I-A Game of the Week - BOWLS Week 1

[89Hen]

A little early, but what is the best bowl of week one?

Seven recent(ish) move ups from I-AA.

[Ivytalk]

SuperHorney will love this one!

I went with SMU v. Florida Atlantic. One school with an NCAA “death sentence” in its heritage, the other dumped by Lane Kiffin.

[dbackjon]

Boise vs Washington Old Coach (retiring) vs New Coach

[JohnStOnge]

THAT is an illustration for the argument that there are too many bowls.

[SuperHornet]

SuperHorney will love this one!

I went with SMU v. Florida Atlantic. One school with an NCAA “death sentence” in its heritage, the other dumped by Lane Kiffin.

Re the Death Penalty:

Just looked it up. That rule has actually been around a LONG time, and has been applied FIVE times:

1. Kentucky boys hoops 1952-53 (bribes leading to point shaving, impermissible financial aid).
2. SW LA boys hoops 1973-1974 AND 1974-1975 (academic fraud, impermissible benefits, entrance exam substitutes).
3. SMU football 1987 (continued illegal benefits after previous sanctions, lying to NCAA investigators). Actually, all 1988 home games were also cancelled. SMU responded by voluntarily cancelling the entire 1988 season.
4. Morehouse (D-II) boys soccer 2004 AND 2005 (usage of ineligible professional players prior to actual enrollment).
5. MacMurray (D-III) boys tennis 2005-2006 AND 2006-2007 (illegal scholarships for international players).

Wow. Some CRAZY shenanigans going on at SW LA, Morehouse, and MacMurray, given the corruption that "only" got SMU banned for one season. For Morehouse and MacMurray, those were their first major violations, but they got banned anyway due to how egregious the violations were. Soccer at Morehouse was nothing more than an intramural sport until the coach involved lobbied to raise it to varsity status; after the sanctions, the sport reverted to intramural status, and has remained there ever since. The NCAA claimed "competitive advantage" in the MacMurray case, but that's relative at best, as they never won more than six matches at any time during the coach's tenure. He also had a four-year "show cause" sanction for this, but that was later wiped out on appeal. The team was also banned from post-season play for 2008 and 2009, but that didn't matter because the school never brought the sport back....

[89Hen]

Bump. Bowels start this week.

[93henfan]

THAT is an illustration for the argument that there are too many bowls.

This.

These games all suck. Won't watch any of them.

No vote.

[HI54UNI]

Bump. Bowels start this week.

Did you eat at Taco Bell? Or take Ex-lax?

[89Hen]

Bump. Bowels start this week.

Did you eat at Taco Bell? Or take Ex-lax?

Looked at the list of games.

[Ivytalk]

Did you eat at Taco Bell? Or take Ex-lax?

Looked at the list of games.

Now you know what aging is like, Hen.

[HI54UNI]

Did you eat at Taco Bell? Or take Ex-lax?

Looked at the list of games.

[UNI88]

Looked at the list of games.

Now you know what aging is like, Hen.

But he's been constipated his whole life ...

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[BDKJMU]

THAT is an illustration for the argument that there are too many bowls.

This.

These games all suck. Won't watch any of them.

No vote.

Yep. All but 1 are G5. Majority are 6-6 or 7-5 teams. All toilet bowls. No vote.

[AZGrizFan]

I went with the “Former HS QB of mine” vs “Former home of current Griz HC” game.

[AshevilleApp]

What else? I hope it's a blowout. I'll enjoy watching.

[JohnStOnge]

The Appalachian State matchup is awful. You've got a team that's rated in the top 25 without having played anybody rated in the top 25. They have two wins over power 5 teams but neither has a winning record.

And now they're playing UAB in a bowl game. No real test to see if this is really a top 25 caliber team.

To me it's another illustration of the argument for a real playoff at the top level with each what we now call "FBS" conference champion getting an automatic bid. In such a system Appalachian State would be in the playoffs as conference champion and most certainly WOULD be playing a top 25 team.

