On one hand, I get it. Look at our own Jaylon Smith, whose injury in the '16 Fiesta Bowl caused him to fall from a high first round pick to being selected by Dallas in the second round, costing him a pretty penny. On the other hand, it sucks as a fan when guys who have helped carry you all season opt out, lessening your chances of winning. As an Irish fan, I'm 99.9% resigned to Mayer-a likely 1st rounder-& Foskey-probably a 2nd rounder-not suiting up for ND in the Gator Bowl.
Throw in the transfer portal-Pyne, who has driven me loco at times this fall, entered it & thus won't be playing for the Irish-in 2022 & it makes the game seem a lot less meaningful. And yes, 'WGAF SF? It's a meaningless bowl game. They're not playing in the CFP.' Yes, I understand that, but it is always nice to end a season with a W & build some momentum going into the following season.
Maybe I'm just getting old & am nostalgic for the era when guys competed in bowl games for one last college memory with the guys in their locker room who they've grown to see as brothers. Or maybe I'm transitioning into the 'Get off my lawn!' stage as a college football fan, Haha.
I think players who don't opt out avoid questions about it in the draft process and probably get graded a little higher in leadership by drafting teams so there is something to be said about the benefits of playing.
Sitting out a bowl game is quaint by comparison
For the guys playing in the Make Believe Car Insurance Bowl -- good for them. No one should ever be asked to put their career on the line for an exhibition after their collegiate season is over.
Personal decision but I would want to play for a national championship. Not in the playoffs its the NFL Pro Bowl.
If you are a good player in the F4 games, I would hope you would play because it's a chance to win a national title. But there is a lot of risk with injury, and I completely understand the decision to opt-out of those, too.
Coaches leave without a second thought to how it impacts players they recruited, administrators get paid hundreds of thousands if not millions and don't give a shit about the players, I'd like for the players to play but if they opt out I support them.
I don't think so either. It didn't impact Jameson Williamson last year. He still went in the upper first round. But what if his injury was an Achilles instead of the knee? Do you think he still goes the same spot at #12?
Because I have a feeling a high prospect is going to suffer a major injury in the F4 and then it's going to more opt-outs will creep in. It's inevitable.
Alternatively, if they want to play one less game couldn’t they choose a game that’s a complete mismatch and sit that out and play in a nationally televised Bowl game instead?
Yes he did. I felt bad for Fromm losing his blindside support for his final game when every game counts towards him getting drafted.
Time to get paid.
Don't blame Mayer Foskey or Patterson if they choose to not play.
Of course figuring all of that out would not be easy. Where was a player likely to be drafted? What is the value? How much did they lose due to the injury?
I am happy college players are taking back control, they have been used for too many years.
He has an injured hamstring and has barely played this year.
These kids have helped make 100's of million dollars for their schools over 3-4 years. The schools cannot take a faux moralistic attitude about it and claim the players owe them anything.
Why? Any player headed for the NFL more than paid for his scholarship, and then some. Not to mention the boost in recruiting that player, playing in the NFL, gives the program.
I can see how teams would positively view a player who does play successfully without getting hurt without holding it against players that do opt to sit out.
I do think if a player made a business decision and opts out of the playoffs it may raise eyebrows around the league, but doubt it would seriously effect someone's draft position.
But the players should damned well do what's best for themselves.
Treat it like a marketplace. Let the bowl sponsor pay them to play in the game. And if they're still opting out in droves, pay more - you haven't hit the number yet.
And if you need to pay so much that you can't turn a profit, then sadly the Cheez-It Bowl just shouldn't be a thing.
Alternatively, if they want to play one less game couldn’t they choose a game that’s a complete mismatch and sit that out and play in a nationally televised Bowl game instead?
Players already do this. Nick Bosa and our own Kayvon come to mind. Both involved injury both on the whole prospects of making multi millions in the NFL will always trump unpaid amateur level play. Always.
Schools need to insert language in college football athletic scholarships that skipping a CFP bowl when healthy and declaring for the draft makes the player on the hook for a portion of their tuition.
Schools need to insert language in college football athletic scholarships that skipping a CFP bowl when healthy and declaring for the draft makes the player on the hook for a portion of their tuition.
This would have zero impact. Players sitting out are likely going Round 3 or better in the NFL draft. They could pay all student debt with just a fraction of their signing bonus alone. There is no way that a player on his way to making multi-millions will ever play in a meaningless amateur game. This is free market economics in a nutshell.
I agree. The fans may be sore about it, but that's life. And it's the players' life and livelihood at stake.