Maybe Lando is right about bowl games

[LandoComando]

1. The impact is that you challenge yourself and find out how good you are. That is the VERY ESSENCE of sports. All the rest, including fans, records, trophies and titles, are superfluous. It's the same reason why your beer league games matter.

2. If a four team playoff makes all the other bowl games irrelevant, then why weren't most bowl games irrelevant for the past 100 years? For example, why wasn't the '94 Rose Bowl irrelevant? By the time that game started, the title had already been guaranteed for Nebraska. Bottom line is that in any bowl game, you're either playing for a title or you are not. That was true before the playoffs.

That's not meaning. That's individual growth. The outcome of the game is irrelevant. The players all know it. They play for their own reasons not to win.

In 94, we still had the chance to go undefeated and voters determined the winner not a playoff. An official tournament to declare a winner changed everything. If you don't believe me see when opt outs started.

Even Saban has discussed this. If bowl games mattered no one would care that we weren't in the playoff over Ohio State and Washington but we all know better

 

[LandoComando]

Bowl games are a reward for those that want to play and an opportunity for those returning next year to get practice and live reps vs someone other than your teammates. It doesn't make the outcome relevant.

The College Football Playoff Poll is the only one that matters. We went 10-2 and finished in the top 10. It was a solid season.

 

[rrdd2021]

It is only a matter of time before you see large number of opt-outs in the playoff games. I am losing faith in my favorite sport.

Yep, I started following CF in the 1960s and right now I'm losing interest in the game. I was all for college athletes getting a little extra but this has completely spiraled out of control with big money taking over. Really sad

 

[rrdd2021]

It is interesting to listen to commentators. They tout statistics of the regular season, but fell to tell the audience the truth about how the product on the field has changed participating in the bowl game. Not the same, but they try their damnest to sell it as it is. All about the cash.

This 100%

 

[Safety Blitz]

I'm not watching another bowl game this year. I'm not interested in season tickets, maybe I will attend 1 or 2 games next year if others coerce me. But my attendance at PSU games will significantly decline and I will not be booking any bowl trips anymore. Thankfully, I chose not to go to this one late and avoided getting duped by our head coach selling it as being nearly a full roster.

Bingo….More and more former fanatics are reaching a similar conclusion every year and converting to “average fans” or “casual observers.” It has been quite a while for me. I haven’t been to a game in at least five years and, at my age, seriously doubt I will ever attend again. I still enjoy watching PSU football, but no longer spend any emotional energy on the games or season. If I have a better option on a fall Saturday afternoon (and it’s not difficult to reach “better”) I’ll record the game and maybe watch it later.
Were the good old days better?
Absolutely.
But those days are gone forever. I began to realize that years ago and adjusted my investment in time, money and just being a fan accordingly.

 

[Dynoman]

^^^ I don’t get excited like I used to . I blame some of my lack of excitement on what I posted earlier : this team seems satisfied getting ugly first downs and ‘hoping’ for wins .

 

[MacNit2.0]

I love cfb very dearly. I can watch any game, any time. There is so much energy and enthusiasm vs the business-like nfl. It is a damn shame to see the possibility it diminishes or dies. It cannot survive as a 40 school super conference ( the obvious direction we are headed) with most of the country shut out. It cannot survive with only the southeast U.S. competing at an elite level. It cannot survive with so many opting out of big games as the fans will start opting out. I am not sure who advises these kids but the same (minuscule) number of kids make it to the nfl today vs 15 years ago and an even smaller number last more than a season or two.

It is sinking fast.

Remember boxing? Yeah - me neither. They thought PPV was a good idea. Now sport is non-existent! Quick - who is the heavyweight champion?

 

[scrivener]

Bowl games are a reward for those that want to play and an opportunity for those returning next year to get practice and live reps vs someone other than your teammates. It doesn't make the outcome relevant.

The College Football Playoff Poll is the only one that matters. We went 10-2 and finished in the top 10. It was a solid season.

Won't finish top 10 anymore with the Ole Miss loss.

 

[bourbon n blues]

I've dogged him for years about the many dumb things he says here...but after watching yesterday's fiasco featuring a D that didn't resemble the one that dominated during the regular season, maybe he's onto something regarding bowls. A lot of these games have become a fraud.

The good news is that the expanded 12-team playoff starting next year probably means almost everyone will play in those games. The bad news is that the many non-playoff bowl games are going to be a joke. What draftable kid in his right mind would play in one of them?

But the D aside, holy crap, our O was painful to watch against the Rebs. You don't beat good teams these days, either college or pro, without a strong performance from the QB. Drew has the talent, but the coaches either haven't developed it or haven't devised a system to make the most of it or haven't put the guys around him to make it pay off...or some combination thereof.