Same with this year's Boise State team, BTW. A matchup between Boise State and Washington is somewhat more interesting than a matchup between Appalachian State and UAB. But Washington is not a team that would be in a top level playoff. It's a 1 game over 0.500 team.

[AshevilleApp]

The Appalachian State matchup is awful. You've got a team that's rated in the top 25 without having played anybody rated in the top 25. They have two wins over power 5 teams but neither has a winning record.

And now they're playing UAB in a bowl game. No real test to see if this is really a top 25 caliber team.

To me it's another illustration of the argument for a real playoff at the top level with each what we now call "FBS" conference champion getting an automatic bid. In such a system Appalachian State would be in the playoffs as conference champion and most certainly WOULD be playing a top 25 team.

Same with this year's Boise State team, BTW. A matchup between Boise State and Washington is somewhat more interesting than a matchup between Appalachian State and UAB. But Washington is not a team that would be in a top level playoff. It's a 1 game over 0.500 team.

Yep the Bowl system is flawed and over saturated, and I'd like APP to have a more appealing match up. I'll still be watching. And your continued interest in our program is noted and appreciated!

[JohnStOnge]

The Appalachian State matchup is awful. You've got a team that's rated in the top 25 without having played anybody rated in the top 25. They have two wins over power 5 teams but neither has a winning record.

And now they're playing UAB in a bowl game. No real test to see if this is really a top 25 caliber team.

To me it's another illustration of the argument for a real playoff at the top level with each what we now call "FBS" conference champion getting an automatic bid. In such a system Appalachian State would be in the playoffs as conference champion and most certainly WOULD be playing a top 25 team.

Same with this year's Boise State team, BTW. A matchup between Boise State and Washington is somewhat more interesting than a matchup between Appalachian State and UAB. But Washington is not a team that would be in a top level playoff. It's a 1 game over 0.500 team.

Yep the Bowl system is flawed and over saturated, and I'd like APP to have a more appealing match up. I'll still be watching. And your continued interest in our program is noted and appreciated!

I follow how all programs that moved from I-AA/FCS to I-A/FBS do. Also I have always been interested in good matchups between what we now call "Power 5" programs and programs from outside that club. There was a time when a matchup between Southern Mississippi and a solid SEC school was almost always interesting. There was also a time when BYU was like that.

There are five games involving non Power 5 teams ranked in the CFP top 25. Memphis is in an interesting matchup with Penn State. That's the kind of matchup one hopes to see. Good chance to see if Memphis is for real.

Navy vs. Kansas State is fairly interesting. The ranked outsider vs. an 8-4 Power 5 team that beat Oklahoma.

Boise State vs. Washington is interesting only because of the coaching connection. Outside of that Boise State is playing a 1 game over 0.500 Power 5 team.

Cincinnati is playing 6-6 Boston College. Meh.

And Appalachian State got the shortest straw of all among the outsiders. They don't even get to play a Power 5 team. They're playing a team that...in its only game against a Power 5 opponent...lost by 30 - 7 to 7 - 5 Tennessee. If they beat UAB it's, "So what?"

Bottom line is that there is only one game where a ranked outsider is playing a ranked Power 5 team. Or a ranked team at all.

[AshevilleApp]

Yep the Bowl system is flawed and over saturated, and I'd like APP to have a more appealing match up. I'll still be watching. And your continued interest in our program is noted and appreciated!

I follow how all programs that moved from I-AA/FCS to I-A/FBS do. Also I have always been interested in good matchups between what we now call "Power 5" programs and programs from outside that club. There was a time when a matchup between Southern Mississippi and a solid SEC school was almost always interesting. There was also a time when BYU was like that.

There are five games involving non Power 5 teams ranked in the CFP top 25. Memphis is in an interesting matchup with Penn State. That's the kind of matchup one hopes to see. Good chance to see if Memphis is for real.

Navy vs. Kansas State is fairly interesting. The ranked outsider vs. an 8-4 Power 5 team that beat Oklahoma.

Boise State vs. Washington is interesting only because of the coaching connection. Outside of that Boise State is playing a 1 game over 0.500 Power 5 team.

