Getting Bowl Eligible

[lotsofbull99]

no way we make a bowl this year

[bulls96go]

TO's will destroy us!

[Guest]

Louisville is now bowl eligible.  That means there are already THREE Big East schools that could go to the FOUR Big East bowls.

Here are the eligibility needs and remaining schedule for the potential Big East bowl teams:

USF - 3-3 (1-1) - Must go at least 3-2: @ Rutgers, @ Syracuse, vs Cincy, @ U Conn, vs WVU

(of course we all knew this already)

Pitt - 4-5 (3-2) - Must go 2-0: vs U Conn, @ WVU

Connecticut - 4-4 (1-3) - Must go at least 2-1: @ Pitt, vs USF, @ Louisville

Cincinnati - 4-4 (2-2) - Must go at least 2-1: vs WVU, @ USF, @ Rutgers

Syracuse has already been eliminated.

For discussion purposes:

Notre Dame - 5-2 - Must go at least 1-3 (Must go 4-0 for BCS): vs Tennessee, vs Navy, vs Syracuse, @ Stanford

---

Based on the remaining schedules, USF has the best chance of being the fourth team from the Big East to be eligible for a bowl.

Notre Dame is included because the Irish could take a Big East slot if they do not finish in the BCS.  The only real challenge for ND is this weekend against TN.  A win this week, and the Irish will are virtually assured a BCS slot.

---

Here are the possible open slots, based on the current records:

Liberty (At-Large)

Pointsettia (At-Large)

Las Vegas Bowl (Pac-10)

Insight Bowl (Pac-10)

Independence (SEC)

Music City (SEC)

Houston (SEC)

The Big 10 might have 8 teams for their 7 slots, so I don't think the Motor City Bowl is really an option at this point.  Likewise, the ACC could have an extra bowl eligible team.

This assumes that Notre Dame gets a BCS slot.  The other at-large slot will likely go to the Pac-10 (USC-UCLA loser) or the Big Ten (PSU/OSU).

There are still too many games with two teams in the Top 20 of the BCS to accutrately predict who the final eight teams are going to be.  

Realistically, it looks like USC, Texas, VaTech, and Alabama will all be undefeated, with Notre Dame & Penn State in the mix. WVU/UL/RU/USF from the Big East is the 7th team.

Ohio State is the top 10, non-champion team with the easiest remaining schedule -- and will probalby finish 6 or 7 in the BCS.  The only question would be if UCLA loses to USC and still ends up ahead of OSU in the standings, then UCLA gets the nod and OSU goes to the Cap 1 bowl.

At least, that is one way to read the tea leaves... ;-)

[BULLfreak]

The problem is not getting bowl eligible but it is getting a bowl bid

[Guest]

The problem is not getting bowl eligible but it is getting a bowl bid

IF....

... USF wins 3 games... AND

... Pitt loses 1, and Cincy & U Conn lose 2... AND

... Notre Dame wins out.

USF would be guaranteed a bowl game.

---

IF...

... USF wins 3 games... AND

... Either U Conn, Cincy, or Pitt win 2... AND

... Notre Dame loses one.

USF would be hard pressed to get an invite.

---

By the way, it is still POSSIBLE for USF, Pitt, U Conn, and Cincy to all be at least 6-5 at the end of the year:

USF: beats Rutgers, WVU, and Syracuse, loses to U Conn (6-4)

Pitt: beats U Conn and WVU (6-5)

U Conn: loses to Pitt, but beats USF and Louisville (6-5)

Cincy: beats either WVU or USF and Rutgers (6-4)

Not LIKELY, but still mathematically possible. :-)

[79 Bull]

The problem is not getting bowl eligible but it is getting a bowl bid

I kind of disagree.  Every year there are only 2-4 teams that are bowl eligible and don't get a bid.  I would think being bowl eligible and in the BE would help emensely with this over schools with 6-5 records from non-BCS conferences, especially the SunBelt, WAC and MAC.

[BULLfreak]

its happened in the past

[79 Bull]

its happened in the past

Since "bowl eligibility" rules have been in place, I don't think there has ever been a bowl eligible team from a BCS conference that did not get a bid.  Am I way off here?

[BULLfreak]

we have been bowl eligible and not gotten a bid but not in a bcs conference you are right on that matter

[smazza]

talk about looking ahead

we need to beat rutgers