Bowls To the Gator Bowl!!!!

[Guest]

What is exactly holding us back from going to the Gator Bowl? Is it just the fact we don't "travel well?" I mean, clearly Rutgers has a chance against West Virginia. So, we could finish third in the BE. So, is it just the travel problem?

This is my point exactly.  Wooly, the Gator bowl would be a far better option for USF. First of all it's closer so more people will go, and second we'll play a good football team.

If RU beats WVU we are in line for the Gator bowl, but may not be picked.  Even probibly not picked, but theres an outside shot.

No.  There's no outside shot.  All there is would be a mathematical posibility.

And you should not look at this "an option for USF" ... the bowls get to choose, not USF.

[gobulls83]

What is exactly holding us back from going to the Gator Bowl? Is it just the fact we don't "travel well?" I mean, clearly Rutgers has a chance against West Virginia. So, we could finish third in the BE. So, is it just the travel problem?

This is my point exactly.  Wooly, the Gator bowl would be a far better option for USF. First of all it's closer so more people will go, and second we'll play a good football team.

If RU beats WVU we are in line for the Gator bowl, but may not be picked.  Even probibly not picked, but theres an outside shot.

Just because the Gator Bowl may be what's best for USF doesn't mean USF is what's best for the Gator Bowl.

Also, to whoever started the thread: "other options out there?" USF's only option is to accept or decline a bid from whatever bowl invites them. USF has little say in the matter at this point.

[WoolyBully]

Here's this:

A loss at West Virginia this Saturday (7:45 p.m., ESPN)

would send the Scarlet Knights to the Texas Bowl on Dec. 28,

according to a Rutgers official who requested anonymity

Sunday night.

As it turned out, West Virginia's surprising loss to South

Florida on Saturday considerably cleared up the bowl picture.

While the Mountaineers are out of the BCS regardless of the

outcome of their game against Rutgers, a win likely would

send them packing to the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1 in Jacksonville,

Fla., a person familiar with the Gator Bowl committee's

thinking said Sunday night.

A Rutgers loss also would open the door for Louisville to

capture the Big East title with a win Saturday over

Connecticut. But while Louisville would go to the BCS,

Rutgers would be relegated to the Big East's third-place

game.

In its first year of existence, the Texas Bowl pits a

Big East representative against the Big 12's eighth

selection (possibly Texas Tech, Kansas or Oklahoma State).

from here..

http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061127/SPORTS02/611270351/1012/SPORTS10

soooooo....unless there's something out there that strongly suggests

that USF is going anywhere else, now would be the time to post it.  8-)

[Bullpride08]

There are no options out there.

It's Birmingham.

Sorry.

No it's not, USF's AD has been told by the BE to hold off because they gave a mathematic possibility of 25% or an outside shot we could be going to the Texas Bowl.  This is a fact.

B-Ham is highly likely, but not the ONLY option.  Don't kill the messenger here just telling you what I've been told.  As we speak packages are being arranged for both games.

[Joe]

BCS - Nope.

Gator - No Chance - We just don't have the number of fans or star power for TV rating (see the Big 12 rule being added to assure a school like USF isn't their only option)

MCCB - Gave the rights to Navy for a year, I don't think they would have brought us back. (We would be at the Texas Bowl this year if this were avail)

Texas - Maybe, outside chance, but if UL/WVU/Rutgers is available they will go here before we get a look.

International - Too far, will take Cincy

PapaJohns.com (BHam) Bowl - Simply put, the most realistic bowl we have a shot at.

The problem lies in the BCS.  With Texas and WVU (thanks to us) losing and Wake winning Saturday it pretty much assured that the SEC will have 2 spots in the BCS.

NC - OSU v. USC

Fiesta - Oklahoma/Nebraska v. Boise State

Rose - Michigan v. LSU (if Florida wins) or ND

Sugar -  ND or Louisville v. Florida/Arkansas

Orange - Georgia Tech v. Louisville (assuming Rutgers loses) or Florida (If they lose to Arkansas, the Orange has all but come out and said they will take the Gators to counter weak travel of GT/Wake fans)

The Big East needs a lot to get a team back into that mix (Rutgers win and Louisville needs to jump LSU)

[Economics_Nerd82]

outside of who wins the big east the other standings really dont mean much because to bowls have an order they select in and can take who they want i believe.  jim seems to be the one who has done all the bowl research so he can probably confirm this

Correct Rezz.

