Bowl games discussion thread

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 5:54 pm

First bowl games kicking off tomorrow.

GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL
New Mexico vs Texas San Antonio

LAS VEGAS BOWL PRESENTED BY GEICO
Houston vs San Diego State

RAYCOM MEDIA CAMELLIA BOWL
Appalachian State vs Toledo

AUTONATION CURE BOWL
UCF vs Arkansas State

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Southern Mississippi vs Louisiana Lafayette

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 6:13 pm

Not a bowl game but N Dakota St is in a lot of trouble in their FCS semi. Trailing James Madison by 17 at home.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:16 pm

Only their 7th loss in 6 years

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 7:07 am

Used to think how boring a pretty holiday game was but after speaking to a couple players and how they actually like those better I have changed my mind.

Lower level bowls of course but they liked the fact they didn't have to stick around an empty campus and that they would be home for the holidays. I can't argue with that.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 7:33 am

Since when are New Mexico and Las Vegas bowl games not PAC 12 bowls?

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 7:36 am

When there are only 6 bowl eligible teams in the Pac 12 for 8 spots.

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 7:46 am

And one team gets bumped up to the playoffs, leaves only 5 teams to fill those spots.

Harvey Specter · Post by **Harvey Specter** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:27 am

ASUHATER! wrote:When there are only 6 bowl eligible teams in the Pac 12 for 8 spots.

Shows how weak the conference was this season.... and we were the runt of the litter.

Gilbertcat · Post by **Gilbertcat** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:29 pm

Pac12 dropped new Mexico from its lists of bowls fyi. And give some love to the snowy D2 championship game on right now

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 9:40 am

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 9:10 am

Start of a new trend? With 40 bowl games the appeal just isn't there any more. Doubt I will watch any.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 9:25 am

leonard fournette of lsu is sitting out his bowl game as well.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 9:34 am

Isn't Fournette nursing an ankle as well?

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:18 pm

Like skipping their senior year?

BearDown89 · Post by **BearDown89** » Wed Dec 21, 2016 11:29 am

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on the blue turf at Bronco Stadium tomorrow night - Idaho Vandals vs. Colorado State Rams. Here at the office we've a ton of Vandals and a ton of Broncos, so there's always that. Then, our CEO played QB for CSU in '90 and '91. So the marketing director hires the Vandal Marching Band to parade around the office playing the fight song, etc. They snuck off the elevator, the whole damn band, quietly and then just lit it up and marched down to the CEO's office and all around playing and dancing. The whole bit. Awesome. Fun place to work.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Dec 21, 2016 11:57 am

That' sounds like a lot of fun. However, I find it hard to watch a game on that field. I rarely get through a whole game.

BearDown89 · Post by **BearDown89** » Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:25 pm

azgreg wrote:That' sounds like a lot of fun. However, I find it hard to watch a game on that field. I rarely get through a whole game.

Agree completely. It's awful. In 20 years here I've been to exactly one game at Bronco Stadium: 2007 BSU vs. Nevada with RSFRosh Colin Kaepernick. 69-67 BSU.

BearDown89 · Post by **BearDown89** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 10:12 am

Idaho Vandal Marching Band at work yesterday. CEO in the black shirt on the left is a former Colorado State QB. The video doesn't do the VOLUME justice - so loud in the office environment.

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 10:21 am

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing BD89.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 11:38 am

Man, this forum needs a like button bad.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 5:40 pm

azgreg wrote:That' sounds like a lot of fun. However, I find it hard to watch a game on that field. I rarely get through a whole game.

EWU's red field does that to me. I can take the blue turf, but the lake of fire field is too much.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 6:16 pm

What did that cost to bring the band in?

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 6:54 pm

I doubt there are 5,000 people at the Hawaii Bowl.

BearDown89 · Post by **BearDown89** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 12:03 am

azgreg wrote:What did that cost to bring the band in?

No idea. Tidy contribution to the band fund I suspect. The guy that arranged it, seen ducking to the left out of the CEO's office at the beginning, is our marketing director. He had some sports marketing in his history, so it probably wasn't too hard for him to arrange.

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 12:30 am

azgreg wrote:I doubt there are 5,000 people at the Hawaii Bowl.

That bowl really depends on getting Hawaii.

Speaking of which that 3rd quarter fake punt pass was awesome. Never seen one like that before.

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 1:18 am

Also wanted to add, the announcing crews for most of these earlier, non-P5 bowls have done a great job, especially the New Mexico Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, and Hawaii Bowl. No mailing it in for them. Really did their homework in getting to know the program and giving insight into the local area.

