2011 Bowl Predictions: Can Notre Dame or FSU Lure More Recruits with a Win?

One of the most forgotten and underappreciated aspects of the college football bowl season is the impact these games will have on recruits. For small programs, getting to a bowl is huge, but for bigger programs like Notre Dame and Florida State, getting to the right bowl is all that matters.

Unfortunately, neither team is where it thought it would be at the beginning of the season. The Irish and Seminoles are set to clash in the Champs Sports Bowl at the end of this season.

So what would a win mean for either program?

In simple terms, a lot.

Both of these teams were incredibly close to having the seasons that people expected out of them this year. For Notre Dame, the problems all came down to careless turnovers. If the team could just hold onto the football, it would likely be playing in a BCS Bowl.

For Florida State, the only problem with the team has been the offensive line, which has not been able to pass protect or open a hole in the run game.

But looking ahead, Notre Dame has the most to gain out of this bowl game. The team will lose 10 starters to graduation next season, including three on the offensive line, as well as the entire secondary.

Freshmen and sophomores are already filling up on the two-deep depth chart and a win would mark another step forward for the program under Brian Kelly.

A win would also mean a lot to Florida State, but fans have to know that defensive coordinator Mark Stoops is one of the hottest names in college football. He turned around the defense like no one else really could, and if he leaves, it's hard to say how well the team will do.

Both teams obviously want to get this win; a victory would benefit either program greatly in the future. It just would mean more to Notre Dame if it beat Florida State.