Teams should play classics while they still can.(pre-season competitions in college football)(Brief Article)

To play or not to play a preseason game--that is the question. The answer always should be yes.

Many coaches struggle to make the decision to play in "preseason" games like the Kickoff Classic, Pigskin Classic and Eddie Robinson Classic. Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni didn't know what to tell the Kickoff Classic when the Orangemen were asked to play in this year's event against Georgia Tech, so he let his players decide. The "yeas" won.

It was a smart move, even for a program that can afford few false steps after missing the postseason last year for the first time since 1994. Yes, the Orangemen have questions, including who will be the quarterback for an offense that ranked 92nd nationally in passing last year. But Syracuse isn't supposed to beat what should be a strong Georgia Tech squad, so any signs of life by the Orange will be a plus. And should Syracuse win the August 26 game, it could be the start of something big.

Schools should follow Syracuse's lead and act now, as these classics soon will disappear. After the 2002 season, all preseason games except the Black Coaches Association Classic, which has a TV deal through 2004, will be eliminated. One reason the games have been legislated out is because the calendar will allow teams to play 12 games in a season on several occasions in the future.

For now, the only way to guarantee a 12th game is to play a classic. The extra practice time these games afford is their biggest advantage, especially for developing teams like Syracuse. Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez knows what that can mean. It was one reason why he decided to have his young Badgers play host to Virginia in the Eddie Robinson Classic on August 25.

"In 1997, we had a young team that played in the Kickoff Classic," says Alvarez, whose troops dropped a 34-0 decision to Syracuse in that game. "That gave us two extra weeks to prepare. During that year, we won a number of games in the closing seconds. I think that extra two weeks of work had a lot to do with that."

In addition to hastening development, Alvarez likes the fact Wisconsin will go to Oregon the next week with a game under its belt. "I truly believe you improve the most between the first and second games," he says. "That's one thing we'll have going for us in that game."