OT: Kenny Pickett sitting out the Peach Bowl
Will ANY casual fan watch the Peach Bowl now? Those two teams are barely mediocre without Walker and Pickett.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:52 PM ^
No bowl official is going to willingly give up money, especially not to a player.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:51 PM ^
ah!!! coach, i think i pulled a hammy. don't think i can go today.
December 17th, 2021 at 12:08 AM ^
Since NIL can't be performance-based, i would assume that includes the inability to require an athlete to play in certain games.
Also, even if rules change, NIL is a free market of sorts, and I have to believe that the market would wipe any such requirement out - i.e. if other sponsors are not requiring playing in a meaningless bowl game, then why would a star athlete (and these are the stars, with lots of NIL options already) sign on with a sponsor that does require playing is such game.
Basically, i don't think that will be a thing. Nor should it.
December 16th, 2021 at 11:23 PM ^
The only time a bowl game has ever not been meaningless is when a team had a legit claim for a title by winning or won the CFP…Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, etc were always meaningless depending on the year…
December 17th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
All those painful Michigan losses in the Rose Bowl say it was never meaningless.
December 16th, 2021 at 9:29 PM ^
I wouldn't play either. No need to risk it
December 16th, 2021 at 11:44 PM ^
Plus, it’s a nice way to say you don’t give a shit about your team or your teammates
December 16th, 2021 at 9:31 PM ^
I wouldn't play either. No need to risk it
December 16th, 2021 at 9:33 PM ^
Not sure how possible it is but if I was a coach I would consider playing walk-ons, bench players, freshman who wouldn’t burn a year, etc. Reward those kids for all the work they put in during the season.
December 16th, 2021 at 9:34 PM ^
Dumb for players to play. I still wonder if Peppers pulled out of his last game and Harbaugh gave him the injury cover because he understood.
The bowl games are now stupid. They are the NIT but with huge injury risk.
Expand the playoffs and dump the lower bowls. Or keep them and understand they are exhibition games.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:01 PM ^
Do the bowls represent a greater risk of injury than any other game or practice?
December 16th, 2021 at 10:32 PM ^
No they don't.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:15 PM ^
I will never understand this shitty ass, dumbfuck take. What is it about Jabrill Peppers that makes you think he would quit on the game? That he would quit on his teammates? That he would stretch and try to go just before the game, faking the pain on his face and the limping. And do it all well enough to fake out his teammates, coaches, and trainers? Let alone all of the support personnel around the team and fans at the stadium. And all of this without one single person - teammate, coach, trainer, family, whatever - spilling it out, either inadvertently or intentionally? Especially after Jake Butt lost his knee playing that game?
Conspiracies are for idiotic assholes.
December 17th, 2021 at 8:25 AM ^
Pretty nasty… We need less of this here.
Harbaugh banishing Peppers to the press box is enough to make some people wonder.
December 17th, 2021 at 8:49 AM ^
They released the practice video where he got hurt. If I recall correctly, it was during an onside kick drill. Unless, you know, you think they planned all of that ahead of time and faked that too.
You're talking about a guy who hurt his hand punching something (glass, I think?) after losing The Game a year prior and also missed the bowl game. Is it that hard to believe he was a bit out of sorts after not being able to go and Harbaugh decided he was better off in the press box?
December 16th, 2021 at 9:35 PM ^
Imagine spending a couple thousand to go see this trash game
December 16th, 2021 at 9:37 PM ^
In 1980 (which was a pretty good year for Michigan fans) there was a total of 15 bowl games.
In 2021 (which was also a pretty good year for Michigan fans) there are 41 bowl games, and this doesn't include the playoff games.
December 16th, 2021 at 9:48 PM ^
Yep all the bowl games used to be major games and significant events before the final AP poll.
Now anything outside the playoff games excites me less than a non-conference basketball game.
December 16th, 2021 at 9:40 PM ^
I would like to announce that I am opting out of watching this game. While it was hard a decision, I hope everyone respects it and I will be turning my attention to watching literally anything more entertaining, such as a Golden Girls marathon.
December 16th, 2021 at 9:51 PM ^
I understand it, yet I hate it.
Honestly, I have a potential solution.
What if ESPN just paid them? Think about it. The ratings are going to take a NOSE DIVE with the 2 players people want to see sitting out.
What if ESPN gave them $100k each to play. Maybe that's too much, but whatever made sense when you look at the massive ratings bump they'd get. I don't know what that equates to, but I feel like it's worth something. Just use some of that money and give it to the guys to play. Some might take it.
Granted, everyone would threaten to sit to get a payday, so nevermind. We're fucked.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:19 PM ^
ESPN doesn't give a rats ass about the ratings - advertisers have already paid the fees...
December 16th, 2021 at 11:12 PM ^
Huh?
Of course they do...how do you think they sell it the next time?
That makes no sense.
If people watch, there is value, the more value they have, the more money they'll make.
That's part of how advertising works, lol...you show the data of where you've been, make a prediction on where you'll be, and try to sell the space.
If no one watches, the value goes down.
December 16th, 2021 at 11:14 PM ^
Lol the ratings directly affect how much they can charge for ads next year
edit: MaizeBlue beat me to it
December 16th, 2021 at 9:56 PM ^
I really wanted to watch this game, I was honestly looking forward to a solid matchup.
Just like the OSU/Utah, ND/Okie St. and Ole Miss/Baylor matchups.
They did a great job pairing the NY6 bowls this year. But if the best players aren't going to play, that's definitely ruins it for me.
