2025 CFB Champs & Bowls

[hardcorestitch]

Do you think the CFP should be expanded to 16 teams? No matter how many teams they have, someone will feel left out.

Do you think Notre Dame was right to boycott a bowl bid or do you think they cut off their noses to spite their faces?

It doesn’t matter. You could have March Madness levels of spots available for the CFP and there will still be good teams left out!

 

[robinb]

What do we think about the teams that didn’t make the CFB playoffs who are now declining bowl bids?

Are they smart to protect their players?

Or, are they poor losers?

 

[hardcorestitch]

What do we think about the teams that didn’t make the CFB playoffs who are now declining bowl bids?

Are they smart to protect their players?

Or, are they poor losers?

The teams that are rejecting bowl bids are the real losers. Better to have something to play for than to just mope around about not getting a spot.

 

[soccerdad72]

What do we think about the teams that didn’t make the CFB playoffs who are now declining bowl bids?

Are they smart to protect their players?

Or, are they poor losers?

They can't really claim it's about protecting their players, since numerous teams accept bowl bids fully knowing that a number of their players (certainly most of those who are going to the NFL draft) will be opting out of playing. This is mostly just being sore losers. If Notre Dame has an issue with the selection committee, either don't lose to Miami in Week 1 or finally break down and join a conference.

I just read that other schools (ones nowhere near the CFB playoffs) also opted out due to not having a current head coach (coaches who have accepted jobs elsewhere). That's a different situation, but I don't know why they couldn't have an interim coach work the bowl game?

The bowl system was pretty well broken even before the expanded playoffs, but this is getting pretty ridiculous. I feel bad for the senior players who are not going to be playing in the pros who lose out on one more chance to play.

 

[robinb]

My take on it is also that they’re all poor losers. It’s not fair to the seniors to pass on one final game. It’s also not fair to the students and alumni. It’ll be interesting to see if the major boosters kick up a fuss.

My Badgers sucked this year. They have no clue how to navigate the new NIL version of football so I have no horse in this race. They did turn down a bowl game last year, but it was because the offer came too late. We lost a bunch of players to the transfer portal at the end of the season and many of the other players had already gone home. I guess it’s possible that we’ll be thrown a bowl game bone if a lot of loser teams bail in time. Badger fans travel well for bowl games even when their team sucks.

 

[soccerdad72]

My take on it is also that they’re all poor losers. It’s not fair to the seniors to pass on one final game. It’s also not fair to the students and alumni. It’ll be interesting to see if the major boosters kick up a fuss.

My Badgers sucked this year. They have no clue how to navigate the new NIL version of football so I have no horse in this race. They did turn down a bowl game last year, but it was because the offer came too late. We lost a bunch of players to the transfer portal at the end of the season and many of the other players had already gone home. I guess it’s possible that we’ll be thrown a bowl game bone if a lot of loser teams bail in time. Badger fans travel well for bowl games even when their team sucks.

IIRC, last year due to an abundance of bowl games and lack of "eligible" teams, they needed to expand the definition of "bowl eligible" to fill a couple games. I assume the same thing will probably have to happen this year.

The bowl schedule got out of hand a while ago and there's clearly too many of them, but I guess as long as there's enough sponsors and locations to play the games, they'll keep having them. My understanding is that in many cases, the schools actually lose money playing in the games - the cost of sending the teams to the games exceeds what the schools get for playing in them.

 

[WEDWDW]

And Notre Dame loses the extra bowl game practices which can be beneficial for young players development.

 

[Mikey15]

IIRC, last year due to an abundance of bowl games and lack of "eligible" teams, they needed to expand the definition of "bowl eligible" to fill a couple games. I assume the same thing will probably have to happen this year.

The bowl schedule got out of hand a while ago and there's clearly too many of them, but I guess as long as there's enough sponsors and locations to play the games, they'll keep having them. My understanding is that in many cases, the schools actually lose money playing in the games - the cost of sending the teams to the games exceeds what the schools get for playing in them.

Well, you know we can’t just let time-tested classics like the Snoop Dogg Bowl get canceled due to a lack of eligible teams!

 

[robinb]

And Notre Dame loses the extra bowl game practices which can be beneficial for young players development.

Perhaps there is less emphasis on player development in the new NIL era. I think that's one of the quandaries in football now. Should a team put the time and effort into player development just for that player to hop into the portal to get more money?

