For better or worse, the College Football Playoff has irrevocably changed the importance of bowl games, the historic backbone of the FBS postseason. The games that draw attention now are often the ones that can effectively market themselves with some fun moments beyond the play on the field. For the inaugural Xbox Bowl—held between Arkansas State and Missouri State in Frisco, Texas Thursday—the move was clear.
Master Chief, protagonist of Xbox’s famed Halo franchise, served as the game’s mascot and, in many ways, emcee. To begin the game, the intergalactic commando conducted the coin flip.
