Jacoby Jones is in the Portal.
Why would he wait this long? That stinks. I still feel confident in our receiver room but Jacoby was going to have an amazing year (my prediction).
The spring transfer window just opened. He probably saw what the team was shaping up to be and wants to look elsewhere.
What the team looks like? Four of five offensive line starters back and a Division I transfer who started. A pair of stud running backs. Several complimentary receivers to him. The return of Mason Williams who was a stud before being injured. Two QBs who in consecutive years won bowl games for us (Kurtis Rourke never won a single bowl game. Yes, he was injured and then transferred, but it's a fact). And toss in the return of our special teams and a defensive backfield many Power 5 conferences would love to have. Buh-Bye Jacoby. More catches for Coleman Owen and Chase Hendricks.
Bowl games aren’t impressive anymore half the teams don’t have starters play
I think they still mean something to the MAC, and similar conferences. Half the starters aren't opting out at the G5 level.
They need to move the window so people aren't jumping into the portal the week or two before, but when you're playing at a lower level bowl its still a chance to 1) play 2) get tape 3) put a cap on the season
Bowl games have essentially become glorified scrimmages. They are nowhere near what they used to be. Not even close.
what were they before that they aren't now? Single game, bragging rights for a day over one opponent, some money in your coffers.
Yep. Bragging rights. Another chance to be on TV. A little cash your way. I don't downplay bowls for a second.
Maybe I'm crazy, but I think bowl mean more NOW than they did before to us at the G5 level.
I say we, cause we're all fans here, but as more and more changes are happening we're getting left out.
At the G5 level this is our 'reward' even if it is small and meaningless to some. P5 unless you're in the playoff or one of the upper tier bowls.. MEH. Work on your draft stock. I get it. But for the Ohio Bobcats... a chance to get another win (in our case a 10th win). A chance to get a small step ahead of your in-state/conference/etc rivals. Don't poo poo it.
Look, I love the MAC, but it’s a mediocre league at best. It’s now routinely sending 5-7 teams to bowl games. That in a nutshell speaks volumes about the bowl games we’re discussing here. The same bowl games that some guys are opting out of, the same bowl games where teams hovering around .500 are playing against teams hovering around .500, the same bowl games in some destinations that people would avoid let alone seek out, in front of sparse crowds who many of the people there were given free tickets to attend locally. Oh, and let’s not forget the payouts of many of these bowls do not collectively cover the collective expense of the teams (all the costs associated with each school from a respective bowl stay - hotels, meals, transportation, activities, accommodations, etc.) that played in them. Remember, conferences collect and disperse the “bowl revenue” generated by all league members - but the revenue often doesn’t cover total collective expenses among the teams collectively like the major bowls do. So it’s more lost money, for programs already operating in the red. And most of them were created to offer more programming to sell ads and commercials for. And the actual eyes that are even watching these games is very poor. The locales book some hotels rooms, the restaurants sell some food and drink, the network sells some air time - and hardly anyone outside of diehards from an already second rate league even knows or gives a flying flip. I venture to guess 80%- plus of Ohio students, alums or staff could even tell you who Ohio played in its most recent bowl, let alone if it won or where the bowl was played. Outside of people on this board and a small collection of fans scattered across the country - no one really knows or cares.
Last Edited: 4/17/2024 8:53:19 PM by OhioBobcat