# 2017 Bowl Games Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 28, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446 "2017-12-28T04:00:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/1 "2017-12-28T04:00:13Z")
Wow. I’m sucking. I do a yearly “pick-em” and I’m under 50%. I didn’t put much thought into it actually. Don’t know much about anything but the Pac-12, and that Alabama sucks. 😉 Haven’t been many good games. Army and Utah winning was pretty cool. Not too much excitement other than that, at least for me. Pretty crappy officiating at the end of the first half of the Chicken Bowl. Why didn’t the Refs just give Purdue a few extra downs and unlimited time? Hell, cheated them out of 4 points! 😃 (Arizona just scored a pretty TD!) Not happy that The Rose Bowl got moved to Texas, and played early, but I’ll watch it. I’m gonna boycott all that New Year’s day crap. I’ve watched waaay to much football lately. My ski pass is blacked out for the holiday, so nothing else much to do. Who else is watching/enjoying/hating this bowl season? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/2 "2017-12-28T06:14:47Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Wow. I’m sucking. I do a yearly “pick-em” and I’m under 50%. I didn’t put much thought into it actually. Don’t know much about anything but the Pac-12, and that Alabama sucks. 😉 > > Haven’t been many good games. Army and Utah winning was pretty cool. Not too much excitement other than that, at least for me. > > Pretty crappy officiating at the end of the first half of the Chicken Bowl. Why didn’t the Refs just give Purdue a few extra downs and unlimited time? Hell, cheated them out of 4 points! 😃 (Arizona just scored a pretty TD!) > > Not happy that The Rose Bowl got moved to Texas, and played early, but I’ll watch it. I’m gonna boycott all that New Year’s day crap. > > I’ve watched waaay to much football lately. My ski pass is blacked out for the holiday, so nothing else much to do. > > Who else is watching/enjoying/hating this bowl season? Rose Bowl in Texas?! What are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/3 "2017-12-28T13:20:02Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Rose Bowl in Texas?! What are you talking about? If you don’t get it, you won’t get it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/4 "2017-12-28T14:30:33Z")
So the Badgers are in their 16th bowl game in a row (this year it is the Orange Bowl). But really, with the proliferation of bowl games these days aren’t they going to get invited any year they have a winning record? Because even if the bowl game is in Tristan da Cunha, fans/alumni are going to show up and spend money. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/5 "2017-12-28T21:31:11Z")
My God! What is it with all the “Personal Foul” penalties in this post-season? I’ve never seen so many! And what is that terrible smell in Annapolis? Oh. It’s Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/6 "2017-12-28T21:36:12Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Rose Bowl in Texas?! What are you talking about? > [@Gatopescado](#): > > If you don’t get it, you won’t get it. 😉 Well I certainly don’t get it. Care to explain? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/7 "2017-12-28T21:49:31Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Well I certainly don’t get it. Care to explain? The Rose Bowl is one of the designated CFP Semi-Final games this year. Since neither the Pac-10 nor the Big-10 got a team in the CFP 😃 they deigned to allow USC and Ohio State to sully the good name of the Cotton Bowl (in Dallas). ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/8 "2017-12-28T22:10:12Z")
Thanks, **USCDiver**. Well, that pretty much makes a [del]farce[/del] controversy out of the whole “National champions” thing, doesn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/9 "2017-12-29T03:47:03Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Care to explain? Sure, why not? I’m pretty loose right now… Eh, nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/10 "2017-12-29T15:58:15Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Wow. I’m sucking. I do a yearly “pick-em” and I’m under 50%. … > > Haven’t been many good games. Army and Utah winning was pretty cool. Not too much excitement other than that, at least for me. > > … > > Who else is watching/enjoying/hating this bowl season? I’m currently in first place in my ESPN “Capital One Bowl Mania” pick 'em group for another message board. Total of 341 points, with 407 possible remaining. 92nd Percentile. On the same message board, and this one as well, I’m near LAST place for my NFL picks. I clearly do better with college football. Which makes sense, because as much as I like the NFL, my heart is more attached to college football; it’s just so much more fun than the pros. > [@Gatopescado](#): > > … I’m gonna boycott all that New Year’s day crap. … And miss LSU / Notre Dame? I’ve set my calendar for a month for that game! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/11 "2017-12-29T19:48:42Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > And miss LSU / Notre Dame? I’ve set my calendar for a month for that game! I might watch that one, if I don’t go skiing. Any chance to see ND do down is a good time! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/12 "2017-12-30T01:40:50Z")
Okay, here we go! ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/13 "2017-12-30T04:40:59Z")
Do PAC-12 teams know how to tackle? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/14 "2017-12-30T05:42:56Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Do PAC-12 teams know how to tackle? Only in Pacific Time. 😉 Oh, Christ! USC just embarrassed themselves tonight. The defense wasn’t too bad, but DAMN! You can’t win a game when you give the ball to the other team every time you are ready to score. And all that bullshit about Sam being the #1 prospect? Gimme a break! (But I hope he comes back for another year) Ohio State looked damn good. A real good “Fuck You” to those who didn’t put them in the play-offs. Ay, Oh Way to go, Ohio! You beat us good. But then again, you’ve been waiting for 40-odd years. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/15 "2017-12-30T10:16:38Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Only in Pacific Time. 😉 > > Oh, Christ! USC just embarrassed themselves tonight. The defense wasn’t too bad, but DAMN! You can’t win a game when you give the ball to the other team every time you are ready to score. And all that bullshit about Sam being the #1 prospect? Gimme a break! (But I hope he comes back for another year) > > Ohio State looked damn good. A real good “Fuck You” to those who didn’t put them in the play-offs. > > Ay, Oh Way to go, Ohio! You beat us good. But then again, you’ve been waiting for 40-odd years. 😉 USC also underscored the fact that the conference championship game doesn’t always include the best team(s). In my view, Washington was again the best team in the conference, but inexplicably lost to Arizona before (perhaps more explicably) losing to Stanford. Ohio State looked good against USC but they didn’t play consistently well enough to deserve a shot in the top four. On any given day? Yeah, OSU can probably hang with anyone. But the teams that got in were better. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/16 "2017-12-30T15:38:47Z")
It would’ve been hard to predict that the conference with the best bowl game record at this point is…the Big Ten (5-0). And yeah, Ohio looked pretty good in beating USC. \*sorry, _The_ Ohio. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/17 "2017-12-30T17:02:45Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Do PAC-12 teams know how to tackle? Tackle? As in, playing defense? By a Pac-12 school? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Anne\_s\_Lace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Queen\_Anne\_s\_Lace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Anne_s_Lace)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/18 "2017-12-30T20:30:52Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It would’ve been hard to predict that the conference with the best bowl game record at this point is…the Big Ten (5-0). And yeah, Ohio looked pretty good in beating USC. > > \*sorry, _The_ Ohio. 🙂 I’d be happy with the B1G going 7-1 in bowl games with the loss being by what I’m guessing is your team since you called Ohio State just Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/19 "2017-12-30T22:59:17Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > USC also underscored the fact that the conference championship game doesn’t always include the best team(s). That was not typical USC play. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446/20 "2017-12-31T06:32:35Z")
The Pac-12 just went 1-8 in the bowl games. Worst record ever for a Power-5 Conference. Way to go, Left Coast. ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-bowl-games-thread/805446.md?page=2)