GDT: Can Cam Ward return the Hurricanes to prominence? (2024 NCAAF thread)

[Svechhammer]

Do any of these large school teams that aren't in the playoffs even care about the outcome of the bowl games? Depending on the location, I could see how they'd want to go and enjoy the moment, but there are 8000 bowls with mediocre teams, many times with the best players sitting out.

I'm not saying they aren't trying to win, but there's a difference between committing to win vs. trying to win. I suspect the motivation isn't there for many players.

I think smaller school teams might be more motivated to beat a bigger school team though as this is their chance to show they belong.

It's more about the extra practice to get guys ready for next year than winning. When VT was at its peak, outside of the National Championship Game Beamer always treated the bowl as a reward to the players for a good season. Never really prepared for a full effort, it was more about being on vacation than the game, and it truly did piss off fans when it would play out like that during games.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

It's more about the extra practice to get guys ready for next year than winning.

With all the transfer portal stuff, is it even about that any more?

When VT was at its peak, outside of the National Championship Game Beamer always treated the bowl as a reward to the players for a good season. Never really prepared for a full effort, it was more about being on vacation than the game, and it truly did piss off fans when it would play out like that during games.

That's kind of what I thought as well.

 

[HisIceness]

I think in the moment when a team clinches a bowl berth, it's cool for the rest of the day and perhaps the anticipation of who and where you're playing, but eventually I think teams with expectations that didn't meet them say to themselves, "oh, neat, Birmingham bowl". Let's be real, does anyone really want to play outdoors in Annapolis or Boston or Yankee Stadium this time of year? Probably not. But someone still has to win, and it becomes clear eventually who wants to be there and who doesn't.

 

[LakeLivin]

Do any of these large school teams that aren't in the playoffs even care about the outcome of the bowl games? Depending on the location, I could see how they'd want to go and enjoy the moment, but there are 8000 bowls with mediocre teams, many times with the best players sitting out.

I'm not saying they aren't trying to win, but there's a difference between committing to win vs. trying to win. I suspect the motivation isn't there for many players.

I think smaller school teams might be more motivated to beat a bigger school team though as this is their chance to show they belong.

I think in the moment when a team clinches a bowl berth, it's cool for the rest of the day and perhaps the anticipation of who and where you're playing, but eventually I think teams with expectations that didn't meet them say to themselves, "oh, neat, Birmingham bowl". Let's be real, does anyone really want to play outdoors in Annapolis or Boston or Yankee Stadium this time of year? Probably not. But someone still has to win, and it becomes clear eventually who wants to be there and who doesn't.

Gotta believe that a lot comes down to the personalities involved, as well. I played a lot of "Y" pickup basketball and there were some who absolutely despised losing, even though there was nothing at stake at all (other than maybe staying on the court vs. sitting out a game).

Very slightly mixed emotions on Ward; on the one hand, the fact that he played half the game presumably for personal reasons (to set the season record for TD passes) and then sat out after he accomplished that, is a really bad look. On the other hand it's easy to say that he should have risked losing dozens of millions of dollars in the case of injury vs. helping his team win a more or less meaningless bowl game when you're not the one risking those million dollars. I do wonder what the terms of the insurance policy were that Miami must have bought for Ward to cover him if he got hurt. But given that he played half the game for personal reason, I'mma come down on the side of "Boo, Cam!" If he'd sat out the entire game I'd probably be a bit more tolerant.