All Things Bowl Game Speculation

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A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Worrying about what some sports writer thinks and taking a beating for it doesn't make sense.

I mean we could have just scheduled Bama ... Clemson for OOC games but we don't for good reason.
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And yet... in post #228 you worry about not getting any credit for getting "pounded" by 'Bama!

So... should we worry about perceptions, or not? You can't have it both ways.

If you want to climb into the top echelon, you have to beat good teams. No way to duck it.
 

RememberMurray said:
And yet... in post #228 you worry about not getting any credit for getting "pounded" by 'Bama!

So... should we worry about perceptions, or not? You can't have it both ways.

If you want to climb into the top echelon, you have to beat good teams. No way to duck it.
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I can not worry about a given writer's opinion, and care about the general perception of the program.
 

We will get crushed against Alabama. Crushed.

I would much rather play A&M, Tennessee etc.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I can not worry about a given writer's opinion, and care about the general perception of the program.
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You can, but it doesn't make logical sense.

A writer who is paid to cover the program must have some influence over public perception. Yet you dismiss his opinion out of hand, while simultaneously worrying about general perceptions.

Sorry, but it seems counterintuitive to me.
 

RememberMurray said:
You can, but it doesn't make logical sense.

A writer who is paid to cover the program must have some influence over public perception. Yet you dismiss his opinion out of hand, while simultaneously worrying about general perceptions.

Sorry, but it seems counterintuitive to me.
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I probabbly also don't care about a lot of given fan's opinions, and yet I care about the fanbase's overall opinion.

That's not strange, and probabbly how most people feel.
 


A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I probabbly also don't care about a lot of given fan's opinions, and yet I care about the fanbase's overall opinion.

That's not strange, and probabbly how most people feel.
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Maybe not strange, but definitely a bit contradictory. Yet you evidently have a good handle on what most people feel, and that knowledge seems to guide you.

Fair enough.

As for me: bring on a bowl opponent from the top tier of teams — the best one available — and let's see where we stand.
 

We play who we play! No one wants to hear their opponent was hand picked.

 

The "problem" (if you want to call it that) is all the top teams have played in these bowls recently...which is the reason for the "if possible" language in the contracts. Case in point is the Citrus. MN, PSU, and Mich have all been there recently. Would make sense for Wisconsin to be placed here, but they obviously can't if they're in a NY6 bowl. Iowa hasn't been recently, but they lost to all of PSU, Wisc, and Mich. Plus their fanbase has been to many Florida bowls recenty. They've not been to the Holiday Bowl forever, so it just makes sense to place them there. So in the case both PSU and Wisc are in the NY6, the Citrus is likely to end up with a repeat of either MN or Mich due to the "if possible" language.

The system is FAR superior to the old one (letting the bowls pick...which inevitably screwed certain teams and had others traveling to the same places year after year). That said, it's tough to figure out.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I mean we could have just scheduled Bama ... Clemson for OOC games but we don't for good reason.
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Now THIS makes absolutely zero sense. Sure....we could schedule the best teams in the nation in the nonconference every year and lose. But what's the sense in scheduling top ten teams like that....especially if you go back a few years when we were winning six games and sneaking into a bowl.

The point about wanting to play Alabama NOW.....is because it will have been EARNED. We won ten games. They won ten games.

Huge difference.
 



stocker08 said:
Now THIS makes absolutely zero sense. Sure....we could schedule the best teams in the nation in the nonconference every year and lose. But what's the sense in scheduling top ten teams like that....especially if you go back a few years when we were winning six games and sneaking into a bowl.

The point about wanting to play Alabama NOW.....is because it will have been EARNED. We won ten games. They won ten games.

Huge difference.
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I'm not sure anyone thinks about earning it if the outcome is bad.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I'm not sure anyone thinks about earning it if the outcome is bad.
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As someone else said....OSU is better than Alabama. We nearly HAD to play them. Are you relieved that we don't have to play in the BTC game?
 

abrams said:
We will get crushed against Alabama. Crushed.

I would much rather play A&M, Tennessee etc.
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I don't see it, we played 3 tough teams, one won, competitive in another, blown out late in the third.

Bama played two tough games all year, lost both AND their starting QB is out. Might be the best time ever to take a crack at them.
 

stocker08 said:
As someone else said....OSU is better than Alabama. We nearly HAD to play them. Are you relieved that we don't have to play in the BTC game?
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No because that would have meant we would have won the Wisc game... obviously.
 



OddStack said:
I agree. Playing Tennesee (Boise State...I've heard rumblings Coyle is pushing for this...uggghhh) has minimal upside and a tremendous downside. Playing Bama, Auburn, and Florida. has tremendous upside and minimal downside.
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I look at it much more selfishly....
- I would be VERY excited to watch us play Bama, Auburn, or Florida
- I would be mildly excited to watch us play Tennessee or Boise State
 

Spoofin said:
I look at it much more selfishly....
- I would be VERY excited to watch us play Bama, Auburn, or Florida
- I would be mildly excited to watch us play Tennessee or Boise State
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But, how will you feel about a loss for the next eight months? And how does it help recruiting to lose three of our final four games? Personally, I hope we play a good team in a good bowl and that we have a fair chance of winning (seven point underdogs or better?). I just have never seen a loss help this program in my 54 years as a fan. The local media will rip us a new one if we lose again, IMHO.
 

RememberMurray said:
Maybe not strange, but definitely a bit contradictory. Yet you evidently have a good handle on what most people feel, and that knowledge seems to guide you.

Fair enough.