I was always against a 16-team playoff...but at this point, I say go to 16 and eliminate half of the bowls. I'm joking (I still hate 16), but this is just unfortunate.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:01 PM ^
That’s too bad. He probably would’ve thrown for a kilometer against the sparty pass defense. Hopefully whomever is his backup can do the same.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:03 PM ^
I live in Atlanta and go to the Peach Bowl every year, so this kind of sucks for me…at least the game is a CFP semi-final next year
December 16th, 2021 at 10:10 PM ^
Damn, that would've been a fun game if they hadn't opted out. I'm especially surprised that Pickett is opting out, considering that its been a long time since Pitt has made it to a bowl that big. Would've been a great way for them to finish off their season by winning a Peach Bowl. Really disappointing that college football has become this. Ruins the bowl season.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:26 PM ^
I agree this ruins some of the bowl season. Understand the player's side too. I would have watched Peach Bowl on TV if it mattered to the best players enough to play in it. Won't now. Disappointed for everyone involved. Imagine it will impact travel plans of the fans too. Still hope Pickett changes his mind.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:20 PM ^
The Peach Bowl should knock $250k off of the schools payouts per each player that sits. Nothing says I ain’t here to play school like ditching your team. College football is turning to shit. Free agency is going to ruin it just like it did pro sports. Remember the Big Red Machine from 1970’s? That will never happen again. The 70’s Steelers? Done. Half of those teams would have jumped shipped to the highest bidder. What’s to stop TAMU offering JJ $3mil in NIL cash to be their QB next year? Nothing. It will start happening unless this garbage is reined in. Oliver Martin is on his third school in 3 years. Ridiculous. And for those who are going argue that these guys should get paid, they have been and don’t kid yourself into believing they haven’t.
December 17th, 2021 at 8:19 AM ^
New England Patriots? Never happened. Golden State Warriors? Not possible.
They were paid a pittance relative to their worth. Not worried though. We’ll both keep watching.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:22 PM ^
I don't give a rat's ass about the Peach Bowl, but I am concerned about the slippery slope sit-out trend. It is no longer just mid-tier bowl games. Now it's NY6 bowl games. And it's not going to stop there.
Even though I don't like it, I'm not naive. It's a business decision.
But if you are the type of player that increasingly views college football as just trade school for the NFL, you are going to do a little mental calculus and ask yourself this question: "What is the minimum number of college football games I can play that still maximizes my NFL draft status?"
That answer does not end with just bowl games for some guys. With NFL $$$ on the line, does the college Playoff even mean anything? Why take the risk?
If I've already proven myself to the NFL, why even play in The Game or the Iron Bowl or Bedlam?
It may be naive, but as a college football fan you hope that there is more to it than just a business decision.
December 16th, 2021 at 11:21 PM ^
Isn’t this what the last Bosa brother did at Ohio state?
December 16th, 2021 at 11:42 PM ^
I mean with Brian Kelly getting 10M a year or so and flaking on his team, I think "trade school for the NFL" makes a whole bunch more sense than any other alternative. Didn't we all go to school to learn a trade?
December 16th, 2021 at 10:23 PM ^
No way was he playing. Stroud put up ridiculous numbers in one half and if he struggles the draft stock tumbles!
December 16th, 2021 at 10:23 PM ^
Well shit. Was looking to make a bunch of easy coin by betting on the over for Pitts total points.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:37 PM ^
Who is going to be the first player to sit out the College Football Playoff?
You know it's coming.
December 16th, 2021 at 10:54 PM ^
Somebody will probably do it at some point, but it'll be a rarity. It's one thing to opt out of a meaningless bowl game, but ditching your teammates when your team has the chance to reach immortality by winning the national championship? That just reflects really poorly on your character and that in itself could make NFL GMs think twice.
December 16th, 2021 at 11:00 PM ^
I'll agree. I don't think a competitive player would want to sit out a playoff or a conference championship.
Most of the bowls are meaningless exhibitions that schools only agree to play to get the practices in. There's no harm in letting your younger teammates have more playing time if the game has no special meaning to you as your last college game.
December 16th, 2021 at 11:19 PM ^
I don't think that Pitt has played in a New Year's Day bowl game of this stature since the '80s. It's a big deal to Pickett's school and to his teammates.
It is not a meaningless game at all. But he is still sitting it out.
December 16th, 2021 at 11:57 PM ^
Agree. But is it worth risking millions due to potential injury? You can argue that the same held in prior games, but the acc champ likely holds a lot more long term cache than “won an ny6 bowl”. Also there’s something about being just one game away from the paycheck that changes the mental and emotional calculus
December 16th, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^
Good luck getting the mob to listen to reason. Its no Western Michigan.
December 16th, 2021 at 11:03 PM ^
So now we get to see their backup qb shred staee's pass defense.......
December 16th, 2021 at 11:18 PM ^
Man, the betting line has been jumping around more than our Oline at Camp Randell
December 17th, 2021 at 5:11 AM ^
Camp Randall or Camp Randle-El?
December 16th, 2021 at 11:57 PM ^
Easy to see that bowl games not doing the CFP are going to struggle in the future. Likely increasing the pressure for a larger CFP pool.
December 17th, 2021 at 1:00 AM ^
Due to picking up a new sponsor, it will now be called the 'Del Monte Lite Peach Halves Bowl"
December 17th, 2021 at 3:10 AM ^
Ticket prices are now under $20 and still dropping.
December 17th, 2021 at 6:48 AM ^
Will any casual fan watch any of the owl games? Outside of the playoffs who cares?
December 17th, 2021 at 7:01 AM ^
I would watch the hell out of owl games.
December 17th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
Rice versus Temple. Meh.