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Econ... let's pretend you're sitting in Jacksonville and have the chance to invite West Virginia - probably a Top 15 program that averages 59,000 fans at home - with a chance to play Virginia Tech (a game that should be played every year, by the way).

Or you could invite USF, a team that can't get 35,000 to attend a game in its home stadium.

Which one do you think has the chance to sell more tickets and attract more viewers??

Think objectively now.

---

That line of thinking the reason there are no options but Birmingham.

I don't care where we go, I'll be there. I was only asking the reason why.

[Bullpride08]

BCS - Nope.

Gator - No Chance - We just don't have the number of fans or star power for TV rating (see the Big 12 rule being added to assure a school like USF isn't their only option)

MCCB - Gave the rights to Navy for a year, I don't think they would have brought us back. (We would be at the Texas Bowl this year if this were avail)

Texas - Maybe, outside chance, but if UL/WVU/Rutgers is available they will go here before we get a look.

International - Too far, will take Cincy

PapaJohns.com (BHam) Bowl - Simply put, the most realistic bowl we have a shot at.

The problem lies in the BCS.  With Texas and WVU (thanks to us) losing and Wake winning Saturday it pretty much assured that the SEC will have 2 spots in the BCS.

NC - OSU v. USC

Fiesta - Oklahoma/Nebraska v. Boise State

Rose - Michigan v. LSU (if Florida wins) or ND

Sugar -  ND or Louisville v. Florida/Arkansas

Orange - Georgia Tech v. Louisville (assuming Rutgers loses) or Florida (If they lose to Arkansas, the Orange has all but come out and said they will take the Gators to counter weak travel of GT/Wake fans)

The Big East needs a lot to get a team back into that mix (Rutgers win and Louisville needs to jump LSU)

Sounds reasonable and probably why the BE wants to wait and see before assigning teams to certain bowls.

[Guest]

There are no options out there.

It's Birmingham.

Sorry.

No it's not, USF's AD has been told by the BE to hold off because they gave a mathematic possibility of 25% or an outside shot we could be going to the Texas Bowl.  This is a fact.

B-Ham is highly likely, but not the ONLY option.  Don't kill the messenger here just telling you what I've been told.  As we speak packages are being arranged for both games.

I would believe that.  Better safe than sorry.  USF would not want to be left holding the bag.

Oh, and the Big East might have some knowledge about the likelihood of two BCS selections.

---

The only other way, absent two BCS selections, that Texas could select USF would be if Rutgers wins, the Gator Bowl selects Louisville, and Texas passes on WVU for USF.

---

So, while I concede your point, I still believe Texas is not an option.

[kdawgy_orlando]

Econ... let's pretend you're sitting in Jacksonville and have the chance to invite West Virginia - probably a Top 15 program that averages 59,000 fans at home - with a chance to play Virginia Tech (a game that should be played every year, by the way).

Or you could invite USF, a team that can't get 35,000 to attend a game in its home stadium.

Which one do you think has the chance to sell more tickets and attract more viewers??

Think objectively now.

After last weekend?  Who thinks objectively that we should have one.  I think we would travel better to the Gator than the B'ham bowl.  

[Guest]

Econ... let's pretend you're sitting in Jacksonville and have the chance to invite West Virginia - probably a Top 15 program that averages 59,000 fans at home - with a chance to play Virginia Tech (a game that should be played every year, by the way).

Or you could invite USF, a team that can't get 35,000 to attend a game in its home stadium.

Which one do you think has the chance to sell more tickets and attract more viewers??

Think objectively now.

After last weekend?  Who thinks objectively that we should have one.  I think we would travel better to the Gator than the B'ham bowl.  

You're right, more fans would travel to Jax than B'ham... but that still would not be half of what WVU would bring.