Holiday Bowl proof Bowl games not up to par with Playoffs

[SeattleGriz]

As a Seattle resident, I finally watched a bowl game last night. Saw the UW Huskies, whose fans I despise, beat Nebraska 19-7. This was an upset in regards to fact Nebraska beat UW earlier in the season, in Seattle, 56-21.

Not to take away from the Huskies inspired play, but Nebraska looked they couldn't have even cared to be playing in the Holiday Bowl. Apparently from having thrown the towel in on the season when they lost the Big 12 Championship game.

I say this proves the playoffs because, could you imagine any FCS team that made the playoffs, show up and "not" play like Nebraska? If there were playoffs in the FBS, you could bet Nebraska would have played much harder, but instead they looked as if they wanted to take their ball and go home.

The Bowl games are a joke and Nebraska is full of a bunch of crybabies. At least UW looked proud.

[tampajag]

As a Seattle resident, I finally watched a bowl game last night. Saw the UW Huskies, whose fans I despise, beat Nebraska 19-7. This was an upset in regards to fact Nebraska beat UW earlier in the season, in Seattle, 56-21.

Not to take away from the Huskies inspired play, but Nebraska looked they couldn't have even cared to be playing in the Holiday Bowl. Apparently from having thrown the towel in on the season when they lost the Big 12 Championship game.

I say this proves the playoffs because, could you imagine any FCS team that made the playoffs, show up and "not" play like Nebraska? If there were playoffs in the FBS, you could bet Nebraska would have played much harder, but instead they looked as if they wanted to take their ball and go home.

The Bowl games are a joke and Nebraska is full of a bunch of crybabies. At least UW looked proud.

I'm sure teams have phoned it in during the playoffs before. It happens in all sports.

[tampajag]

Bowl games suck to you and you dispise the Huskies, why watch then?

[SeattleGriz]

Bowl games suck to you and you dispise the Huskies, why watch then?

I like bowl games, but they have to be between two teams that are decent. My point is that Nebraska was a good team this year and got sent to a bowl they didn't like, so they mailed it in. I am betting if Nebraska would have been placed in a 16 team playoff format they would have played a hell of a lot harder.

As for UW, I don't despise the players, for I have the utmost respect for them. It is their fans. A perfect example is the article they had in the paper about how ESPN disrespected the Huskies because they started their game on ESPNU due to the OT UNC/UT game. Then they were all upset that ESPN would have the audacity to actually have a split screen with the final of the Stanford/Uconn womens game.

Uh, it's the Holiday Bowl, your team is 6-6 and has not been to a bowl since 2002. Not as if many people outside of Omaha and Seattle gave two shits about this game and the local paper throws a fit.

[tampajag]

tampajag wrote:
Bowl games suck to you and you dispise the Huskies, why watch then?

I like bowl games, but they have to be between two teams that are decent. My point is that Nebraska was a good team this year and got sent to a bowl they didn't like, so they mailed it in. I am betting if Nebraska would have been placed in a 16 team playoff format they would have played a hell of a lot harder.

As for UW, I don't despise the players, for I have the utmost respect for them. It is their fans. A perfect example is the article they had in the paper about how ESPN disrespected the Huskies because they started their game on ESPNU due to the OT UNC/UT game. Then they were all upset that ESPN would have the audacity to actually have a split screen with the final of the Stanford/Uconn womens game.

Uh, it's the Holiday Bowl, your team is 6-6 and has not been to a bowl since 2002. Not as if many people outside of Omaha and Seattle gave two shits about this game and the local paper throws a fit.

I understand your point but it's still debateable to say a team would play harder just because it's the playoffs. For example do you think SFA was prepared and played their hardest when they went to Missoula last year? Or was BCU prepared and played hard in their home playoff game this year?

The same thing happens in basketball teams drop a conference tourney game and can't recover in the Big Dance.

[JayJ79]

I'm sure teams have phoned it in during the playoffs before. It happens in all sports.

like UNI this year in the last regular season game and first round playoff game.

