Opting out has become the in thing to do.
Every year, players regularly choose not to play in bowl games, some wary of injuries affecting their pro prospects, others leaving for another school or sitting out after a coaching change.
Entire teams even opt out.
Minnesota still finds plenty of reasons to embrace the bowl experience,even when the chase for a national championship ended long before the postseason starts.
The Gophers are pretty good at it, too, heading into Friday’s Rate Bowl against New Mexico on an eight-game bowl winning streak. That’s the FBS’ longest active streak, the longest ever by a big Ten Conference team and fourth-longest in college football history, three behind Florida State’s record of 11 from 1985-95.
“Our players take the bowl games very, very seriously. They love football, and they want to play football,” said coach P.J. fleck, who is 6-0 in bowl games and in his ninth season with the Gophers. “We take a lot of pride in developing that type of mindset here at the University of Minnesota.I just respect the game wholeheartedly.you want to coach players who respect the game.”
The majority of bowl games this century have long been second-tier events, and the advent of the 12-team College Football Playoff has further cemented that status. The constant December upheaval around the game with coaching staff changes and transfer-portal entries has made the bowls even more of an afterthought.
But not if the Gophers (7-5) can help it.
“It’s just another opportunity to spend another month with the guys, and travel, and go to a cool place, spend some time together and celebrate the season that we put together,” Minnesota linebacker said.
New Mexico Lobos Football on the Rise, Quarterback Drake Lindsey Stays Committed
The New Mexico Lobos football team is experiencing a resurgence in their first season under head coach Jason Eck. Despite being predicted to finish 11th out of 12 teams in the Mountain West Conference, the Lobos finished the season with a 9-3 record – their most wins since 2008 – and a six-game winning streak, the longest since 1997.
A key factor in their success has been a important enhancement on offense and defense. New Mexico set a school record for total offense, averaging 484.5 yards per game. simultaneously, their defense dramatically reduced their rushing yards allowed, holding opponents to 113.4 yards per game – nearly 100 yards fewer than the previous season.
“We’ve been able to break down some walls and break down some barriers for the University of New Mexico that they haven’t been able to do for a while,” Eck stated.
Lindsey’s Commitment
Quarterback Drake Lindsey stepped up after Max Brosmer signed as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings. While Lindsey’s passing statistics placed him in the middle of the 18-team Big Ten during his debut season, he demonstrated promising performance in the final six games, throwing six touchdown passes and scoring two rushing touchdowns without a single turnover.
Despite the opportunity to opt out of the upcoming bowl game, Lindsey chose to remain with the team, citing his strong relationship with the coaching staff and their dedication to player development. “When you have relationships with the coaches that are so good,and they’re continuing to pour into me,pour into the players around me,it’s an easy decision,” he explained.
Sources:
* https://www.foxsports.com/college-football/new-mexico-lobos-bowl-game-drake-lindsey
* https://www.vikings.com/news/max-brosmer-signs-with-vikings-as-undrafted-free-agent (to confirm Brosmer’s signing with the Vikings)
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