Stephen A. Smith blasts historic college football program for skipping bowl game

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is the man of a million opinions. But the events of the past week of college football had Smith digging deep to share his disdain. Not many years ago, bowl games were regarded as major prizes to be sought and enjoyed by fan bases. But in the era of an expanding College Football Playoff, the non-Playoff bowls are certainly taking a prestige hit.

No less than 10 teams turned down bowl berths in the events of last weekend. Yes, the majority of those teams declining spots were 5-7 teams that had already begun offseason preparations without consideration of a bowl appearance. But across the sport, bowl appearances were devalued by teams-- whatever the reason-- turning down bowls.

Stephen A. Drags Notre Dame

Notre Dame, after being knocked out of the CFP by a single slot, was by far the most significant team to decline bowl offerings. The Irish clearly felt they had earned a CFP spot and the program's own social media release made clear that Notre Dame wasn't interested in anything less. Stephen A. Smith was not impressed by that stance, and he shared his thoughts for the Irish on ESPN's First Take.

Put on your big boy pants. Grow up and accept accountability for the role you played... here you are with your selfish asses, out there being an Independent... the one thing you can't control, you want to whine and moan about it because your team lost head-up to Miami to open the season.
Stephen A. Smith

Independent Issues

The lack of a conference alignment certainly didn't do Notre Dame any favors in the CFP donnybrook. While the school is a member of the ACC for most sports, Notre Dame has chosen to avoid conference alignment, presumably in regard to their own television deal with NBC Sports. Not having a conference left the Irish without the chance to improve their stock in the first weekend of December, as many other teams did.

Notre Dame's Competition

That said, the Miami team that jumped Notre Dame in the CFP rankings also didn't play over the weekend. Miami fell out of the ACC title picture and watched 8-5 Duke claim the league's honors. Alabama did play, but with a 28-7 loss to Georgia, probably wished to have been anywhere else. Still, Alabama and Miami are in the CFP and Notre Dame remains out.

Many have agreed with Smith's sentiments, claiming that Notre Dame's stance in turning down a bowl bid was somewhere between silly and genuinely unfair to its own players. While others have been vociferous in their objection to Notre Dame's CFP treatment, a large number have agreed with Smith's sentiment about the need for some blue and gold "big boy pants."

Notre Dame and coach Marcus Freeman drew Stephen A. Smith's ire by skipping bowl games after being snubbed for the College Football Playoff. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images