FalkinCruiser wrote:in Saturday's Blade - Ryan Autullo indicated that the Las Vegas Pioneer Bowl was a possibility along with the obvious GMAC and International Bowls. He did NOT mention Motor City Bowl - is this just a "switch mistake" or is there any "rumors" out there about the Vegas Bowl?
the 92 Vegas Bowl was a blast to play in - would LOVE to be a spectator this year!
I doubt it's a mistake. If Central Michigan wins one more game -- either their final regular season game or the MAC championship -- they've got to be Motor City bound. It is not worth talking about the possibility of Bowling Green playing in Detroit, because it's about zero.
On the radio, they said International Bowl scouts were in Buffalo yesterday. I think that's probably our destination if we get a bowl game. I figure Miami goes to Mobile unless they stumble and become ineligible.
But the MAC could have four teams with seven wins this season (Ball State would need to finish with a win at Northern Illinois), and that could be the scenario for the Las Vegas Bowl getting involved here.
The Las Vegas Bowl gets first pick from the Mountain West and either fourth or fifth pick out of the Pacific 10 (I'm guessing fifth pick this year, judging by the way the bowls are listed in the Pac 10 football media guide).
Ryan is probably working from scuttlebutt that suggests the Las Vegas Bowl could come up short on Pac 10 teams.
Here are the Pac 10 bowls and some hypothetical assignments, based on the records of Pac-10 teams:
Rose: Arizona State (6-1, 9-1)
Holiday: Oregon (5-2, 8-2)
Sun: Southern California (5-2, 8-2)
Emerald: Oregon State (5-3, 7-4)
Las Vegas: California (3-5, 6-5)
Armed Forces: Either UCLA (4-3, 5-5) or Arizona (4-4, 5-6), if they become eligible.
For the Las Vegas Bowl to become open on the Pac-10 side, both of these scenarios would need to play out:
1. UCLA and Arizona lose out and are not eligible.
2. A second BCS game, in addition to the Rose Bowl, selects a Pac 10 team.
What throws me, a bit, is how the MAC could work its way into this game. The Big Ten would seem to have a ton of teams available. Question is: In an at-large situation, does a 7-5 or better MAC team have to be taken before any bowl can look to 6-6 team in a conference with which they don't have a contract?
That might be the case. I'm not sure.
Or, maybe the Big Ten is cutting deals for its bowl-eligible teams in other locales.