(05-15-2013 07:58 AM)Bull Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:24 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:19 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:16 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 10:49 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Yes. I "get" that. What you fail to grasp is that if the Sun Bowl selects an AAC tie in---it will be because they think they can make more money with us than any other choice AVAILABLE to them. Have you notced the eastern power confernecs falling over themselves in a rush to land the Sun Bowl? Yeah, me neither. They are not going to be choosing us because we are their first choice. The Sun is looking at a very low P-5 picks or a top non-AQ selection. Thats a battle we have a shot at with 5 schools within driving distance of El Paso.

Second, do you think a conference would make more money if they have the first pick of a conference's teams or the last? Go on, dont be afraid. Just shout the answer right out. Correct. The first pick is the best to have for a bowl.

One more thing about the Sun Bowl. The city is isolated and few cities are very close. The Sun Bowl relies primarily on local residents to buy tickets. So unlike most bowls, the television matchup is actually more important than the traveleing fan base. Dont get me wrong, they love traveling teams, but they know they are in the middle of BFE and El Paso is not a tourist town. A championship team thats been on national TV 9-10 times already that year could be an interesting opponent for the Pac-12 entry.

As for the backup idea, I like it. But whats keeping the P-5 from just backing each other up. Then what? We are right back to square one.

We have 5 schools within driving distance of el paso? You must think 600 miles is driving distance.

I consider anything less than 10 hours a drivable distance.

Not sure you can get to EP from either Houston or Dallas within 10 hours. Probably more like 12 hours.

At least the speed limit is 80 out on those west Texas freeways!

East Texas now has an 85 mph road:

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/10/2...-in-texas/

(05-15-2013 08:36 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  If the options are as bad as it appears they might be I wouldn't want this league to sign anymore than 4 tie ins and then position itself as the top backup to every pick 5 or worse of the SEC, ACC, B1G and B12. I agree Coog they can't possibly fill all the spots they are signing, and in some years where the top of those leagues are very good and the bottom isn't you could be looking at a #4 or 5 pick out there without a team to fill it. There is no reason for this league to lock itself in to 6+ bowls if they are all going to be on the level of the Beef, Military, and New Orleans.

Correct. The only risk is years in which the Pac12 has multiple invitations for the playoff/access bowls the bowl openings we can get will all be distant western bowls.

(05-15-2013 08:26 AM)CommuterBob Wrote:  I look at the American's bowl lineup possibilities like this:

Overly optimistic: Sun, Pinstripe, Houston

Optimistic: Liberty (had to move this here, but not ready to give up the ghost on this one), Independence, Military, New Orleans, Birmingham

Locks: Beef O'Brady's

I think secondary tie-ins would also be a good idea. If the SEC, ACC, B1G and XII each have 8-10 bowls, there's no way they fill them all ...

I agree with this. I've given up on the Belk and Russell bowls too. I do think we still have a shot at the Liberty Bowl because I'm not 100% sure that both the SEC and Big 12 want that bowl. In all likelihood, our new lineup will look something like:

Liberty (fingers crossed!)
Indy
Military
New Orleans
BBVA
Beefy

... with hopefully some contingent slots with other bowls too, in case the P5 can't meet their obligations.

(05-15-2013 08:43 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-15-2013 08:36 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  If the options are as bad as it appears they might be I wouldn't want this league to sign anymore than 4 tie ins and then position itself as the top backup to every pick 5 or worse of the SEC, ACC, B1G and B12. I agree Coog they can't possibly fill all the spots they are signing, and in some years where the top of those leagues are very good and the bottom isn't you could be looking at a #4 or 5 pick out there without a team to fill it. There is no reason for this league to lock itself in to 6+ bowls if they are all going to be on the level of the Beef, Military, and New Orleans.

Correct. The only risk is years in which the Pac12 has multiple invitations for the playoff/access bowls the bowl openings we can get will all be distant western bowls.

Yeah it's a bit of a risk, but I'd rather gamble with that then lock our champ into something that's clearly crap. Anything lower than the Pinstripe, Liberty, Sun, or Houston Bowl isn't worth sending the champ to annually.

(05-15-2013 08:49 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(05-15-2013 08:43 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-15-2013 08:36 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  If the options are as bad as it appears they might be I wouldn't want this league to sign anymore than 4 tie ins and then position itself as the top backup to every pick 5 or worse of the SEC, ACC, B1G and B12. I agree Coog they can't possibly fill all the spots they are signing, and in some years where the top of those leagues are very good and the bottom isn't you could be looking at a #4 or 5 pick out there without a team to fill it. There is no reason for this league to lock itself in to 6+ bowls if they are all going to be on the level of the Beef, Military, and New Orleans.

