Forgive those who say the Orange Bowl in the modern climate of college football is nothing more than an exhibition unless it factors into the national championship picture.
And blame the CFP, too.
To some from afar, the College Football Playoff has rendered the rest of the bowl season somewhat meaningless, though there’s a giant asterisk next to that statement. Not everyone takes bowl games seriously. Some teams just aren’t as dialed in as others. Feeling slighted, unmotivated by a lesser-named opponent, or playing in a bowl in a lousy location or too nice (see lack of focus), and the stage is sometimes set for a complete no-show by good teams.
Other clubs are raring to go with something to prove. Some programs have such a strong culture that anytime they run out of the tunnel they will represent with a championship-level pride regardless of what’s on the line.