I wish I could say that's likely to change next year but can't think why it would...

College football is about over. The whole system is based on brainwashing fans to accept a crap product. And most will. However things are changing IMO. There will be a difficult accepting things as is in many fan bases.

PSU will never win a title in my lifetime, I've said it elsewhere but PSU will win ten more NCAA wrestling titles before we play for one in football.

 

[LandoComando]

Won't finish top 10 anymore with the Ole Miss loss.

The AP and Coaches Polls don't matter. They're just for talk. The College Football Playoff poll determines the final rankings. They determine those that get to compete for the title then how close everyone else was to getting in.

 

[LandoComando]

I've said it elsewhere but PSU will win ten more NCAA wrestling titles before we play for one in football.

Because wrestling isn't competitive. It never has been.
Since 1990 4 teams have won all but 1 title. Penn State has won something like 10 of 12 and were the runner up in one of those year. Wrestling is a joke.

 

[scrivener]

The AP and Coaches Polls don't matter. They're just for talk. The College Football Playoff poll determines the final rankings. They determine those that get to compete for the title then how close everyone else was to getting in.

But, won't the CFP rankings come out with a final after the playoff games? I'm guessing PSU won't be top 10

 

[LandoComando]

But, won't the CFP rankings come out with a final after the playoff games? I'm guessing PSU won't be top 10

No, they did their final poll already

 

[bourbon n blues]

I was surprised that Smart had the decency to state the truth. Things cannot go on like this anymore.

Oh they can and they will because no one wants to give up their cut. I saw a video this am about how to fix it, app 30 years ago we had 19 bowls which imo was too many. One had a 6-5 team, Oklahoma. Now there are 43.

Go to a playoff format of 16 teams and drop all bowl games, but they won't. Go back and research how many teams went into bowls in the mid 60s to mid 70s? There were 11 in the 1968 football season. 11 in the 1975 season.

1975 College Football Bowl Games | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the 1975 College Football Bowl Games and more about College Football at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

People sold themselves out to TV and I mean the fans too. Going forward I see no reason to watch a bowl game, I do not care anymore to watch these games today. Going forward it's PSU wrestling for me and a Random PSU football game maybe.

 

[LionFan87b]

That's not meaning. That's individual growth. The outcome of the game is irrelevant. The players all know it. They play for their own reasons not to win.

In 94, we still had the chance to go undefeated and voters determined the winner not a playoff. An official tournament to declare a winner changed everything. If you don't believe me see when opt outs started.

Even Saban has discussed this. If bowl games mattered no one would care that we weren't in the playoff over Ohio State and Washington but we all know better

OK, so instead of the Rose Bowl in '94, what about bowl games between highly ranked teams who had already lost a game or two? No chance at winning a title or going undefeated. Why would a game like that have any more meaning than a non-playoff game today?

As for when the opt outs began (a couple years after the playoffs started), there may be many reasons. A lot of it may have to do with perception, stigma and social pressure. Once the first player opts out, it becomes much easier for the next guy to do it and it continues from there. Using the playoffs as an excuse makes it appear more acceptable. There has also been a recent emphasis on players rights, including the transfer portal and NIL. It's also possible that some of the players truly don't value the bowl game. But football is a team sport. Just because some players feel that way doesn't make it true.

 

[LandoComando]

College football is approaching that same level of not being competitive. Bama or Georgia win half the titles. The talent is getting more and more consolidated every year. The elite teams are buying the team captains and all-conference players from the non-elite teams in the portal. They don't even need their vastly superior HS recruiting anymore because they can cast off high 4 and 5 stars that don't pan out and replace them with players that developed later on in college and are proven.

Why are some pretending wrestling is better though if, worse case, FBS is heading in that direction?
FBS had 5 winners in the first 9 years of a 4-team playoff and will have a 6th unless Bama wins it all.
Force them to win more games to win a title and that's going to likely become more challenging.

 

[LandoComando]

OK, so instead of the Rose Bowl in '94, what about bowl games between highly ranked teams who had already lost a game or two? No chance at winning a title or going undefeated. Why would a game like that have any more meaning than a non-playoff game today?

As for when the opt outs began (a couple years after the playoffs started), there may be many reasons. A lot of it may have to do with perception, stigma and social pressure. Once the first player opts out, it becomes much easier for the next guy to do it and it continues from there. Using the playoffs as an excuse makes it appear more acceptable. There has also been a recent emphasis on players rights, including the transfer portal and NIL. It's also possible that some of the players truly don't value the bowl game. But football is a team sport. Just because some players feel that way doesn't make it true.

Because bowls could still be sold as "a big deal" when there wasn't a playoff. There were 19 bowls in 1994. 38 teams were rewarded. Compare that to today along with a playoff. It's an entirely different landscape today.

