Mike Florio is an idiot but he's spot-on with this one.Players owe nothing to their universities. They've had 3+ years to prove their worth at the next level. Another game facing top notch competition isn't worth the risk. Players are now opening their eyes and using their power. Peer pressure won out in the past but now there's more money to consider. Can't blame them. Perfect answer for the "Me" generation. Those players have 100 teammates who were there for them, showing up everyday doing the work so the "star" can develop his skills and showcase for the NFL. The 100+ were there every day, every game for the team. The "self centered, it's all about me" star tells the 100+ to go pound sand for what is probably the biggest game of their life. The star doesn't care that without that 100+ he would be looking for a job at 7/11.
Personally, I think its really more of a reflection of colleges having taken advantage of men's football and men's basketball for far too long. They are multi-billion dollar businesses and if they want those athletes to play in effectively a meaningless game, then they should incentive them to do so. Plus it allows another player a chance to step up and shine if they don't play.
It makes no sense to risk a 2-5% chance of serious injury and losing a $10 to $100 million NFL career for what are increasingly over the years becoming pointless games. Only a handful of bowls mean anything at this point.