College Football is back

[MU82]

The brother of one of my best friends was Holtz's first recruit to Minnesota. Holtz stood up in the locker room and told the entire team the ND talk was untrue, he would never leave  Minnesota. The next day he was in South Bend being introduced as coach. The brother held a grudge against Holtz until the day he died. A true weasel if there ever was one (not name Buzz Williams, or course).

I'm sure this kind of thing happens quite frequently, but I was there when Holtz did it, and I was there when Barnett did it. Liars and weasels.

So many coaches yammer on and on about honesty, loyalty and team. But then when it's their turn ... lies, disloyalty and me-first. Hypocrites.

[Cheeks]

Oh, you didn't say Clemson was overhyped?  Hmm.

How'd Penn State do against Minnesota?

Hmm, what else did I say in that same paragraph about Clemson...and you accuse others of cherry picking.

How's Wisconsin do against Illinoiis...isn't it magical they stepped on their dick for a CFP berth by losing to Illinois.  LOL.  Illinois. 

[The Sultan]

RIP Hayden Fry.  As important to Iowa football as Al was to Marquette basketball.  Took at team that hadn't won in a couple decades and turned them into Big Ten Champions, breaking a 13 year stranglehold on the conference title by either Michigan or Ohio State.

Oh and he desegregated the SWC while at Baylor.

[Cheeks]

RIP Hayden Fry.  As important to Iowa football as Al was to Marquette basketball.  Took at team that hadn't won in a couple decades and turned them into Big Ten Champions, breaking a 13 year stranglehold on the conference title by either Michigan or Ohio State.

Oh and he desegregated the SWC while at Baylor.

Actually he was never a head coach at Baylor.  He helped to desegregate the SWC while head coach at SMU by signing a black QB who led SMU to the conference title.  Jerry LeVias was the player.

[The Sultan]

Actually he was never a head coach at Baylor.  He helped to desegregate the SWC while head coach at SMU by signing a black QB who led SMU to the conference title.  Jerry LeVias was the player.

Yes!  You are correct.  Played at Baylor - coached at SMU.

[dinger]

RIP Hayden Fry.  As important to Iowa football as Al was to Marquette basketball.  Took at team that hadn't won in a couple decades and turned them into Big Ten Champions, breaking a 13 year stranglehold on the conference title by either Michigan or Ohio State.

Oh and he desegregated the SWC while at Baylor.

Some coaches are great, but only a few great coaches have that unique character that makes them larger than life. Hayden, like Al, had that. Always able to make people around them better. Had an incredible eye for playing and coaching talent. Always responding with amazing sayings and quotes. We're lucky to share our time on earth with them.

[Mr. Nielsen]

When you think of Iowa football, I'm not sure how you can't think of Hayden Fry.

[The Sultan]

When you think of Iowa football, I'm not sure how you can't think of Hayden Fry.

He also commissioned the iconic logo for Iowa athletics as part of the rebranding of the program.  That was considered so effective in changing the image of Iowa football, that two of his coaching proteges, Bill Snyder at Kansas State and Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, did the same thing when they took over their programs.

[JWags85]

He also commissioned the iconic logo for Iowa athletics as part of the rebranding of the program.  That was considered so effective in changing the image of Iowa football, that two of his coaching proteges, Bill Snyder at Kansas State and Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, did the same thing when they took over their programs.

His coaching tree is INCREDIBLE.  Not all high level assistants, but a lot of former players turned GAs and low assistants before blossoming.  Alvarez, Bill Snyder, all 3 Stoops brothers, Bo Pelini, Jim Leavitt, and obviously Kirk Ferentz.

Also crazy that at a big program in a power conference like Iowa, and in the modern era of impatience and immediate results, they have had 2 HC in 40 years.

[CTWarrior]

I don't whine about there being too many bowl games. I simply don't watch them. Aside from the 3 postseason games that help decide a champion, I will not watch one second of one bowl game this year -- just as I haven't for well over a decade.

As for athletes making their choices ...

Christian McCaffrey skipped Stanford's meaningless bowl game, was healthy on draft day, went 8th overall, and has gone on to be a well-paid superstar. His next contract will be a monster.

Jake Butt played in Michigan's meaningless bowl game, got hurt, and went from being a top-50 pick to not getting taken until Round 5, costing him millions of dollars. Butt reinjured his knee early in the 2018 season and has not yet been able to return. He was a "good team player" -- compared to McCaffrey, whom some considered selfish. Sadly, it's impossible to spend "good team player" compared to actual money.

