference. Don’t get me started on Leaders and Legends. But Ohio State is just the epitome of it. From being called THE Ohio State University to Jim Tressel to “Little Sisters of the Poor”, I just hate, hate, hate The Ohio State University.
No comments:
Post a Comment