Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[NWI_Irish96]

Was the USC-Cal game last night a makeup game from an earlier in the season postponement?

I mean, it was kinda awesome to end Championship Saturday with a mostly meaningless game between two 4-7 teams in the #Pac12AfterDark window. I mean, neither team was even playing for Bowl eligibility. Late night playing for pride game (and FOX TV contract commitments), and giving the degenerate gamblers a little more fodder after getting "taken"  during the Title Game action

Yes, Cal had a COVID outbreak and had to postpone the game. In order to play it this weekend, it had to not overlap with any conference championship games, so they had to play late last night.

As for the playoff, I'm pretty sure it's going to be Alabama vs Cincinnati and Michigan vs Georgia.

[ilpt4u]

I'd rather see Michigan vs Cincy and Bama vs Georgia (again) in the 1st round, but I know it won't happen. The committe isn't going to put an SEC Title Game rematch in the Semifinals

[Roadgeekteen]

I'd rather see Michigan vs Cincy and Bama vs Georgia (again) in the 1st round, but I know it won't happen. The committe isn't going to put an SEC Title Game rematch in the Semifinals

You were correct

[ET21]

Would there be enough interest in me posting the bowl schedule and updating daily as we go through bowl season? I used to do it on a couple other forum boards but those got shut down after user logins plummeted the last couple of years.

[Alps]

Would there be enough interest in me posting the bowl schedule and updating daily as we go through bowl season? I used to do it on a couple other forum boards but those got shut down after user logins plummeted the last couple of years.

Make it a separate thread.

[Billy F 1988]

Well, time to kiss Montana adieu. They're 1-2 against James Madison University in the FCS playoffs. Man, they stink. The shitty mediocrity continues, I suppose. Coach Bobby Hauck is definitely going to the hot seat after that loss. Couldn't get scrap done after ONE touchdown. One.

[Roadgeekteen]

Do the bowls even mean anything anymore with all of the top prospects sitting out?

[jeffandnicole]

Do the bowls even mean anything anymore with all of the top prospects sitting out?

Bragging rights to the winners.

[ilpt4u]

Do the bowls even mean anything anymore with all of the top prospects sitting out?

Bragging rights to the winners.

More like an excuse for Alumni to take a Holiday vacation somewhere

[74/171FAN]

Do the bowls even mean anything anymore with all of the top prospects sitting out?

Bragging rights to the winners.

More like an excuse for Alumni to take a Holiday vacation somewhere

Unless you are Hawaii, which more often than not has been in its own bowl.

[ilpt4u]

The other reason "Bowls matter"  – Filler programming for the ESPN networks during the Holidays while staff at Bristol are taking their Holiday time off

[NWI_Irish96]

Do the bowls even mean anything anymore with all of the top prospects sitting out?

Playing in a bowl still means a lot. Winning a bowl doesn't mean as much.

[Henry]

Do the bowls even mean anything anymore with all of the top prospects sitting out?

Playing in a bowl still means a lot. Winning a bowl doesn't mean as much.

Unless it's for the national championship, I suspect. IMO, to go undefeated all season and then lose in the title game would be meaningless; just ask the 2007 Patriots (and yes, I'm aware that I brought up an NFL team while making this argument).

[1995hoo]

Coaches value the extra weeks of practice they get when a team goes to a bowl.

[NWI_Irish96]

Do the bowls even mean anything anymore with all of the top prospects sitting out?

Playing in a bowl still means a lot. Winning a bowl doesn't mean as much.

Unless it's for the national championship, I suspect. IMO, to go undefeated all season and then lose in the title game would be meaningless; just ask the 2007 Patriots (and yes, I'm aware that I brought up an NFL team while making this argument).

Yeah, I was differentiating between playoff games and the rest of the bowls. Clearly the playoff holds more importance. Players on playoff teams don't skip the games to prepare for the draft. Players on teams going to bowl games do it regularly now.

[Henry]

As expected, we've seen a couple of bowls get cancelled due to COVID-19. If it threatens the playoffs, that would be even more devastating to the season.

[Roadgeekteen]

Half of Alabama's team gonna have "allergies"

[KeithE4Phx]

As expected, we've seen a couple of bowls get cancelled due to COVID-19. If it threatens the playoffs, that would be even more devastating to the season.

The Holiday Bowl has been canceled because UCLA doesn't have enough COVID-free players to field a team.

[NWI_Irish96]

As expected, we've seen a couple of bowls get cancelled due to COVID-19. If it threatens the playoffs, that would be even more devastating to the season.

Alabama and Georgia are both in the bottom six states in vaccination rates, so if either/both had to forfeit a semifinal game due to an outbreak it would be karma.

[ilpt4u]

As expected, we've seen a couple of bowls get cancelled due to COVID-19. If it threatens the playoffs, that would be even more devastating to the season.

Alabama and Georgia are both in the bottom six states in vaccination rates, so if either/both had to forfeit a semifinal game due to an outbreak it would be karma.

We all know ESPN, the SEC, and the CFP Committee won't let that happen

[KeithE4Phx]

As expected, we've seen a couple of bowls get cancelled due to COVID-19. If it threatens the playoffs, that would be even more devastating to the season.

Alabama and Georgia are both in the bottom six states in vaccination rates, so if either/both had to forfeit a semifinal game due to an outbreak it would be karma.

We all know ESPN, the SEC, and the CFP Committee won't let that happen

That possibility is covered.  Rescheduling has been factored into the schedules.  No way will the Championship games be cancelled, even if they conflict with the NFL playoffs.

[Roadgeekteen]

As expected, we've seen a couple of bowls get cancelled due to COVID-19. If it threatens the playoffs, that would be even more devastating to the season.

Alabama and Georgia are both in the bottom six states in vaccination rates, so if either/both had to forfeit a semifinal game due to an outbreak it would be karma.

But how vaccinated are the players?

[ET21]

Football took a big hit yesterday. John Madden passed at age 85, and locally in Chicago, the ESPN Bears reporter Jeff Dickerson died at age 42 from colon cancer.

[Henry]

Football took a big hit yesterday. John Madden passed at age 85, and locally in Chicago, the ESPN Bears reporter Jeff Dickerson died at age 42 from colon cancer.

Sad day for the football world, especially those who watched Madden break down plays to their simplest forms on TV and redefined the color analyst, and the younger generations who only know him through the video games that bear his name and are played nonstop well into the offseason. As for Dickerson, sadly I'm not all that familiar with him, even though I follow the Bears through the ESPN and NFL apps, but cancer is a terrible way to end a life, especially at a young age. However, they're now at peace as they've gone to the gridiron in the sky, along with Walter Payton, Brian Piccolo, Gale Sayers and George Halas.

[NWI_Irish96]

Football took a big hit yesterday. John Madden passed at age 85, and locally in Chicago, the ESPN Bears reporter Jeff Dickerson died at age 42 from colon cancer.

Even worse, Dickerson's wife died from cancer a couple years ago and now their 11 year old son has no parents left.