I wouldn't call anybody who plays in a meaningless bowl game "stupid," just as I wouldn't say that about any player who decides to return to school for an extra year. Folks should do whatever they feel is right, knowing all the risks involved. But I certainly wouldn't call a player "selfish" for sitting out one of those exhibitions. It's exactly what I would have advised my son to do if there were tens of millions of dollars at stake.

I get what you are saying, but once a college team loses it's second (or maybe its third) game, aren't all the games then "meaningless"?  Does a bowl game have less meaning than a Wake Forest - Boston College game in November?  I wouldn't judge a guy one way or another for his decision (well, if I were being honest I'd think less of the player who chose not to play), but why bowl games vs regular season games?  What exactly are you agreeing to when you accept the scholarship?

[The Sultan]

I get what you are saying, but once a college team loses it's second (or maybe its third) game, aren't all the games then "meaningless"?  Does a bowl game have less meaning than a Wake Forest - Boston College game in November?  I wouldn't judge a guy one way or another for his decision (well, if I were being honest I'd think less of the player who chose not to play), but why bowl games vs regular season games?  What exactly are you agreeing to when you accept the scholarship?

It wouldn't bother me if a random BC player who was planning to go pro decided to shut down in October.

[Uncle Rico]

His coaching tree is INCREDIBLE.  Not all high level assistants, but a lot of former players turned GAs and low assistants before blossoming.  Alvarez, Bill Snyder, all 3 Stoops brothers, Bo Pelini, Jim Leavitt, and obviously Kirk Ferentz.

Also crazy that at a big program in a power conference like Iowa, and in the modern era of impatience and immediate results, they have had 2 HC in 40 years.

Never won a Rose Bowl at Iowa but the '86 game is a great game for conspiracy theorists.  Also of note, last Rose Bowl UCLA won

[Billy Hoyle]

Yes!  You are correct.  Played at Baylor - coached at SMU.

After that he coached at what is now North Texas (and he created that logo too).  They were pushing to get into SWC but were denied and they kept being rejected for bowl games (when they meant something) and that's what led Fry to Iowa. I saw an interview with him when he was inducted into their HOF.

[Billy Hoyle]

It wouldn't bother me if a random BC player who was planning to go pro decided to shut down in October.

it's what the younger Bosa did and it worked out for him.

[MU82]

I get what you are saying, but once a college team loses it's second (or maybe its third) game, aren't all the games then "meaningless"?  Does a bowl game have less meaning than a Wake Forest - Boston College game in November?  I wouldn't judge a guy one way or another for his decision (well, if I were being honest I'd think less of the player who chose not to play), but why bowl games vs regular season games?  What exactly are you agreeing to when you accept the scholarship?

And I get what you are saying, CTW, but it's so unlikely to happen right now that I haven't given that kind of unrealistic speculation a lot of thought.

I only have a moment now before I have to head out, so I'll say that the difference is that a team can still win its conference title after a 1-2 start in non-con, and that means something.

Maybe if we see even one player (let alone multiple players) actually shut it down after Week 2 or 3, I'll give it more thought and come up with more.

But again, it only makes sense that a sure-fire pro-to-be skip a non-playoff bowl game rather than risk tens of millions of dollars. And if a team wants to claw back its scholarship over that, fine ... but good luck recruiting the next stud.

[Cheeks]

His coaching tree is INCREDIBLE.  Not all high level assistants, but a lot of former players turned GAs and low assistants before blossoming.  Alvarez, Bill Snyder, all 3 Stoops brothers, Bo Pelini, Jim Leavitt, and obviously Kirk Ferentz.

Also crazy that at a big program in a power conference like Iowa, and in the modern era of impatience and immediate results, they have had 2 HC in 40 years.

Iowa knows, and MU should know, stuck with coaches through thick and thin.  Have to have patience because if you start playing around here at those types of schools, you can quickly find yourself in a tough spot.

[CTWarrior]

And I get what you are saying, CTW, but it's so unlikely to happen right now that I haven't given that kind of unrealistic speculation a lot of thought.

I'm not speculating that a player would do this, but rather making the point that I think a bowl game is not an exhibition or meaningless game any more than the last several games of the regular season are for most teams, so why single it out as the game to miss?

[The Sultan]

I'm not speculating that a player would do this, but rather making the point that I think a bowl game is not an exhibition or meaningless game any more than the last several games of the regular season are for most teams, so why single it out as the game to miss?

