T-Rode's Unpopular Opinion - Session 5: Bowl Eligibility

[Sgt Brutus]

Is it already that time of the year to complain about too many bowls and letting players and fans alike experience more football?

Oh the fucking tragedy that a 5 or 6 win school gets to practice an extra month and travel to a bowl that will be an experience for all those players/students on the team. SHUT IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY


Why even waste the effort of complaining about low tier bowls? Just don't watch them LOL

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Regardless of your opinion on the rankings....85% of the college football world doesn't care about the Rose bowl tradition or origins. So because of that tradition, you could hijack the entire playoffs by possibly putting the two highest ranked teams in the first round of playoffs? Doesn't make sense.

I'm saying it doesn't matter. We're in a weird world right now where Alabama is clearly the best team for infinity. But the rest of the schools, and throughout most of CFB history, there's really not much of a difference at the top of conferences. A team with 3 losses out of the best conference might still be better than a team with no losses out of the worst.

 

[Deep Creek]

I wish every single team got to go to a bowl. The more football the better.

Hell no...that's just another game we'd lose. Just the practice time. We'd probably lose to ourselves though.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

The rankings are pointless because they have been deemed pointless outside the top 4 by how bowl game participants are decided.

Rankings have always been dumb. Even down to splitting titles prior to the BCS or how they ranked 1 vs 2 during the BCS. No matter how you do it, humans trying to decide who the best teams are before games are played is dumb.

 

[Yo Tee]

And when was the last time the Rose Bowl did not involve a top 12 team?

2013, Unranked Wisconsin
2008, #13 Illinois
2006, #13 Michigan
2001, #14 Purdue
2000, #22 Stanford

If it's such a prestigious bowl game, why can't it pit two top 10-12 teams against each other every year, regardless of conference?

 

[Yo Tee]

Rankings have always been dumb. Even down to splitting titles prior to the BCS or how they ranked 1 vs 2 during the BCS. No matter how you do it, humans trying to decide who the best teams are before games are played is dumb.

So you are saying there shouldn't be a national title game, we should just give the natty to whoever has the best record?

 

[SU Nittany Tide]

I don't think it is uncommon for the nba to have .500 and under teams in the playoffs without winning their division. I suspect the NHL might too but I'm not sure on that one.

As far as bowl games are concerned, who cares? It gives their fans an extra game to cheer for and makes money for their programs. It shouldn't lessen the value of making a more legitimate bowl.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

So you are saying there shouldn't be a national title game, we should just give the natty to whoever has the best record?

Not at all. I'm suggesting we take the conference champs and have them face off in a playoff. Rankings would only be used to fill the at-large spots. Everything else would be based on accomplishment.

 

[Yo Tee]

My Suggestion for NY6 bowls:

Sugar Bowl - #5 vs. #6 (Oklahoma vs. Ohio State)
Rose Bowl - #7 vs. #8 (Michigan vs. UCF)
Fiesta Bowl - #9 vs. #10 (Florida vs. LSU)
Orange Bowl - #1 vs. #4 (Alabama vs. Georgia)
Cotton Bowl - #2 vs. #3 (Clemson vs. Notre Dame)
National Title - Winner of Orange Bowl vs. Winner of Cotton Bowl

What's wrong with this scenario?

 

[Yo Tee]

Not at all. I'm suggesting we take the conference champs and have them face off in a playoff. Rankings would only be used to fill the at-large spots. Everything else would be based on accomplishment.

So, for example using the rankings right now, you would have Bama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Washington get auto bids. Then you have Notre Dame, Georgia, Michigan as the at-large?

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

So, for example using the rankings right now, you would have Bama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Washington get auto bids. Then you have Notre Dame, Georgia, Michigan as the at-large?

No, Michigan wouldn't get a bid. UCF would get an auto-bid being the highest ranked G5 team. The playoff would finish with ND Georgia and UCF as the non P5 champs getting in.

