The 2023 College Bowl Opt Out Tracker

**Renegades** · 12-04-23, 03:37 PM

This has ruined the bowl games. Its impossible to handicap as well. I used to love the bowls.

**USCPHILLYGUY** · 12-04-23, 03:40 PM

I guess you can’t blame them. Didn’t a LB from Notre Dame blow out his knee a few years back?

**Eddy Munny** · 12-04-23, 03:42 PM

Originally posted by Renegades

This has ruined the bowl games. Its impossible to handicap as well. I used to love the bowls.

You can't really bet them early with confidence, that's for sure, unless you anticipate one team having more significant opt outs than the other and you wanna get ahead of the line move. But it's not just NFL guys anymore, now you have a bunch of portal jumpers, some teams will be rolling out glorified junior varsity units in the postseason.

**Renegades** · 12-04-23, 04:04 PM

Yeah exactly. The bowls were designed to be a celebration of the season. Now its basically just an audition for next years team. There are guys that dont play just because they dont want to practice for another 3 weeks. They’re not even nfl bound.

I could envision a time not too far down the road where the playoffs get expanded to what the FCS does and the bowl games are eliminated.

**Da Manster!** · 12-04-23, 04:14 PM

Originally posted by Eddy Munny

And so it begins... just a matter of time before they start falling like dominoes.

I guess the obvious ones will be Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, maybe Drake Maye?

There's already been some major line movement in a few of the bowl games.

Missouri is only +2.5 against Ohio State so I take it Marvin Harrison Jr. is gonzo among others.

yup! and because of Caleb Williams sitting out, USC is now catching a whopping (+7.5) against Louisville! Even with their backup QB, the Trojans definitely have more than enough fire power to hang around with the Cardinals or maybe even win the game outright!

**Eddy Munny** · 12-04-23, 04:31 PM

Originally posted by Da Manster!

yup! and because of Caleb Williams sitting out, USC is now catching a whopping (+7.5) against Louisville! Even with their backup QB, the Trojans definitely have more than enough fire power to hang around with the Cardinals or maybe even win the game outright!

Depends on what the Louisville players decide. If their best players are motivated and decide to play, I could see the Cardinals covering the number against USC. The Trojans defense is really, really bad and without Caleb to keep 'em afloat it could go sideways. USC traditionally doesn't get up for these kinds of bowl games. They got that SoCal nonchalance.

**Renegades** · 12-04-23, 04:43 PM

Louisville tm total was the first thing I liked. They will score in the 30’s. Brohm is a magician when it comes to bowls particularly when he gets a cupcake defense

**ChuckyTheGoat** · 12-04-23, 05:16 PM

You think Nix will play? I think he will, b/c he can still move up the draft board.

**Da Manster!** · 12-04-23, 05:18 PM

The thing that scares me about the Cardinals is their inconsistency! they got bitchslapped by a garbage Pitt team (38 - 21) and got smacked around by a very mediocre and pedestrian Kentucky team on their home field (38 - 31)! and only beat Ga Tech by 5 and NC ST by 3. I simply can't trust teams like that. but like Ed said, it will depend on who opts out and who is motivated. (as is the case with the vast majority of these useless bowl games!)

**pavyracer** · 12-04-23, 06:12 PM

Anything other than a playoff game treat it like an exhibition game. You don't know which players will sit or even the ones who start how hard will they play. This is why no one plays defense in these bowl games. They are afraid of injury.

**hehfest** · 12-04-23, 07:14 PM

They should just end bowl games for power conference schools and keep them for the non-power at this point. Its gone mad.

**hehfest** · 12-04-23, 07:16 PM

Nix getting injured and being done compared to moving up a draft board a few spots? He aint playin' unless he's a old school flashback.

**hehfest** · 12-04-23, 07:22 PM

Originally posted by Renegades

This has ruined the bowl games. Its impossible to handicap as well. I used to love the bowls.

I tried to assign a point value to every starter at every position being out in the games last year. It did help me in a few games for capping, but in some games it just became ridiculous. Someone maybe even the year before that played Utah had almost all starters missing. LOL. It really has become a complete uncappable situation unless you just blindly bet the team not missing as many players, etc.

**homie1975** · 12-04-23, 08:18 PM

Ohio St starting QB Kyle McCord went into transfer portal.

As did Oklahoma starter Dillon Gabriel.

Ohio State plays Mizzu.

OU plays Zona.

formidable opponents for Bucks and Soons

**Eddy Munny** · 12-04-23, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by homie1975

Ohio St starting QB Kyle McCord went into transfer portal.

As did Oklahoma starter Dillon Gabriel.

Ohio State plays Mizzu.

OU plays Zona.

formidable opponents for Bucks and Soons

The backup for Ohio State might be as good as McCord... They were neck and neck in the spring/fall when competing for the starting job. But he's probably going to be throwing to receivers not named Harrison Jr., Fleming, or the Emeka guy. TreVeyon Henderson another opt out candidate.

I dunno anything about the Oklahoma backup. The Cats are laying over a field goal in that one.

**homie1975** · 12-04-23, 10:11 PM

Originally posted by Eddy Munny

The backup for Ohio State might be as good as McCord... They were neck and neck in the spring/fall when competing for the starting job. But he's probably going to be throwing to receivers not named Harrison Jr., Fleming, or the Emeka guy. TreVeyon Henderson another opt out candidate.

I dunno anything about the Oklahoma backup. The Cats are laying over a field goal in that one.

yes Devin Brown, a better athlete and runner than McCord but not as good a passer.

and we know McCord was no Dan Marino back there flinging the rock.

**homie1975** · 12-07-23, 10:25 PM

so many in the transfer portal that they are effectively "opt outs"

Dillon Gabriel left OU for transfer portal so he will not play vs Arizona.

they are piling up, one by one.

**Eddy Munny** · 12-07-23, 10:31 PM

Apparently Texas A&M might be gutted after the dust settles with transfers.

**homie1975** · 12-07-23, 10:40 PM

^ damn.

**bjb7223** · 12-07-23, 10:50 PM

Originally posted by Eddy Munny

Apparently Texas A&M might be gutted after the dust settles with transfers.

and that's a good thing

**batt33** · 12-12-23, 08:50 PM

North Carolina QB Drake Maye will not play in their Bowl Game
vs W. Virginia and has declared for the 2024 NFL draft.

Notre Dame's QB Sam Hartman will not play in their Bowl Game.The news of Hartman’s opt out comes approximately a week after Oregon State QB DJ Uiagalelei entered the transfer portal. Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State from Clemson ahead of the 2023 season.