42 replies to this topic

[Oriole85]

ESPN: Orlando to host AAC-Sun Belt in '15

 

Exactly what we need!

 

The addition of the game -- it will be called the Cure Bowl and benefit breast cancer-related charities -- will increase the number of bowls in 2015 to a record 40, although that includes the College Football Playoff title game, so only 78 bowl teams will be needed.

 

The Cure Bowl, to be played at the Citrus Bowl, applied to be certified by the NCAA to begin in 2014 but has not found a television network, sources said. This has caused the Orlando bowl to move its start date to 2015, sources said.

 

While several bowls have changed names since last year, only the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl was not renewed. Five new bowls will debut this season: Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. (MAC vs. Sun Belt), Detroit Bowl (ACC vs. Big Ten), Bahamas Bowl (rotation of American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt), Miami Beach Bowl (American vs. C-USA, MAC and Sun Belt) and Boca Raton Bowl (rotation of American, C-USA and MAC).

[You Play to Win the Game]

Weber is excited.

[Oriole85]

Weber is excited.

Can there be an entire Sports Tonight on this subject?

[Pedro Cerrano]

So many bowl games is dumb. Who would like to have a 73 page debate over it?

[SBTarheel]

It's great for my business, that i know.

 

More games = more gambling.

[Oriole85]

It's great for my business, that i know.

 

More games = more gambling.

And with all due respect to your business, it's the dumbest thing you can bet on in my opinion, only slightly above an exhibition game. These are essentially glorified exhibitions after all with the exception of the (now) playoff. Some teams just don't care about their bowl games and some coaches don't take them as seriously.

[SBTarheel]

And with all due respect to your business, it's the dumbest thing you can bet on in my opinion, only slightly above an exhibition game. These are essentially glorified exhibitions after all with the exception of the (now) playoff. Some teams just don't care about their bowl games and some coaches don't take them as seriously.

College Football is by far the most popular sport to bet on (I have a few theories as to why, but that's another topic), and more games is good for me.

 

But to your point, if you do any research, like reading interviews with the coaches, it's pretty evident which teams and coaches take the games seriously, especially the early bowls.

[Oriole85]

College Football is by far the most popular sport to bet on (I have a few theories as to why, but that's another topic), and more games is good for me.

 

But to your point, if you do any research, like reading interviews with the coaches, it's pretty evident which teams and coaches take the games seriously, especially the early bowls.

You tend to have wider spreads in college sports because the competition level isn't as balanced as the pros. Also, the whole rooting for the "laundry," plenty of people could care less about the sports themselves but they'll watch because of the emotional attachment. And in the case of college football, it brings more attention than any other sport to your school, so even if you hate football, you'll have added incentive to watch. This can extend to parents/siblings(and other family) and in the case of a public school, people who live in the state.

 

And fair point about doing the research. I still think psychologically, when the game doesn't matter no matter how much it is trying to be instilled to take the game seriously it's harder too. I do believe more or less, anything can happen in all but the playoff games. 

[SBTarheel]

You tend to have wider spreads in college sports because the competition level isn't as balanced as the pros. Also, the whole rooting for the "laundry," plenty of people could care less about the sports themselves but they'll watch because of the emotional attachment. And in the case of college football, it brings more attention than any other sport to your school, so even if you hate football, you'll have added incentive to watch. This can extend to parents/siblings(and other family) and in the case of a public school, people who live in the state.

 

And fair point about doing the research. I still think psychologically, when the game doesn't matter no matter how much it is trying to be instilled to take the game seriously it's harder too. I do believe more or less, anything can happen in all but the playoff games. 

Some coaches don't hide their disdain for whatever bowl they go to. When you see a "big name" school in a so called minor bowl, it's almost always a play against..Those schools are usually big favorites, and the public tends to be all over them....A few years ago, USC got sent to the Sun Bowl after a disappointing season, and were a 14 point fave over someone, and got run off the field.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Some coaches don't hide their disdain for whatever bowl they go to. When you see a "big name" school in a so called minor bowl, it's almost always a play against..Those schools are usually big favorites, and the public tends to be all over them....A few years ago, USC got sent to the Sun Bowl after a disappointing season, and were a 14 point fave over someone, and got run off the field.

 

It was Georgia Tech, who were 6-7 going into that game and had to get a NCAA waiver just to play because they were forced to play in the ACC CG when Miami self-imposed a postseason ban. USC was without Matt Barkley that game, but I doubt it would have affected the outcome, much less helped them cover. The Trojans season was on a death spiral well before the bowl game, and many thought Lane Kiffin would be out the door by the time they played the Sun Bowl. That had to be one of the easiest upsets in history to pick.

