OT: A&M withdraws from Gator Bowl

[AuricGoldfinger]

Sad to see this. A&M cites the 'vid, injuries, opt-outs, and transfers as reasons for withdrawing from its bowl game with Wake Forest.

[frstev17]

Will this just be the first? No surprise if the same factors plague other bowls.

[commadore]

Wake doesn't deserve this.

[VU1970]

Should have invited an SEC team.

[belair]

Well since we are the last SEC team standing?????? So you are saying there's a chance.
Sure to shatter the Buster Douglas 64:1 odds!!!!

[vandy05]

It looks like they're going to find a replacement opponent for Wake. Rutgers seems to be the first in line because of their 5-7 status and their APR rating. Apparently Rutgers has started reassembling their team. That in and of itself seems really tough to me with all the Covid going around. I have a hard time imagining how teams could've dispersed their kids all over the country for winter break and then reassemble them without generating a big Covid outbreak on their squad. But who knows, maybe Rutgers (or some other squad) can make it work.

[Seadog73]

Pulling a team in that dispersed is a mistake. They will be out of game-shape, timing will be off, injury and mistake prone. Nothing good will come of it.

[BrentVU]

Incredible! Rutgers (5-7) is now playing in a prestigious bowl game in Florida on New Year's Eve. Heck, I would have been up for that.

[AuricGoldfinger]

Vandy goes 8-4 in successive years hoping for a Gator bid and never gets a sniff. Rutgers goes 5-7 and gets a trip to Florida.

And here's the kicker. In most years if VU goes 5-7, it would be Vandy that's first in the APR line.

[Versus75]

Good to see that Wake doesn’t get screwed. I thought they would wait for another opt-out team and then have the two non-weenies play.

[TnValleyDore]

I don’t want to dismiss the COVID aspect, but it is somewhat pathetic that the “Home of the 12th Man” would include injuries, opt-outs, transfers, etc. in the reasons for backing out.