Did you watch those Virginia Tech players masquerading as the 2024 Hokies in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on January 3rd? The team in maroon lost to Minnesota, 24-10, before an announced crowd of about 31,000 in Charlotte.
It was a good chance to check out some of the players who might be playing for the Hokies next fall. Of course, many of those who will suit up next season are players whose names are unfamiliar to fans right now, because they’ll be coming from the transfer portal to replace the players from last year who have decided to transfer out of Blacksburg.
It’s getting to the point where college football isn’t much fun for me anymore. Players are coming and going and going and coming and just when you get to like a guy he’s off to somewhere else.
I think it’s ironic that collegiate programs make such a big deal out of getting to go to a bowl, and then half the starters on the team don’t even play. Tech was missing about a dozen regulars, many at key positions, who either had already decided to transfer or didn’t want to risk injury and hurt their chances in the NFL draft. I get it, but it somewhat spoils the bowl games for me.
With that in mind, I’m all about the 12 team playoffs. You know all the players are going to play in those games because there’s a chance to win the national championship. Every season there’s going to be 11 games(four first round, four second round, two semifinals and the championship) where you know the team on the field is the same team that you’ve been watching all season. I’ve enjoyed the games to his point and am looking forward to the Notre Dame-Ohio State championship game next Monday.
As for the other bowl games, I wasn’t all that interested. I watched the Tech game just because it’s Tech, and don’t get me wrong, I’ll watch any football game any time of year on any channel. However, when I turn on the Frisco Bowl to watch Memphis play West Virginia is that the same Mountaineer team that played in October? I think not.
Do you remember the days when it was prestigious to play in a bowl game, and everyone played. I talked to former Tech lineman Steve Hale at a wrestling tournament recently and he reminded me of the time they weren’t going to let Bruce Smith play in the 1984 Independence Bowl because his father had accepted a load of firewood. After some legal jostling Smith was allowed to play, then became the NFL’s number one overall pick. Do you think someone in Smith’s position today would even consider playing in a somewhat minor bowl game?
Of course, in 1984 there weren’t any “minor” bowl games. Every December in our final football contest here at the ST-R I list bowl games for fans to pick for prizes, and there was a time when I couldn’t find a dozen bowl games to put on the contest. I had to put the Senior Bowl and the Blue-Gray game on there just to fill out the 15 game entry blank. This year, including the College Football Playoff games, there are 47 bowl games!
And remember, you only need to win six games to get in a bowl. And, for the major conference teams, at least two or three of those wins are against teams they put on the schedule as sure wins. The Hokies are playing Old Dominion the next three years, Wofford next year and VMI and JMU in 2026. Granted there’s no guarantee they’ll win those games, but they should if they have a program Tech fans have come to expect. In 2026 they can beat ODU, VMI and JMU and go to a bowl with just three other wins. It used to be an honor to go to a bowl, now it’s a horrible season if you don’t.
But that’s okay. As I said, anything that means more football games on TV is okay with me. Let’s just take them for what they’re worth and it makes the playoff games even more special.