I apologize, as I may not be understanding, what do you mean by "value"? There's value in bowl games aside from the outcome. And actually, I take fault for this. When I say they're meaningless I mean that strictly "big picture" and outcome. The practices and reps are great but I'm not at all upset we lost yesterday just like i wasn't excited when we beat Utah. I watched those games to get an idea about the future. When you say a player "values" the bowl game do you mean the trip, SWAG, etc? Do you mean the reps? Or do you think they truly care about the outcome?

I do think in the near future we won't see graduating players or those entering the draft play more than a series in the bowl games because they have truly become about "next year". The secondary opting out showed us yesterday we better be looking in the portal

 

[Waltwam]

1. The impact is that you challenge yourself and find out how good you are. That is the VERY ESSENCE of sports. All the rest, including fans, records, trophies and titles, are superfluous. It's the same reason why your beer league games matter.

2. If a four team playoff makes all the other bowl games irrelevant, then why weren't most bowl games irrelevant for the past 100 years? For example, why wasn't the '94 Rose Bowl irrelevant? By the time that game started, the title had already been guaranteed for Nebraska. Bottom line is that in any bowl game, you're either playing for a title or you are not. That was true before the playoffs.

When we won the 94 Rose Bowl, Penn State players received National Championship rings! 😉

 

[LandoComando]

I don't speak for others and have not suggested wrestling is better although a logical thought might be that wrestlers aren't being bought off of other team's rosters and entering the portal at the rate that college football players are. There is actually loyalty to their school in pretty much all but football and basketball. I'm sure that you can guess why.

I don't believe there's loyalty in wrestling--they want to work with the coach best suited to get them into the Olympics. Wrestlers transfers schools often as well.

Football and basketball players transfer because there's more elite/great/good options. In wrestling those options are limited. And $ but $ has always mattered.

 

[Waltwam]

I don't believe there's loyalty in wrestling--they want to work with the coach best suited to get them into the Olympics. Wrestlers transfers schools often as well.

Football and basketball players transfer because there's more elite/great/good options. In wrestling those options are limited. And $ but $ has always mattered.

Lando... it must be a new year! The title of this thread has posters saying you're right, or at least considering that possibility! 🤔🙄But we know better!😉😂

 

[rrdd2021]

Because bowls could still be sold as "a big deal" when there wasn't a playoff. There were 19 bowls in 1994. 38 teams were rewarded. Compare that to today along with a playoff. It's an entirely different landscape today.

And there's the problem. Agree 100%. Just not the same game today

 

[LandoComando]

Lando... it must be a new year! The title of this thread has posters saying you're right, or at least considering that possibility! 🤔🙄But we know better!😉😂

The "we" in that will eventually come around--maybe this time next year--clinging to hope lol

 

[Waltwam]

The "we" in that will eventually come around--maybe this time next year--clinging to hope lol

LOL. As you can see I've lightened up and committed to developing a sense of humor in 2024

 

[TangSoo]

It was tied at 14 when he went out, 1st possession of 3rd qtr

He went out because two Penn State defenders knocked the living shit out of him. It wasn't like he had a non-contact injury. He's a running Quarterback. Penn State made him pay the price. Fair play.

 

[AWS1022]

He got hurt on the first possession and tried to play in the second. So yes him getting knocked out of game affected the outcome. And it was tied at 14 when he get hurt .

He got hurt at 8:31 of the third quarter with PSU leading 21-14.

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

I realize that the basketball NIT has been considered Not Important for decades, except for many of the schools participating,

I am guessing that one of the next shoes to drop is that ESPN and the bowl committees will begin movement to a NIT format for teams not in the championship tourney.

 

[LandoComando]

I realize that the basketball NIT has been considered Not Important for decades, except for many of the schools participating,

I am guessing that one of the next shoes to drop is that ESPN and the bowl committees will begin movement to a NIT format for teams not in the championship tourney.

That would still have opt outs
Basketball is different because 60 kids gets drafted a year and about half of them won't make a roster.
The also could be in the G League (I think that's what it's called now) if they didn't want to go to school and cash in.

 

[WPTLION]

He went out because two Penn State defenders knocked the living shit out of him. It wasn't like he had a non-contact injury. He's a running Quarterback. Penn State made him pay the price. Fair play.

DIdnt say it wasnt a fair play but the game turned on that play and their back up was worthless. Just an example of why these bowl games arent always what they appeqr to be.

 

[AWS1022]

DIdnt say it wasnt a fair play but the game turned on that play and their back up was worthless. Just an example of why these bowl games arent always what they appeqr to be.

Huge difference between someone who opts out of playing and someone who gets hurt while playing. Injuries happen in all games and they may hurt your team (see PSU vs Iowa), but that doesn’t reflect on the bowl games.