Forum Thread

Do Non-Playoff Bowl Games Really Matter At All?


Reply to ThreadDisplaying 3 Posts
  • Are you sure you want to delete this post?
        
    Was listening to a late night blow hard on the local am stations, talking about college football playoffs and bowl games. (there was nothing else on, and the drive was long). Anyways, he was trying to make the singular argument that non playoff bowl games are exhibition games, nothing more. That these bowl games do not matter whatsoever, and that all they accomplish is to secure the teams that make it an extra month of practice (which he deemed is the ONLY value of playing in them whatever).

    Do you agree with this idea? I found myself stupidly yelling back at the radio, "You're an idiot! Of course they matter!'. Then I realized I was alone and he couldn't hear me, and just changed the channel when the commercial came.

    My thinking is that they matter for much more than just exhibition, preseason-like practice. Just one example from this current bowl season: TCU. Think about that program. They almost made the playoffs, but got left just on the outside because of many factors, one being strength of schedule, and lack of important wins. Don't you think they had something to play for when their bowl game came up against Ole Miss? Don't you think a 42-3 stomping helps their chances next year in the initial and overall rankings? What if they game had been close? What if they lost? What if they didn't even get invited? .... of course the bowl games matter. Perhaps not universally. But no doubt there is more to play for come bowl game time than just the current national championship, and some extra practice time. ... thanks for letting me rant.
  • Are you sure you want to delete this post?
        
    Dallasite Wrote: non playoff bowl games are exhibition games, nothing more. That these bowl games do not matter whatsoever, and that all they accomplish is to secure the teams that make it an extra month of practice (which he deemed is the ONLY value of playing in them whatever)

    I think the format as of now is extended for a mix of reasons. Being entertainment for the fans, profits, etc, etc. But right down to it, they are only exhibition games.
  • Are you sure you want to delete this post?
        
    Hockey68 Wrote:
    Dallasite Wrote: non playoff bowl games are exhibition games, nothing more. That these bowl games do not matter whatsoever, and that all they accomplish is to secure the teams that make it an extra month of practice (which he deemed is the ONLY value of playing in them whatever)

    I think the format as of now is extended for a mix of reasons. Being entertainment for the fans, profits, etc, etc. But right down to it, they are only exhibition games.

    Do you think TCU beating Ole Miss by almost 40 points amounts to only an exhibition game? Don't you think the ranking committees will take that into account for next season's pre-rankings? Same could be said about another few dozen games, to varying degrees.