Bowls/Playoff Selection Sunday

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#178      
Illini2010-11
mattcoldagelli said:
All bowls are pointless. I do not know where the dividing line is between “this doesn’t matter, but let’s go have a great time!” and “this doesn’t matter, why would we put ourselves through that?” but I’m confident that the Music City Bowl is on one side of that line and the Birmingham Bowl is on the other.
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Exactly. Another example would be Music City Bowl and the Detroit Bowl (or whatever it is called). For major programs, I can't see the appeal to play against mid-majors, especially the 5-7 variety teams that were not even Bowl eligible.

I think quality of matchup is also a factor. Two teams 6-6 facing off is quite pointless, but a 9-3 vs 8-4 team seems much more appealing. The truth of the matter is that we are seeing the slow death of the entire bowl system.
 
#179      
Illini2010-11
TheChief4Life said:
Two years ago, when Illinois was 5-7, he was practically begging for Illinois to get a chance to go to a bowl. It's that mindset, that includes the importance of practices, which is precisely why he/Illinois doesn't have to worry about turning down a bowl game this year.
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The landscape has changed a lot in two years. With such importance on the transfer portal in the NIL era, some of these extra practices do not have quite as much meaning (given such large roster turnover).

And of course we would not have to worry about turning down a bowl game this year, we are in one of the more prestigious mid-tier bowl games. If the Illini were 5-7 this year and were invited to fill out a spot in Birmingham or Detroit, I am not entirely sold that the Illini would accept the invite.
 
#180      
Illiniaaron
With all these teams passing on bowls, I think there’s more to it than being petty.
 
#181      
Illiniaaron
Exactly. A lot of these bowl games are becoming more pointless than they already were.
 
#182      
mattcoldagelli
I always felt it was a little overwrought how the extra practices became the One True Tough Guy Football Reason for why the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl needed to be treated with the utmost seriousness, but in the era where everybody had to at least partly account for moving kids through the program on 3 or 4 year tracks, that extra time probably made a not-insignificant difference.

Now? Players are coming in and out of the program, and even more so if you had a middling/disappointing year. The continuity argument holds a lot less water. And reasonable people can disagree on this, but I’m not sure showing up in the Birmingham Bowl wouldn’t be a net negative in trying to sway notable transfers.

So if it’s a good bowl and your program is on the upswing? Throw that end of season party for your players and fans. Other than that? I understand punting.
 
#183      
illinifan31
I'm all for ND skipping their bowl game. Why give ESPN any more money for a pointless game against BYU that I am confident they would be 21.5 pt favorites for. And for what? So Carr can maybe get injured? So their 10 draft picks can opt out?

I can see ND going scorched earth about this against the ACC. Just a goofy choice to leave out one of the top 4 teams in the country (per Vegas odds of winning it all before they got left out).
 
#184      
Chukwuwumba
Anyone notice Tex AM SEC schedule?

1-1 vs top 8 teams (including A&M
Mizz -Texas
6-0 vs bottom 8 teams.

Wow what a lucky schedule
 
#188      
DeonThomas
Fresh Take:

Wow, I'm sort of shocked with all of the recent posts showing so much interest in ND getting bumped. I'm of the opinion that every game played during every week of the season (including Championship week) impacts nearly every team because of its trickle down impact. EXAMPLE: Idle Illinois likely got a boost in the final CFP rankings because of the victories by Illini opponents Western Michigan, Duke and Indiana in their conference championship games........and probably even by Ohio State's close loss to new #1 Indiana.

Just like NCAA basketball, entry into the post-season football tournament is a subjective human process. And the fact that historical football behemoth ND got bumped this season makes the selection process all the more easy to love! ND really needs to strengthen their regular season schedule by joining one of the two power conferences.

(As long as the Illini aren't the team getting bumped by this admittedly somewhat flawed process, I'm extremely supportive.)
 
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