Magic number for a bowl game is... 8?

[locoguano]

Seems to be 8 wins or a conference championship.

We have OSU and UF scheduled for next year. While it would be nice to say that we can hang with these guys, anyone who thinks we are there yet is delusional. Our only chance is that one of them has a REALLY BAD day and we have a great one.

So with the high probability of an 0-2 record against the BCS schools, that means UL has to go 6-2 in the rest of their games to become bowl eligible.

Is there no way to offset the payoff for these BCS rent-a-wins so we can schedule some fellow mid-majors and work our way into the polls with several consecutive seasons of high # wins?

<--- love this guy

[locoguano]

Just to clarify.. I'm not complain.. I'm asking some of the folks on here who are connected enough to know the $ numbers.

[CrazyCajun]

We went 8-4 this year with 2 money games and we didn't win the conference, Arkansas state went 10-2 with their money games. We just had a million dollars cut from athletics due to budget cuts. Money games aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Donate RCAF.

[RaginWaldo]

If you still aren't convinced UL has the talent to atleast compete with Florida or OK St. then you sir, are the delusional one.
Time to start believing in the future of this program...and the future is now!

[leeman]

If you still aren't convinced UL has the talent to atleast compete with Florida or OK St. then you sir, are the delusional one.
Time to start believing in the future of this program...and the future is now!

I agree with you.... UL is becoming more competitive every year.. Hey, every Great program has to start from somewhere!.. right?... Geaux Cajuns....

[Turbine]

I predict a 2012 win over OSU.

[NOCajun]

Florida was 6-6 this year and barely made a bowl game. They're probably at least another year off before gaining any further prominence so I think they're ripe for an 'upset' in the feaux-swamp...

Question for Loco: Why do you say the magic number is 8? Is there a rule-change I didn't hear about??

[awadelewis]

Consistently having 8-4 seasons is the baseline for success as a mid-major - that means you're splitting your OOC games at 2-2 and gives you that 2 game cushion in conference. That's why Larry Blakeney's had such a long tenure up at Troy; he's been able to guide that program to that record more often that not recently. But the margin between 8-4 and 4-8 is razor thin...

That said, next year isn't a bad time to be playing both Florida and OSU. It'll be rebuilding years for both and we'll be returning a bunch of people on offsense. OTOH, we're going to be replacing some key people on defense due to graduation. But I can see us getting an upset at either of those games.

[VObserver]

8 is the magic number because with 8 wins, a team will rarely NOT get a bowl game. UL is virtually guaranteed the NO Bowl with 8 wins, barring very unusual circumstances.

[CajunRebel]

Our magic number for next year is 6.

The New Orleans bowl only has to take the SBC champion 2 out of every 4 years. They took us last year so they can (and almost certainly will) take us again next year if we get bowl eligible again with 6 wins.