You’ve probably heard that several Ohio State players have opted out of the Rose Bowl in order to begin preparing for the NFL Draft, which really boils down to avoiding a potential serious injury situation that might affect their draft status.
There have been two general reactions to the news, both predictable. First, there’s the camp that’s offended these players would dare skip something as meaningful as a Rose Bowl game. Second, there’s the hammer meet nail playoff expansion gang that insists all this would be fixed with a 12- or 16-team playoff field.
I got news for both of them. David Hale is correct about the future.
Like it or not, the days of expecting the top level of college football players to bleed and break for no compensation are gone. There’s too much money in the game and in a world where head coaches are jumping their teams before the postseason, it’s silly to expect the players to answer to a higher calling.
Is there a happy medium where it becomes easier to coax a player into staying for a postseason college game? Sure, depending on circumstances. Can the bowls and playoff afford to hit that particular mark? C’mon, dog. If ESPN becomes convinced the talent drain is costing them viewership, it’s an easy investment.
Get The Picture 
You rang?
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lol
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I wonder what a $20MM or $10MM or $5MM, depending on where the player may be drafted, insurance policy looks like for one game? This ‘might’ be a cost effective way of helping keep better players in the game.
Bowls could even offer a pool of money to help the school cover the cost.
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As a very rough comparison, a Hole in One insurance policy, for a one day charity tournament, sufficient to buy a pretty spiffy Cadillac (about 80K) is around $450. A hole in one is a 1/38000 chance. I know it’s a barely valid comparison, but it might cause thought.
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So does that mean that if you hit 38,000 shots on Par 3s you should hole out at least once?
I’m way overdue.
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If you pay the ransom, they will just start taking their hostages earlier and earlier in the season.
Let them go. Wish them well. Stop bitching. Next man up.
If things continue to progress as they are, most players with legit pro prospects aren’t going to have major money issues. But, if they do, let their agents deal with it.
There is no happy destination for encouraging this sort of creeping profiteering. Better off ignoring it than responding to it.
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So it is profiteering when players worry about their future, health and post college employment then wha is it when anyone else who works wants to do the same?
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I have no problem with the players worrying and making the best decisions for themselves they can. I don’t bitch about opt outs. Its a free country. Go. If an agent wants to write you a check and you’d rather have that than play in the postseason, fine with me.
I do have a problem with college football deciding to cater to every possible financial want the players may have. For a bowl game to offer money in order to enhance a game to some impossible to measure degree that few would notice seems foolish to me. Is the money for everyone? How much? Is it just the pro eligible players? What about the ones without prospects? Do you opt out first then get an offer?
There is a place for playing for a check. They play on Sundays.
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I tend to agree here. Say your team is at 7 wins and going to a crappy bowl no matter what. Why play that last regular season game? Senior day?
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Who cares? Is anyone really worried about Jamie Newman?
Should UGA have written him a check to make him reconsider his entire season opt out? Why?
Let the kids make their decisions. This knee jerk “there outta be a law!” instinct we have as the entitled control freaks we’ve become is, well, unfortunate.
Its like everything is: unpleasant circumstance -> dumb idea —> unforeseen consequence -> repeat.
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I was tending to agree with you. I think players are going to start skipping meaningless (with regard to a shot a shot at the the CFP) regular season games and I could care less.
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Cool. Now do playoff expansion.
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If we could get the people who write the TV checks to ignore the college’s offer to expand the playoffs, I’d be all for it.
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Good take..IMHO..
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They’ve been paid for years.
Some folks just chosen to pretend otherwise.
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If this is true, the. why go to the trouble of “fixing” it?
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Only way this will go in a different direction is if they get paid to be in the playoffs or bowls – either by the bowls, the conference, tv,etc or all the above. if it hurts ratings, then it will get attention of tv/advertisers – and then something will happen
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Agree. If a bowl sets aside a pot of money for the participants, I imagine teams/players will be more motivated to play.
Having said that, players who have a legit shot at being drafted first round would likely still opt out.
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Let’s just make the bowl games be flag football. Everyone plays no one gets hurt. Fans will love it.
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Robert Edwards would like a word with you.
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I was going to watch the Rose Bowl regardless of the status of those 3 OSU players. Day has recruited the same kind of depth Georgia and Bama have – has he leveraged it into a team that can win multiple ways? And given how Utah made Oregon no mas! twice in 3 weeks, I’m curious to see how Ohio State handles that game. Michigan bullied them some. Will they let Utah do the same?
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Wonder how Zaxby’s is feeling about their NIL deal now? It will be interesting to see how early opt-outs factor in with NIL – that may be the “force” that will keep players interested in bowl games.
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If I’m an alumni providing a sweet NIL deal to player X so he comes to Old Alma Mater University, your damn right I’m putting that in the contract. I’m basically paying you to play for my school. You breach the contract and I’m coming after you to get my money back or else have it back end loaded where you only get your money if you play.
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You’re putting that in the contract? It’s a violation of the Georgia statute.
Let’s just say your lawyer wouldn’t advise you to do that.
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Is it illegal in other states? Just curious.
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I’m sure sooner or later a smart lawyer will figure away to get around that. You know letter of the law vs spirit of the law. They always do.
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“boils down to avoiding a potential serious injury situation that might affect their draft status” There are as many injuries that happen in training as in the games. This is basically a load of crap.
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Tell that to Jake Butt.
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That doesn’t make anything I said less true.
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In your opinion. There are plenty of examples otherwise out there.
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I didn’t say that injuries didn’t occur in games. Just that training is just as dangerous. It isn’t an opinion.
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Now do Jamie Newman.
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This was predictable when the playoffs were created. Bowl games in the past were a great reward for all…now just TV filler for other than the playoffs. What message do you think the kids heard? If….errrr…when they expand the playoffs, some bowls will die or truly be a matchup of scout teams. And so early enrollees will be made eligible so everyone can get an look at the new kids. Frankly, watching Gunner Stockton start in the Independence Bowl vs Jackson St. would get my attention.
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This isn’t the fault of the playoff. Since the 1998 season, teams playing in the Rose Bowl didn’t have a chance at a national championship unless the Rose Bowl happened to be hosting the BCS Championship Game that year – players still showed up until recently. The fact that a national title isn’t on the line isn’t why they aren’t showing up now, it’s the fact that the coming NFL rewards are so lucrative and the fact it’s been proven the NFL doesn’t care if you play or not.
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I don’t think that players opting out of the tax slayer bowl is a big enough deal to dilute the playoff and give undeserving teams a shot at a championship, but that’s just me. If you want dudes to play in the Rose Bowl that bad then pay them. Easy peasy.
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If I am writing an nil deal to support a player for a college I am a fan of, it would probably make sense to include a bowl provision. That way I know my sizable bet against the spread is safe come bowl time. Or maybe I just write another nil deal to opposing team players to get them to sit.
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