There are now 3 teams with 7+ win records - Marshall, La Tech, and Rice.
There are 3 teams with 6 win records - western Ky, Middle Tenn, UTEP.
The winner of La Tech and Rice will come out with an 8 - 4 record.
Middle Tenn plays UTEP - both with 6 wins now and a the victor will have a 7 win record.
West Ky plays UTSA - and a win for WKy gives them 7 wins.
There are 5 bowl games slotted for CUSA -
New Mexico
Boca Raton
Bahamas
Hawaii
Dallas
Question?
If we defeat La Tech and lose to Marshall - where do we go?
If we lose to La Tech where do we go?
If defeat La Tech and Marshall where do we go as CUSA champs?

(11-24-2014 12:17 PM)OklahomaOwl Wrote:  If we defeat La Tech and lose to Marshall - where do we go?
If we lose to La Tech where do we go?
If defeat La Tech and Marshall where do we go as CUSA champs?

JMO

1. Probably HOD
2, LaTech would probably take HOD, so IDK. Depends a lot if berths in the AF or Independence bowls open up. There would be lots of horse trading going on in this scenario.
3. Probably HOD

I repeat, though, JMO.

Looking unlikely that the SEC will not be filling its spot in the Independence Bowl. They are likely to put 3 teams in the top 6 bowls (their best-case scenario of having 4 teams in those bowls probably went out the window with Ole Miss's rout by Arkansas) and they have 9 other bowl tie-ins, so IOW they basically have a total of 12 slots to fill. They currently have 11 teams with 6+ wins and Tennessee only needs to beat Vanderbilt to make it 12. (Kentucky could also get to 6 wins by winning at Louisville.)

Also, while Army's spot in the Armed Forces Bowl will need to be filled, there is a fair chance there will be a 6-6 P5 team available to fill that slot (and it's likely a 6-6 P5 team would be preferred by the bowl over a 7-to-8 win G5 team). If Cal beats BYU, the Pac 12 will have one more eligible team than it has slots for. Same for ACC if Pitt beats Miami.

However, the Big XII's Cactus Bowl slot is likely to go unfilled unless Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma or the Big XII only gets 1 team into the top 6 bowls, either of which seems pretty unlikely.

(11-24-2014 12:17 PM)OklahomaOwl Wrote:  There are now 3 teams with 7+ win records - Marshall, La Tech, and Rice.
There are 3 teams with 6 win records - western Ky, Middle Tenn, UTEP.
The winner of La Tech and Rice will come out with an 8 - 4 record.
Middle Tenn plays UTEP - both with 6 wins now and a the victor will have a 7 win record.
West Ky plays UTSA - and a win for WKy gives them 7 wins.
There are 5 bowl games slotted for CUSA -
New Mexico
Boca Raton
Bahamas
Hawaii
Dallas
Question?
If we defeat La Tech and lose to Marshall - where do we go?
If we lose to La Tech where do we go?
If defeat La Tech and Marshall where do we go as CUSA champs?

Minor correction that WKU plays marshall

Aw crap, more football talk. I was hoping this was gonna be a picture of a bowl… :(

In terms of updated projections for this week, CBS (Jerry Palm) has us in ABQ (Dec. 20 vs. MWC, whom he projects to be Utah State). It looks like his underlying assumptions are that Marshall will win out and be chosen for a top-6 bowl, with La. Tech beating Rice (they are favored, after all) and going to the HOD bowl. Of course I question the latter assumption ;-) but I think you also have to question the former, with Marshall definitely doing itself no favors with its narrow win over UAB. I think Marshall is in real danger of being passed over by CSU or Boise for the G-5's top-6 bowl slot even if they win out. If that were to happen, Marshall would get its pick of the CUSA bowls and I have a hard time seeing them pick anything other than HOD.

SBNation has us in Hawaii. The underlying assumptions are that Boise takes the G5 access slot, Marshall opts to go to the Bahamas and play a MAC team (?!?), La. Tech goes to the HOD, and the New Mexico Bowl takes UTEP instead of us. The first and last assumptions are pretty plausible; the middle two are a little screwy but they make sense if he actually is predicting La. Tech to upset Marshall in the CUSA champ game.

Most importantly, there is no way for CUSA to have more than five 7+ win teams. If there were, then Rice would still not be guaranteed a bowl spot.

Lately I've become a huge fan of the MWC's Western Division champion, whoever that might be.

