OT: Kenny Pickett sitting out the Peach Bowl

Submitted by Cousin Larry on December 16th, 2021 at 8:58 PM

Just announced.

Will ANY casual fan watch the Peach Bowl now?  Those two teams are barely mediocre without Walker and Pickett.

Michigan4Life

December 16th, 2021 at 9:01 PM ^

I don't blame any of the draft-eligible prospects sitting out for the bowl game since it's meaningless and essentially an exhibition game. They already have enough film for the NFL to grade them as a prospect, and there's a risk of them getting hurt in a bowl game. 

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mackbru

December 16th, 2021 at 9:12 PM ^

Agreed. The bowls games that aren't either playoffs or the big Jan. 1 matchups are almost completely pointless, and it's become clear that few people/players are invested in them. Expand the playoff field to 12, using all the usual top bowl sites, and ditch the rest. No one will miss the Poinsettia Bowl and the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

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Bill in Birmingham

December 17th, 2021 at 6:48 AM ^

But poor ESPN! What would they do for content between December 18 and January 1 at 9:30 AM. Seriously, I have never doubted a kid's decision to sit out an exhibition game since Jake got hurt. Twelve teams would make a game like this meaningful and 24 teams would have their kids playing. Brian Kelly might not coach, but his players would play....

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goblu307

December 17th, 2021 at 8:19 AM ^

I hate that line of thinking.  How is this an exhibition game when a win or loss goes against your overall record and final ranking at the end of the season?  With this rational shouldn't players who are NFL ready just start sitting out as soon as their team is out of contention for a championship?  The Peach Bowl is also a NY6 Bowl just like the Rose Bowl.  Would we have called going to the Rose Bowl an Exhibition game back in 03, 04, and 06, even though we didn't have a shot at the National Championship?

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Kevin13

December 17th, 2021 at 9:00 AM ^

I blame them for sitting out. The season is not done your team has one more game to play. Finish what you start and help the team and program win a bowl game.  No game is meaningless to a program and it’s selfish as a player to even say that. It’s just all about me anymore and this crap you could get hurt is also a selfish excuse.  It’s sad to see what’s happening to college football anymore 

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redjugador24

December 17th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^

I certainly understand this perspective, but where does it stop?  Should elite players quit in week 8 if their team has 2 losses and has been eliminated from the playoffs?  Essentially, all games after that point are "meaningless exhibitions" that carry injury risk, right?  

From a selfish fan's perspective, I wish their was a way to put an end to this and require the guys to play in their bowl games.  I know this has been discussed ad nauseum here in the past, but maybe now with NIL deals there will be financial incentive for stud players to finish their season?  

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Robbie Moore

December 16th, 2021 at 9:13 PM ^

NFL scouts have seen all the college tape they need to. Now its on to the combines, interviews and private workouts. Nothing to prove at the Peach Bowl. Nothing to gain...everything to lose.

With the advent of the playoff system all these other bowls are purely exhibition games and the smart programs use them to get 15 days practice and a game for next years players. Nobody cares anymore about who wins (insert bowl game here).

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Malarkey

December 17th, 2021 at 6:35 AM ^

Everyone is in agreement that bowl games are meaningless exhibition games 
 

it’s commonplace and acceptable by all parties to sit out bowl games for this reason

nobody has ever tried to argue that playoff games are meaningless. I really think it would be perceived as a red flag

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gm1234

December 17th, 2021 at 8:39 AM ^

I would bet the senior that knows he’s not going to the NFL and that the bowl game will be their last game doesn’t see it as meaningless. And I would bet that a lot of coaches/teammates don’t see it as acceptable, but what else are they going to say if asked about it? You’re not going to roast a teammate or player. It is what it is, the players have to make the best decision for themselves. I would bet if you took an anonymous poll it wouldn’t show 100% support either direction

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denardogasm

December 16th, 2021 at 10:21 PM ^

I can see both sides and it's a very personal decision, but I'm on the side of everyone should play in the bowl.  I could make the argument that the bowl is really no different than the final game against PSU for the Spartans. They were out of the playoff and out of the Big Ten title race already, and were even locked into the third place position, so that game was really an exhibition too.  So why did Walker play that game? Why not just view it as a 13 game season? You just don't know the final opponent.  Saying the bowl game is the expendable game of the 13 is pretty arbitrary most of the time unless it truly comes down to the last conference game like it did for UM and OSU.

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rice4114

December 16th, 2021 at 11:55 PM ^

The echo chamber can spin the same thing day in and day out in every thread “bowl games are a meaningless game” “its just exhibition” but honestly can you tell me what the fuck schools are playing for after a second loss? 

Give me a Peach bowl win over a Youngstown state win any day.

Ill take a Peach bowl win over a 10 win sparty team any day over a loss to WMU. 
 

If the best 25% of bowls are meaningless wtf is a 78-0 win over Rutgers? You guys have to turn off the ESPN morning programming. You get 120 teams a year playing 12-13 games a year why does the finale in a bowl mean less than your worst 3-5 games on the schedule? It doesnt but when something is repeated over and over it will be a GOT damn miracle if it ever stops being repeated. 

 

 

 

 

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berto714

December 17th, 2021 at 4:27 AM ^

I was thinking the same thing. How is the bowl game any more meaningless than any of the games that, say, Wisconsin played after week 3 this year? Or Clemson after week 4? I guess those teams could still win their conference but if the logic is that no bowls matter other than the CFP matter then all top draft prospects should just stop playing once their team is out of the running. 

That being said, I'm not sure where I fall on this debate. I still understand why players do it, and the bowls are largely a joke. 

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Ronswanson13

December 16th, 2021 at 9:09 PM ^

This is one of the great things about making the playoffs. Don’t have to worry about your best players not playing. I’m not arguing that they should play in games like the Peach Bowl when they’re likely to be drafted fairly high, just that it’s selfishly nice as a fan not to have to worry about it.

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Richard75

December 16th, 2021 at 11:22 PM ^

Now that seems unlikely. That’s essentially saying that team goals are meaningless—that players will shut it down once their draft position is secure.

Let’s take that logic a step further: Could you see future M and OSU stars sitting out The Game? I mean, if their first-round status is secure, why play?

Yes, players are becoming more protective of their individual interests, and that may manifest itself in unforeseen ways. But if a championship is at stake, healthy players will want to see that through. They’ve put in a *ton* of work to reach that point; it isn’t meaningless to them.

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NittanyFan

December 16th, 2021 at 9:13 PM ^

I don't blame the players. 

Conversely, both teams had seasons worthy of celebration and a top-tier Bowl.  But with the opt-outs, this top-tier Bowl is now just a glorified Pinstripe Bowl.

Is what it is.

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jerseyblue

December 16th, 2021 at 9:23 PM ^

I remember when Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffery sat out of their bowl games and started this trend. Talking heads were saying to relax because these guys are special cases because they are running backs and have the highest chance for injury. It's not going to become a thing. Wrong. I don't blame the players at all but these non-playoff bowl games now are pointless. 

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