The 2014 Discover Orange Bowl could feature as many as five or even six 2014 NFL Draft first round picks, as the Ohio State Buckeyes and Clemson Tigers each have plenty of prospects who will look to continue their careers at the next level. While many will be playing their final game in college in the Discover Orange Bowl in Miami on January 3, 2014, others will be looking to help themselves rise up the draft board for the following season. While we do not know for sure which underclassmen will announce that they will declare themselves eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft, we do know that this season’s Orange Bowl is loaded with talent.
- My views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products Inc. and its affiliates.
Before we get to a Discover Orange Bowl preview between the Tigers and Buckeyes, with the spotlight focusing on the top draft prospects in the game, take a look at the latest results from the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. The latest Discover Fan Loyalty Poll revealed that overall, one-third of college football fans across the country use social media while they watch their favorite team play. Breaking down the numbers further show that 50 percent use it to cheer on their team, while 7 percent do so to comment on the opposing team. A small number, just 2 percent, criticize their own team on social media. Thirty-one percent do all three when they log on.
Is this true of fans of Clemson or Ohio State? Keep reading to find out how you can voice your opinion on which team will win the big game in Miami on January 3. Thanks to Discover, college football fans are going to get the opportunity to show just how active they are on social media, especially when it comes to this season’s Orange Bowl. Keep reading to find out how you can join the party!
Of those who do use social media throughout their favorite team’s game, 38 percent of men and 32 percent of women use social media to taunt their friends. Millennials are most likely to take to social media while watching their team play, as 56 percent log on during the game, but other age groups don’t lag far behind. Check out those numbers as well as some more fun facts from the latest survey below:
- 40-49, 40 percent
- 30-39, 38 percent
- 50-64, 26 percent
- 65 or older, 17 percent
- 66 percent of women use social media to cheer on their team, compared to 36 percent of men
- 18 percent of women log on to social media in order to criticize their team, cheer on their team, or comment on the opposing team, compared to 43 percent of men who do all three
- 32 percent of women use social media to taunt their friends, while 38 percent of men dish it out online
* Discover Products Inc. sent me a Gift Card for participating as a Blogger in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll program
Whether you are rooting for the Tigers or the Buckeyes, and regardless of if you place an emphasis on offense or defense, the consensus top pick in terms of which player from the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl will be drafted the highest in the 2014 NFL Draft is likely to be Sammy Watkins, a wide receiver from Clemson. With his mix of speed and power, Watkins should be a top 10 pick in the next draft, provided he does indeed forego his final season of eligibility at Clemson. Watkins is just a junior, but it is expected that he will enter the 2014 NFL Draft, seeing as his stock is at an all-time high entering the Orange Bowl in less than three weeks.
After Watkins, the field is much more difficult to predict, but in the interest of fairness, I will say that Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier is the most likely player from either team to hear his name called in the first round. He needs to add a bit of weight by the time the draft combine rolls around, but his speed and power makes him a smart bet to go in Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft.
This is where it completely opens up in terms of whether a Tiger or a Buckeye goes next, as well as if they will go in the first round. Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley would be the safest bet to go next, and could very easily go in the first round. He is just a redshirt junior, but is also likely to leave Clemson after playing in the Orange Bowl. The Tigers have sent more than their fair share of defensive ends to the NFL, and Beasley could be the next great one to come from Clemson.
Not just for the sake of alternating teams, but Buckeyes cornerback Bradley Roby should be the next off the board, and is also a projected first round pick by many. Also just a redshirt junior, Roby could decide to return to Ohio State for another season, but with an impressive performance in the Orange Bowl, that could be enough to sway him to enter the NFL< provided he has not already made that decision.
From here, it gets a bit tricky. I can easily see all four of these players getting selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The 2014 Discover Orange Bowl could place more players in Round 1 than any other bowl game this postseason. While they may not go in the first round, other players who could get drafted early on include Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd, Ohio State offensive tackle Jake Mewhort and Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde. These three may not hear their names called on the first day of the 2014 NFL Draft, but teams who pass on them may one day regret the decision.
Leading up to the official announcement of the Discover Orange Bowl matchup, fans everywhere were able to let the world know which team was the most deserving to play in Miami on January 3, 2014. Fans with rooting interests for various teams all weighed in to let the committee know that they would support their favorite team in this season’s Discover Orange Bowl. While the response was overwhelming, that was only Phase One!
Phase Two is about choosing sides. Are you pulling for #Clemson? Are you hoping for one more big game from Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins? Or, are you rooting for the #Buckeyes? Would you like to see Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde put up plenty of points after coming up short in the Big 10 Championship Game? The vote is in your hands!
The Discover Orange Bowl wants to know which side you are on when it comes to the big game in Miami on January 3. Are you rooting for the team from Death Valley to travel south and claim another victim in the new year? If so, make sure to visit http://www.discoverorangebowl.com/ and tweet your support for the Tigers, using the hashtag #Clemson as well as #DiscoverOrangeBowl. But, if you are rooting for Ohio State to win its first bowl game under Urban Meyer, then use the hashtag #Buckeyes, as well as the #DiscoverOrangeBowl from the website and in your tweets. In fact, feel free to upload images to the site and go crazy by showing your support for #Clemson or the #Buckeyes on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
After you vote, feel free to keep the discussion going by tweeting #Clemson or #Buckeyes, remembering to use the hashtag #DiscoverOrangeBowl. Through an interactive social media dashboard at http://www.discoverorangebowl.com/, both Clemson and Ohio State fans can monitor just how socially active their fan base is through a real-time conversation meter that builds based on volume of messages fans send with team specific hashtags/keywords or #DiscoverOrangeBowl. Now that we know the two participants in the big game, it will be interesting to see which school’s fan base will be more active through social media!
So, how active are you on social media? Whether you are rooting for #Clemson or the #Buckeyes, or even just looking for a great game between the two, regardless of which team winds up on top, make sure to voice your opinion during the college football bowl season. Is your team one of the 70 who will be playing in one of 35 bowl games in December or January? Better yet, did your team get invited to play in one of the final five BCS Bowl Games? If so, how will you be using social media during the big game? If you have a strong rooting interest in the #DiscoverOrangeBowl, then I think you know what you need to do to show your school spirit and undying support for either #Clemson or the #Buckeyes!
Discover has been an incredible sponsor for college football throughout the entire season. Aside from their participation with the Orange Bowl, they also are in charge of the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll, which asks college football fans across the country all sorts of entertaining questions related to their favorite college football team. You can follow Discover on Twitter and Facebook and make sure you use the hashtag #FanLoyaltyPoll!
Make sure that you stay tuned to Boston Super Blog for all of the latest polls and results from the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. We have got you covered throughout the remainder of the 2013 college football season, leading all the way up to the BCS Championship Game! Make sure to Like Discover on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!
The Discover Fan Loyalty Poll is conducted twice a month by Rasmussen Reports, a nationally recognized leader in polling, who gathers sentiment by phone from 1500 college football fans who follow games at least once per week on television, radio, in person or online. The Poll leads up to the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl. Discover’s commitment to college football includes relationships with ESPN and Notre Dame Football on NBC.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America’s cash rewards pioneer, and offers home loans, private student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its direct banking business. It operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.
