Latest Bowl Projections from Campus Insiders

[macphisto]

First off you are taking as gospel what some kid in some site has written

The PAC team will be in Miami Beach Bowl over the Cure Bowl. The MB Bowl is owned by the AAC and shown on ESPN. The Cure is on cbssports cable. It's the lowest of all our bowls. So Cal there is NOT happening and Tulsa to Bham is plain ridiculous.  Memphis or Temple will end there

I could see us playing Cal in Miami.  We know where Navy is going because the Military Bowl tie-in since they lost to Houston.  The winner of Temple/Houston goes to one of the New Year's Day Bowls.  

The AAC is going to want to put it's best teams in good position to show against the Power 5.  Right now that's Navy (they'll play the ACC in the Military Bowl), Houston, Temple, Memphis, and USF.  There's no way Tulsa plays a SEC team ahead of USF right now.  

However, bowl tie-ins are what they are.  Without a Sun Belt team, the Cure Bowl has flex where the Miami Beach Bowl does not.  They are tied to CUSA.  Navy is already matched up. Houston or Temple are going to a big bowl (Houston vs Ohio State in Arizona would be intriguing with Herman coaching against his old boss).  I'm going to assume Houston wins.  That leaves Temple, Memphis, and USF.  The problem is that only one bowl remaining actually has a conference tie-in.  That's Birmingham.  If Toledo goes to Boca, that's a good matchup for a team.  There's no way Tulsa gets sent to Birmingham.  I'd guess that Memphis will get placed there.  I think we get put in the Cure Bowl in Orlando if there's a PAC-12 matchup available.  Either us or Temple.  And whoever doesn't get that matchup will go to Boca Raton to play Toledo.  

[Cubanbull]

I could see us playing Cal in Miami.  We know where Navy is going because the Military Bowl tie-in since they lost to Houston.  The winner of Temple/Houston goes to one of the New Year's Day Bowls.  
The AAC is going to want to put it's best teams in good position to show against the Power 5.  Right now that's Navy (they'll play the ACC in the Military Bowl), Houston, Temple, Memphis, and USF.  There's no way Tulsa plays a SEC team ahead of USF right now.  

However, bowl tie-ins are what they are.  Without a Sun Belt team, the Cure Bowl has flex where the Miami Beach Bowl does not.  They are tied to CUSA.  Navy is already matched up. Houston or Temple are going to a big bowl (Houston vs Ohio State in Arizona would be intriguing with Herman coaching against his old boss).  I'm going to assume Houston wins.  That leaves Temple, Memphis, and USF.  The problem is that only one bowl remaining actually has a conference tie-in.  That's Birmingham.  If Toledo goes to Boca, that's a good matchup for a team.  There's no way Tulsa gets sent to Birmingham.  I'd guess that Memphis will get placed there.  I think we get put in the Cure Bowl in Orlando if there's a PAC-12 matchup available.  Either us or Temple.  And whoever doesn't get that matchup will go to Boca Raton to play Toledo.  

The Miami Beach Bowl is NOT tied with CUSA. They are allowed to go after a P5 school if available over CUSA.

[macphisto]

The Miami Beach Bowl is NOT tied with CUSA. They are allowed to go after a P5 school if available over CUSA.

Okay.  Though from a venue and travel perspective I would prefer The Cure Bowl if it were versus a P5.  The New Citrus Bowl is nice and baseball parks are not so great for football.  There's also the plus that the Cure Bowl is a Saturday game vs. a Monday afternoon game in Miami.  The negative is it's not on ESPN, but CBS.  That said, both are partners with our conference.

There are also issues with the Big Ten and ACC filling all their allotments.  Not sure on how firm those contracts are, if the conference has a chance to bump itself up or not.

 

[Guest]

The Miami Beach Bowl is NOT tied with CUSA. They are allowed to go after a P5 school if available over CUSA.

First, it is tied with C-USA.  From their website: "The Miami Beach Bowl will match an American Athletic Conference team against an opponent from either Conference USA, the Sun Belt Conference or the Mid-American Conference. Institutions from other conference across the country will also have the ability to participate. The existing contract covers six seasons, beginning in 2014."

Second, they sent this Tweet: "@MiamiBeachBowl Have football on your mind? Come to watch - Stay to Play! @American_FB v @Conference_USA Dec 21 230p http://bit.ly/1kTwRWi  #LoveFL"

The MAC will have extra teams... so I would expect a MAC team there.

Edited November 29, 2015 by JimUSFSig

[BullsFanInTX]

First, it is tied with C-USA.  From their website: "The Miami Beach Bowl will match an American Athletic Conference team against an opponent from either Conference USA, the Sun Belt Conference or the Mid-American Conference. Institutions from other conference across the country will also have the ability to participate. The existing contract covers six seasons, beginning in 2014."

Second, they sent this Tweet: "@MiamiBeachBowl Have football on your mind? Come to watch - Stay to Play! @American_FB v @Conference_USA Dec 21 230p http://bit.ly/1kTwRWi  #LoveFL"

The MAC will have extra teams... so I would expect a MAC team there.

Um, no.

MBB can select a P5 team ahead of CUSA.  Directly from the bowl directors mouth.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/football/article4840854.html

“There is an option for us if there’s a Power Five conference team with nowhere to go, we could choose them if it makes sense for us,” Padilla said. “But right now, we’re locked into Conference USA.”

 

Edited November 29, 2015 by BullsFanInTX

[Guest]

Um, no.

MBB can select a P5 team ahead of CUSA.  Directly from the bowl directors mouth.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/football/article4840854.html

“There is an option for us if there’s a Power Five conference team with nowhere to go, we could choose them if it makes sense for us,” Padilla said. “But right now, we’re locked into Conference USA.”

 

I believe that "option" is only if there isn't enough teams with the tie ins ... and that may be the case this year.

[Flowers4Heisman]

According the gopher on ESPN, there are not enough 6-win teams to fill bowl spots. http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/121635/not-enough-six-win-teams-multiple-five-win-teams-needed-to-fill-bowls

So, this could be good for us, giving us a higher chance to play a P5 team.

Fingers crossed!

[Roaming Bull]

I was I was looking at some of the newer projections and wasn't too pleased.

http://campusinsiders.com/news/2015-2016-college-football-bowl-projections-after-week-13-11-29-2015

has us vs Marshall 

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/11/29/9813564/bowl-games-projections-2015-ncaa-football-playoff-predictions

has us vs Utah state

I've also seen us bs San Jose state, but can't find that link. Not impressed so far by our match ups.

[BullsFanInTX]

If it HAS to be CUSA, then Marshall, WKU, or Southern Miss aren't bad options.  All have won at least 9 games.

[BullTiger]

I always heard in the past that bowls didn't really like hometown teams because of the reduced revenue of no hotel stays. Not sure if they really care about the local economy anymore though considering the TV revenue. 

 

Also, I'm not a huge fan of this, but a Willie T versus WKU match up would have a great back story. Might bring our a few extra WKU fans.