Fansided

10 biggest disappointments in college football this season

By Stu White

Sep 19, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Mark Helfrich talks with an official in the third quarter against the Georgia State Panthers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Mark Helfrich talks with an official in the third quarter against the Georgia State Panthers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Pac-12 logo and Southern California Trojans slogan “Fight On” on the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before the game against the Stanford Cardinal. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Pac-12 logo and Southern California Trojans slogan “Fight On” on the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before the game against the Stanford Cardinal. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Pac-12 night games

This disappointment is two-fold:

1) After last season’s ridiculous #Pac12AfterDark madness, 2015 has been utterly dull for us insomniac football fans. Last year saw numerous late-game comebacks, a few beautiful Hail Mary touchdown passes, and a handful of shocking upsets. The evening Pac-12 games were must-see TV for fans of chaos and wacky finishes.

This year? *Snores loudly*.

It’s not that this year’s games have been flat-out bad. The action has been decent enough, don’t get me wrong. But compared to last year’s madness, 2015 has been a disappointment. Let’s hope the craziness comes back in the last half of the season.

But more importantly:

2) I get it, Pac-12. There’s money to be made by dominating the late-night programming block. There are no other games to distract viewers from Pac-12 action. In theory, this is good strategy from a marketing perspective.

In practice, it is annoying.

I’m not even going to whine about how the late games make it nearly impossible for East Coast reporters and pundits to stay informed about the happenings in the Pac-12. We have the Internet, after all. For my dollar, what’s more frustrating is the strain these after-dark kickoffs put on local fans, who week after week are forced to make long drives in the dead of night. Forcing your fans to be on the road at 10:00 p.m. is not a good look, both for safety and practicality reasons. Fans want to support their teams, but not all fans want to be hurdling up and down I-5, dealing with other sleep-deprived drivers. The late games are a barrier to fandom, and that’s never a good thing.

Next: 9. Georgia gonna Georgia

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