Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

I'd like to see Iowa play UGA, why not?  Line it up, TV, no fans, maybe a few.

Might be a really good game.

It would be a really good game, and it is a good thought. Is UGA available for the Outback Bowl? 

This week's B1G games by current Power Ranking:

• #1 tOSU vs #4 NU, B1GCG in Indianapolis
• #2 Iowa, off due to COVID
• #3 Indiana, off due to COVID
• #5 Wisconsin vs #7 Minnesota
• #6 Penn State vs #14 Illinois
• #8 Rutgers vs #10 Nebraska
• #9 Maryland vs #13 Michigan State
• #11 Purdue, off due to COVID
• #12 Michigan, off due to COVID

that's what I've heard

no requirements

I don't think very many bowls are actually going to end up being played, plus it looks like a lot of teams are "opting out" anyway, so I don't think we'll end up seeing a lot of 2-6 type teams playing in bowls.

As to how the remaining bowls that actually go forward sustain themselves... it's a great question.  I really have no idea.  Forcing a team to buy a bunch of tickets to a stadium where a lot of fans aren't likely to travel-- or possibly even legally restricted from travel by local authorities-- doesn't seem like it's going to be possible this year.

That's probably another reason several teams are already stating they'll opt out. Why even entertain the possibility?

Exactly. The lesser bowls are often money-losers for the teams themselves. If the bowls try to use the AD budgets as their own piggy bank as usual, in a year where fan engagement will be minimal or nonexistent in some places, I see teams just turning down the bids.

The problem could arise though, if there are insufficient teams to furnish whatever bowls DO decide to go forward.

The conferences are bound by contracts with the bowls.  And the schools are bound by contracts to the conferences.

It's easy in theory to say, "we're opting out."

In practice, if the bowl has a contract with the conference, and wants its appropriately designated school from that conference, and that school "opts out"-- then the conference is in breach of contract with the bowl, and the school is in breach of contract with the conference.  This could result in lawsuits.

I don't expect that it will, though-- in reality I think all parties will likely make some allowances for the strangeness of the COVID year.

But I do find it amusing and a tad presumptuous that so many schools assume they can just "opt out" without letting things play out first.  That's not how it works.  That's not how ANY of this works.

Good point. Even if this never goes to a lawsuit, some lawyers are going to rack up plenty of billable hours going over those contracts!

Yup, unless we get a perfect match of teams to available bowls, some lawyers, somewhere, are going to be making money. Golderned leeches!

I'd be interested in PiratesRoost's take on this, I wish he were still around.

Sounds like OSU has covid issues again.  Hoping they can play Saturday. 

Sounds like like at least Olave will be out- and who knows who else in the WR group due to contract tracing. 

Anyone out now is done- would miss playoff if OSU gets there- due to the Big Ten 21 day rule.

Crappy ending. 

Assuming that the Buckeyes made it to and won a CFP Semi-Final, the NCG is scheduled for Monday, January 11.  Three weeks prior to that is Monday, December 21 which hasn't occurred yet so I think it is premature to say that "anyone out now is done".