[Gil Dobie]

I play FBS fantasy football and the regular season is great. Used to watch all the bowl games I could, now it's down to maybe the BCS Championship game. Of course if I get a chance, I will attend a bowl game.

[MrTitleist]

This thread is ridiculous. Nebraska was overmatched, plain and simple. Their fall started at the end of the regular season and continued into the Holiday Bowl. Taylor Martinez looked so far over his head it's no wonder they lost. And.. I bet more people watched the Holiday Bowl, in person or on TV, than any FCS game this year, Frisco game included.

[kalm]

And.. I bet more people watched the Holiday Bowl, in person or on TV, than any FCS game this year, Frisco game included.

But they cared less.

[AZGrizFan]

Chik-fil-A bowl was sold out last night...and has sold out for something like 7 straight years.

[Grizalltheway]

I like bowl games, but they have to be between two teams that are decent. My point is that Nebraska was a good team this year and got sent to a bowl they didn't like, so they mailed it in. I am betting if Nebraska would have been placed in a 16 team playoff format they would have played a hell of a lot harder.

As for UW, I don't despise the players, for I have the utmost respect for them. It is their fans. A perfect example is the article they had in the paper about how ESPN disrespected the Huskies because they started their game on ESPNU due to the OT UNC/UT game. Then they were all upset that ESPN would have the audacity to actually have a split screen with the final of the Stanford/Uconn womens game.

Uh, it's the Holiday Bowl, your team is 6-6 and has not been to a bowl since 2002. Not as if many people outside of Omaha and Seattle gave two shits about this game and the local paper throws a fit.

I understand your point but it's still debateable to say a team would play harder just because it's the playoffs. For example do you think SFA was prepared and played their hardest when they went to Missoula last year? Or was BCU prepared and played hard in their home playoff game this year?

The same thing happens in basketball teams drop a conference tourney game and can't recover in the Big Dance.

They probably were, until Chris started buying them drinks at Red's the night before the game.

[AZGrizFan]

I understand your point but it's still debateable to say a team would play harder just because it's the playoffs. For example do you think SFA was prepared and played their hardest when they went to Missoula last year? Or was BCU prepared and played hard in their home playoff game this year?

The same thing happens in basketball teams drop a conference tourney game and can't recover in the Big Dance.

They probably were, until Chris started buying them drinks at Red's the night before the game.

Let's not change history, GATW....those pics (and those beers) were THURSDAY night.

[Grizalltheway]

My bad.

[SeattleGriz]

This thread is ridiculous. Nebraska was overmatched, plain and simple. Their fall started at the end of the regular season and continued into the Holiday Bowl. Taylor Martinez looked so far over his head it's no wonder they lost. And.. I bet more people watched the Holiday Bowl, in person or on TV, than any FCS game this year, Frisco game included.

By a UW defense that had three starting D linemen out? Even the announcers mentioned how UW only had 5 guys to work with on the defensive line. Those 5 played the whole game and the Nebraska running game couldn't wear them down?

A 6-6 UW team that gave up an average of 217 yards a game in the PAC 10, shut down a Nebraska team averaging 260 yds/game with only 5 defensive linemen in the rotation, and you are telling me Nebraska gave a solid effort.

Lastly, the point of this thread was not about viewership, it was about Nebraska not even bothering to show up for a game because they were bummed about only getting to the lowly Holiday bowl. As stated above, I would bet if it was the first round of a playoff, Nebraska would have played a whole lot differently.

Hence, that is why playoffs are better than 90% of the bowl games. Either the bowl game is so horrid to begin with, you only watch it because you love football, or one team plays like crap because they feel dissed by the process.

[youngterrier]

Nebraska will be dangerous next year.

[BlueHen86]

1. Bowl games are often won by the team that wants to be there more. Nebraska clearly had their sights set higher than the Holiday Bowl.

2. The long layoff between the bowls and last regular season game shouldn't be ignored either. Sometimes the teams that show up for the bowl game don't look anything their regular season counterparts.

3. Nebraska lost a bowl game? They will be a great fit for the Big 10.