Posted on Mon, Jan 2, 2012 : 7:57 p.m.
Virginia Tech player's take: Bowl games are great, but gifts, entire week is too much
By AnnArbor.com Staff
Collin Carroll is a long-snapper for the Virginia Tech football team. He also writes for the school newspaper and today wrote a column for ESPN.com.
His take: Bowl week is too much, and he's seeing it again as the Hokies prepare for their Sugar Bowl date Tuesday (8:30 p.m., ESPN) against Michigan.
Carroll says it's easy for college players to be overwhelmed with the extras of bowl week, which this week including gifts, a per diem check and outings to a steak house and a parade.
From Carroll:
In fact, diversions and temptations are so rampant during bowl week that the game itself hinges not so much on which team prepares better but which team gets less distracted. This isn't just a Sugar Bowl thing, either — this has been a constant struggle at each of the four other bowls I have attended.
Comments
Mr. X
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 2:01 p.m.
It is disappointing that the first seven comments have nothing to do with the article to which the link will take you. Instead of engaging the author's topic the discussion is of a style of offense and a game that is not mentioned in this article. The author has brought up a subject whose issues and concerns go much deeper than what he even addresses. Maybe some will see fit to discuss the actual article. Just to bring up one issue, it seems the NCAA has a bit of a contradiction in ethics. Why are athletes allowed to receive gifts and money during bowl week but not any other time? I understand it is a reward for a season well played but if they are student athletes who are not allowed to accept gifts then bowl week should not be an exception, IMO.
thecompound
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 9:02 p.m.
Agree with your whole post.
ted
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 8:21 a.m.
The Wisconsin Offense scored 14 fewer points than Oregon's MICHFANTEX
ted
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 2:51 a.m.
Whatever makes you sleep at night Don....Fact is Oregon's offense allows for wide open receivers and untouched running backs Its the smart way to play offense.
DonAZ
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 4:55 a.m.
Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, Ted ... fact is Oregon's offense is not invincible. Rewatch the LSU game. Rewatch the USC game. Wisconsin played with Oregon through most of that game, as MichFanTex noted. That final fumble killed them ... a fumble that should not have happened if better ball protection was practiced.
MichFanTex
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 4:25 a.m.
I'm sure you watched the game and noticed that Wisconsin had a serious contain problem on their right side. Had their right side played as disciplined as the left, Wisconsin, which did lead this game in the 3d quarter, very likely may have won. Putting that aside though, the idiotic time out to review a play meant Wisconsin couldn't tie the game late. But you watched the game and know that Wisconsin's offense was scoring right along with Oregon. You did watch the game, didn't you?
ted
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 2:21 a.m.
Yeah that spread offense doesn't work in the big ten.. Oregon offense 45 points, 621 total yards,345 yards rushing.... Wisconsin Offense 31 points. Wisconsin had over a month to plan for Oregon's offense.. Oregon has a smart offense. Michigan's future offense safe and stupid
ted
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 2:03 a.m.
Yeah that spread offense doesn't work in the big ten.. Oregon offense 45 points, 621 total yards,345 yards rushing.... Wisconsin Offense 31 points. Wisconsin had over a month to plan for Oregon's offense.. Oregon has a smart offense. Michigan's future offense safe and stupid.
DonAZ
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 2:39 a.m.
Wisconsin defense failed to penetrate the Oregon backfield. That's how LSU and USC beat Oregon. That said, Oregon's offense looked great. Terrific talent, good execution.