"Piss Ant" Games

I call them "Piss Ant" games. That's when a Division I-A college team plays a "Piss Ant" team....a team in a lower division who is expected to be a pushover for the big boys. I hate "Piss Ant" games and always root for the underdog regardless of who is playing them.

There's been a lot of press lately about the Appalachian State/Michigan game where a ranked team got beat by the little underdog team. The other night I watched the Middle Tennessee State team match mighty ranked Louisville point for point for three quarters. Louisville was lucky to get out with a win in a game that scored 100 points, 58-42.

Michigan fell completely out of the rankings after their loss and I expect Louisville to fall from the top ten after their win. The victories whether they be real or just moral victories provide memorable events for the little guys.....the underdogs. Those games are usually considered warm-up or breather games for the big boys.

Personally, I don't think "Piss Ant" game wins should count toward bowl eligibility. Who cares if Ole Miss beats Louisiana at Monroe? It has absolutely no meaning unless Ole Miss loses. I'm just using Ole Miss as an example. Quite honestly, I don't know if they play that team at all this year.

I can understand scheduling non-conference foes, but I would like to see Division 1-A have to play Division 1-A opponents throughout the season. Maybe the SEC could play ACC teams for non-conference, while the PAC 10 plays Big 12 teams and so forth. Then the games would carry some inter conference rivalry and might just mean something in the national rankings. If travel is a problem, maybe SEC teams could play Conference USA teams which could pit Ole Miss and Mississippi State against USM. Or perhaps that's too horrible for some athletic directors to consider.

Regardless, I think playing a team below your level is cowardly at best and disgraceful at worst. Fans should boycott those games and force the big boys to pick on someone their size.

I'm probably one of the few that feel that way, but as I said earlier......I hate "Piss Ant" games.