and the don't mean anything anymore, with the 12 team playoff next year they will be even less important. Bowls are antiquated, a post season re-vamp or re-think needs to be done, bowls are going the way of pro all-star games (well MLB is important but NBA and NFL are a joke)

bossbowman said:

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and the don't mean anything anymore, with the 12 team playoff next year they will be even less important. Bowls are antiquated, a post season re-vamp or re-think needs to be done, bowls are going the way of pro all-star games (well MLB is important but NBA and NFL are a joke)

---

Using the playoff argument, hasn't every bowl always been an exhibition?

Edmond Bear said:

---

bossbowman said:

---

and the don't mean anything anymore, with the 12 team playoff next year they will be even less important. Bowls are antiquated, a post season re-vamp or re-think needs to be done, bowls are going the way of pro all-star games (well MLB is important but NBA and NFL are a joke)

---

Using the playoff argument, hasn't every bowl always been an exhibition?

---

Yes, which is why the concept has always been silly.

Some fans have gotten romantic about the bowls because that's what they were force-fed for so long. Stupidity over time becomes tradition. Just ask the Aggies.

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

---

Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

The only bowl games I watch are the playoff games and any bowl BU is in. The remainder of the bowls are less interesting to me than NFL preseason games.

There probably are too many bowls. But the problem isn't so much that there are too many, but that the playoff, optouts and other issues of our time ruined all the good ones. But I guess as long as the TV networks think its worth paying for the rights I guess they will remain.

It may not be such a bad thing to have the blue bloods split from the more regular schools to a super conference with something more like a playoff. Then the remaining programs that still have entertaining football product can have their own bowls or playoff, with matchups that make some kind of sense, and players and fans will care about, there could be plenty of postseason football worth watching.

Edmond Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

---

Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

---

One of the items on the list of things I hate about modern college football is the current practice of high end likely to be drafted players refusing to play in bowl games, and the aggys have been more abusive about it than anyone else including cancelling out of their bowl altogether two years ago because of so many players quitting on them. IMO there should be some kind of negative consequence for a player doing this (such as forced partial repayment of either scholarship benefits and/or NIL $$). I'm also concerned this could turn into a slippery slope of similarly likely to be drafted players on losing teams (like us last season) refusing to play one or more of their last regular season games if there continues to be no consequences for doing so.

I love Bowl games. You get one random game in December against a team in a different conference

In 2016, Baylor went and lost 6 in a row but ended up winning their bowl game, that brought us to a positive record and ended the season on a good note

Last night, WVU went from last in conference to having a 9 win season with a dub over UNC; OKstate beat the Aggies and secured ANOTHER 10 win season

My thing is if you don't like them then don't watch them, why suck the enjoyment out for other people?

Bowl games are fantastic background noise throughout December. Come New Years you get big matchups.

Are there to many? Sure, but the lawn mowers, tractors, and more bowl draws more eyeballs than a random weeknight NBA or NHL game so ESPN will continue to fight to show as many bowl games as they can. Schools love the publicity and paycheck (even if they ultimately don't make money) and coaches love the extra couple weeks of practice. They often get to plug in some younger guys to begin prep for next year.

Having so many bowls that 5-7 teams are now required to fill all the slots definitely crushes some meaning. It's now embarrassing to not make a bowl vs a hard earned prize for a good season but I'd take some pointless bowls over no bowls. I like football and would rather 2 directional G5 schools squaring off vs an NBA game.

They don't "mean" anything, but they do have value. Momentum for the next season, extra practice, fun for the players and fans etc

Johnny Bear said:

---

Edmond Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

---

Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

---

One of the items on the list of things I hate about modern college football is the current practice of high end likely to be drafted players refusing to play in bowl games, and the aggys have been more abusive about it than anyone else including cancelling out of their bowl altogether two years ago because of so many players quitting on them. IMO there should be some kind of negative consequence for a player doing this (such as forced partial repayment of either scholarship benefits and/or NIL $$). I'm also concerned this could turn into a slippery slope of similarly likely to be drafted players on losing teams (like us last season) refusing to play one or more of their last regular season games if there continues to be no consequences for doing so.

