[NU Sports] Orlando...

[Jonathan Hodges]

For one, the Outback probably cares less what the bowls below it (Champs &
Alamo, in particular) think about what options they have left.  The bowls
are really only concerned with making money themselves while staying within
the bounds of their contracts with the affiliated conferences.  Given that,
I bet they don't care if Wisconsin went to the Champs last year.

BUT, we all know that the Outback just plain doesn't like NU (I won't go
into the details of the 2000 and 2008 situations again).  Wisconsin has been
to the Outback twice in the past five years (most recently following the
2007 season) but I imagine that the Outback would snatch them up again.  At
least this year they'll have somewhat of an excuse assuming Wisconsin beats
Hawaii in two weeks, meaning that UW will have a 9-3 record to NU's 8-4.

IF the Big Ten somehow doesn't get a BCS at-large berth (very unlikely) and
it's between NU and Wisconsin for the Champs Sports Bowl berth, I could see
NU getting the nod there, since, as you mentioned, UW has been to Orlando in
3 of the last 4 years, including the Champs last year.

Jonathan

On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 3:50 PM, <AJWDBW at aol.com> wrote:

>  Below is an excerpt from the Wisconsin State Journal that appeared in
> today's edition. Any thoughts,
> comments, observations?
> Don Williams C55
>
> "The bowl picture may not have changed quite so much. If the Big Ten gets
> two teams in the Bowl Championship series, which seems likely with Ohio
> State and Iowa, the Badgers still could be headed to the Outback Bowl in
> Tampa, Fla.
>
> Even though the Wildcats (8-4) won the head-to-head matchup, the Badgers
> would probably go one spot higher in the bowl pecking order. That’s because
> the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., picks next and the Badgers played
> there last season.
>
> If the Big Ten only gets one team in the BCS, the Badgers would probably
> drop to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, with Northwestern still
> likely going to the Champs.
>