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 10:21 am

Even if Mississippi State ends up winning this StPete's Bowl (down to Miami-OH 9-0 now), they are awful. Any SEC team vs a 6-6 MAC team should be a blowout.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 3:54 pm

CatsbyAZ wrote:Even if Mississippi State ends up winning this StPete's Bowl (down to Miami-OH 9-0 now), they are awful. Any SEC team vs a 6-6 MAC team should be a blowout.

That game was as bad as the turf, and the turf looked like an indoor rainout. The bowl season is borderline unwatchable for me even when I have nothing else to do. There are just so many uninspiring matchups that really don't mean much.

RichardCranium · Post by **RichardCranium** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 10:09 pm

There are too many bowls to get interested in any of them. Fifth place in a shitty conference versus sixth place in a shittier conference? WTF? Greed has killed the NCAA postseason and I bet none of the little guys are making any money. But somebody is probably getting taxpayer subsidies straight into their pocket I suppose.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 11:18 pm

First bowl season, where I've totally check out.

Harvey Specter · Post by **Harvey Specter** » Mon Dec 26, 2016 11:49 pm

RichardCranium wrote:There are too many bowls to get interested in any of them. Fifth place in a shitty conference versus sixth place in a shittier conference? WTF? Greed has killed the NCAA postseason and I bet none of the little guys are making any money. But somebody is probably getting taxpayer subsidies straight into their pocket I suppose.

Hey don't you try to denigrate our program's incredibly impressive achievement of having qualified for 4 STRAIGHT BOWL GAMES before this season. It is the most successful period in our program's history, 19-27 conference record be damned...

Viva La Rod!

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:50 am

Add the Quick Lane to the bloated list of uninspiring bowls. Boston College beating Maryland - two teams that have faced each other enough in the recent past (but not in Detroit

)

Does BC's Addazio remind anyone of our coaching situation? In 3 of 4 seasons he's posted 7-6 seasons, receiving a lengthy extension after the 2nd of those, and only breaks .500 by loading up on the Wagners, UMass, Buffalo, etc and beating the conference bottom feeders. Hey, its gets a bowl! The best opponents BC beat this season were 6-6 Wake, 6-6 NCSt, and 6-6 Maryland.

RichardCranium · Post by **RichardCranium** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 4:42 am

Harvey Specter wrote:
RichardCranium wrote:There are too many bowls to get interested in any of them. Fifth place in a shitty conference versus sixth place in a shittier conference? WTF? Greed has killed the NCAA postseason and I bet none of the little guys are making any money. But somebody is probably getting taxpayer subsidies straight into their pocket I suppose.
Hey don't you try to denigrate our program's incredibly impressive achievement of having qualified for 4 STRAIGHT BOWL GAMES before this season. It is the most successful period in our program's history, 19-27 conference record be damned...

Viva La Rod!

Wut?

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 6:43 am

CalStateTempe wrote:First bowl season, where I've totally check out.

Proud to say I haven't watched one second of even one bowl so far. Happy to keep that streak going.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:07 am

I've watched about 15 mins of bowl games

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:51 am

For me, the Bahamas Bowl this year really exemplifies the bowl season. 6-6 Eastern Washington duking it out with Old Dominion, who has only had a football program since 2009, in a track stadium filled with 5,000 people.

Sid · Post by **Sid** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:48 am

I will be attending the Rose Bowl as I was invited by my uncle & father in law. A full day of tailgating with many libations.

I figured I would bring a old Arizona football t-shirt along to toss in the Weber after we're finished grilling dead cow. This sacrifice to the Rose Bowl Gods will be for any past sins our University is cursed with.

You're welcome!

BearDown89 · Post by **BearDown89** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:05 am

Chicat wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:First bowl season, where I've totally check out.
Proud to say I haven't watched one second of even one bowl so far. Happy to keep that streak going.

With both you guys on this. Honestly haven't even looked at a list of match ups or opened a single email regarding bowl pools and pick 'ems. Will watch the playoffs I'm sure though.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:11 am

ive watched a ton of bowls. only interesting sports on this weekend were bowls.

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:19 am

ASUHATER! wrote:ive watched a ton of bowls. only interesting sports on this weekend were bowls.

Same here, admittedly.

