Bowl Projections -- ESPN (Maisel & Schlabach)

[usf97]

Just to clarify with you Bowl gurus out there. Don't we alternate Bowls between the Gator and the Sun for a 4 year period starting last season. Since West Virginia went to the Gator last year, doesn't that mean we (the Big East) goes to the Sun this season?

[thebouncer1898]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview07/news/story?id=2974110

Muffler Bowl or the Pizza Bowl....

Maybe if we go to the Muffler Bowl we wont be stuck playing at home against NC State again...Or play someone worth a poo in the Pizza Bowl...

[80mins]

Muffler > Pizza. The most "worth a poo" any Pizza opponent could be is the best CUSA has to offer, at least we get a crack at a BCS team in the Muffler.

BCS OR BUST!

[Paul Wall]

Rutgers should finish no lower then 3rd in the BE

[Guest]

Just to clarify with you Bowl gurus out there. Don't we alternate Bowls between the Gator and the Sun for a 4 year period starting last season. Since West Virginia went to the Gator last year, doesn't that mean we (the Big East) goes to the Sun this season?

No. The Gator will take a Big East team twice and a Big 12 team twice - the order doesn't matter.  If a Big East team goes this year, the Big 12 will go in 2009 and 2010 (remember, it's a Jan 1 game)... and the Big East will go to the Sun Bowl for those post-seasons.

[usfgrad84]

I think we are pretty much neck and neck with Rutgers.  If a few plays went the other way for either team throughout the year last year the situations easily could have been flip flopped. 

Ray Rice will be awesome and they have a great O line.  The jury is still out on Teel, but he was still pretty young last year and got better as the year went on.  Don't discount their receivers.  Maybe not as deep athletically as we are, but they do have some very good ones that really came on at the end of the year.  One thing about Teel.  He is one of those guys that just always has a knack of being a winner.  I believe going back to high school, he has an incredible winning record.  Just one of those intangibles.  The question on offense is really how much of the performance of Leonard will be missed, the lead blocking, 3rd down conversions, etc.  That stuff was huge for them.  Either way, Rice will have a huge year, but like we found out with Hall a couple of years ago, the rest of the offense has to do their share.  Can they do enough in the key moments like they did last year?  That will be the difference between their year this year and last year.

They are strong on defense, but personally I still think we are better.  They have questions at LB.  They have a strong line and D backfield, but I believe they are rather thin (talented, but inexperienced/unproven) up front. Once you get past the starters and I believe they are thin after the starters in the D backfield.

Like I said, I don't know what to make of Rutgers right now.  They are good, but how good?????

I believe we have the potential to challenge for the BE championship, but more probably we will be battling Rutgers for the 3rd spot this year.

[JrGMan2004]

The scenerio I would like to see play out (and this is the realistic view of what I would like to see, as the unrealistic view is a NC Game ) is WVU and UofL both making BCS Bowls, with us going to the Gator Bowl and either playing FSU or UM. I think that would make a huge game and would be a lot of fun

I think I read right that the ACC rep for the Gator Bowl is ACC #3. And the only other issue I'm really seeing with that scenerio, is most likely the Gator Bowl Committee would rather take Notre Dame if they're available (which I think is likely to happen) and we would get shuffled down to the Muffler Bowl... :/

[usfgrad84]

The scenerio I would like to see play out (and this is the realistic view of what I would like to see, as the unrealistic view is a NC Game ) is WVU and UofL both making BCS Bowls, with us going to the Gator Bowl and either playing FSU or UM. I think that would make a huge game and would be a lot of fun

I think I read right that the ACC rep for the Gator Bowl is ACC #3. And the only other issue I'm really seeing with that scenerio, is most likely the Gator Bowl Committee would rather take Notre Dame if they're available (which I think is likely to happen) and we would get shuffled down to the Muffler Bowl... :/

Even if we come in 3rd in the division, it doesn't necessarily mean we will be picked over another conference team.  Gator Bowl just gets the first pick of the rest of the eligible teams in the BE.

Is it possible for ND to be taken ahead of a BE team simply by virtue of winning six games to become bowl eligible?  Are they simply looked upon as a BE team once they are bowl eligible? 

Jim?  Anyone else?

[Guest]

The scenerio I would like to see play out (and this is the realistic view of what I would like to see, as the unrealistic view is a NC Game ) is WVU and UofL both making BCS Bowls, with us going to the Gator Bowl and either playing FSU or UM. I think that would make a huge game and would be a lot of fun

I think I read right that the ACC rep for the Gator Bowl is ACC #3. And the only other issue I'm really seeing with that scenerio, is most likely the Gator Bowl Committee would rather take Notre Dame if they're available (which I think is likely to happen) and we would get shuffled down to the Muffler Bowl... :/

Even if we come in 3rd in the division, it doesn't necessarily mean we will be picked over another conference team.  Gator Bowl just gets the first pick of the rest of the eligible teams in the BE.

Is it possible for ND to be taken ahead of a BE team simply by virtue of winning six games to become bowl eligible?  Are they simply looked upon as a BE team once they are bowl eligible? 

Jim?  Anyone else?

I don't believe so.  The Big East has a rule that says Team A can not be selected over Team B if Team B has 2+ wins more than Team A...  So, if USF finished 9-3 and Cincinnati is 6-6, USF has to be selected before Cincy.  I think (and could be wrong) the same would apply for Notre Dame in this case.

[JoeB]

The scenerio I would like to see play out (and this is the realistic view of what I would like to see, as the unrealistic view is a NC Game ) is WVU and UofL both making BCS Bowls, with us going to the Gator Bowl and either playing FSU or UM. I think that would make a huge game and would be a lot of fun

I think I read right that the ACC rep for the Gator Bowl is ACC #3. And the only other issue I'm really seeing with that scenerio, is most likely the Gator Bowl Committee would rather take Notre Dame if they're available (which I think is likely to happen) and we would get shuffled down to the Muffler Bowl... :/

Even if we come in 3rd in the division, it doesn't necessarily mean we will be picked over another conference team.  Gator Bowl just gets the first pick of the rest of the eligible teams in the BE.

Is it possible for ND to be taken ahead of a BE team simply by virtue of winning six games to become bowl eligible?  Are they simply looked upon as a BE team once they are bowl eligible? 

Jim?  Anyone else?

I don't believe so.  The Big East has a rule that says Team A can not be selected over Team B if Team B has 2+ wins more than Team A...  So, if USF finished 9-3 and Cincinnati is 6-6, USF has to be selected before Cincy.  I think (and could be wrong) the same would apply for Notre Dame in this case.

Jim, I think you're right about this.  If USF goes 9-3 and Notre Dame goes 7-5, I think the Gator would have to take USF.  But if the Irish went 8-4, they'd be taken by the Gator Bowl Committee in a heartbeat.