Loaded question... Curious to everyone's thoughts...

[South_Florida_Flip]

Auburn lost $614k last year after the SEC paid them $2.3M for their share of the BCS game payouts.

That's on them. 9 day trip? They can blame themselves for losing that money since Oregon incurred a smaller loss for staying 1 day longer.

I can understand the ticket deficit with how outrageous the price is and how far fans have to travel, btu there is no reason either of those teams should have lost money. Stay 5 days of so and they both would have profited.

the bowls require them to stay for a certain period of time and at their sponsor hotels which aren't cheap. hotels are big time sponsors of bowl games.

9 days seems pretty long, even for the National Chamionship. No wonder they ran over $800,000 in meal expenses.

[macphisto]

I highly doubt we play the Gators in Birmingham. There's just no way for that to work out. If Vandy gets to 7 wins then they'd likely end up getting the Gator Bowl nod ahead of 6-6 Florida. UK would have to beat Georgia and Tennessee to be eligible, and that's not happening.

I think Tennessee can beat Vandy and UK. I think Vandy can beat Wake Forest. I also think Mississippi State should beat Ole Miss.

If we go to Birmingham, I think we end up playing Vandy, Tennessee, or Mississippi State. From a name perspective, beating Tennessee would be a strong statement, despite them being down.

[South_Florida_Flip]

I don't think the rule allowing a 7-5 team to be selected ahead of a 6-6 is in place any more.

[Bulls1181]

http://tampabay.sbnation.com/south-florida-bulls/2011/11/17/2568283/a-look-at-usf-footballs-2011-bowl-prospects

[Who'sYourData?]

Winning the Big East and a BCS bowl trumps Notre Dame and/or Miami wins. Individual wins over formerly great programs is fine if you are in the Sun Belt or CUSA. We are in a BCS conference, a BCS bowl game is our one and only goal every year. Wins over Notre Dame and Miami are nice to have, not overly important.

[Skingraft]

You think a 6-6 Florida team will go to the Gator Bowl (I'm assuming they beat Furman and lose to FSU)? Seems like a stretch.

I'm not sure why you would think it is that much of a stretch. The SEC is going to have 9 bowl eligible teams. Take away 2 of those team to the BCS and you're left with the following SEC Bowl tie ins (I believe in order):

Capital One

Outback/Cotton

Chik-Fil-A

Gator

Music City

Liberty/BBVA

Capital One will likely choose from Arkansas, Georgia, and potentially Alabama

Outback could land Georgia or South Carolina

Cotton could take Arkansas if Capital One doesn't and South Carolina could still be out there

Chik-Fil-A would probably be looking to Auburn

Music City should have the chance to get Vanderbilt if they win one more game

Liberty could have Mississippi State if they win one more game (Big East could factor into this game and Louisville could be an option, but Mississippi State would be a better draw for the Bowl)

So UF would be left to either the Gator or BBVA Bowl games. I can't see any scenario where UF gets passed over by the Gator Bowl.

Only scenario-Jax wants to sell hotel rooms, very few will hotel it

At this point, beat UM and UF and it's a decent year but UF in AL is a stretch

[Triple B]

Winning the Big East and a BCS bowl trumps Notre Dame and/or Miami wins. Individual wins over formerly great programs is fine if you are in the Sun Belt or CUSA. We are in a BCS conference, a BCS bowl game is our one and only goal every year. Wins over Notre Dame and Miami are nice to have, not overly important.

Going to a BCS bowl by winning a **** conference, on its' own, isn't really worth much .... just as the ooc wins over progams like FSU, ND and UM don't really mean much unless you can combine those wins with conference championships. Our ultimate goal is to be an upper echelon football program and you're not getting there just winning a barely better than mid major conference.

[usf97]

This game against UM is our bowl. Actually of the 3 games left on our schedule......I would venture to guess that our Bowl opponent (assuming we win at least one) will be the least appealing opponent on our schedule.

Regardless if we go 8-4, 7-5 or 6-6....odds are we are going to be in either the Compass or St Pete Bowls. Now look at our possible opponents. In the St. Pete bowl we would get either Tulsa, SMU or one of the following possible 6-6 teams....UCF, Marshall or ECU.

Then if we got to B'ham....we could have a possible 6-6 SEC team if there are enough from Miss St, Kentucky, Vandy or Tenessee....but more than likely you would have a Sun Belt school which means either, FIU, WKU or ULL.

I just hope we don't end up going to B'ham to play some Sun Belt school......the attendance at Legion would be less than what UAB draws.

[South_Florida_Flip]

You think a 6-6 Florida team will go to the Gator Bowl (I'm assuming they beat Furman and lose to FSU)? Seems like a stretch.

I'm not sure why you would think it is that much of a stretch. The SEC is going to have 9 bowl eligible teams. Take away 2 of those team to the BCS and you're left with the following SEC Bowl tie ins (I believe in order):

Capital One

Outback/Cotton

Chik-Fil-A

Gator

Music City

Liberty/BBVA

Capital One will likely choose from Arkansas, Georgia, and potentially Alabama

Outback could land Georgia or South Carolina

Cotton could take Arkansas if Capital One doesn't and South Carolina could still be out there

Chik-Fil-A would probably be looking to Auburn

Music City should have the chance to get Vanderbilt if they win one more game

Liberty could have Mississippi State if they win one more game (Big East could factor into this game and Louisville could be an option, but Mississippi State would be a better draw for the Bowl)

So UF would be left to either the Gator or BBVA Bowl games. I can't see any scenario where UF gets passed over by the Gator Bowl.

Only scenario-Jax wants to sell hotel rooms, very few will hotel it

At this point, beat UM and UF and it's a decent year but UF in AL is a stretch

The Big 10 representative will take care of the the hotels.

[Paisa el Toro]

Let's talk about his AFTER we play Miami....

Bingo.