For those who've checked out, I would like to recommend some of the promising power matchups like Iowa-Florida, but I'm cautious about doing even that. Bowls are notorious for only one team caring to show up. Case in point tonight - Washington State is set to duke it out with a depleted, scandal ridden Minnesota program that probably won't try past half time.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:27 am

im definitely interested in all the pac 12 bowls. and as far as the bowl games go..yeah any games before christmas are boring since there's usually not any power conference teams in them. but the rest of this week until next monday all the games will be much more interesting.

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:32 am

This Army - UNT game is a rematch from the regular season, which North Texas won. I thought they tried not to do rematches in bowl games?

I am watching because of the three Tucson kids, two of which I know - the Poe brothers from Cienega and also Timpf from Sabino.

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:50 am

UAEebs86 wrote:This Army - UNT game is a rematch from the regular season, which North Texas won. I thought they tried not to do rematches in bowl games?

You are right, but with so many slots to fills bowls have given up on all the little rules. Heck North Texas is 5-7 and I don't even remember what crappy conference they represent. Another usual no-no was last year's Arizona Bowl matching two teams from the SAME conference.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:51 am

ASUHATER! wrote:ive watched a ton of bowls. only interesting sports on this weekend were bowls.

Same here. However, I'm in favor of cutting the number of bowls down. A bowl game should be a reward for a good season not a mediocre one. If I were king a team would need 7 wins min along with at least a .500 record in conference to qualify for a bowl game. I would allow for one win to be against a FCS team. Also, no lower tier games in January.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:59 am

azgreg wrote:
ASUHATER! wrote:ive watched a ton of bowls. only interesting sports on this weekend were bowls.
Same here. However, I'm in favor of cutting the number of bowls down. A bowl game should be a reward for a good season not a mediocre one. If I were king a team would need 7 wins min along with at least a .500 record in conference to qualify for a bowl game. I would allow for one win to be against a FCS team. Also, no lower tier games in January.

they've pretty much done away with the lower tier games in january. this year the only games after december 31st are the national title game, the outback bowl, rose bowl, cotton bowl and sugar bowl.

i'm in favor of making it 7 games to get in for non-power 5 teams and 6 for power 5 teams. cut it down to like 32 bowls. (basically where it was 10-12 years ago)

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:50 pm

UAEebs86 wrote:I am watching because of the three Tucson kids, two of which I know - the Poe brothers from Cienega and also Timpf from Sabino.

Turned out to be an entertaining finish in Dallas. Saw one of the Poe boys had a big catch near the end. Had no idea they were from Tucson.

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:48 pm

Wazzu - good job, good effort!

Harvey Specter · Post by **Harvey Specter** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:06 pm

ASUHATER! wrote:
azgreg wrote:
ASUHATER! wrote:ive watched a ton of bowls. only interesting sports on this weekend were bowls.
Same here. However, I'm in favor of cutting the number of bowls down. A bowl game should be a reward for a good season not a mediocre one. If I were king a team would need 7 wins min along with at least a .500 record in conference to qualify for a bowl game. I would allow for one win to be against a FCS team. Also, no lower tier games in January.
they've pretty much done away with the lower tier games in january. this year the only games after december 31st are the national title game, the outback bowl, rose bowl, cotton bowl and sugar bowl.

i'm in favor of making it 7 games to get in for non-power 5 teams and 6 for power 5 teams. cut it down to like 32 bowls. (basically where it was 10-12 years ago)

I am with Greg... minimum 7 wins and a winning conference record. Sending a 6-6 team from a power conference is not usually rewarding mediocrity - it is typically rewarding a bad season. Going 3-6 in conference and beating 3 cream puffs is nothing to celebrate or reward.

There are 128 teams in the FBS; I think having 32 qualify for post season play (16 bowl games) would be appropriate; only the top 25% get in. At MOST, IMO there should be 24 bowls, which would reward about the top 1/3.

By comparison, 351 D1 BB teams are eligible for the NCAA tournament, and only 68 get in.... which is 19% of eligible. By that same standard, there would only be 12 bowl games.

Now there are 41 bowls... the equivalent of a 225 team NCAA BB tournament. That is ridiculous.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:18 pm

Good luck getting people to get rid of 17 bowl games.

Harvey Specter · Post by **Harvey Specter** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:28 pm

ASUHATER! wrote:Good luck getting people to get rid of 17 bowl games.

I know it will not happen, but I don't think many fans would give a shit if they did. AD's would silently celebrate that they get to keep the money they have to bleed for most lower-tier bowl appearances.

Coaches would lose an undeserved bonus for a non-accomplishment... and TV networks and the bowl games themselves would miss out on a payday. So it will not happen - since it is all about the Benjamins.

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