Do Bowl Sites Matter?
Jim Delaney said it was important to keep a big ten presence in the state of Texas. So now the big ten is in the Houston Bowl, and playing a game in the cotton bowl. The theory is having a presence at bowl sites helps in recruiting that local.
Does it? Michigan has gotten some recruits lately out of Texas. When was the last time UofM played in the Alamo Bowl. There are all sorts of anecdotal evidence one way or the other. Certainly there is a way to obtain statistical evidence one way or the other. How would one go about doing that? What should the parameters be in figuring out the significance of bowl sites in recruiting? Coming up with an accurate assesment will take someone smarter and more patient than me. Lastly, if there is statistical evidence that shows bowl sites matter, how can the big ten take advantage?
October 16th, 2009 at 10:29 AM ^
the home base.
... Oh, not that?
October 16th, 2009 at 10:31 AM ^
I don't care. Bring M to Texas and i get to go see em!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:26 PM ^
This point is just as big as the recruiting point. There are a lot of Big Ten alumni in Texas, and this gets them a chance to see their teams on occasion. The BigTen hardly ever travels to Texas. The only non-bowl I can think of lately is OSU at Texas.
Case in point: Michigan has NEVER played a regular season game in the state of Texas. We've played UT once in the Rose Bowl. We've played TAMU three times, twice at home, once in the Alamo Bowl. We've played SMU once at home, Houston, Rice, and Baylor twice at home. The way it looks, we'll never play a regular season game here in Texas. Why not get some bowl games down here for the alumni to see?
October 16th, 2009 at 10:33 AM ^
last time was 2005-06 season and resulted in this
October 16th, 2009 at 10:38 AM ^
I remember that game, I remember being really upset with the officials. (more than usual anyway) They were from some small podunk conference and seemed unable to deal with the speed of big time football. After this game, didn't Lloyd start pushing for replay?
October 16th, 2009 at 10:52 AM ^
There was replay in that game, Lloyd just had to use a bunch of timeouts to get them to review stuff. The sun belt refs were horrible that game. I remember Steve Breaston getting rocked on punt returns and losing the ball a couple times, and they were obvious interference penalties, but the Sun Belt guys didn't call them.
October 16th, 2009 at 11:24 AM ^
Yeah, you are right. thanks for the correction on having replay already.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:55 AM ^
The refs were from the Sun Belt Conference. I also remember being pissed at the refs for a while after that game. I still dislike all Sun Belt teams for the same reason.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:54 AM ^
There's a special place in hell for Sun Belt officials.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:55 AM ^
They were from the Sun Belt. Herbstreit (who did color) mocked them a few times. They were completely inconsistent when it came to pass interference, among other things.
BTW, replay already existed by this time. (In the ND game that year, we had a TD overturned on replay.)
October 16th, 2009 at 10:53 AM ^
Sadness...yep those refs definitely sucked, I remember that too.
October 16th, 2009 at 12:42 PM ^
Why did you have to post this!!!! Flip it to breaston flip it to breaston what are you doing flip it to breaston. God Damn it we could have won if you just flipped it to breaston
October 16th, 2009 at 10:48 AM ^
See: Jarrett Irons.
Although, now that Mack Brown OWNS Texas, and all other schools only get the table scraps he allows, is it really that smart of us to risk valuable recruiting resources when we could be getting that next (2-)star DT from Ironwood that St Mark DAntonio is targeting???
October 16th, 2009 at 10:57 AM ^
Yeah, well consider Darryl Stonum and tell me if all we're getting is the scraps from Texas's efforts. Besides, we're Michigan; kids grow up wanting to wear the winged helmet! It is our duty to find these recruits from whereever they are and bring them to the light.
October 16th, 2009 at 11:08 AM ^
Michigan gets recruits from across the country. I was just mocking the "Mack Brown gets all good recruits" meme that is in the e-internets...
October 16th, 2009 at 10:59 AM ^
Even if you compiled a bunch a numbers that told you how many (if any) recruits we got from TX or FL after playing bowl games in those states, I'm not sure that would tell you anything anyway. Players are recruited, and often commit, long before bowl season is decided upon. Perhaps playing a bowl in a certain place ends up being the deciding factor for a recruit who is on the fence....IF he gets to go to it. Just because we play in a bowl game in Tampa doesn't mean a kid we're recruiting from Miami area can actually get there to see it.
If you played a FL bowl game year after year after year... never playing anywhere else, then you suddenly started boosting the number of FL recruits, then a correlation seems more obvious. But bowl games are scattered. Our bowl of choice, of course, is in Pasadena.
I think even if you put together the numbers for the past 100 years, the only way you'd find out if playing the bowl in a recruit's home state made a difference, would be to ask him.
October 16th, 2009 at 11:44 AM ^
but a bowl game might have an impression on juniors and underclassmen. Also, its not just the 3.5 hrs of the game, but added coverage / exposure for the arrival, special events and practices leading up to the game.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:54 PM ^
Although I think the OP was trying to get at some method of determining if the impact of a bowl game on recruiting could actually be quantified.
One thing I'm sure we'd all agree on.... playing a bowl game in TX or FL or (insert recruiting hotbed here) certainly doesn't hurt us!
October 16th, 2009 at 11:10 AM ^
ecker ran out of bounds, could have pitched it too the guy behind, the middle of the field was wide open. oh well
October 16th, 2009 at 11:14 AM ^
I was at that game. It was the second worst game i have ever been a part of (first Toledo). i couldnt believe what i just saw. I sat there for 10 minutes after the game hoping to get some clarification. Remember the Ref's ran off the field before the play was over. Ecker pitch the fickin ball to Breaston who was right behind you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 16th, 2009 at 11:15 AM ^
its first Alamo bowl vs Texas A&M and I specifically remember the M coaches saying being in Texas really helped their ability to recruit the state.
So it can't hurt to play in Texas, and exposure outside your home area can't be a bad thing.
October 16th, 2009 at 11:42 AM ^
Fucking Nebraska