In a recent episode of the Late Kick with Josh Pate, the college football commentator discussed the differences in the on-the-field products of the ACC and the Big 12 Conference.
Pate responded to some backlash from fans on social media who were attempting to discredit his take on the Big 12 Conference being “America’s Conference.” In the process of his explanation, ACC fanboys caught some stray shots about their league.
“What if we, as a college football public, viewed the Big 12 the way the Big 12 should be viewed? If you follow me on Twitter, some psychopath came at me today and started calling me out because I called the Big 12 America’s college football conference,” Pate said. “Which I have called it, and I will continue to call it. I gave my reasons: there’s no more competitive balance top-to-bottom in any college football conference in America than the Big 12, you want roster synergy? You want culture placed at a premium? It’s never on more display than it is in the Big 12.”
Pate dubbed the league “America’s Conference” earlier this offseason, which prompted criticism among those who claim to be fed up with the modern era of college football. With conference realignment shifting the landscape rapidly, Pate noted that the Big 12 is where he believes that college football’s rich history resides.
“I don’t need you to be a playoff contender to enjoy watching you,” Pate continued. “I don’t have that in common with everyone, so some guy came at me and said, ‘Why don’t you talk about the ACC that way?’ Because the ACC is not as fun to watch as the Big 12.”
Despite the conversation being strictly about the difference in on-the-field performance, most headlines featuring both the ACC and the Big 12 revolve around the topic of further conference realignment. Pate continued his thoughts by mentioning that college football, in its purest form, should be something that fans enjoy watching rather than simply targeting new fads and trends.
Pate finished his thoughts by saying, “It’s college football, not everything has to be about the man-made playoff that’s been arbitrarily placed as a caboose, masquerading as an engine on the back half of this train.”
