For 2007, the Texas Bowl is supposed to choose from the Big 12 and C-USA. I thought that if there is no team available from either of those conferences, the TB would choose from any available Big East and/or MWC teams since both the Big East and MWC are listed as Texas Bowl partners.Schadenfreude wrote:That's very interesting. Very interesting.The Niz wrote:[
I believe we actually have four. This was news to me when I was told. For Band we were instructed to hold the dates open for the following games:
Motor City Bowl
GMAC Bowl
International Bowl
Papa Johns Bowl
I don't know if its a bowl commitment or not, but when the band gets instructions to hold dates open, it always looks likely that a M.A.C. team will be going to each one.
The PapaJohns.com bowl is the newish Birmingham game that tries to pit Conference USA against the Big East. But they do have some kind of agreement with the MAC.
Different Web sites are saying different things, but I believe the deal is that if the Big East can't supply a team to the game, the MAC would back them up.
So, in other words we have three bowls locked down for sure -- Detroit, Mobile and Toronto -- and we do have this backup agreement with Birmingham if the Big East falls short.
Here are there arrangements along with hypothetical Big East teams, based on the standings:
1. BCS bowl of some kind. Hypothetically: Connecticut (4-0, 8-1). I'm assuming a second Big East team doesn't get an invite. I don't know how safe that assumption is.
2. Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Fla.) or Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas). Hypothetically: West Virginia (2-1, 7-1)
3. Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte, N.C.). Hypothetically: Cincinnati (2-2, 7-2)
4. Texas Bowl (Houston). Hypothetically: South Florida (1-3, 6-3), since they are the only remaining Big East team with six wins right now.
Then you get down to these left over bowls with Big East tie ins:
5. International Bowl (Toronto)
6. PapaJohns.com (Birmingham, Ala.)
And you get down to these teams, with remaining schedules included:
Pittburgh (4-5): Rutgers, South Florida, W.Va.
Louisville (5-4): West Virginia, South Florida, Rutgers
Rutgers (5-4): Army, Pittsburgh, Louisville
Rutgers is almost certainly going to qualify. Beating Army would be enough.
Pittsburgh and Louisville may have a tough time. If one of them does get to six -- and that's where I would lay my money, that one of them does -- then I don't see any opening for the MAC, unless the BCS takes two Big East teams.
I'd be interested to know what others think.
I think that the odds are very much against Pittsburgh becoming bowl eligible, Louisville is about a 50-50 proposition, and I agree that Rutgers will almost certainly qualify.
