Why the invite wait?

[widerberg]

If we're essentially a lock for the St. Pete Bowl, which seems to be the case, how come there hasn't been an invite yet? Southern Miss and a few others have already received, and accepted, invites. Are we realistically in the running for a slightly better bowl and that's why the bowls are apparently waiting for the WVU game?

[South_Florida_Flip]

Some Big East games still need to be played as does the C-USA Championship, which may impact who comes this way.

[theman123]

Um, teams still have to play?  There are 4 bowls ahead of the St. Pete bowl that still have to pick,  the Meineke Car Care Bowl has already stated that USF will be an option if they beat WVU.

[SANJAY]

St. Pete, PJC and International can't go until teams are removed from consideration by the Sun and Meineke.  Also, the possibility of Rutgers going to the Motor City (per Greg's blog) creates another permutation.

[BullsFanInTX]

Because the higher BE bowls have to pick first, and they haven't yet.  They have to release teams that can be picked by the lower bowls.  The Meineke bowl has a higher pick and apparently has not released USF yet.  That is why.

[E.T.]

True, same reason we don't know who the C-USA team is yeat.

Per Brett's blog, we get the official tonight after the game in the locker room.

Go BULLS !!!

[USF-PMR]

Depending on the win/loss tonight it will make our choices:  St. Pete, Alabamey, Charlotte.

[widerberg]

Depending on the win/loss tonight it will make our choices:  St. Pete, Alabamey, Charlotte.

Well, I hope our game is on tonight, then. I guess I'd been taken in by the "no matter what you're going to St. Pete" media predictions. This is good news. (Assuming we knock out WVU). Go Bulls!!

[Guest]

Depending on the win/loss tonight it will make our choices: St. Pete, Alabamey, Charlotte.

First, these are not OUR choices. These are some possibilities.

Second, PapaJohns.com is not an option. They select at the same time as St. Pete, so we won't be in Birmingham.

---

Folks, the only way USF could even POSSIBLY be in Charlotte and not St. Pete is if Pitt loses to U Conn today.

Rutgers is 5-2 in conference and USF with a win would only be 3-4. Thus, if Pitt or WVU go to El Paso, USF could not be selected over Rutgers even if we win.

Published reports indicate the Sun Bowl will extend the invitation in the locker room if Pitt wins today. That bumps Rutgers down, and means WVU will be in Charlotte. (With USF in St. Pete, U Conn in Toronto, and Rutgers in Birmingham).

But even without the published reports, the mathematics of a Pitt victory put USF in St. Pete: Pitt would also be 5-2. This means Pitt and Rutgers both have to get bowl slots before USF.

Rutgers (and U Conn even with a win) won't be in Charlotte because they both played UNC this year. So we're talking about Pitt, WVU, and maybe USF as viable options anyway.

For the Bulls to even be an option for the MCCB folks, U Conn has to win the game at Noon today.

A Pitt loss could open the Sun Belt door for Rutgers - which would be the next step we would need.

Even then, I would still give WVU the edge because their last trip to the MCCB was in 2002 while ours was in 2005.

[smazza]

2-5 usf team going to a bowl

sorry hard not to laugh