 

[EACarlson]

They can't really claim it's about protecting their players, since numerous teams accept bowl bids fully knowing that a number of their players (certainly most of those who are going to the NFL draft) will be opting out of playing. This is mostly just being sore losers. If Notre Dame has an issue with the selection committee, either don't lose to Miami in Week 1 or finally break down and join a conference.

I just read that other schools (ones nowhere near the CFB playoffs) also opted out due to not having a current head coach (coaches who have accepted jobs elsewhere). That's a different situation, but I don't know why they couldn't have an interim coach work the bowl game?

The bowl system was pretty well broken even before the expanded playoffs, but this is getting pretty ridiculous. I feel bad for the senior players who are not going to be playing in the pros who lose out on one more chance to play.

There are a lot of arguments to be made about why Notre Dame should have been given a bid. But let's start with these. Why did BYU get moved down but Alabama did not? BYU got beat by 27 by the number three team, Alabama got beat by 21 by the number two.
Alabama never should have been in the top ten anyway after a loss to a horrible FL State team. And three losses overall.
You're punishing Notre Dame for losing by three points on the road in the season opener in August.
Both of Notre Dame's losses were to playoff or playoff adjacent teams over three months ago. Neither Bama or Miami can say that.
Finally, Notre Dame is a better team now than either of the other two and if they played the games again on a neutral field, would beat either team by double digits.

I do wish that Notre Dame would have taken whatever bowl bid and beat whomever played them like they did Syracuse. But if it was a player decision, I'm ok with it. If it was a coach and administration decision, I'm not.

 

[soccerdad72]

Well, you know we can’t just let time-tested classics like the Snoop Dogg Bowl get canceled due to a lack of eligible teams!

Hey - don't mess with the Snoop Bowl! My kid's school is going to that one!

 

[soccerdad72]

There are a lot of arguments to be made about why Notre Dame should have been given a bid. But let's start with these. Why did BYU get moved down but Alabama did not? BYU got beat by 27 by the number three team, Alabama got beat by 21 by the number two.
Alabama never should have been in the top ten anyway after a loss to a horrible FL State team. And three losses overall.
You're punishing Notre Dame for losing by three points on the road in the season opener in August.
Both of Notre Dame's losses were to playoff or playoff adjacent teams over three months ago. Neither Bama or Miami can say that.
Finally, Notre Dame is a better team now than either of the other two and if they played the games again on a neutral field, would beat either team by double digits.

I do wish that Notre Dame would have taken whatever bowl bid and beat whomever played them like they did Syracuse. But if it was a player decision, I'm ok with it. If it was a coach and administration decision, I'm not.

I'm certainly not going to argue for Alabama, because I think a 3 loss team should probably never be in the playoffs. But for what it's worth, I'd say it's hard to argue for Notre Dame being in there when the only meaningful games they played, they lost both of those. Probably the only reason they were as highly ranked as they were is because they did what you need to do in college football - lose in the early part of the season.

 

[EACarlson]

I'm certainly not going to argue for Alabama, because I think a 3 loss team should probably never be in the playoffs. But for what it's worth, I'd say it's hard to argue for Notre Dame being in there when the only meaningful games they played, they lost both of those. Probably the only reason they were as highly ranked as they were is because they did what you need to do in college football - lose in the early part of the season.

Two top 25 wins, one on the road and 10/12 power conference opponents. FWIW, I agree with you, if it were up to me Bama would be out, and Notre Dame would be hosting Oklahoma in the first round.

 

[soccerdad72]

Two top 25 wins, one on the road and 10/12 power conference opponents. FWIW, I agree with you, if it were up to me Bama would be out, and Notre Dame would be hosting Oklahoma in the first round.

I would have preferred Alabama was out and Miami and Notre Dame was both in.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

What do we think about the teams that didn’t make the CFB playoffs who are now declining bowl bids?

Are they smart to protect their players?

Or, are they poor losers?

Absolutely hate this. Imagine what those players are losing out on by the school electing now to let the team play a bowl game. The players receive clothes, food, money, jewelry in addition to other incentives just for making the bowl. They're not getting that because Notre Dame's brass is pouting because their beloved Irish didn't make the playoffs. That is beyond pathetic for the athletes. They're also losing an extra month of practice now that there's no bowl game. I feel bad for the players.