 

I agree with you that a lot of times you can see by watching/reading interviews what the pulse of the team is going into the game, and who is ripe for an upset. Like Alabama in the last Sugar Bowl....the hangover from that loss to Auburn was evident, so no one should be surprised that Oklahoma (who beat their rival OSU to claim a BCS bowl and certainly had more momentum at the end of the regular season) beat them.

 

I also think there are other factors that can impact these bowl games that make picking tough. With the long layoff, some teams are able to return previously injured players that have been out since early in the season. But it's so hard to say how that player's return will impact the team. Maybe he picks up where he left off, but maybe he's rusty or maybe his replacement did well and the team was more comfortable with new guy in there. Also, I tend to think that there are some coaches and staffs that are just better than others at keeping their players focused and preparing with these long layoffs, plus during all the hoopla in the days before the game is played....and so that coach might win even though his team is the lesser talented.

[Oriole85]

ESPN: Tucson, Little Rock want bowl games

[BSLMikeLowe]

Organizer wants to host bowl game in Australia

 

On Tuesday, the NCAA certified a record 42 bowl games for the 2015 season. If it's up to Paul Sergeant, there will be a 43rd bowl game in 2016 -- held in Melbourne, Australia.

 

Sergeant, CEO of Melbourne Stadiums Limited, is part of a group proposing to host a bowl game at Etihad Stadium in Australia next season, featuring teams from the Pac-12 and Mountain West.

 

42 bowl games this season, and more on the way. I will conserve space below for Weber to express his enthusiasm.

[DJ MC]

Can anyone who scoffs at the idea of a CF playoff (or expanded playoffs now) because of watering down the regular season while being just fine with two-thirds of the teams in the sport playing a postseason game really be taken seriously?

[RShack]

Can anyone who scoffs at the idea of a CF playoff (or expanded playoffs now) because of watering down the regular season while being just fine with two-thirds of the teams in the sport playing a postseason game really be taken seriously?

 

Apples and oranges... since bowl games became a dime a dozen, going to a bowl game doesn't mean much anymore... it's not like the last game of the season is or isn't important because of who goes to the Music City Bowl...

[bnickle]

More Bowl games. Edsall's wet dream.

[Mike in STL]

 
42 bowl games this season, and more on the way. I will conserve space below for Weber to express his enthusiasm.

If they add any more bowl games, they are going to start to become less and less relevant.

[BSLMikeLowe]

If they add any more bowl games, they are going to start to become less and less relevant.

 

Start to? Most of them are already irrelevant, except to the participating teams and their fanbases. As of now, with very few exceptions, every team that goes at least 6-6 plays one. If they want to have so many as to guarantee that every .500 team gets in on the fun, then fine. Although at the rate games are being added I'm sure it won't be long before a 5-7 team ends up playing in one because no one else with a better record is available (we've already had a couple 6-7 teams that had to play in a CCG make a bowl as a domino effect from NCAA sanctions on other teams).

[Mike in STL]

Start to? Most of them are already irrelevant, except to the participating teams and their fanbases. As of now, with very few exceptions, every team that goes at least 6-6 plays one. If they want to have so many as to guarantee that every .500 team gets in on the fun, then fine. Although at the rate games are being added I'm sure it won't be long before a 5-7 team ends up playing in one because no one else with a better record is available (we've already had a couple 6-7 teams that had to play in a CCG make a bowl as a domino effect from NCAA sanctions on other teams).

Sarcasm. I probably should have pointed that out. So hard to convey in text.

[RShack]

Start to? Most of them are already irrelevant, except to the participating teams and their fanbases. As of now, with very few exceptions, every team that goes at least 6-6 plays one. If they want to have so many as to guarantee that every .500 team gets in on the fun, then fine. Although at the rate games are being added I'm sure it won't be long before a 5-7 team ends up playing in one because no one else with a better record is available (we've already had a couple 6-7 teams that had to play in a CCG make a bowl as a domino effect from NCAA sanctions on other teams).

 

Yeah, on the whole they have nothing to do with being good... just being OK will do it... except for the big ones, they're nothing but  programming content for ESPN and near-XMAS vacations for alumni... 

[RShack]

Sarcasm. I probably should have pointed that out. So hard to convey in text.

 

I still haven't seen the sarcasm doctor, but even I suspected as much