For what it is worth, this mornings Yahoo! Sports article regarding bowl projections for this year still has the Cajuns in NOLA versus the turd-burglars from Tulane...
But Fresno/NIU is not guaranteed a BCS spot if they finish in the Top 16. If UCF is ahead of them and Fresno/NIU is not the Top 12, then Fresno/NIU won't go to a BCS bowl.
If Fresno/NIU is in the Top 12, they are guaranteed a spot.
Everything depends on where UCF is ranked in the final standings and if Fresno/NIU are outside the Top 12.
As it stands now, UCF is in because they are the projected champion of the AAC and get an automatic spot.
What matters is where they are ranked in the final standings. For Fresno/NIU to get a guaranteed spot, they need to be in the top 12 OR be in the top 16 and ranked higher than an automatic qualifier from one of the power 6. Right now they are, but UCF has been climbing the BCS ladder and I wouldn't be surprised if voters rank them higher than Fresno/NIU to avoid having one of those teams be ranked higher than UCF in the final standings.
UCF has a road game against Temple this Saturday, home games against Rutgers and South Florida, and close on the road against SMU. Any three wins should put them in the BCS bowl, as they can only tie with teams they've beaten (Louisville and Houston) or be ranked higher than (Cincinnati).
As far as them catching Fresno or NIU, UCF is lower in Harris [791(votes), .3013(%)] than both Fresno (1124, .4282) and NIU (825, .3143), and lower (468, .3019) than Fresno (646, .4168), but higher then NIU (445, .2871) in the coaches poll. They are slightly behind both in the computers (15.5 vs. 14.75), but with three games against teams with losing records (1-8, 2-6, 3-5 currently) and a game against 5-3 Rutgers, I doubt the computers will help them much.
It's possible, perhaps even probable, that Fresno will make it into the top 12, with the 5 teams immediately ahead of them being UCLA, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Missouri (13-9). Regardless, Fresno should still be able to do enough to get their BCS bowl bid, they probably don't need to worry about anybody helping them.
There is enough football left for both NIU, and Fresno to be ranked 12th if both win out. Some of these teams ahead of them will lose at least one or two games in all probability. In fact I can see seven though thirteen all having at least one and possibly two more loses.
NOBowl (@NewOrleansBowl) tweeted at 0:06 PM on Fri, Nov 15, 2013:
Our headliners for this year's free Friday Night Concert are @CharlieDaniels& @TravisTritt! Kicking off #RLBowl with some great artists!
Every time that somebody posts on this thing I get more of an urge to go go sing and play on the PIANO---"Do you know what it means to Miss New Orleans?"-----Kids enjoy the Rock and Bowl---The Bourbon St Parade ---the Battle of the bands----the 2 big parties----the HUD show from Walkons of NO???---The visiting in the lobbies----The love we get even from the T-PIC ----The Sea of red for 3-4 days-----The Rouses' pep rally----The Roar when the Cajuns come out for the game----the # of HS recruits that see this!!!! Hell let's accept the damn thing now!!!
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