It is after the semester is over. Skipping it allows you to be home for the Holidays. For most P5 schools there is nearly a month in between games so it seems like a natural break.

[MU82]

I'm not speculating that a player would do this, but rather making the point that I think a bowl game is not an exhibition or meaningless game any more than the last several games of the regular season are for most teams, so why single it out as the game to miss?

The season ends in either late-Nov or early-Dec, depending upon whether a team plays in its conference championship. There are then 3-4 weeks of practice for one game that determines nothing -- not who wins a conference title, not who can finish in the upper half of conference standings, nothing. It's not even as legit as being a "spoiler" in the conference race.

You are a potential top-50 pick for a 6-6 team that is to play another 6-6 team in the Chick-fil-A Weed Eater Holiday Bowl. You are supposed to spend a month risking injury to participate in that game because of a "contract" you agreed to 3-4 years earlier?

But it's OK for the coach of one of those 6-6 teams to abandon his program in mid-December because a "better" program just offered him a big contract -- something that has already happened at several bowl-bound schools and happens every year? I doubt anybody begrudges the App State coach's right to take the Mizzou job, leaving his team just weeks before its bowl game. But I'll bet some of the same folks who give thumbs-up to the coach's right to improve his lot in life think an athlete who skips a bowl game to protect his financial future is somehow being disloyal. Weird.

Look, as in most cases, I support whatever the athlete decides to do. If you want to risk injury to play in the bowl game, you absolutely should do it. And if you don't want to risk injury -- and tens of millions of dollars -- to play in a game that decides nothing but pride, I applaud what I consider a common-sense decision.

Not sure why anybody would think otherwise, really.

As a Panthers fan, I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled that Christian McCaffrey skipped Stanford's bowl game, stayed healthy, trained like a demon and convinced the Panthers to draft him. As a human being, I feel bad for Michigan's Jake Butt, who decided to play in a bowl game, got hurt, and might never have the pro career everybody felt he would.

[Pakuni]

Iowa knows, and MU should know, stuck with coaches through thick and thin.  Have to have patience because if you start playing around here at those types of schools, you can quickly find yourself in a tough spot.

Also, Iowa knows its place on the college football landscape and is content with it.
Unlike at places like Alabama, FSU, Texas, etc., Iowa fans have no expectations of being a regular national title contender and hence are happy with being consistently good, but rarely great.

[JWags85]

It is after the semester is over. Skipping it allows you to be home for the Holidays. For most P5 schools there is nearly a month in between games so it seems like a natural break.

Yep.  And the mentality factors in even if its not a potential top 20 pick.  When I was at Miami, bowl or not, most players with NFL prospects "dropped out" the minute first semester ended.  They took spring semester to completely focus on workouts, prep, and the draft process.  Most were close enough to walk and finished a few courses in the summer, but the point remains. 

My best friend in college was a DB and he flat out said the only reason most of the team cared about the bowl was if it was a cool warm destination and the swag bag.  Nobody was psyched to win an Independence Bowl.  Especially at the expense of the holidays.

[MU82]

And BTW ... I hope both McCaffrey and Kuechly find reasons to skip the Pro Bowl, too.

Talk about a dumb exhibition game ... even worse than a bowl game.

[Billy Hoyle]

Yep.  And the mentality factors in even if its not a potential top 20 pick.  When I was at Miami, bowl or not, most players with NFL prospects "dropped out" the minute first semester ended.  They took spring semester to completely focus on workouts, prep, and the draft process.  Most were close enough to walk and finished a few courses in the summer, but the point remains. 

My best friend in college was a DB and he flat out said the only reason most of the team cared about the bowl was if it was a cool warm destination and the swag bag.  Nobody was psyched to win an Independence Bowl.  Especially at the expense of the holidays.

you're telling me a junior or senior who is a guaranteed draft pick wouldn't be enthusiastic about playing in a December bowl game in Detroit, NYC, Annapolis or Boise?

[Pakuni]

And BTW ... I hope both McCaffrey and Kuechly find reasons to skip the Pro Bowl, too.

Talk about a dumb exhibition game ... even worse than a bowl game.

Difference is playing in the Pro Bowl is worth a minimum $39K (and $67K if your team wins).
Decent reward for a free trip and half-a--ing your way through a football game.

[Cheeks]

And BTW ... I hope both McCaffrey and Kuechly find reasons to skip the Pro Bowl, too.

Talk about a dumb exhibition game ... even worse than a bowl game.

All games are exhibition games as amateurs...ban them all...the entire seasons.  This must not stand