---

This is a problem with the system, not the players. The reason bowl games don't matter to coaches, players and fans while playoff games do is stakes. Game's without stakes aren't interesting or worth sacrificing for.

It's not the players' fault that college football history has been built on decades and decades of exactly such games.

And it's not the players' responsibility to accept or embrace things that clearly don't make sense and honestly never have.

That's the crux of the modern college football conundrum. Our justification for every silly, illogical and unfair aspect of this sport -- and there are way too many -- is either "Well that's the way we've always done it," or "This is just the way it is now." It's not the players or fans questioning those things that are wrong. It's the sport itself, which is finally having to answer for the crumbling foundation it was built on.

Can anyone here ever imagine a fan of high school, small college or pro football saying, "Screw this playoff stuff. I want weird, meaningless exhibitions at the end of the season for every team that reached even the lowest threshold for mediocrity." Of course not. And yet we expect those within this goofy system to embrace it.

bear2be2 said:

---

Johnny Bear said:

---

Edmond Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

---

Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

---

One of the items on the list of things I hate about modern college football is the current practice of high end likely to be drafted players refusing to play in bowl games, and the aggys have been more abusive about it than anyone else including cancelling out of their bowl altogether two years ago because of so many players quitting on them. IMO there should be some kind of negative consequence for a player doing this (such as forced partial repayment of either scholarship benefits and/or NIL $$). I'm also concerned this could turn into a slippery slope of similarly likely to be drafted players on losing teams (like us last season) refusing to play one or more of their last regular season games if there continues to be no consequences for doing so.

---

This is a problem with the system, not the players. The reason bowl games don't matter to coaches, players and fans while playoff games do is stakes. Game's without stakes aren't interesting or worth sacrificing for.

It's not the players' fault that college football history has been built on decades and decades of exactly such games.

And it's not the players' responsibility to accept or embrace things that clearly don't make sense and honestly never have.

That's the crux of the modern college football conundrum. Our justification for every silly, illogical and unfair aspect of this sport -- and there are way too many -- is either "Well that's the way we've always done it," or "This is just the way it is now." It's not the players or fans questioning those things that are wrong. It's the sport itself, which is finally having to answer for the crumbling foundation it was built on.

Can anyone here ever imagine a fan of high school, small college or pro football saying, "Screw this playoff stuff. I want weird, meaningless exhibitions at the end of the season for every team that reached even the lowest threshold for mediocrity." Of course not. And yet we expect those within this goofy system to embrace it.

---

Except the fact that they're being paid to play and should have a modicum of self respect to appreciate how blessed they are and be men ... but we live in a world of beta males.

Harrison Bergeron said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Johnny Bear said:

---

Edmond Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

---

Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

---

One of the items on the list of things I hate about modern college football is the current practice of high end likely to be drafted players refusing to play in bowl games, and the aggys have been more abusive about it than anyone else including cancelling out of their bowl altogether two years ago because of so many players quitting on them. IMO there should be some kind of negative consequence for a player doing this (such as forced partial repayment of either scholarship benefits and/or NIL $$). I'm also concerned this could turn into a slippery slope of similarly likely to be drafted players on losing teams (like us last season) refusing to play one or more of their last regular season games if there continues to be no consequences for doing so.

---

This is a problem with the system, not the players. The reason bowl games don't matter to coaches, players and fans while playoff games do is stakes. Game's without stakes aren't interesting or worth sacrificing for.

It's not the players' fault that college football history has been built on decades and decades of exactly such games.

And it's not the players' responsibility to accept or embrace things that clearly don't make sense and honestly never have.

That's the crux of the modern college football conundrum. Our justification for every silly, illogical and unfair aspect of this sport -- and there are way too many -- is either "Well that's the way we've always done it," or "This is just the way it is now." It's not the players or fans questioning those things that are wrong. It's the sport itself, which is finally having to answer for the crumbling foundation it was built on.