Cincinnati is playing 6-6 Boston College. Meh.

And Appalachian State got the shortest straw of all among the outsiders. They don't even get to play a Power 5 team. They're playing a team that...in its only game against a Power 5 opponent...lost by 30 - 7 to 7 - 5 Tennessee. If they beat UAB it's, "So what?"

Bottom line is that there is only one game where a ranked outsider is playing a ranked Power 5 team. Or a ranked team at all.

So fix the system, I don't have the time or energy to bother trying. I think that App got a (seemingly) lousy draw with UAB, and I believe most App fans would agree. But a good number of folks will make it to New Orleans and hopefully have a festive time celebrating a win. Hopefully the players will enjoy the experience as well. And as much as I like the playoff system in FCS, I'd rather spend a couple of days in New Orleans than Frisco.

[JohnStOnge]

So fix the system, I don't have the time or energy to bother trying. I think that App got a (seemingly) lousy draw with UAB, and I believe most App fans would agree. But a good number of folks will make it to New Orleans and hopefully have a festive time celebrating a win. Hopefully the players will enjoy the experience as well. And as much as I like the playoff system in FCS, I'd rather spend a couple of days in New Orleans than Frisco.

I think most fans of schools that have moved from I-AA/FCS to I-A/FBS prefer it and like to go to bowls. It surprises me because I am honestly the opposite. As you may have seen me write before McNeese went to three Independence Bowls when they are in the top level in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I went to two of them (vs. Syracuse in 1979 and vs. Southern Miss in 1980). And being in a bowl was rarer then. When McNeese went to its first bowl in 1976 (vs. Tulsa) there were only 12 bowl games. There were 15 in both 1979 and 1980. So it wasn't a situation in which more than half the flipping top level teams went to bowl games.

I enjoyed going. I was excited that McNeese went. But the first time I went to a McNeese playoff game and watched the players line up for the opening kickoff I knew I preferred that to a bowl game by a lot. Just a lot different. A lot more intensity. Even in the body language of the players. Just a far more meaningful feel to it.

Again, though, it's pretty obvious that I'm in the minority in being like that.

[Ivytalk]

And Cleets partied all night after Warshington beat Boise like a drum.

[SuperHornet]

I thoroughly enjoyed the App State game. Their "scoop and score" happening on BOTH sides of the ball on consecutive series was amazing. The offensive one looked to me much like a rugby scrum, and PxP announcer Beth Mowins (LOVE her!) said the same thing moments later.

I missed both the Liberty matchup (first win EVER over GA Southern!) and the playoff games because they were all "subscription only" on my sister's dish/Netflix system and I didn't have access to the Internet for the ESPNU freebie while I was at her place doing laundry yesterday. Ditto that game saved by Master Robbie with no time on the clock....

[89Hen]

Yep the Bowl system is flawed

One of the big arguments the anti-playoff folks used to use was that it would render the bowls "meaningless". My regular retort was: they already are. I agree that a couple of the bowls used to be a bigger deal in days gone by like the Rose, Sugar and Orange, but that was about it. Bowls are meaningless to everyone except the two teams in the bowl. They really aren't intended to be any kind of ranking helper (aka playoff). If the two teams and their fanbases have fun, that's really all that matters.

[Skjellyfetti]

The Appalachian State matchup is awful. You've got a team that's rated in the top 25 without having played anybody rated in the top 25. They have two wins over power 5 teams but neither has a winning record.

One has a winning record now.

[Ivytalk]

Yep the Bowl system is flawed

One of the big arguments the anti-playoff folks used to use was that it would render the bowls "meaningless". My regular retort was: they already are. I agree that a couple of the bowls used to be a bigger deal in days gone by like the Rose, Sugar and Orange, but that was about it. Bowls are meaningless to everyone except the two teams in the bowl. They really aren't intended to be any kind of ranking helper (aka playoff). If the two teams and their fanbases have fun, that's really all that matters.

And we know that 89 is all about fun!