Journeyman Quarterback Alan Bowman Has Been Granted A SEVENTH Year Of Eligibility At Oklahoma State

I remember back in 2021, after Michigan had their disastrous Covid season, it was up in the air who their quarterback would be for the next season. The likely choice was Cade McNamara, with J.J. McCarthy as a freshman potentially being an option. Alan Bowman, a Texas Tech transfer, competed for the job, and rode the bench for two years. I just figured that he was a footnote in history. This year, I saw Alan Bowman playing quarterback for Oklahoma State. I figured it was another Alan Bowman. I forgot that you can transfer twice without consequence nowadays. Not only was he the quarterback for Oklahoma State this year who helped lead them to the Big 12 championship game, but he will be returning for year seven.

I don't know what the public thinks about this, but I am all for it. It's a kid's game; who cares? You only have a finite amount of time in college, anyway. It's not like Bowman was breaking records each of his first six years. He spent so much time riding the bench at Michigan; he should be allowed to experience the full life as a quarterback and live it to the fullest. 

My favorite thing about stories like this is seeing why that particular player was granted so many different years of eligibility. His first year at Texas Tech was relatively successful. He threw for 605 yards in a game against Houston in 2018. He got injured in 2019 and only played in three games, leading to his extension. 2020 was the COVID year, so that was a free year of eligibility; he used one of his years at Michigan as a red shirt season, started last year for Oklahoma State, and now he's coming back for his seventh and final year of eligibility.

Hey man, this is how you play the game. I do kind of abide by the Jack Mac rule that if you played in college when Joe Burrow did, you probably shouldn't be allowed more eligibility, but at the same time, it's fucking fun. Bowman ain't hurting anybody. 

I feel like next year will be the last season in which we see these wonky scenarios where guys stay in college forever. Next season will be four full years removed from that free Covid year, so guys taking advantage of that will be dead after 2024. If I felt like this shit was impacting the record book or making a mockery of the game, I'd say it, but if a guy is in college for seven years, odds are he was either injured or on the bench for a lot of that time. Bowman paid his dues. It'll be fun to see him back there next year.