 

[mcnabb7542]

Use to feel this was but seriously let the no name programs get their opportunity to be center stage. These small schools don’t get that opportunity ever, so I have come around to getting the little guys their moment to shine.

Exactly that's why everyone wants to see UCF play in the Pinstripe Bowl this year, they should be rewarded for undefeated season!

 

[Yo Tee]

Exactly that's why everyone wants to see UCF play in the Pinstripe Bowl this year, they should be rewarded for undefeated season!

We will settle for our 2nd straight NY6 Bowl, thanks for the offer though lol.

 

[TheDayMan]

I’m on the not gonna bitch about more football, especially when the season’s days are numbered, wagon.

I get the rewarding mediocrity and taking meaning away from legit bowl games bitch, but it is what it is. Everyone with any speck of college football knowledge gets that the playoff is the real meaningful goal, the remaining big 6 games are awesome consolation prizes with (typically) great tradition behind them, the next tier for #2/3 conference finishers are nice rewards that can produce some great games, and the rest are there because there’s money to be made. There’s money to be made because we want as much football as possible to close out the year. At the end of the day I don’t really see it as rewarding mediocrity. The kids work hard, the coaches work hard, let them finish the year with a trip to play a team they wouldn’t typically play and get some extra practices in. We’ll watch.

 

[Yo Tee]

I’m on the not gonna bitch about more football, especially when the season’s days are numbered, wagon.

I get the rewarding mediocrity and taking meaning away from legit bowl games bitch, but it is what it is. Everyone with any speck of college football knowledge gets that the playoff is the real meaningful goal, the remaining big 6 games are awesome consolation prizes with (typically) great tradition behind them, the next tier for #2/3 conference finishers are nice rewards that can produce some great games, and the rest are there because there’s money to be made. There’s money to be made because we want as much football as possible to close out the year. At the end of the day I don’t really see it as rewarding mediocrity. The kids work hard, the coaches work hard, let them finish the year with a trip to play a team they wouldn’t typically play and get some extra practices in. We’ll watch.

All program's kids and coaches work hard. Why not reward that hard work with bowl games for everyone? Why have a win minimum?

 

[TigerBait1971]

Nobody made you come to this thread.

Starts thread about his "unpopular" opinion.

Get's butt hurt when someone disagrees with it.

Whatever.

 

[Yo Tee]

Starts thread about his "unpopular" opinion.

Get's butt hurt when someone disagrees with it.

Whatever.

You said nobody cares, yet you cared enough to come here and comment. So apparently, you cared enough to come here and give your two cents.

 

[mcnabb7542]

Starts thread about his "unpopular" opinion.

Get's butt hurt when someone disagrees with it.

Whatever.

Well he does have unpopular opinions.....Plus he's bracing for the fact UCF wont make the playoffs just like Buckeye fans!

 

[TheDayMan]

All program's kids and coaches work hard. Why not reward that hard work with bowl games for everyone? Why have a win minimum?

Fair point. But the obvious answer is there’s only so much tv time to go around, and again the major factor is the money that comes from tv deals. Low tier bowl games come and go, seems for now it’s pretty settled that enough to let teams that hit a minimum of 6 wins and are at least .500 is the sweet spot.

Edit: my point is I don’t buy that those lower tier games take anything away from the big ones, and it doesn’t bother me that mediocre teams get them as a “reward.”

 

[NolePride]

T-Rode's Unpopular Opinion - Session 5:

The requirement to be bowl eligible is too low. Right now, we have 12 6-6 teams that will be awarded a bowl game. 81 programs out of the 130 in FBS are bowl eligible this year. This is the ONLY sport where you are rewarded with a "postseason" game by finishing .500 and NOT winning your division. I understand this is for money and the NCAA makes lots of money off of the sponsors of these stupid fucking bowl games, but this is a little ridiculous.