Can anyone here ever imagine a fan of high school, small college or pro football saying, "Screw this playoff stuff. I want weird, meaningless exhibitions at the end of the season for every team that reached even the lowest threshold for mediocrity." Of course not. And yet we expect those within this goofy system to embrace it.

---

Except the fact that they're being paid to play and should have a modicum of self respect to appreciate how blessed they are and be men ... but we live in a world of beta males.

---

NFL players are being paid way more in most cases and don't play in preseason games because they're stupid money-grabbing exhibitions. No one questions this because they don't have old-timers trying to make them seem important or shame them into make-believing they matter.

Sorry you lost the bowl game fight, but it's over. Bowl games will soon be relics if the past, and the sport will be better off when they are.

bear2be2 said:

---

Harrison Bergeron said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Johnny Bear said:

---

Edmond Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

---

Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

---

One of the items on the list of things I hate about modern college football is the current practice of high end likely to be drafted players refusing to play in bowl games, and the aggys have been more abusive about it than anyone else including cancelling out of their bowl altogether two years ago because of so many players quitting on them. IMO there should be some kind of negative consequence for a player doing this (such as forced partial repayment of either scholarship benefits and/or NIL $$). I'm also concerned this could turn into a slippery slope of similarly likely to be drafted players on losing teams (like us last season) refusing to play one or more of their last regular season games if there continues to be no consequences for doing so.

---

This is a problem with the system, not the players. The reason bowl games don't matter to coaches, players and fans while playoff games do is stakes. Game's without stakes aren't interesting or worth sacrificing for.

It's not the players' fault that college football history has been built on decades and decades of exactly such games.

And it's not the players' responsibility to accept or embrace things that clearly don't make sense and honestly never have.

That's the crux of the modern college football conundrum. Our justification for every silly, illogical and unfair aspect of this sport -- and there are way too many -- is either "Well that's the way we've always done it," or "This is just the way it is now." It's not the players or fans questioning those things that are wrong. It's the sport itself, which is finally having to answer for the crumbling foundation it was built on.

Can anyone here ever imagine a fan of high school, small college or pro football saying, "Screw this playoff stuff. I want weird, meaningless exhibitions at the end of the season for every team that reached even the lowest threshold for mediocrity." Of course not. And yet we expect those within this goofy system to embrace it.

---

Except the fact that they're being paid to play and should have a modicum of self respect to appreciate how blessed they are and be men ... but we live in a world of beta males.

---

NFL players are being paid way more in most cases and don't play in preseason games because they're stupid money-grabbing exhibitions. No one questions this because they don't have old-timers trying to make them seem important or shame them into make-believing they matter.

Sorry you lost the bowl game fight, but it's over. Bowl games will soon be relics if the past, and the sport will be better off when they are.

---

Part of what makes college football great is that it doesn't make sense. It never has. The press used to pick a champion before Bowl games were even played. Then they picked a champion after bowl games. The coaches could vote on a different champion and schools could simply declare themselves champion. Then in 1998 it was decided a computer should pick the champion instead of teams sharing titles. Then a computer was deemed unfair and a committee was formed of people who've never played the game to pick 4 teams to play in an invitational to crown a champion. 4 teams was deemed unfair so now 12 will play starting next season. If you want a sport that makes sense you've picked the wrong one my friend

boykin_spaniel said:

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Part of what makes college football great is that it doesn't make sense. It never has. The press used to pick a champion before Bowl games were even played. Then they picked a champion after bowl games. The coaches could vote on a different champion and schools could simply declare themselves champion. Then in 1998 it was decided a computer should pick the champion instead of teams sharing titles. Then a computer was deemed unfair and a committee was formed of people who've never played the game to pick 4 teams to play in an invitational to crown a champion. 4 teams was deemed unfair so now 12 will play starting next season. If you want a sport that makes sense you've picked the wrong one my friend

---

We'll just agree to disagree. I don't think doing everything worse than every other level of your sport makes your game better. I think high major college football would be better off if it actually made sense.

