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ORLANDO – It’s easy to be cynical and critical about bowl games.
For good reason. Even before the College Football Playoff was introduced, there was plenty to take aim at for games that often saddled schools with big bills and too often mediocre games.
Now, with the transfer portal and the CFP, it’s never been easier to be dismissive about games that don’t feel particularly meaningful.
Then, though, you see things like Saturday night.
With J.R. Singleton calling No. 19 Iowa State’s 42-41 Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over No. 16 Miami one of his best moments as a Cyclone.
More: Iowa State football: Cyclones top Miami in Pop-Tarts Bowl thriller
With Jaylin Noel hilariously clutching a toaster trophy and making a beeline toward his teammates.
With Matt Campbell fighting back tears as he listened to Noel talk about his love of this team.
These games don’t matter toward a national championship or even a national conversation. They don’t even tell us much about teams, with rosters ravaged by the realities of the business this sport really is.
They matter, though, to the men on the field. To players who get one final time to play this game with their teammates and in that uniform.
“This team means the world to me,” Noel said, “and there’s no better way to go out than a champion.
“Those guys come in every day and look up to me, and if I wasn’t going to play, then that’s just not what leaders do, I feel like. So to be able to play in this game and be able to go out there one last time with this team, it means everything to me.”
Iowa State defensive back Drew Surges (29) celebrates after beating Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium.
That one last time provided an 11th win, the most in school history. No one will confuse it with the Big 12 title that could have been or the spot in the College Football…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hines-try-telling-iowa-state-120328395.html
Author : The Des Moines Register
Publish date : 2024-12-29 12:03:00
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