[NU Sports] Bowl eligible teams

[Jonathan Hodges]

If Hawaii loses, it's almost guaranteed that Illinois will get into a BCS
bowl, thereby bumping everyone "up" a spot and guaranteeing all Big Ten
teams with winning records a spot in a bowl.

Anyways, the best case scenario for NU would be if Hawaii does lose, giving
the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-10 an extra "at-large" BCS spot - which
would open up 2 "at-large" bowl bids (Texas Bowl's Big 12 spot and Bell
Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl's Pac-10 spot), assuming a few more things
happen, and would leave room for at least one 6-6 "at-large" bid to be
handed out.  Here's what would have to happen:

Arizona (5-6) loses to Arizona State
Hawaii (11-0) loses to Washington
Florida Atlantic (6-5) loses to Troy
Miami (OH) (6-6) loses to Central Michigan in the MAC Championship

If any of these teams wins, it will essentially close up one available spot.

If the best case scenario does happen, there will be 2 available spots, with
the following teams in competition for the spot (7-5 teams get in ahead of
6-6 teams per the bowl eligibility rules):

Iowa (6-6)
Northwestern (6-6)
Ohio (6-6)
TCU (7-5)
Alabama (6-6) OR South Carolina (6-6)
Florida Atlantic (6-6, if they lose)
Louisiana-Monroe (6-6)
Louisiana Tech OR Nevada (6-6)
Louisville (6-6 if they beat Rutgers)

So, best case scenario - NU would have to "beat out" Iowa, Alabama/South
Carolina, (potentially) Louisville, and some mid-majors in order to get a
bowl berth - a tall order but still theoretically possible.  Anyways we'll
see what the last weekend in the "year of the upset" brings.

Jonathan

On Nov 25, 2007 6:24 PM, Mike Nolan <nolan at romaine.tssi.com> wrote:

> > Navy has already committed to the Poinsettia Bowl.
> >
> >
> http://www.poinsettiabowl.net/news/navy-to-play-in-3rd-san-diego-county-credit-union-poinsettia-bowl.html
>
> I'm very happy for them, they've earned it.
>
> That may affect the non-BCS conferences more than the BCS conferences,
> though it may sink completely any chance of a 9th Big 10 team going
> unless OSU gets into the NC game, and possibly not even then,
> because we may not get 2 BCS slots.  If the Rose Bowl loses OSU
> and thus gets pick of the litter, would they look towards Hawaii's fan
> base
> instead of Illinois (#15 on the latest BCS list?)
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
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-- 
Jonathan W. Hodges
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