Fortunately, we're rapidly heading in a direction where it does/will. And all of the money-grubbing, corrupt fools who have held it back for decades are being dragged by their toenails by the courts and players who are done accepting/embracing absurdity as tradition.

Don't watch them if you don't want to.

Except for playoffs it's an extra game. Some are interesting and some are not. Better than NBA.

Why the *****ing?

And who the hell decides you can't say another word for bellyaching?

bear2be2 said:

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boykin_spaniel said:

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Part of what makes college football great is that it doesn't make sense. It never has. The press used to pick a champion before Bowl games were even played. Then they picked a champion after bowl games. The coaches could vote on a different champion and schools could simply declare themselves champion. Then in 1998 it was decided a computer should pick the champion instead of teams sharing titles. Then a computer was deemed unfair and a committee was formed of people who've never played the game to pick 4 teams to play in an invitational to crown a champion. 4 teams was deemed unfair so now 12 will play starting next season. If you want a sport that makes sense you've picked the wrong one my friend

---

We'll just agree to disagree. I don't think doing everything worse than every other level of your sport makes your game better. I think high major college football would be better off if it actually made sense.

Fortunately, we're rapidly heading in a direction where it does/will. And all of the money-grubbing, corrupt fools who have held it back for decades are being dragged by their toenails by the courts and players who are done accepting/embracing absurdity as tradition.

---

NBA taking a lot of unnecessary darts in this thread.

Ok. Lots of games over the Holidays some people don't care about watching. But I'm happy for anyone to watch if they want to.

Watching UNC and WV all I could think about is there's 20-something Tarheels opting out.
Doesn't it occur to anyone that their draft or portal prospects might be better if they played? I don't get all the opt outs unless the player is a certain 1st round pick.

Since the NCAA is managed by idiots it is understandable they have 40+ bowl games after the portal opens.

bear2be2 said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Johnny Bear said:

---

Edmond Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

---

Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

---

One of the items on the list of things I hate about modern college football is the current practice of high end likely to be drafted players refusing to play in bowl games, and the aggys have been more abusive about it than anyone else including cancelling out of their bowl altogether two years ago because of so many players quitting on them. IMO there should be some kind of negative consequence for a player doing this (such as forced partial repayment of either scholarship benefits and/or NIL $$). I'm also concerned this could turn into a slippery slope of similarly likely to be drafted players on losing teams (like us last season) refusing to play one or more of their last regular season games if there continues to be no consequences for doing so.

---

This is a problem with the system, not the players. The reason bowl games don't matter to coaches, players and fans while playoff games do is stakes. Game's without stakes aren't interesting or worth sacrificing for.

It's not the players' fault that college football history has been built on decades and decades of exactly such games.

And it's not the players' responsibility to accept or embrace things that clearly don't make sense and honestly never have.

That's the crux of the modern college football conundrum. Our justification for every silly, illogical and unfair aspect of this sport -- and there are way too many -- is either "Well that's the way we've always done it," or "This is just the way it is now." It's not the players or fans questioning those things that are wrong. It's the sport itself, which is finally having to answer for the crumbling foundation it was built on.

Can anyone here ever imagine a fan of high school, small college or pro football saying, "Screw this playoff stuff. I want weird, meaningless exhibitions at the end of the season for every team that reached even the lowest threshold for mediocrity." Of course not. And yet we expect those within this goofy system to embrace it.

---

Except the fact that they're being paid to play and should have a modicum of self respect to appreciate how blessed they are and be men ... but we live in a world of beta males.

---

NFL players are being paid way more in most cases and don't play in preseason games because they're stupid money-grabbing exhibitions. No one questions this because they don't have old-timers trying to make them seem important or shame them into make-believing they matter.