Here are some of the new bowl game sponsors for 2018:

Dollar General Bowl
Cheez-It Bowl
Redbox Bowl

Yay! We won the Cheez-It Bowl! If the trophy isn't a HUGE fucking Golden Cheez-It, I'm flipping tables!
Yay! We won the Dollar General Bowl! If the trophy isn't a HUGE bright ass yellow cart, I'm flipping tables!
Yay! We won the Redbox Bowl! If the trophy isn't a HUGE scratched, non-working DVD, I'm flipping tables!

Also, the fact that the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl are delegated for specific conference teams is fucking bullshit as well. In my opinion, all NY6 bowl games should be played by the top 12 teams in the country.

Top 4 get in the CFP, #5 and #6 play in one bowl game, #7 and #8 play in one bowl game, #9 and #10 play in one bowl game and #11 and #12 play in one bowl game.

Right now, the Rose Bowl is saved for a Pac 12 team, so if Utah wins the Pac-12 title, you're telling me Utah deserves to be in an NY6 bowl? The Sugar Bowl is saved for a Big 12 team. So, if Oklahoma gets in the playoff, you're telling me an outside the top 15 4-loss Texas team could be in an NY6 bowl? That's fucking ridiculous and it's fucking bullshit.

But, that's just my unpopular opinion.

Let me attempt to answer all of your points.

Who's the sponsor of the game is irrelevant. The "game"
is about the competition on the field.

There are currently 39 bowl games. 37 are irrelevant, in regard
to a NC. Thus the logic would be, why play any of them.

The Bowl games are NCAA certified events. The Bowls operate
themselves, not the NCAA, with the exception that they must
use NCAA rules and regulations to receive certification.

The elite 6 Bowls do not select teams. The participants in those
bowl games are selected by the CFP Committee. Now, there are
conditions that must be meant in placing teams. The Rose Bowl
participates in this ONLY because when they are not hosting a
Playoff semi-final, The Big10 and Pac12 will provide one team
each (traditional Rose Bowl alignment). Because of that arrangement, The SEC and Big12, at the outset of the playoff
format arranged a similar deal with the Sugar Bowl.

The entire playoff format was created by the commissioners of
the SEC, Big12, Big10 & Pac12. The NCAA had little say in any
of this. Those 4 leagues did this to corral the majority of the money. It also was done in a manner to give them the prestige
and help their individual league's bottom feeders in recruiting.

btw...There maybe 82 eligible if VPI beats Marshall on Saturday.
(13 6-6 teams) But the Group of 5 and Independents minus Notre
Dame will only have 5 of those 6-6 teams. The Power 5 leagues
will have the other 8.

Now the NCAA says that a team must win 6 games and 5 of those
wins must be against FBS schools. That's okay, I guess, but if
you really wanted to "help" the sport, you wouldn't argue for a
7-5 team, you would argue that a Power 5 team MUST have 5 wins
vs Power 5 teams. It certainly would help the regular season
scheduling.

I'll tell you something else, also. It would help with money guarantees, that schools give to opponents during the year
and could create more home & home OOC games between P5
teams. The Gof5 currently rapes the Power 5 on guarantees.
FCS...not so much. An FCS school might top out at 800K, and
much less depending on their distance from the P5 team they are
visiting. The Gof5 are getting 1.2-1.7 mil a game to visit a
P5 team. Both of them know they need 6 wins to be bowl eligible
and 5 vs "FBS" schools. You will pay big-time to get that win.

The issue though, isn't the leagues or the NCAA, it is the fans.
We allow it and we accept it. As long as they can get away with it
that's what they will do. You can't blame the fans though. Good
fans of the teams...those with access to the coaches...administration are also the biggest donors to the school.
Money talks in every walk of life and every endeavor of life. Even
marriage. The adage..."Money can't buy happiness" is just misstated. It's true that money cannot physically buy happiness
but what money does is eliminate many issues that make a person
unhappy.

You withhold the dollar from the schools and if you can get many
more to go along with you...they'll do exactly what you want them
to do.