I do not want to see us hammered by a team like Tennessee in a bowl game. Far better to be competitive on a nationsl stage.
Unless the game is in the playoff, I don't believe many people take much stock in the results of bowl games anymore. They have become glorified exhibition games with all the transfers and opt outs.
The objective of football is win. You try to finish 9-3, not lose out so you get a bowl game that you have a better chance of winning. That’s awful logic even under the old system but even more so now that many bowl games matter far less and teams sit out half their roster. I think everyone agrees 2007 was special despite being blown out in the rose bowl. This take is like those people who think only March madness matters.
As I was reminded, any SEC team with a ton of talent will most likely have many players sit out to get ready for the draft, so games that on paper now appear to be bad matchups might be winnable for us.
Bowl games are a crap shoot. Players sitting out, players not caring, teams disappointed with their bowl and generally lackadaisical - a Tennessee who is disappointed might not be so focused. Or, of course, they could be pissed and out for blood. A crap shoot.
We'll have players sitting out as well, perhaps Bryant and Franklin, for example.
You did say you want a bowl game with a realistic chance to win which implies you want them to lose out. Winning 1 or 2 more puts them in a very good bowl game where they are likely very heavy under dogs.
There's a lot to be said about not losing 56-10 versus a high quality(Tennessee, Alabama, etc) SEC team. We are not a very athletic team, as we saw when Oregon got a hold of us. They would have scored 50+ if they kept their foot on the gas. I'd hate for us to end the season like that.
Of course we don’t want a blow out but going 8-4 or 9-3 means we have a really good opponent. Let’s hope for both a great bowl and not getting blow out but regardless of bowl outcome a 8-4 or 9-3 record is exceptional.
I understand the sentiment. Not much hurts like watching the illini get beat down. I could hardly watch the Ole Miss exhibition hoops because of the pain.
It was a logical step. If you want Illinois to play a team more on our level, we can’t finish with 9 wins. 9 wins gets us the Citrus Bowl against a top tier SEC team.
Had the same thought...which is the better team.......One that is 10-0 or one that is 9-1 with the one loss to Oregon? Hmmm
I think that these playoffs are going to create really bad bowl matchups this year. The SEC, just like every year, is loaded with good teams top to bottom. The Big Ten is extremely top heavy this year. With Michigan, Wisconsin and even Iowa being down(Michigan REALLY being down), the depth in the conference is suffering.
Completely agree. That is why we should get to 9 wins to avoid that scenario
I don't know if Indiana will get drilled if they get in. I think we will know a lot more about them after this Saturday's game at Ohio State. If they can hang with them, they can hang with almost anyone.
Texas as well. Lot of teams in the Playoff bracket who have played cupcake schedules and/or haven’t beat anyone good.
Their depth is way, way deeper than the Illini and could probably weather those “opt outs”.
