ACC Bowl Action

WreckinGT

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The problem with saying that the game is completely pointless is that it *isn't* since CFB is still heavily influenced by human pollsters and media. There's gonna be blowback for this in terms of how people perceive FSU at the start of next year. And everyone who opted out to transfer out may well end up in a worse spot anyway, so there truly is a lot to lose for both program and players - both on the field and in the portal - even without there being an official championship trophy at stake.
Why does their perception even matter at the beginning of the year? In reality, the only thing that matters is winning the ACC. Otherwise they aren't making the playoffs. The ranking of any ACC teams is meaningless with the new playoff format.
 

L41k18

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Seems as if the players FSU have today can't compete with Ga's 2nd & 3rd team, let alone their starters.
 

Root4GT

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I'm feeling good about starting 1-0 in Ireland
It will be interesting to see how the "mercenary" mentality plays out in college football. Kids who have NFL potential, that were paid to leave their school and play elsewhere, what kind of loyalty do they really have to a team they've been with for a year? They've already been paid to play that year, so do they really want to risk injury and NFL money to play in a meaningless bowl game with guys they barely know?

Look at QB Sam Hartman. By all reports, he's a high character guy who was adored by his teammates at Wake Forest. Notre Dame famously paid him (a reported) $1million+ to play for them this season. He opted out of playing at the Sun Bowl but still showed up and watched from the sidelines.
Do NFL teams have loyalty to players. They better not or they will be constant losers. Once a player can be replaced by a cheaper player the change happens for over 60% of NFL rosters.

Loyalty is not important in professional sports. We’re the Braves and Freddy loyal? Did it hurt either?
 

cpf2001

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Why does their perception even matter at the beginning of the year? In reality, the only thing that matters is winning the ACC. Otherwise they aren't making the playoffs. The ranking of any ACC teams is meaningless with the new playoff format.
Let's say the last spot came down to, say, FSU and OkSt, each with a loss or two. You don't think their relative rankings would be different if FSU had beaten UGA than if they got steamrolled?

Not very likely, sure, but it wasn't likely that they'd go undefeated but suffer an injury to their star QB, either - you never know when the beauty pageant parts are gonna matter, and them looking like crap today is going to be absolutely relevant to ACC teams next year.
 

WreckinGT

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Let's say the last spot came down to, say, FSU and OkSt, each with a loss or two. You don't think their relative rankings would be different if FSU had beaten UGA than if they got steamrolled?

Not very likely, sure, but it wasn't likely that they'd go undefeated but suffer an injury to their star QB, either - you never know when the beauty pageant parts are gonna matter, and them looking like crap today is going to be absolutely relevant to ACC teams next year.
I mean, did you see what the committee thinks of the ACC? No matter what happened today, there is no chance the ACC gets more than one team in the playoffs next year or going forward. Winning the ACC championship is all that matters.
 

cpf2001

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I mean, did you see what the committee thinks of the ACC? No matter what happened today, there is no chance the ACC gets more than one team in the playoffs next year or going forward. Winning the ACC championship is all that matters.
🤷‍♂️ I'm gonna file this in the same bucket as the "UGA is getting in the playoffs even if they lose the SECCG" comments I read on here earlier this year.

But here's the juicy part - you are saying the ACC has a perception problem. And I'm not disagreeing - I'm saying that the point of the so-called "pointless" game FSU didn't bother with today was perception. You can't change the perception if you don't start to change the results. And for FSU, they're also shooting their "we are so much better than the rest of the ACC" PR campaign in the foot majestically.

It's like the saying about planting a tree. The best time for FSU to improve the perception would've been five years ago. The second-best time is today.
 

stinger78

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It will be interesting to see how the "mercenary" mentality plays out in college football. Kids who have NFL potential, that were paid to leave their school and play elsewhere, what kind of loyalty do they really have to a team they've been with for a year? They've already been paid to play that year, so do they really want to risk injury and NFL money to play in a meaningless bowl game with guys they barely know?

Look at QB Sam Hartman. By all reports, he's a high character guy who was adored by his teammates at Wake Forest. Notre Dame famously paid him (a reported) $1million+ to play for them this season. He opted out of playing at the Sun Bowl but still showed up and watched from the sidelines.
It would be interesting to know how much a “we’ll tank their bowl” mentality drove all the FSU sit-outs.
 

Techster

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Do NFL teams have loyalty to players. They better not or they will be constant losers. Once a player can be replaced by a cheaper player the change happens for over 60% of NFL rosters.

Loyalty is not important in professional sports. We’re the Braves and Freddy loyal? Did it hurt either?

You totally missed the point of my reply.
 

okiemon

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This is just embarrassing for the acc too.

Nope. Not at all.
It's FSU that's being shamed.
And I'm here for it.

It is, and should be, embarrassing for FSU, but only embarrassing for the ACC in the eyes of those who (1) don’t know that most of FSU’s starters opted out, or (2) are looking for any reason, logical or not, to make fun of the ACC, or (3) think ESPN is an unbiased, all-knowing font of knowledge on college football. IOW, those who can’t, or won’t, think critically. And there’s a large number of those among college football’s fandom, especially in the SEC.
 
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stinger78

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It is only embarrassing for the ACC for those who (1) don’t know that most of FSU’s starters opted out, or (2) are looking for yet another reason to make fun of the ACC, or (3) think ESPN has an unbiased view of sports. IOW, those who can’t, or won’t, think critically. And there’s a large number of those among college football’s fandom, especially in the SEC.
Very well said!
 

WreckinGT

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🤷‍♂️ I'm gonna file this in the same bucket as the "UGA is getting in the playoffs even if they lose the SECCG" comments I read on here earlier this year.

But here's the juicy part - you are saying the ACC has a perception problem. And I'm not disagreeing - I'm saying that the point of the so-called "pointless" game FSU didn't bother with today was perception. You can't change the perception if you don't start to change the results. And for FSU, they're also shooting their "we are so much better than the rest of the ACC" PR campaign in the foot majestically.

It's like the saying about planting a tree. The best time for FSU to improve the perception would've been five years ago. The second-best time is today.
FSU just went undefeated, blasting the number 13 team in the country (an SEC team) along the way. They knocked off another SEC team with their backup QB. It did nothing for them perception wise. Telling them they need to all risk their futures to try once again to change the perception of their team and of the conference is bordering on the definition of insanity. There is nothing that can change the perception of the ACC.
 

Northeast Stinger

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The ACC is SO screwed.

We win head to head with the SEC but lose the perception war. We are one of the conferences with an undefeated champion but can’t get into the playoffs. Three of our best teams decide to play without their regular starters in bowl games, including some leading QBs, and the media decides those circumstances don’t matter. And next year it only gets worse as no ACC will start off in the top 15.

Meanwhile, Tech could have a decent season but lose to a loaded FSU team that is perceived as a weak team and Tech might not ever recover enough in the rankings to make the top 25.

The hell with Georgia!
 
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