Sorry you lost the bowl game fight, but it's over. Bowl games will soon be relics if the past, and the sport will be better off when they are.

---

Feel better? Put that on your rona mask and go find a micro-aggression to get butthurt.

These kids will wake up before too long and realize they beta killed it.

boykin_spaniel said:

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Bowl games are fantastic background noise throughout December. Come New Years you get big matchups.

Are there to many? Sure, but the lawn mowers, tractors, and more bowl draws more eyeballs than a random weeknight NBA or NHL game so ESPN will continue to fight to show as many bowl games as they can. Schools love the publicity and paycheck (even if they ultimately don't make money) and coaches love the extra couple weeks of practice. They often get to plug in some younger guys to begin prep for next year.

Having so many bowls that 5-7 teams are now required to fill all the slots definitely crushes some meaning. It's now embarrassing to not make a bowl vs a hard earned prize for a good season but I'd take some pointless bowls over no bowls. I like football and would rather 2 directional G5 schools squaring off vs an NBA game.

---

This. Exactly. What connection do kids in rural America have with scripted pro basketball games that have now become nothing more than WWE theatrical Globetrotter-like displays. College football is one of the few sporting events that connects the US population south of Chicago.

Pro sports are on the decline for anyone who doesn't work on cars or live deep in the inner city. In person gameday attendance may be down across the board over the last several years but viewership isn't for college football.

The things that made a lot of people prefer college football over NFL football are rapidly disappearing, and I fear will never return.

There are a lot of long time fans that are still hanging on, but it probably won't be long before they start realizing it's just what it used to be, and not for the better in any way. You'll have a playoff, but you've lost most of the things that made it great.

I personally love all the bowl games and matchups you get.

Just think if the NFL took the next 12 teams that didn't make the playoff and paired them off for exhibition play.

Probably not great for the players but fantastic for the fans - provided the best players play. That's the problem.

But I think a bowl is a fantastic reward for a mediocre season.

Too bad there aren't any prizes when you have a horrible season.

Anybody can quit whenever they want to. The consequences? In the NFL it's money. In college football it's murky.

Reverend said:

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Ok. Lots of games over the Holidays some people don't care about watching. But I'm happy for anyone to watch if they want to.

---

Agree. I don't care if other people watch them. To each their own. I don't watch the NBA either but some folks love the NBA and it is great we have so many options for our free time.

Not trying to ruffle feathers with barbs at the NBA. Have friends who love it, I've just never enjoyed it aside from MJ. But a mediocre bowl does draw more viewers than say the Pacers and Wizards squaring off on a Tuesday. That's why ESPN loves the bowl games. More money for them.

College ball still has big men. Unless you're a PG in a big body like Jokic then you're at best sitting on an NBA bench. NBA is all about 1v1 ball. That's fine if that's what you enjoy but I prefer watching Syracuse hold onto the 3-2 or 1-3-1 zone. Timme or Missi work paint magic. Little spark plugs like Zakai Ziegler at Tennessee. Similar to college football in that I like watching Air Force run the triple option and spread teams run fast tempo attacks with big plays. Can't get either of those in the NFL. I like my Titans but I'd take a Baylor or Tennessee Natty over a Titans Super Bowl.

Outside of Baylor playing in one, I've never given a **** about any of these exhibition games. That includes the fake playoffs

I like football.

Thus, I like the bowl games.

If you want to replace a certain number of them with a playoff, fine, but I enjoy watching to top 40 or 50 college football teams go at it. And apparently enough other people do to make it profitable, or they would not keep happening.

Someone saying there are "too many" of them is a control freak, and or does not understand basic economics.

Johnny Bear said:

---

Edmond Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

---

Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

---

One of the items on the list of things I hate about modern college football is the current practice of high end likely to be drafted players refusing to play in bowl games, and the aggys have been more abusive about it than anyone else including cancelling out of their bowl altogether two years ago because of so many players quitting on them. IMO there should be some kind of negative consequence for a player doing this (such as forced partial repayment of either scholarship benefits and/or NIL $$). I'm also concerned this could turn into a slippery slope of similarly likely to be drafted players on losing teams (like us last season) refusing to play one or more of their last regular season games if there continues to be no consequences for doing so.

