I'm not positive, but I could have sworn that we heard the same thing prior to the Orange Bowl last year. Now, I'm not suggesting those in the program are merely happy to be there this year, or that they were last year.
But, is it somehow easier to believe that they were last year, simply b/c it turned out so bad? I swear we heard the same thing last year - that they aren't just happy to be there. Maybe it was just a horrible game and not one they overlooked.