2025 Bowl Predictions | Page 11 | The Boneyard
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2025 Bowl Predictions

TouchdownHusky said:
KryHavok? Is this Jack Carr? Appreciate your support though.
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Haha, nope. Havok after my favorite X-Men character (but with his X-Factor outfit, not the earlier version with the ridiculous headpiece).

It's not a popular opinion, and there's little way to enforce it, but since student-athletes want to be paid (sometimes Big Bucks, Big Bucks, no Whammy...) for playing sports in college, then they need to show up to honor their "contract". Don't show up for work in the real world, you don't get paid. That should apply for bowl games for schools that qualify to play in. Again this would be ideal, but it's likely never going to be realistically governed.
 
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Jax Husky said:
I can promise you that a Top 25 D2 team would absolutely demolish the Hun School. IMG may be the only program in the country that could compete, but even then I doubt it. The D2 team is all college players, and would have some 22-23 year old full grown men playing. No chance for a HS team. D3 is a wholly different animal, but D2 is pretty legit.
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A top D3 from Upstate NY, Penn, Midwest, Texas would destroy them. They are big ass farm boys and they get skill guys that are very good. The difference between say a NESCAC program and one of the higher tier D3s is pretty significant, especially upfront. Saw Williams v. Amherst and Colby v. Williams a few years back. It looked like high school. Then I caught a Hobart v. Buff State game, and the difference between them was night and day. Bigger, faster and much more violent. The lines were around 290, the LBs were big and the RBs and skills were pretty darn good. Not sure if the portal has sucked the best players out of D3 as I haven’t seen a game in 10 years or so.
 
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Nameless said:
Former conference mate. Beat UF and Boise this year. Spent multiple weeks in the Top 25 this season.

I'm going hard yes on this one. Would be a fun game
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On a personal level, playing USF in Tampa will always bring back great memories.

I say yeh-ish because IF UConn beats FAU and finishes 9-3, I'd like to have a P4 opponent in a bowl game.

But if it has to be G5, USF is a great option.

Screenshot_20201208-113021~3.png
 
Alum86 said:
Okay all you idiot 9 year olds. Back to task. CBS SPORTS has us in Tampa v. USF IN the Gasparilla Bowl.
Meh, or Yeh?
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A yes!. Ever been to Tampa for better part of a week in late Dec. It's a nice reward for the players and coaches for a job well done. And USF would be a very tough opponent, if we think back in the not too distant past.
 
Chin Diesel said:
On a personal level, playing USF in Tampa will always bring back great memories.

I say yeh-ish because IF UConn beats FAU and finishes 9-3, I'd like to have a P4 opponent in a bowl game.

But if it has to be G5, USF is a great option.

View attachment 113453
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I definitely understand the contingent that wants to see us get rewarded for another good record with a "P" opponent. There's just so much more upside in punching up, so to speak. I would obviously love to play Pitt, FSU or any of the other power conference schools listed in this thread.

But unlike last year, where we blew all of our regular season chances at a "P" win and handled business against all "G" teams, I don't think it's imperative we get another "P" opponent in the bowl. We not only picked up 2 wins against ACC opponents, we lost 2 games to "G" schools this year. Last year we wanted another chance to prove we could beat a team from the P4, this year I think is more about proving we can compete with the best of the G6. Tulane is the only other G school with 2 power wins and one power loss, but I expect them to be in the playoff. USF was right there in the playoff hunt until their loss to Navy, so I think they would be my next preference if we're not playing a power school. Also wouldn't mind Memphis, since I think purely from a talent perspective they have the best team in the AC.

I should also note that I still do follow and pull for The American when it doesn't negatively impact UConn. I had fun pulling for the league to get more respect when we were a part of it, so I think I'll always have at least a modest interest in seeing the league do well. So, I can admit that selfishly there is a part of me that just wants to see how we would stack up against the top of the league this year. The league overall is having a really good year, but I've thought we would be at least a top 5 team in it all season. USF would be a great barometer.
 
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TouchdownHusky said:
Yeah, let's take a stand.
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The "stand" they took for over 100 years was demolished in court. You remind me of those guys that used to say, "If you leave early for the draft, you should have to pay back your scholarship"!
 
Waquoit said:
The "stand" they took for over 100 years was demolished in court. You remind me of those guys that used to say, "If you leave early for the draft, you should have to pay back your scholarship"!
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To be fair to TDH, I think the "stand" he wants to take is that if you get paid for an entire season you can't keep the money and quit before the entire season is over. That is not something that the courts did or would prohibit, and it's a perfectly reasonable position. Frankly, it is the most rational position.

That having been said, UConn obviously can't do it unilaterally but the NCAA could absolutely say that any payments would be adjusted pro rata for games voluntarily missed.
 
This will evolve to a fully professionalized platform and the schools will eventually have to land on contracts that make sense as well as salary caps, etc. Too much money being thrown around by athletic departments that are not rightside up with their budgets.

That said, when I look at Georgia putting in place a $105 million buyout clause on Smart's contract I begin to wonder if ADs are even remotely capable of the business and financial management to run these types of businesses.........yes, businesses.
 
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CCSUblue said:
It seems more common place when a power school is playing a much lesser school. If UConn is playing a p4 I'd expect that they have some players sit out as UConn is still rebuilding their reputation.

Wouldn't be surprised if Bell is a 3rd round pick. Is that early enough to sit out? What about a team taking a flyer on a 26 year old that just had his best season? 7th or UDFA? Did Parham do enough to get drafted? Who else? Not necessarily asking you @businesslawyer just adding to the discussion.

I think those are players that have taken pride in their time at UConn and want to play in a bowl game and show out against good competition.
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My impression last year was guys really wanted to play in the Bowl. Even portal guys were allowed to play by Mora, which was a really good gesture and good for many other reasons. Most coaches say if you’re out you’re out. I think only 1 guy opted out. The running back who went to Auburn. I’d expect something similar this time around.
 
Alum86 said:
Okay all you idiot 9 year olds. Back to task. CBS SPORTS has us in Tampa v. USF IN the Gasparilla Bowl.
Meh, or Yeh?
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We could go 2-1 against the ACC, and 3-0 against Florida.
 
businesslawyer said:
To be fair to TDH, I think the "stand" he wants to take is that if you get paid for an entire season you can't keep the money and quit before the entire season is over. That is not something that the courts did or would prohibit, and it's a perfectly reasonable position. Frankly, it is the most rational position.

That having been said, UConn obviously can't do it unilaterally but the NCAA could absolutely say that any payments would be adjusted pro rata for games voluntarily missed.
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The issue here is he was being specific to a bowl game which a) is not guaranteed to happen and b) in some cases (FBS playoffs) a school will play two or possibly three bowl games.

An NCAA directive would likely require the bowl game payment to be applied basically as a bonus, beyond the initial revenue share and/or NIL commitment.

This isn't something that couldn't be done but it opens up quite a few possibilities that could make things worse than what we are already seeing.
 
TouchdownHusky said:
A yes!. Ever been to Tampa for better part of a week in late Dec. It's a nice reward for the players and coaches for a job well done. And USF would be a very tough opponent, if we think back in the not too distant past.
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Wouldn’t that just be a USF home game? I don’t think I’d love it. Wouldn’t mind playing them. Prefer not to play them in Tampa.
 
Waquoit said:
Bush's Baked Bean Bowl in Boca? Bah.
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C'mon. Imagine getting a 5 gallon Gatorade bucket dump of Bush's Baked Bean after you win the game. Don't they do that with Duke's mayo in the bowl game up in Charlotte. Surely, getting baked beans dumped on you is better than a mayonnaise douching.

OIP.webp
 
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