---

It will never happen that way. There have been players that have sat out regular season games for that reason. Is hear some talked about Caleb Williams at USC sitting out once they were out of playoff contention.

I hate it but it makes sense. Why risk an injury for one more game?

I love the bowls.

But I love college football.

I watch all the games during the week of Mac, conf USA, etc teams. I don't care who it is. I will watch college football anytime it is on. Even FCS playoff games.

Bowl season is just one last large batch of games before months of no football.

To say they don't matter is stupid. They help with practice, recruiting and getting valuable playing time for younger guys heading into the next year. Many times without hurting their eligibility.

Sure some guys sit out but the majority of players on bowl teams still play.

Harrison Bergeron said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Johnny Bear said:

---

Edmond Bear said:

---

Limited IQ Redneck in PU said:

---

I like watching bowl games. When I am able I watch 3 or 4 a year plusthe play off games. I enjoyed watchinmg AM lose last night.. If I had to watch all the bowl games I would agree there are too many. Forunately I can pick and choose. The more the merrier.

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Same. I actually watch way more football during bowl season than during the year. Mainly, I know that there won't be any NCAA football to watch in a week or so.

Teams are looser. They try new things. It's more fun and I watch teams I don't normally watch and cheer for B12 teams (at least most of them).

It also reveals character of an institution. For example, aggie players have so little respect for A&M that 1/3 of their team did not play because they were transferring, just refusing to play, or a few were injured. Their own players have no issue with just shi*ting on their own fans.

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One of the items on the list of things I hate about modern college football is the current practice of high end likely to be drafted players refusing to play in bowl games, and the aggys have been more abusive about it than anyone else including cancelling out of their bowl altogether two years ago because of so many players quitting on them. IMO there should be some kind of negative consequence for a player doing this (such as forced partial repayment of either scholarship benefits and/or NIL $$). I'm also concerned this could turn into a slippery slope of similarly likely to be drafted players on losing teams (like us last season) refusing to play one or more of their last regular season games if there continues to be no consequences for doing so.

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This is a problem with the system, not the players. The reason bowl games don't matter to coaches, players and fans while playoff games do is stakes. Game's without stakes aren't interesting or worth sacrificing for.

It's not the players' fault that college football history has been built on decades and decades of exactly such games.

And it's not the players' responsibility to accept or embrace things that clearly don't make sense and honestly never have.

That's the crux of the modern college football conundrum. Our justification for every silly, illogical and unfair aspect of this sport -- and there are way too many -- is either "Well that's the way we've always done it," or "This is just the way it is now." It's not the players or fans questioning those things that are wrong. It's the sport itself, which is finally having to answer for the crumbling foundation it was built on.

Can anyone here ever imagine a fan of high school, small college or pro football saying, "Screw this playoff stuff. I want weird, meaningless exhibitions at the end of the season for every team that reached even the lowest threshold for mediocrity." Of course not. And yet we expect those within this goofy system to embrace it.

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Except the fact that they're being paid to play and should have a modicum of self respect to appreciate how blessed they are and be men ... but we live in a world of beta males.

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Exactly. IMO it's a breach of contract type issue for which there is no negative consequence for the offender.

bear2be2 said:

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NFL players are being paid way more in most cases and don't play in preseason games because they're stupid money-grabbing exhibitions. No one questions this because they don't have old-timers trying to make them seem important or shame them into make-believing they matter.

Sorry you lost the bowl game fight, but it's over. Bowl games will soon be relics if the past, and the sport will be better off when they are.

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College football, at least at the P5 level, will soon be relics of the past. NIL and especially the transfer portal is killing college football.

If Baylor is not playing in a bowl game then there are not enough bowls. That should be our stance going forward.