Nick Saban:

 

"I think when we created the playoff, which all of you wanted to do and all of you wanted to make it four teams, and now all of you want to make it eight teams, and then pretty soon all you guys are going to want to make it 16 teams, the only focus is on the playoff," Saban said. "But when we all started this, however many years ago it was, I said that you're going to diminish the importance of other bowl games in college football, which has happened. All anybody talks about is the playoff. We have a whole bunch of other bowl games that people don't think are all that important. So if you don't think it's important, all of a sudden the players don't think it's important. So you can't really blame the players.

 

"We created this. We created this. It used to be to go to the Rose Bowl, when you played in the Big 10, that was the ultimate experience you could have. When you played in the SEC, going to the Sugar Bowl was that same thing and when you played in the Big 12, it was going to the Orange Bowl. Those things don't exist anymore. We have a playoff and everybody is interested in the playoff. Nobody is interested in anything else. So now that that's trickled down to the players, how could you blame the players for that? I can't blame the players for that."

 

Nick Saban blames advent of CFP for players choosing to skip bowl games | AL.com

In the "Beating a Dead Horse" Category and in celebrating Festivus.... here is your old school bowl slate.......

 

Sugar : Alabama vs. Ohio State (defacto National Championship game)

Rose: Washington vs. Penn State

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Clemson

Cotton: Texas A & M or Houston(bottom has dropped out on old SWC) vs. Michigan

Fiesta: USC vs. Wisconsin or Florida State

Cheif, I am with you.

 

12 game seasons (needed for mega conferences), conference championship games (that now apparently do not matter), focus on nothing but playoffs, and now players sode stepping bowls (for good reasons).

Getting this out early so as not to interfere with any Festivus activities later in the month....

 

Sugar : Alabama vs. Notre Dame

Rose: Washington vs. Ohio State

Orange: Oklahoma vs. Clemson

Cotton: Texas vs. Georgia

Fiesta: Michigan vs. UCF

 

Back in the old days, the bowls meant more and all the good players played. Coach Saban is correct, the playoffs have diminished the value of the bowls. If great players skip bowls, don't be mad at the players. Be mad at the adults that set this up.

 

Looks like a great New Year's Day!

 

Nick Saban on players skipping the bowl games. The playoffs have diminished the importance of the bowl games. If a players chooses to skip a bowl game... don't blame the players. Blame those that set up the current system.

I think players sitting out bowl games was going to happen no matter what...just a sign of the times. Once one player did it, the flood games opened. I cannot blame the kids for doing it either.

I think players sitting out bowl games was going to happen no matter what...just a sign of the times. Once one player did it, the flood games opened. I cannot blame the kids for doing it either.

This. The playoffs have not affected the other bowl games one bit. They mean just as much (or little) today as they did 30 20 years ago.

I think players sitting out bowl games was going to happen no matter what...just a sign of the times. Once one player did it, the flood games opened. I cannot blame the kids for doing it either.

 

Yep. I don’t think it would be any different under the old system. If Bowl game wasn’t involved in the National Title, I still think players would be sitting out. Way too much money on the line for players headed to the NFL. I still think it’s absurd that so many meaningless games are played a month or more after the season ends.

I believe if we still had the old bowl system and no playoff, even more players would be sitting out.

This. The playoffs have not affected the other bowl games one bit. They mean just as much (or little) today as they did 30 20 years ago.

 

They meant more back then because there were so few of them, 30 years ago. More than half the teams playing did not play in bowls like they do, now. There were 18 bowl games in 1987-88. 36 of 104 D1-A teams played in bowl games, 35%. Texas had the worst record of all the bowl teams that year, 7-5. The rest were 8-4 or better.

 

There were 40 bowl games last year consisting of 80 teams from 130 D1-A programs. 62% of the teams in the FBS division played in bowl games. They barely had enough teams with none losing records to complete the pool.

They meant more back then because there were so few of them, 30 years ago. More than half the teams playing did not play in bowls like they do, now. There were 18 bowl games in 1987-88. 36 of 104 D1-A teams played in bowl games, 35%. Texas had the worst record of all the bowl teams that year, 7-5. The rest were 8-4 or better.

 

There were 40 bowl games last year consisting of 80 teams from 130 D1-A programs. 62% of the teams in the FBS division played in bowl games. They barely had enough teams with none losing records to complete the pool.

But the playoffs have nothing to do with that. And ultimately bowls don't mean anything unless it is for a NT.

They meant more back then because there were so few of them, 30 years ago. More than half the teams playing did not play in bowls like they do, now. There were 18 bowl games in 1987-88. 36 of 104 D1-A teams played in bowl games, 35%. Texas had the worst record of all the bowl teams that year, 7-5. The rest were 8-4 or better.

 

There were 40 bowl games last year consisting of 80 teams from 130 D1-A programs. 62% of the teams in the FBS division played in bowl games. They barely had enough teams with none losing records to complete the pool.

 

Nick Saban explained it best, so I'm not going to repeat it. Before the playoffs, before the BCS, the bowl games may not have meant anything to you, but they certainly did to most everybody else. Attendance prove it. Ratings prove it. I agree that they are meaningless, now, and so watered down they are unwatchable.

2020:

 

Sugar Bowl (New Year's Eve-like the early 70s) LSU (SEC) vs. Wisconsin

 

Cotton Bowl ( January 1st, Noon) Baylor (former SWC member) vs. Georgia.

 

Rose Bowl (January 1st, 4 pm) Oregon (Pac 12) vs. Ohio St. (Big Ten)

 

Orange Bowl ( January 1st, 8 pm) Clemson (ACC) vs. Oklahoma (from old Big 8).

 

3 games would have national championship implications.

 

 

Coach Saban's thoughts:

2020:

 

Sugar Bowl (New Year's Eve-like the early 70s) LSU (SEC) vs. Wisconsin

 

Cotton Bowl ( January 1st, Noon) Baylor (former SWC member) vs. Georgia.

 

Rose Bowl (January 1st, 4 pm) Oregon (Pac 12) vs. Ohio St. (Big Ten)

 

Orange Bowl ( January 1st, 8 pm) Clemson (ACC) vs. Oklahoma (from old Big 8).

 

3 games would have national championship implications.

 

 

Coach Saban's thoughts:

 

And nothing would be settled :lol2:.

 

LSU, Clemson and Ohio State would have all won in dominating fashion. Clemson beating the highest ranked opponent and being defending champs would have probably gotten the poll votes and the title. Best cast would have been a split title but even then Ohio State or LSU would have been left out.

2020:

 

Sugar Bowl (New Year's Eve-like the early 70s) LSU (SEC) vs. Wisconsin

 

Cotton Bowl ( January 1st, Noon) Baylor (former SWC member) vs. Georgia.

 

Rose Bowl (January 1st, 4 pm) Oregon (Pac 12) vs. Ohio St. (Big Ten)

 

Orange Bowl ( January 1st, 8 pm) Clemson (ACC) vs. Oklahoma (from old Big 8).

 

3 games would have national championship implications.

 

 

Coach Saban's thoughts:

 

Ew, that would have been awful games to see. The closest game there would have been the Georgia vs Baylor matchup and that game really wasn’t even that close. Not to mention we would have ended the season with 3 undefeated teams, and never knowing who the true National Champ was.

 

I’m sorry but that system was horrible.