Boy this is awkward…but we’re going to talk about it anyways.
If UCLA would have just sucked it up, we wouldn’t even need this conversation, but here we are. State currently stands at 9-3, but hold the Holiday Bowl trophy in their hands. A good ol’ debate into 9-3 or 10-3.
State will remain 9-3
There were a lot of folks talking about how Vandy took the win, so why doesn’t State football? Well because actually, Vandy nor the NCAA actually counted it as such.
Yes they advanced, but it wasn’t with a win.
If you head over to their record books, the third game against State in the CWS doesn’t even appear. No “No Contest” or mention of the game with “Canceled” by it…just nothingness. As if it never happened.
Both the ACC and NCAA said that they will not be recognizing State as a ten-win team. And that Holiday Bowl trophy? State got it, but an individual bowl committee can’t overrule conferences or NCAA, themselves.
As a slight tangent, Holiday Bowl officials seemed just as upset about everything that went on. You work so hard to plan and book, then one of the teams just doesn’t give a damn. That trophy presentation was just as much about “State, you did everything you could”, as it was “F*ck you, UCLA.”
Just think about it like this;
UNC’s game versus South Carolina was called off, because USC pulled a Chip “Offseason I work as the Pillsbury Doughboy mascot” Kelly. Then UNC gets a Duke’s Mayo trophy and proclaims that they finished the season with a winning record at 7-6. State fans would be livid. Twitter would be on fire, and either Vonwolf and Wolferetti would probably end up in jail because of extreme verbal abuse towards Mack Brown.
And yet, some still want 10 wins.
State ends season 10-3
Suck it world, State has their ten wins.
Let’s say State found out three days in advance that UCLA was out, but didn’t do anything about it. Maybe they just never fought to find a new opponent. Or let’s say, State also had big issues with Covid, but they won the game of Chicken. Maybe you could see it as sleazy then, that they would proclaim themselves the winner.
But that’s not the case.
State showed up in San Diego, 10000% focused on the business at hand. The did everything they could to be healthy and then spent overtime looking for another opponent. UCLA screwed them over. They get a L, State gets a dub.
Also, while we’re here…Why would we care about the NCAA? Why would we think that the ACC would have our back anyways? We are taking the trophy and we’re taking the win, as well. End of story.
You want to put an asterisk by it? Fine. Doesn’t matter. Doeren, these players and that staff had a hell of a season. They’re getting to 10.
State was the better football team and by far the most professional of the two.
10-3 and that’s the way it will be. #GoPack