Correct. The only risk is years in which the Pac12 has multiple invitations for the playoff/access bowls the bowl openings we can get will all be distant western bowls.

Yeah it's a bit of a risk, but I'd rather gamble with that then lock our champ into something that's clearly crap. Anything lower than the Pinstripe, Liberty, Sun, or Houston Bowl isn't worth sending the champ to annually.

Agreed. If the best bowls we can get are trash bowls vs trash opponents--what's really the point? Grab 4 or so and rely on the backup contracts.

(05-14-2013 09:07 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Given what we know so far, the following opportunities are still on the board--

Sun vs Pac-#4 - Great

New Orleans vs Sun Belt #1 - Terrible

Go Daddy vs MAC #1 - Bad

Armed Forces vs MW #4/5 - Good

Kraft Fight Hunger vs Pac-12 #6 - Good

Meineke Car Care vs Big-12 #6 (SEC rumored to want this slot) - Good

Military vs ACC #8 - Ok

Independence vs ACC #7 (rumored to be getting dumped by ACC) - Good

New Mexico Bowl vs Pac-12 #7 - Good

Also, the CUSA #2 is available. CUSA #2 is currently slotted in the Hawaii Bowl (but we cannot displace the MW from that bowl even if we wanted to). We have the former BBVA Compass and Beefy. I suppose an upgraded opponent could be possibility there.

Thats it follks. Those are the slots that are left for a potential #1 bowl for the AAC. Most of the best opponents still on the board are Pac-12 teams in distant bowls. Generally, the closer the bowls get, the crappier they get--but thats that because we have 4 power conferneces overlapping our footprint. This is the hand we are looking at.

(05-15-2013 08:15 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-15-2013 07:58 AM)Bull Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:24 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:19 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:16 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  We have 5 schools within driving distance of el paso? You must think 600 miles is driving distance.

I consider anything less than 10 hours a drivable distance.

Not sure you can get to EP from either Houston or Dallas within 10 hours. Probably more like 12 hours.

At least the speed limit is 80 out on those west Texas freeways!

Lol...I love Texas!

You think 80 is great, the speed limit is actually 85 on one of the toll roads that parallels I-35 from east of San Antonio (Seguin) to Georgetown, north of Austin.

(05-15-2013 08:43 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(05-15-2013 07:58 AM)Bull Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:24 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:19 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-14-2013 11:16 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  We have 5 schools within driving distance of el paso? You must think 600 miles is driving distance.

I consider anything less than 10 hours a drivable distance.

Not sure you can get to EP from either Houston or Dallas within 10 hours. Probably more like 12 hours.

At least the speed limit is 80 out on those west Texas freeways!

East Texas now has an 85 mph road:

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/10/2...-in-texas/

It's in Central Texas. I live about 15 miles from it.

Should we work out a deal with BYU for our bowl games much like the Big East had with ND? I could see the Sun Bowl going for that our champ or BYU. Also might help us get he Kraft Bowl out n San Fran vs the Pac 12.

(05-15-2013 10:09 AM)Bleeds_Purple Wrote:  Should we work out a deal with BYU for our bowl games much like the Big East had with ND? I could see the Sun Bowl going for that our champ or BYU. Also might help us get he Kraft Bowl out n San Fran vs the Pac 12.

Id give BYU the EXACT deal Notre Dame has with the ACC. Add VCU for balance, and move forward.

I think our bowl line up will be

1.Liberty- vs SEC or Big12 ( more than probably some type of deal where a lower SEC or Big12 is the match up)
2.Military Bowl in DC- vs ACC lower seed
3. Armed Forces Bowl vs MWC
4. Bham Bowl vs CUSA
5. Beef O Grady vs CUSA
6. New Orleans vs Sun Belt

I think that if you believe or expect better than that then you are setting yourself for dissapointment. As I said outside of our champ getting the BCS slot the bowls are going to be basically current CUSA bowls

The GoDaddy and New Orleans bowls should be top priority as they are against #1 teams.

(05-15-2013 10:57 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  The GoDaddy and New Orleans bowls should be top priority as they are against #1 teams.

The sun belt champ hasn't played in the NOLA bowl in a number of years. It also has a pre-Christmas date, which is probably intractable due to New Years events in the City.

(05-15-2013 11:13 AM)DrBox Wrote:  

(05-15-2013 10:57 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  The GoDaddy and New Orleans bowls should be top priority as they are against #1 teams.

The sun belt champ hasn't played in the NOLA bowl in a number of years. It also has a pre-Christmas date, which is probably intractable due to New Years events in the City.

The New Orleans Bowl has the #1 pick from the Sunbelt. That doesnt mean they have to select the champ.