Latest Bowl Projections

[Just1More]

_ You would think a few bowls would have to go.

I'm of the opinion that the Cajuns were deserving this year because of the current bowl setup. I believe six teams were invited with 6-6 records including the likes of Florida St. and Michigan State. No reason we shouldn't have wanted the Cajuns to have that same oppurtunity.

However I think we now have to many bowls. Not by a lot but when you get to the point of struggling to get teams without losing records to play I think you have gone too far. I think the total number of bowls needs to get down to a level where you generally have a few 7-5 teams sitting home every year. _

I agree. I think some bowls are going to disappear. I can't see how many of the advertising sponsors (and title city underwriters) are going to be able to justify the spends in the current economic climate... considering some were struggling long before these recessionary times.

I have my doubts about the Cajuns ever making a bowl game, but it would be about our speed to get invited to the one that right before kickoff announces they can't pay to keep the lights on.

[Parrott]

I've alway been of the opinion that only teams with winning records overall and in conference play should be in bowls. But the NCAA knows a 6-6 SEC team that wins two conferences games will outdraw two or three MAC/Sun Belt/WAC schools.

The NCAA is all about money, and that's why it will take something outside of its control to eliminate the bowls. It's easy money.


igeaux.mobi

[Oiler]

_ Yes, one of three bowl-eligible teams out this year and one of four last year.


igeaux.mobi _

And two out of three are SBC schools. Nothing short of a seven win season will ever be good enough for most schools in non BCS conferences.

[Oiler]

On a positive note, having two non BCS conference teams participate in a BCS bowl (even if they are playing each other), means more money for all non BCS schools.

[Hammer58]

_ On a positive note, having two non BCS conference teams participate in a BCS bowl (even if they are playing each other), means more money for all non BCS schools. _

I guess that's one way for the BCS to ensure one less undefeated non-BCS team at the end of the bowl picture.

[rhineaux]

_ I guess that's one way for the BCS to ensure one less undefeated non-BCS team at the end of the bowl picture. _

John Feinstein was talking about the same thing in an interview on NPR's Morning Edition this morning. The other thing he mentioned, which was the first thing that came to my mind last night, was that it also doesn't subject any BCS team to the potential beat-down that Alabama took last year. If TCU played Florida, and beat them, the ____-storm that would ensue, especially on the heels of the Utah/Bama game last year, would exploit the BCS' weaknesses that much more.

Something else that Feinstein mentioned briefly, that I hadn't heard about, was that the BCS had hired Ari Fleischer to be their new spokesman. To loosely quote Feinstein, 'Ari is good at spinning things, and it's obvious that the BCS is more concerned with defending it's faults than fixing them.'

[biged05]

_ I guess i will have to dust off my MT hat as well. _

I found mine last night. Couldn't remember where i had put it but i found it and it's ready to go!

[DrumRoll]

The other thing he mentioned, which was the first thing that came to my mind last night, was that it also doesn't subject any BCS team to the potential beat-down that Alabama took last year. If TCU played Florida, and beat them, the ____-storm that would ensue, especially on the heels of the Utah/Bama game last year, would exploit the BCS' weaknesses that much more.

One drive stood in the way of your scenario for this potential "beatdown" this year, an out of bounds kick, a horse collar, and an instant replay booth that added 1 second back to an expired clock...

Otherwise, the potential was there. The BCS has it's faults, it's likley that any system would, but if you rolled back the clock 20 years, we would have Alabama playing in the Sugar Bowl and Texas would be headed to the Cotton/Fiesta Bowl :-)

[HoustonCajun]

_ We stay home again. I knew that already. BOY oh BOY that FIU game. We would be bowling if we wouldn't have collapsed in that game. _

Look at the 6-6 teams that were invited to bowls:

Wyoming - New Mexico Bowl vs. Fresno State
Marshall - Little Ceasars Pizza Bowl vs. Ohio
Texas A&M - Indepdence Bowl bs. Georgia
UCLA - EagleBank Bowl vs. Temple
Minnesota - Insight Bowl vs. Iowa State
Iowa State - Insight Bowl vs. Minnesota
Florida State - Gator Bowl vs. West VA.
Michigan State - Alamo Bowl vs. Texas Tech

Now look at the teams that have been in the Bottom 10 for years that are now winning and going to bowls:

SMU (7-5) - Hawaii Bowl vs. Nevada
Temple (9-3) - EagleBank Bowl vs. UCLA
Idaho (7-5) - Humanitarian Bowl vs. Bowling Green

A 6-6 Louisiana - Lafayette (that is how we are recognized around the country) team that finished 4th in the lowly SBC and lost to two Florida schools with losing records, although FAU actually had a better conference record than UL, and got only 12,000 attendance for its final home game for possible bowl eligibility was extremely unattractive to bowls, who were probably sweating out that possible scenario. I would love to have seen us get an invite, but the reality is what it is. All of the above are why other 6-6 teams were picked over us.

Nobody has been lower in football than SMU (since the death penalty), Temple and Idaho, but they managed to hire the right coaches who turned things around in just a couple of years and took them to bowl games this year, while we sit home yet another year.

I wonder where we would have ended up with a 7-5 record.

[Cajun90]

Nobody has been lower in football than SMU (since the death penalty), Temple and Idaho, but they managed to hire the right coaches who turned things around in just a couple of years and took them to bowl games this year, while we sit home yet another year.

So you think the coaches are fully responsible for all their success? I think we often give coaches too much of the glory and too much of the blame. I guarantee you that SMU's success involved a lot more than just a coaching change.

UL may or may not improve with a coaching change but without other changes to the program I can guarantee you we will never see a level of consistent performance that we all would like to see.