 

[hardcorestitch]

Absolutely hate this. Imagine what those players are losing out on by the school electing now to let the team play a bowl game. The players receive clothes, food, money, jewelry in addition to other incentives just for making the bowl. They're not getting that because Notre Dame's brass is pouting because their beloved Irish didn't make the playoffs. That is beyond pathetic for the athletes. They're also losing an extra month of practice now that there's no bowl game. I feel bad for the players.

Not to mention the thousands of fans that now have the NO Bowl, out hundreds to thousands of dollars with regards to flights and hotels…

 

[EACarlson]

Not to mention the thousands of fans that now have the NO Bowl, out hundreds to thousands of dollars with regards to flights and hotels…

Why would they have bought flights and hotels if they didn't know where they were going?

 

[hardcorestitch]

Why would they have bought flights and hotels if they didn't know where they were going?

Some fans make it a tradition to go to certain bowls, regardless of who’s involved (ie the Pop Tarts Bowl).

 

[soccerdad72]

Some fans make it a tradition to go to certain bowls, regardless of who’s involved (ie the Pop Tarts Bowl).

The bowl games are still being played.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Notre Dame got jobbed.

AND IT COULDN'T HAPPEN TO A NICER BUNCH OF CRYBABIES. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Well except maybe Oklahoma, Tennessee or Ohio St. But we knew those were either locked in or locked out.

What do we think about the teams that didn’t make the CFB playoffs who are now declining bowl bids?

Are they smart to protect their players?

Or, are they poor losers?

In the case of Notre Dame sore losers. In the case of Kansas St. and Iowa St. Neither. They both lost their coaches. In the case of Marshall, due to Transfer portal departures, they had fewer than 50 players left. There are legit reasons to turn down a bowl game. But in Notre Dame's case, that is pure crybaby. I think we need to establish what is and is not a legit reason to turn down a bowl invite and if you turn one down out of sheer spite, you should be ineligible next year. And that ineligibility includes the playoff.

Unfortunately the playoffs have changed their rules to give Notre Dame a sweetheart deal. Note it was done long before they were left out this year. If this same thing happened next year, Notre Dame would have been guaranteed a spot from where they were ranked and Miami would be out despite beating them and being ranked above them. Oh and have you seen Notre Dame's Schedule next year? You know, the schedule they're now calling THE REVENGE TOUR!!! But no, they're not sore losers backing out of their bowl.

2-3 legit games and a bunch of jokes.

Bye
Wisconsin Madison @ Lambeau Field.
Rice
Michigan St.
@ Purdue
@ North Carolina
Bye
Bye
Bye
Navy @ Foxborough, MA
Miami
Boston College
Bye.

Games to be scheduled.
@ USC That will fit into that last bye
Stanford. That will go into one of those three bye slots.
SMU Might that be week 1?
@syracuse Probably will go into one of those three bye slots.

I'm certainly not going to argue for Alabama, because I think a 3 loss team should probably never be in the playoffs. But for what it's worth, I'd say it's hard to argue for Notre Dame being in there when the only meaningful games they played, they lost both of those. Probably the only reason they were as highly ranked as they were is because they did what you need to do in college football - lose in the early part of the season.

I disagree somewhat. I think there are scenarios where a three loss team is more deserving than another. This wasn't it. Why is USC out? They're a 3 loss team. And yet had they beaten Oregon, they'd have been in. It isn't the Oregon loss, nor the Notre Dame loss. It's the 3 losses and especially the Illinois loss. That's the one that pretty much put them out. Illinois finished 8-4. Championship teams find a way to win that game. Similarly, the loss by 14 to a 5-7 Florida St by Alabama renders any sos arguments moot and should have put them out. We only had 3 losses because of our schedule.... Uh wait a minute. Don't tell me you lost to a bad Florida St. team in week 1 because you were tired from your schedule. Just don't. By the way don't tell me you lost to Georgia because of your schedule either. The Week before you played Auburn who is 5-7 (1-7 SEC) And you struggled against them too. And the week before that you played Eastern Illinois who are 3-9 on a 1aa schedule. Exit at the whistle stop of Mattoon and take County Road 750N and you're at Panther Tech. Don't tell me you can't rest up players playing not only a 1aa team, but a bad team even at that level.
That said, the blue and gold mist of tears over Northern Indiana is epic. They even had some blue snow