Liberty Bowl - WVU

[dosry5]

There are clues if you know how to spot them. Bob Kraft taught me.

Allegedly

 

[jbhtexas]

I get the sentiment, but what can really be done? These are exhibitions. And given the COVID situation, who wants to invite the bad PR that would result from trying to bring the hammer down on schools that cancel. It would be a terrible look, not to mention, who would be in a position to dole out any kind of punishment?

I think the best you can hope for is individual bowls taking internal notes and passing on teams in the future. Any formal sanction would be inviting controversy.

Also, I'm not sure how one could prove that a team took a bowl bid without being serious about playing in it.

As you say, about the only way to handle it would be for bowls to pass on the "suspicious" teams next year, but if said team is any big-name team that is a good draw, that might not happen either.

 

[CyCloned]

Just imagine being a coach and finding out that the team you are playing in a few days has been changed. Especially when you go from TN to trying to defend the Army option game. Glad Army got a game. I think if you had 3 wins they were probably looking at you at one point in time.

 

[Al_4_State]

I get the sentiment, but what can really be done? These are exhibitions. And given the COVID situation, who wants to invite the bad PR that would result from trying to bring the hammer down on schools that cancel. It would be a terrible look, not to mention, who would be in a position to dole out any kind of punishment?

I think the best you can hope for is individual bowls taking internal notes and passing on teams in the future. Any formal sanction would be inviting controversy.

That's what I'm talking about.

I can't imagine the coaching staffs, ADs, etc are clueless about how badly their kids do or don't want to play at this point. The teams that opted out saved everyone the ******* around that kinda marred the end of the season. I have a hard time buying that Tennessee didn't know when they accepted that bid that there was a strong likelihood they wouldn't play.

Maybe they communicated that behind the scenes, and if so, cool.

 

[Mr Janny]

That's what I'm talking about.

I can't imagine the coaching staffs, ADs, etc are clueless about how badly their kids do or don't want to play at this point. The teams that opted out saved everyone the ******* around that kinda marred the end of the season. I have a hard time buying that Tennessee didn't know when they accepted that bid that there was a strong likelihood they wouldn't play.

Maybe they communicated that behind the scenes, and if so, cool.

The timeline for Tennessee checks out, tho, or it's at least plausible.

COVID testing protocols in the SEC have players getting tested on Sundays. They accepted the bowl bid presumably that same morning or early afternoon. It's entirely possible that they didn't have test results at the time the bowl bid was announced.

There's not enough there for anyone to make a credible accusation, let alone hand down any kind of punishment. Does that mean they didn't know ahead of time? No. But if they did, they were smart about it, and gave themselves a pretty ironclad out.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

That's what I'm talking about.

I can't imagine the coaching staffs, ADs, etc are clueless about how badly their kids do or don't want to play at this point. The teams that opted out saved everyone the ******* around that kinda marred the end of the season. I have a hard time buying that Tennessee didn't know when they accepted that bid that there was a strong likelihood they wouldn't play.

Maybe they communicated that behind the scenes, and if so, cool.

Wasn’t TN because of a bunch of positive Covid tests and the timing of turnaround? I don’t think they were a case of just not wanting to play. I think theirs was more based on not being able to because of an outbreak and the game is less than 14 days away.

 

[MeanDean]

Just imagine being a coach and finding out that the team you are playing in a few days has been changed. Especially when you go from TN to trying to defend the Army option game. Glad Army got a game. I think if you had 3 wins they were probably looking at you at one point in time.

Hmmm. Georgia? This weekend?!? No, that's not fair to the game of football.

 

[cyputz]

These alliances to bowl games by conference is assine. How does a South Carolina and a Tennessee even get considered!!
Just like seeing conference coaches picking their conference for polls. So political it sucks.

 

[surly]

These alliances to bowl games by conference is assine. How does a South Carolina and a Tennessee even get considered!!
Just like seeing conference coaches picking their conference for polls. So political it sucks.

I agree, ISU getting stuck with Oregon is a shame.

 

[cycophagus]

Here are the pressers from the WVU and Army HCs for this afternoon's Liberty Bowl: