Moving On
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons made waves in early 2024 by signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a big four-year, $180 million deal.
But less than a year later, the team is already moving on. In a move that surprised many, Atlanta drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft.
At the time, Penix was seen as a long-term project, but with their playoff hopes slipping away, the Falcons decided to speed up his development.
This bold decision not only shifts the team’s short-term game plan but also puts a spotlight on Cousins’ uncertain future.
Cousins started the season strong, but things went downhill fast over the last month. During a 1-4 stretch, he threw just one touchdown compared to nine interceptions and was sacked 11 times.
Now sitting at 7-7, Atlanta is still technically in the NFC South playoff race, but Cousins’ struggles left them little choice but to bench him.
The move shows the team no longer trusts him to lead—not just for the rest of this season, but likely beyond.
Financially, Cousins’ contract comes with challenges, but Atlanta has some options. He’s guaranteed $27.5 million in 2025, with another $10 million guaranteed in 2026 if he’s still on the roster.
The Falcons could release him after the season as a post-June 1 cut, which would result in a $40 million dead-cap hit. While that’s a hefty number, it would clear future obligations in 2025 and 2026.
Trading him is another option, though it’s trickier. They could save up to $27.5 million with a post-June 1 trade, but his no-trade clause and declining performance make this scenario harder to pull off.
From the beginning, it was clear Cousins might not be a long-term solution. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot turned heads by drafting Penix just weeks after signing Cousins, signaling the team was already planning for the future.
Fontenot defended the move, calling it a smart way to secure a franchise quarterback down the line. But the decision to bench Cousins so soon shows they never fully believed he could be the answer.
Unless Penix falters or the team makes a deep playoff run, it seems likely Cousins’ time in Atlanta is done.
His recent struggles, combined with the team’s pivot to Penix, highlight both his decline and the Falcons’ urgency to develop their rookie QB.
While Cousins could technically stay on as an expensive backup in 2025, that seems unlikely given the team’s commitment to moving forward with Penix.
Starting Penix now is a gamble, but one the Falcons felt they had to take. With the playoffs still within reach, they’re hoping the rookie can give their offense a spark.
Head coach Raheem Morris acknowledged the stakes, saying they didn’t expect to have such a high draft pick again, making Penix a key part of their future plans.
As for Cousins, his next move is up in the air. Teams like the Jets, Raiders, Titans, or even the 49ers and Rams could potentially be interested, especially with coaches like Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay who have ties to Cousins from earlier in his career. Still, his declining play and no-trade clause complicate things.
At the end of the day, the Falcons’ switch from Cousins to Penix reflects a bigger strategy. They’re looking ahead to the future while trying to salvage what they can this season.
Whether this gamble pays off right away or takes time, it’s clear Atlanta is entering a new chapter at quarterback.
Strike The Pose
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After winning the Heisman Trophy, Colorado’s Travis Hunter hugged his fiancée and then his mom.
When he got to Buffaloes’ coach Deion Sanders, the hug lasted a little longer.
He even went back in for another, putting his head on Sanders’ shoulder, and you could hear Hunter getting choked up.
Hunter thanked Coach Prime for changing his life, but the same can be said the other way around. Hunter is Sanders’ proof of concept.
Travis Hunter’s rise to stardom, fulfilling the promise of his five-star potential while playing full-time on both offense and defense, is Sanders’ most significant accomplishment as a college football coach. Hunter is the example Sanders can hold up to every other blue-chip recruit in the country.
More importantly, Hunter’s spectacular season should serve as an example to all those blue-chippers pondering where to go to school: Those coaches need you more than you need them. Don’t be afraid to chart your own path.
“I wanted to be different,” said Hunter, who also won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver and the Bednarik Award as the best defender. “So, you know me, being different makes me feel more comfortable than doing the norm.”
Coaches sell players on their ability to get guys to the NFL all the time. The numbers suggest the Alabamas, Georgias and Ohio States are better than most at developing NFL players.
The reality, though, is what really sets those programs apart is their ability to recruit more players with NFL potential.
Hunter, a Florida native, could have gone to any school in the country after playing high school ball in Georgia.
He was committed to Florida State, but at the last moment flipped to Jackson State, a historically Black university in the FCS.
It was truly a road not taken. In the modern era of recruiting rankings, where the best of the best are identified and sorted earlier and better than ever, no player with Hunter’s pedigree had ever chosen to play in Division I’s second tier instead of the top.
For Sanders, it was the ultimate recruiting coup, swiping Hunter from his old school in Tallahassee.
Sanders sold something bigger than just getting Hunter to the league. During ESPN’s Heisman show, Sanders said he encouraged Hunter to be “unapologetically” himself.
Hunter’s mom, Ferrante Edmonds, called her son Travis a little goofy. He wears onesies. He said he never really listened to music until his fiancé opened his ears to Lil Wayne (who showed up on Saturday to congratulate Hunter).
Hunter’s favorite thing besides football is fishing. He said he spent his Friday night in New York watching fishing videos to chill out.
How many coaches would have given Hunter the opportunity to play both ways to the extent of Sanders, who probably could have done the same when he played for Bobby Bowden at Florida State, did with Hunter?
Hunter, along with Sanders’ son and star quarterback, Shedeur, will play their last games for No. 23 Colorado on Dec. 28 in the Alamo Bowl against No. 17 BYU.
Sanders has been adamant about his intent to remain Colorado’s head coach when his sons (he includes Hunter with Shedeur and defensive back Shilo) move on.
Hunter is unicorn of a football player, the legacy he leaves behind hopefully encourages more players to take the road less traveled.
Growing Wings
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are still early in the NBA season but I want to take a look at my hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks.
I’m normally critical of this franchise because they are never championship contenders.
Atlanta desperately needs to pair All-Star point guard Trae Young with another star player. Young has been with the franchise since he was drafted in 2018 and the Hawks still have not figured out how to do that.
They drafted Michigan shooting guard Kobe Bufkin with the 15th pick in the 2023 draft. He played poorly and was assigned to the G League to play for the College Park Skyhawks. He also dealt with injuries so he has not been able to make a contribution to the team.
Last season they were 36-46 and did not make the playoffs. The Hawks did get the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and they selected small forward Zaccharie Risacher (France).
So far he averages 10.9 points per game and 23.7 minutes per game. I understand he’s a rookie but more is expected from a No. 1 pick.
He’s shooting 27% from three, which is one of the reasons he does not play major minutes. He did score 33 points against the Knicks in early November so he has shown flashes of his talent.
De’Andre Hunter is in his sixth year and he comes off the bench for Risacher. He’s actually the better player because he averages 19.3 ppg and makes 45% of his threes.
He’s led the team in scoring in six games. I know the organization wants to show their top pick they have confidence in him but he should be coming off the bench.
Jalen Johnson is also listed as a small forward and he’s having a breakout season. He was picked in the first round of the 2021 draft from Duke.
Johnson is averaging 19.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 5.5 apg. He has led the team in scoring in eight games so far with 29 as the season high twice.
Shooting guard Dyson Daniel (Australia) was picked 8th in the 2022 draft by Charlotte. He was traded to the Hawks in July for Dejounte Murray. Daniels is averaging 13.4 ppg but he has led the team in scoring twice.
The team is currently 14-13. They have young talent and it shows because they are very inconsistent.
They started the season with two wins then they lost their next four. They lost three in a row in late November, then won six in a row.
The NBA has the pointless in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup. The Hawks beat the New York Knicks in the quarterfinals, 108-100. They lost to Milwaukee in the semifinals, 110-102 over the weekend.
“Just as a team, we got a lot of room to grow,” Hawks forward Jalen Johnson said. “I’m proud of everybody. We defeated a lot of odds, coming in and making it all the way to Vegas. So, there’s nothing to hang our heads about. We just gotta keep moving in the right direction.”
“Our growth is not going to be just linear,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “We’re going to have those moments, and every time we have, like tonight, you know, what can we take from it? And I think that’s really true for Zacch and Dyson and JJ. These moments, because they’re getting an opportunity at a young age to be in them there’s a lot of opportunity.”
Atlanta has potential to be a good team and I think they can make the playoffs as a fifth or sixth seed.
Flying To Bowl
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
While 2024 didn’t end in a Sun Belt Conference crown like the Eagles were still fighting for just a few short weeks ago, Georgia Southern finished the 2024 regular season 8-4 and have been invited to the Big Easy for the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in the Caesars Superdome on December 19th to face the C-USA’s Sam Houston State Bearkats who will make their first FBS Bowl appearance in their second season at the FBS level.
Georgia Southern will appear in their 7th appearance in a postseason bowl game since moving up to the FBS in the 2014 season.
Because of the NCAA rules on transitioning teams, Georgia Southern couldn’t participate in a bowl in 2014, but set the standard straight in the first-year bowl eligible with a dominating win over Bowling Green in the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile to the tune of 57-27.
The Eagles are 3-3 in the previous bowl matchups and have come up short in the last two meetings (Last year falling 41-21 to Ohio in the Myrtle Beach Bowl and 2022 to Buffalo in the Camellia Bowl 23-21). The last triumph in the post season for the Blue and White came…in the same bowl game they’re heading to this season.
The 2020 season was capped off with a convincing 38-3 victory over Louisiana Tech in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Shai Werts was named MVP for his efforts in the Big Easy running for three touchdowns while the Eagle defense amassed four interceptions of the Bulldogs to capture the New Orleans Bowl title under then Head Coach Chad Lunsford.
Since that 2020 NOLA Bowl, the landscape of college football has changed drastically and now the biggest question going into any bowl game outside of the College Football Playoff is… Who is actually playing in the game?
Because of the Transfer Portal window opening a week before Bowl Season officially starts (this year it opened Monday the 9th), most teams are being gutted with players entering the transfer portal and opting out of the game.
Luckily for Georgia Southern, the Eagles have been one of the least affected teams in the country by the portal to this point with only three players entering the portal. Wideout DeAndre Buchannon, defensive back Deontre Morris, along with quarterback Dexter Williams II (who decided to fore-go the last few games of the season to enter the portal) are the only casualties Georgia Southern has seen decide to elect for free agency…. I mean the portal.
On the flip side, Sam Houston State has been slapped across the face by the portal. Eighteen Bearkats have decided to look for greener pastures in the portal including virtually the entire running back room with the only four running backs with a carry on the season entering their name into the transfer jar including DJ McKinney who was named C-USA Freshman of the Year.
The Bearkats also have seen eleven players that have played a factor (not all starters) on defense this year have also joined the list. With all of that said, the decision hasn’t been made yet of how many of them still play in the Bowl game despite being in the portal. Each team decides how to handle that scenario where some coaches will, and some won’t allow someone in the portal to still play for that school. Indications are that at least some (again no idea how many) will suit up against the Blue and White.
In addition to all of the portal departures, Sam Houston State is battling through also losing their head coach, K.C. Keeler who was hired as the next head coach at Temple on December 1st. Keeler had spearheaded Sam Houston in their transition from the FCS to FBS and after eleven years in Huntsville, Keeler hands the reigns off to Interim Head Coach Brad Cornelsen who was the Offensive Coordinator for Keeler the past two years.
So, while stability is the name of the game for Georgia Southern in the meantime, there are a lot of unanswered questions on the scouting report for the Bearkats. We have seen magical moments in the Bowl Season for Georgia Southern many times and can’t wait to see what this one turns out to be in the Big Easy for Big Blue!
Gator Bait
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A year after they failed to achieve bowl eligibility, The Florida Gators (7-5; 4-4 SEC) secured its return to postseason play with a spot in the Gasparilla Bowl on December 20, where it will face Tulane (9-4; 7-1 AAC).
It marks the Gators’ second bowl appearance in three years under head coach Billy Napier and their 22nd since the New Millenium (That’s the year 2000 for our younger readers).
Florida is 11-10 in postseason games since the turn of the century, excluding SEC championship games.
“We just have access to the players a lot more than we used to in the old days,” Napier said of securing a bowl berth. “All spring, all summer you can be on the field. It’s a little bit more of a reward for the players. It’s another opportunity to create momentum for the program. A lot of our redshirt players that will be able to play in the game which will be big.”
The Gators enjoyed their best season of the Napier era in 2024, winning seven total games and four against SEC foes, both program highs under his current leadership.
Florida’s success was the byproduct of an impressive run to end the regular season, five wins in their final eight games and each of their last three, including back-to-back wins over then-No. 21 LSU and then-No. 9 Ole Miss.
This was the first time the Gators had recorded multiple ranked wins in the same season under Napier’s watch.
Napier and his players said their bye week in late September was the catalyst for their marked improvement.
“I walked off that field and said, ‘That’s the best practice I’ve been associated with in 20 years of college football,'” Napier said. “So, at that point, I’m like, ‘We’ve got to figure this out.'”
He added that the Gators’ Oct. 12 loss to Tennessee also provided a motivational boost.
“I think Tennessee was a turning point,” Napier said. “I think in that locker room after the game, that was when it was like, okay, we can do this, and I think obviously Kentucky, another open date, what we experienced in Jacksonville. I just think hope is powerful, man. Just proud of these guys, man.”
While Florida’s 2024 campaign was ultimately successful enough to buy Napier a fourth season at the helm, things looked quite bleak for it at the outset.
The Gators suffered their worst home-opening defeat in program history when they lost 41-17 to Miami on Aug. 31 and endured a second blowout loss two weeks later at The Swamp against Texas A&M.
Looking back, Napier said those matchups bettered his team, too.
“Sometimes you’ve got to go through stuff,” he said. “They’re different because they went through that. They don’t really care what anybody thinks. They care what the people around them think. They care about doing their job and being accountable and being responsible to the people around them. I think what they’ve been through has forced them to do that, and I can say the same thing.”
The Gators could keep their hot streak alive in their bowl game with many of their key contributors likely to participate, including freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, junior center Jake Slaughter, freshman running back Jaden Baugh, junior edge rusher Tyreak Sapp and sophomore defensive back Bryce Thornton.
Florida is looking for its eighth win of its season for the first time since 2020. Did anyone predict this ending 5-6 weeks ago?
Playoff Predictor
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia Bulldogs are heading into the College Football Playoff with a lot of momentum after taking down Texas in the SEC Championship.
What a game that was, a 22-19 overtime thriller that saw quarterback Carson Beck leave the contest with an injured elbow, only to return on the final, game-winning play.
The Dawgs have now landed the No. 2 seed in the 12-team CFP bracket, right behind No. 1 Oregon.
While being the top seed is usually the goal, this time, being No. 2 might actually work out better for the mean machine in red and black.
The Bulldogs have a first-round bye and will kick off their playoff run in the quarterfinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Their first opponent will be the winner of a matchup between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 10 Indiana.
Neither team has proven much this season. Indiana only faced one tough opponent, Ohio State, and lost 38-15.
Notre Dame’s best win was a road victory over Texas A&M back in Week 1, but they also suffered an embarrassing loss to Northern Illinois at home.
For Georgia fans, even with the uncertainty surrounding Carson Beck, this setup is about as good as it gets.
If Georgia makes it past the quarterfinals, they’ll face either No. 3 Boise State, No. 6 Penn State, or No. 11 SMU in the semifinals.
While these teams have had strong seasons, none of them should really scare the Bulldogs.
Georgia’s depth, experience, and talent give them the upper hand in these matchups, setting them up well for a spot in the title game.
The real challenge for Georgia is waiting on the other side of the bracket. That’s where teams like Oregon, Texas, Ohio State, Tennessee, Arizona State, and Clemson are battling it out.
Oregon is the toughest opponent in the field, and Georgia would be underdogs against them.
Matchups with Texas or Ohio State would be close, but the Bulldogs are favored against Tennessee, Arizona State, and Clemson.
Looking at the odds, Georgia has a 75.5% chance to beat Clemson, 66.9% against Arizona State, and 63.6% against Tennessee.
Games against Texas and Ohio State are more of a coin flip, with Georgia’s chances sitting at 50.4% and 49.6%, respectively.
Oregon is the toughest draw, with Georgia having just a 45.7% chance to win.
The good news? Georgia won’t have to face those tougher teams until the championship game, giving them a smoother path than most.
The wildcard in any of these playoff scenarios is the health of Carson Beck. The quarterback is currently dealing with an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, which is his throwing arm. Georgia released a statement on Monday confirming the injury and shared that Beck and his family are exploring treatment options. At this time, there’s no clear timeline for his return.
If Beck is unable to play, Georgia is likely to rely on sophomore Gunner Stockton.
Stockton, a former four-star prospect out of Rabun County High School, stepped in during the SEC Championship game, completing 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards.
While he threw an interception that contributed to Texas tying the game, Stockton also delivered key moments, particularly with his mobility. In overtime, his 8-yard run helped set up Georgia’s game-winning touchdown.
After the win over Texas, teammates expressed confidence in Stockton’s ability to manage the offense. Georgia appears ready to adapt as they move forward in the postseason.
While no playoff game is ever a guaranteed win, Georgia’s bracket setup gives them a solid shot at making it back to the National Championship.
With Kirby Smart at the helm and a favorable draw, the Bulldogs have every reason to feel good about their chances to bring another title home to Athens. It’s going to be an exciting ride, but Georgia fans have plenty to be confident about as the playoff kicks off!
The Bulldogs will play next in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 1st in New Orleans. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:45pm EST.
Birmingham Bowl
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 college football regular season is over.
Now we move to bowl season.
Georgia Tech (7-5) will play Vanderbilt (6-6) in the Birmingham Bowl on December 27th.
Tech head coach Brent Key is from Birmingham and played high school football 20 minutes from Protective Stadium, the site of the bowl game.
“Birmingham’s had a bowl game for as long as I can remember. Probably one of the first football games I ever went to was, ironically enough, the 1985 All-American Bowl (a 17-14 Tech win over Michigan State),” Key said. “Goodness gracious, never would have thought full circle coming back.”
“Birmingham’s a city of grit and toughness. There’s a lot of things about the city of Birmingham that are right in the same parallels as our football team. I know family will be excited; friends will be excited. It’s pretty neat.”
Key went to Tech in 1996 to play football for the Yellow Jackets. He took over the program four games into the 2022 campaign and was named the full-time coach of the Jackets in November of that year.
He’s gone 14-11 in his first two full seasons and he received a five-year contract extension and a raise recently.
“It’s exciting. I think it just shows the leadership here,” Key said of his new deal. “It shows from (Tech) president (Angel) Cabrera to (athletic director) J Batt and then to the coaches, the alignment that takes place here. It also shows the commitment to the future of Georgia Tech athletics. Couldn’t be more excited. Doesn’t change anything about our day-to-day, but very, very appreciative of those people.”
Georgia Tech beat #10 Florida State and #4 Miami this season. They lost to #6 Georgia 44-42 in an eight-overtime thriller. The Jackets lead 27-13 with 3:39 left in the game before UGA came back and tied the game.
Tech’s top receiver Eric Singleton Jr. entered the transfer portal the first day it opened, December 9th.
The sophomore receiver had 56 receptions for 754 yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s also a member of the Tech track and field team and he’s the fastest player on the football team.
Tech has had three receivers enter the portal in Singleton, Christian Leary and Leo Blackburn, from Westlake High.
Defensive lineman Horace Lockett (also a former Westlake High standout), quarterback Zach Pyron, running back Evan Dickens and offensive linemen Corey Robinson (from Roswell High) and Jordan Brown previously announced their intentions to leave Tech.
The Commodores beat #1 Alabama earlier this season. This is their first bowl game since 2018.
Vandy is led by their transfer QB Diego Pavia. He has 2,133 passing yards, 17 TD’s and 4 interceptions. He is the team’s leading rusher with 716 yards and 4 scores. He only completes 59.2% of his passes.
Yellow Jacket senior quarterback Haynes King played in 10 games this season. He threw for 1,910 yards, 11 scores, 1 pick and completed 72.5% of his passes. He also rushed for 578 yards and 11 touchdowns.
I think Vanderbilt will win this game. Georgia Tech is the better team but I think they lost too many talented players to the transfer portal before the bowl game.
Playoff Predictions
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This season has been the most incredible and exciting season of my lifetime and I pride myself on NOT being Mr. “Recency Bias.”
Here’s how I see the inaugural College Football Playoff running its course.
Opening Round 12/20-12/21 (Home Sites)
Notre Dame (-8.5) v. Indiana: As much as people have hated on the Irish in the past, getting special exclusions and entrance into the BCS, the pundits have been right.
They’ve had a long history of getting smashed in these games. But this time will be different. Honestly, I think Notre Dame is one of the top 4 squads.
And let’s be real. If they weren’t so stuck on themselves, they’d be ACC Champs and none of this discussion of Indiana, SMU, Bama and South Carolina would be relevant.
The Pick: Notre Dame by 14.
Penn St (-8.5) v. SMU: Another blowout. As evidenced by the Vegas spreads, the real experts know the deal.
Sure, they get it wrong sometimes, but here we’re just talking about outright winners.
Penn St showed me a lot in their loss to Oregon. They only played two top 25 teams, a fading Illinois and a home loss to Ohio St.
But I was wrong, thinking they had no business in the playoff.
The Pick: Penn St by 17.
Ohio St (-7) v. Tennessee: This should be the only close one of the four 1st round games.
Simple…. Nico Iamaleava has shown much improvement in the last 3 games. Without that, this would be a blowout.
But as long as he keeps trending up, the Buckeyes will have trouble stopping Dylan Sampson on the ground. In the end, Ohio St’s home field wins out.
The Pick: Ohio St. by 3.
Texas (-11.5) v. Clemson: Look, some friends of mine from my home state won’t be happy, but this isn’t guys sitting around a campfire.
I have to give my honest opinion. And there’s a reason why the Tigers are double-digit dog. They deserve all the respect in the world for what they’ve done in the past. But I believe the Horns might hook ‘em hard.
The Pick: Texas by 14.
2nd Round Bowl Games (12/31 – 1/1): Peach Bowl Arizona St v. Texas
As much as I love the Sun Devil turn-around from a 2023 3-win season, this will come down to Texas #1 rush defense versus Cam Scattebo.
The Pick: Texas by 3
Rose Bowl Oregon v. Ohio St: In this rematch, Oregon won’t allow Ohio St to beat them on the ground like the Buckeyes did for over 200 yards in October.
The Pick: Oregon by 7.
Fiesta Bowl: Boise St v. Penn St: This won’t be quite the Vegas spread mismatch of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl when Boise shocked Oklahoma and the college football world with the hook-n-ladder, a Statue of Liberty and Ian Johnson getting engaged.
But….Penn St will be about a 4-point favorite.
The Pick: Penn St. by 3.
Sugar Bowl UGA v. Notre Dame: I think we saw why Kirby has been hesitant to give Gunner Stockton a shot, as much as Beck has struggled this year. Although he played with guts and tenacity of a Dawg, he’s limited.
That 2nd half in the SEC Title game, there were only 3 pass plays more than 10 yards, and one was nearly a game-costing Pick-6. That said, Etienne is healthy and Stockton still brings mobility back there.
The Pick: UGA by 6.
Semi-finals: Oregon beats Texas. UGA beats Penn St.
Championship game UGA v. Oregon:
Look, I know everyone will call me a homer, but it is what it is.
There is no team in America that has shown as much resiliency as the Dawgs. They are NOT the most dominant Dawgs squad ever, but the portal has changed the college game.
It’s so hard to make a real prediction with UGA’s QB situation, but I just can’t get past this team’s resiliency.
For a while, I just thought the Dawgs were getting exposed every week. But by season’s end, they proved that resiliency and being true Dawgs on the field gets it done.
The Pick: UGA by 3.
Larry Munson gets to smoke another Heavenly cigar.
Bowl Season
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s almost Christmas, and that means it’s time to go bowling—college football style!
For decades, bowl games have been the heart of the postseason for NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams.
Before the days of playoffs, national champions were decided by polls from sportswriters and coaches.
To spice things up, cities started hosting regional festivals featuring bowl games. Over time, systems like the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and the current College Football Playoff (CFP) came along to settle things on the field.
Still, the traditional bowl games remain a big deal.
The term “bowl” comes from the Rose Bowl Stadium, inspired by the Yale Bowl.
Over time, it’s become shorthand for major football games. Back in the day, bowl games only featured the very best teams, with strict rules about who could play.
Fast forward to now, and we’ve gone from just 10 bowl games in 1971 to a whopping 43 in 2023. Eligibility has loosened too, with teams sitting at .500—or even below—sometimes getting the call to play.
The first official college bowl game was way back in 1902, a matchup between Michigan and Stanford organized by the Tournament of Roses.
After a brief pause, it became an annual event in 1916 and eventually found a permanent home at the Rose Bowl Stadium in 1923.
Other cities took note and started their own bowl traditions, drawing tourists to warmer climates. What started as New Year’s Day exclusives has since spread to indoor stadiums and colder regions.
The “Big Four” bowls—Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Cotton—were once the ultimate destinations in college football, all tied to specific conferences.
For example, the Rose Bowl paired champions from the Pac-10 and Big Ten. But these tie-ins sometimes kept the top-ranked teams from squaring off, leaving voters to decide the champion. That messy process earned the name “Mythical National Championship.” (Looking at you, UCF!)
In the 1990s, things started to change with systems like the Bowl Coalition and Bowl Alliance.
The BCS followed, introducing a rotating championship game among the major bowls.
Today’s CFP has taken it further, with a twelve-team playoff format—expanding from just four playoff teams the previous few seasons.
Bowl games have grown into cultural and commercial giants. Many have corporate sponsors, blending old-school names with flashy branding. (Remember when the Citrus Bowl became the Capital One Bowl for a bit?)
The postseason now stretches from mid-December to early January, with games filling nearly every day of the calendar.
Some things never change, though. The Rose Bowl is still the biggest stage, holding the record for the largest bowl game crowd at over 106,000 fans in 1973.
And while bowl games are mostly a U.S. tradition, they’ve made their way north. Canadian college football has its own bowls leading to the Vanier Cup, and the CFL features the Banjo Bowl, an annual rivalry matchup.
Bowl games have come a long way, growing from a few exclusive contests into a sprawling postseason showcase.
Even though New Year’s Day isn’t as packed as it used to be, the excitement of bowl season is as strong as ever.
This year marks the debut of the 12-team playoff format, designed to give the top programs a real shot at the national title.
The playoffs kick off on December 20th and 21st, though the first-round games aren’t technically bowl games.
Starting with the quarterfinals, the familiar bowl names return. The Fiesta Bowl leads off on December 31st, followed by the Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl on January 1st.
The semifinals take place with the Orange Bowl on January 9th and the Cotton Bowl on January 10th.
The grand finale? The National Championship game in Atlanta on January 20th.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and bowl season is here to make it even better!
Prove It
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
You’re going to Golden Corral (or your favorite buffet spot). You got it all planned out.
“Imma get some BBQ…. some mac-n-cheese… some of that steak with rice-n-gravy. Then, some of those collard greens….and those yeast rolls!”
You haven’t eaten in 24 hours. Yeast rolls been dancing in your head all day at work. You pay at the register. You got that sly grin and a bounce in your step.
You walk to the buffet and start looking down and around. Suddenly, “I don’t know what to get first.”
You start piling up stuff. By the time you get to the bottom, half of it is cold. You get more. You finish. You walk out.
“Mannnn…..I don’t know. Nothing was great. It was all just kind of okay.”
I can’t help but think the first year of this new 12-team playoff is the same, just a pile of really good teams. When you stack it all up, nobody can tell the difference.
#1 Oregon is undefeated, but they’ve only played two ranked teams, Ohio St and a fading Illinois team.
#3 Penn State is just 1-1 after only playing two ranked teams.
#9 SMU has only played two ranked teams.
Look at blind resumes. Take off the helmet. Don’t watch the games. Just look at the schedule difficulties and how teams have fared.
What have they proven?
If you do that, the top 3 resumes in college football, in no certain order, are Texas, UGA and the University of South Carolina.
Skeerrrr…..(insert brake sound here). Yeah, that’s right. If you only look at the resumes and what the teams have proven, you simply cannot make an argument otherwise. You just can’t. You can try, but those arguments would not be meaningful.
Against ranked teams…. Texas (4-1), UGA (3-2, including three top 10 wins) and South Carolina (4-3, including an LSU loss with a horrendous game-changing call).
Don’t come at me with “They beat them by…. They lost to…..” Whatever.
And between all three, Texas, Georgia and South Carolina have ZERO losses against unranked teams.
I’m sorry. I get it. Teams can’t be totally blamed for their schedules. But I think there needs to be a rule. If you haven’t played at least 3 ranked teams, then you shouldn’t be allowed in the top 8. You get no home playoff game or a 1st round bye.
Right now, if you forced Penn St, Oregon and Indiana to take a back seat and move to 9 through 12…or worse, then you’d have a much more quality comparison of teams.
I would absolutely guarantee you South Carolina would be in, over an Indiana. Why?
Because their current ranking would be based off the idea of being undefeated or only having one loss.
Right now, if South Carolina played Penn State and Indiana on neutral fields, I guarantee you the Gamecocks would be at least a 4-point favorite. They might even be a 1 or 2-point favorite over Penn State, but no more than a field goal underdog.
I know, the elephant in the room. How would South Carolina be in over two teams it lost to? That argument is pointless based off the current system. Why?
Well, if Clemson beats SMU Saturday, they’ll be in over South Carolina, who it JUST lost to, at home.
To me, the bottom line is this. There will always be arguments about these last 3-4 teams getting in, but this is still so much better than the old system.
So, what’s the only way we can know who should be in? Teams like Oregon, Penn St and Indiana should no longer get passes, simply because they only have one loss or less, but have only played 1-3 ranked teams.
What have they proven? Easy….nothing.
