[NU Sports] I'm not saying I don't normally agree with Mr. Herron

[John Labbe]

What I think you're overlooking is that if we lose to Illinois, then  
we'll finish the season TIED with Illinois in the Big Ten standings.   
Depending on the outcome of the Iowa/Minn game, we'll either be tied  
with Illinois, Iowa, AND Minnesota for fourth place, or we'll be tied  
just with Illinois for fifth place.  So the possibility of a bowl  
choosing Illinois (and/or other teams) over us doesn't seem as  
preposterous.

Of course, we all should keep in mind that the only way we can fall to  
the Motor City bowl is if we both lose to Illinois AND Minnesota gets  
picked over us.  In the scenario where we get 2 Big Ten teams in the  
BCS, (and we lose to Illinois), then we'll probably be competing with  
Minnesota for the Champs bowl.  The Champs bowl won't be allowed to  
pick Illinois over us.  But if the Champs doesn't pick us, then based  
on the information from that Sun Times article today, the Insight  
could pick Illinois over us.  I think the Champs would give us the nod  
over Minnesota.

In the scenario where we only get one Big Ten team into the BCS (and  
we lose to Illinois), then we still only fall to the Motor City bowl  
if the Insight bowl chooses Minnesota over us.  Illinois won't be able  
to get a Big Ten tie-in bowl with a 6-6 record in this scenario.

So, in the Iowa/Minnesota game on Saturday night, I think we cheer for  
Minnesota to win assuming we beat Illinois, but if we lose to  
Illinois, then we want Iowa to win.  That way, in the worst-case  
scenario, Minnesota will have finished the season on a losing note and  
a notch below us in the standings, so they won't likely be chosen over  
us for the Champs or Insight bowls.  But in the best-case scenario, an  
Iowa loss means that the Outback will have to choose between NU (in  
sole possession of 4th place in the conference with 2 more wins than  
Iowa) vs. Minnesota.

Personally, I would prefer to see us in the Outback bowl versus the  
Alamo bowl.  I like our chances better against a 4th or 5th place SEC  
team (probably South Carolina) versus a Big 12 team.  Even if you  
assume we'll lose (which I by no means am assuming), I would rather  
see us lose on New Years' Day than lose again at the Alamo.  Haven't  
we already lost enough at the Alamo?  If we drop lower than the Alamo,  
then we may face an easier opponent, but we get a lesser reward in  
terms of prestige and exposure, so I think we have to cheer for the  
New Years' Day possibility.




On Nov 17, 2008, at 11:02 PM, Christopher Bailey wrote:

> But in this instance I think he is spectacularly ... correct.
>
>
> That Day-Twa isn't anyone's idea of fun isn't what concerns me, it's  
> the screw job a committee can put on, letting one school leap frog  
> another just because they don't like them.
>
> I would love for the Conference to demonstrate the existence of a  
> spine and say to these committees:
>
> This is our fourth the place team.  That's who you get.  No, you do  
> not get to pick the fifth ... or sixth ... or seventh place team  
> instead just because you want them.  This is why we play the games  
> in the first place.
>
> SWEET SIOUX COMES HOME!
>
> GO 'CATS!
>
> Christopher Bailey
> christopher_bailey at yahoo.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:51:18 EST
> From: CHerron604 at aol.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Scary article in the Sun-Times
>
> This will sound cold, but...
>
> If NU somehow gets screwed and ends up in Detroit, it will be the  
> fans duty
> to ignore the game totally...they can watch it, but don't buy a  
> ticket, and
> don't contribute a dime to Detroit's economy.
>
> Only in this way can it be impressed upon the conference powers-that- 
> be
> (i.e. Jim Delaney)
>
> <snip>
>
> b) conference rules that allow massive bowl-game screwings can have
> consequences
>
>
>
>
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