As for me: bring on a bowl opponent from the top tier of teams — the best one available — and let's see where we stand.
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Not being blind I have seen enough now to know where we stand and it is not in the Top Ten. The wife and I will be there whichever team we draw, wherever the game is played, just like always (except Nashville again, again, again). However, I think a win right now is essential for the program.
 

As already mentioned, Tua is out. Also, I would wager that a number of their NFL prospects would sit out of a "lesser bowl." Spare me the fact that bama has 5* players backing up the 5* starters.

I want Bama!
 

Veritas said:
But, how will you feel about a loss for the next eight months? And how does it help recruiting to lose three of our final four games? Personally, I hope we play a good team in a good bowl and that we have a fair chance of winning (seven point underdogs or better?). I just have never seen a loss help this program in my 54 years as a fan. The local media will rip us a new one if we lose again, IMHO.
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The way I look at it is like this...first, we're gophers fans so it is probably ok to not want to play a team like Bama due to fear of losing bad because, well, we cheer for a team that has been pretty bad for like half a decade.

However, lastly, we want this team to take the next step...win more games, compete at a higher level, recruit at a higher level, etc...in order to do this we need to play these teams. This has been our best season in most of our lifetimes. Now is the time to want to play them because we might not be this good again for a very long time.

We can't want to live in the upper tier of college football and then get there and want to play teams back in the middle tier because we're worried of the outcome.
 

Veritas said:
But, how will you feel about a loss for the next eight months? And how does it help recruiting to lose three of our final four games? Personally, I hope we play a good team in a good bowl and that we have a fair chance of winning (seven point underdogs or better?). I just have never seen a loss help this program in my 54 years as a fan. The local media will rip us a new one if we lose again, IMHO.
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I have been a fan a long time. The list I have collected of things that “will help/hurt recruiting” is long and filled mostly with over analyzed ideas. I believe the exact amount losing a Bowl Game this year will have on recruiting is 0.0%.
 

Veritas said:
But, how will you feel about a loss for the next eight months? And how does it help recruiting to lose three of our final four games? Personally, I hope we play a good team in a good bowl and that we have a fair chance of winning (seven point underdogs or better?). I just have never seen a loss help this program in my 54 years as a fan. The local media will rip us a new one if we lose again, IMHO.
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If we play a solid game and lose a close one, I'd feel good about it. I do believe we can beat them. Players will have a better attitude about beating them than some of the posters on this board. They live in the same old, same old.
 

tmvander said:
The way I look at it is like this...first, we're gophers fans so it is probably ok to not want to play a team like Bama due to fear of losing bad because, well, we cheer for a team that has been pretty bad for like half a decade.

However, lastly, we want this team to take the next step...win more games, compete at a higher level, recruit at a higher level, etc...in order to do this we need to play these teams. This has been our best season in most of our lifetimes. Now is the time to want to play them because we might not be this good again for a very long time.

We can't want to live in the upper tier of college football and then get there and want to play teams back in the middle tier because we're worried of the outcome.
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Playing a Top 30 team that is not in the Top Ten would not be "middle tier". The reality is that we do not have the talent yet to have a good chance against the top few teams in the country. PS I've seen us beat Alabama before. No big deal. Either way, I'll be there.
 

BilldGopher said:
Certainly 'Bama and Arkansas were good opponents. Mizzou too but a different outcome.

BTW, wonder how Deltahog is doing these days?
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Sorry. Just saw this. Been interesting around here. Lots of speculation on next coach and been trying to keep up with that.
 

Spoofin said:
I have been a fan a long time. The list I have collected of things that “will help/hurt recruiting” is long and filled mostly with over analyzed ideas. I believe the exact amount losing a Bowl Game this year will have on recruiting is 0.0%.
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That may be true, but I have a hard time believing beating Alabama wouldn’t help recruiting. PJ would get some mileage out of that.
 

DeltaHog said:
Sorry. Just saw this. Been interesting around here. Lots of speculation on next coach and been trying to keep up with that.
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What are the flight trackers looking like heading to NWA?
 

abrams said:
We will get crushed against Alabama. Crushed.

I would much rather play A&M, Tennessee etc.
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Oh come on. Toughen up a little. Why would you want to play a team that measures up to be about as good as Illinois?
Play Bama and see how they do. It's a good measuring stick. They have nothing to lose in a game like that. They would be picked to get hammered. If they win or make it close, it's a huge win. If they were to lose big, it's what was expected.
Also, playing a team like them brings more spotlight and attention to the game. No one is going to care where and what Tennessee does.
 

Go Gophs said:
Oh come on. Toughen up a little. Why would you want to play a team that measures up to be about as good as Illinois?
Play Bama and see how they do. It's a good measuring stick. They have nothing to lose in a game like that. They would be picked to get hammered. If they win or make it close, it's a huge win. If they were to lose big, it's what was expected.
Also, playing a team like them brings more spotlight and attention to the game. No one is going to care where and what Tennessee does.
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The alternative isn't Illinois.
 


Spoofin said:
I have been a fan a long time. The list I have collected of things that “will help/hurt recruiting” is long and filled mostly with over analyzed ideas. I believe the exact amount losing a Bowl Game this year will have on recruiting is 0.0%.
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So, isn't that very, very close to saying that nothing effects recruiting? 10-3 (like in 2003) is no different than 11-2 for recruiting? Losing three or our last four would have no (0.0%) influence on recruiting? Winning three of our last four games last year had no effect on recruiting either in the short run or long run? Again, what does then? I love PJ, but spinning the above as nothing might be out of even his league.
 

I want to be a contender for the heavyweight title someday.

I don't want to fight any tough guys to get there, though. I really don't want to risk getting punched in the head.

There must be a way to have my cake and eat it, too.
 


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