1 hour ago, Jumper_Dad said:

FSU not withstanding, there have been some very enjoyable bowl games this week.

But take no meaning from them. The teams playing in these side bowls are different teams than what we saw in the regular season.

Bowl games outside of whatever playoff system is active are no longer salvageable.  We'll have more meaningful games next year thanks to 12 teams being up, but still, outside of that, we'll see the same problems. 

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

But take no meaning from them. The teams playing in these side bowls are different teams than what we saw in the regular season.

I agree to an extent. Some teams (read players) are much more invested in winning than others. 

Coaches absolutely are all about getting the wins in bowl games.  So you still get a feel for what a team was like and capable of.

1 hour ago, Jumper_Dad said:

I agree to an extent. Some teams (read players) are much more invested in winning than others. 

Coaches absolutely are all about getting the wins in bowl games.  So you still get a feel for what a team was like and capable of.

Regardless of being invested in winning, almost all these teams are missing key players, some teams are missing a lot.