Phil Steele's updated-today bowl projections continue to have Rice in Fair Park, facing Rutgers (same for the Tampa Bay Times). These projections have Marshall in the Peach Bowl and La. Tech in either the Bahamas or Hawaii, probably indicating that they assume Rice will beat La. Tech, which - if Marshall is granted the G5 access slot - should give Rice pretty much a de facto claim to CUSA's best bowl slot.

(11-24-2014 01:27 PM)smackdaddy Wrote:  Aw crap, more football talk. I was hoping this was gonna be a picture of a bowl… :(

This help?


Perhaps this is what you were looking for?


or this?

(11-24-2014 01:33 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  In terms of updated projections for this week, CBS (Jerry Palm) has us in ABQ (Dec. 20 vs. MWC, whom he projects to be Utah State).

Pitting Sachse HS alums WR James Mayden vs QB Kent Myers? Could be interesting...

(11-24-2014 03:52 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  Phil Steele's updated-today bowl projections continue to have Rice in Fair Park, facing Rutgers (same for the Tampa Bay Times). These projections have Marshall in the Peach Bowl and La. Tech in either the Bahamas or Hawaii, probably indicating that they assume Rice will beat La. Tech, which - if Marshall is granted the G5 access slot - should give Rice pretty much a de facto claim to CUSA's best bowl slot.

Rutgers Fears Rice [1] [2] [3].

(11-24-2014 04:49 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(11-24-2014 01:33 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  In terms of updated projections for this week, CBS (Jerry Palm) has us in ABQ (Dec. 20 vs. MWC, whom he projects to be Utah State).

Pitting Sachse HS alums WR James Mayden vs QB Kent Myers? Could be interesting...

Also, Driphus Jackson vs. Chuckie Keeton.

(11-24-2014 05:39 PM)I45owl Wrote:  Also, Driphus Jackson vs. Chuckie Keeton.

Keeton's been out for the season since mid-September (blew out same knee that sidelined him last year).

Purely in terms of what sort of opponent would give us the better opportunity to raise our profile with a win, MWC > AAC (except for maybe Cincinnati) >>> MAC/SBC. And within the MWC, Boise >>> Fresno > others. But in the end these are probably distinctions without a difference. Oh well.

Really hope we can grab the HOD bowl vs. a Big 10 team (maybe even the Illini!) or somehow horse-trade for the Big XII's Cactus Bowl slot (opposite a Pac 12 team).

FTR, if Rice plays Illinois in Dallas I will be 100% for Rice. Rice's program is in much greater need than Illinois's, and I see no sense in ruining two good sweatshirts to make one of those ridiculous half-and-half things.

(11-24-2014 06:27 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  FTR, if Rice plays Illinois in Dallas I will be 100% for Rice. Rice's program is in much greater need than Illinois's, and I see no sense in ruining two good sweatshirts to make one of those ridiculous half-and-half things.

Make it front-back. not side by side. In 2008 I gave a sweatshirt to a friend who was a UH alum. sShe was happy when she saw the red front with the number 42 on it, until she saw the blue back with the number 56 on it.

Both Rice and Illinois have the problem of not getting many fans to the game. A video has been posted of the empty stands at Illinois.

(11-24-2014 06:27 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  

(11-24-2014 05:39 PM)I45owl Wrote:  Also, Driphus Jackson vs. Chuckie Keeton.

Keeton's been out for the season since mid-September (blew out same knee that sidelined him last year).

Purely in terms of what sort of opponent would give us the better opportunity to raise our profile with a win, MWC > AAC (except for maybe Cincinnati) >>> MAC/SBC. And within the MWC, Boise >>> Fresno > others. But in the end these are probably distinctions without a difference. Oh well.

Really hope we can grab the HOD bowl vs. a Big 10 team (maybe even the Illini!) or somehow horse-trade for the Big XII's Cactus Bowl slot (opposite a Pac 12 team).

FTR, if Rice plays Illinois in Dallas I will be 100% for Rice. Rice's program is in much greater need than Illinois's, and I see no sense in ruining two good sweatshirts to make one of those ridiculous half-and-half things.

(11-24-2014 06:39 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(11-24-2014 06:27 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  FTR, if Rice plays Illinois in Dallas I will be 100% for Rice. Rice's program is in much greater need than Illinois's, and I see no sense in ruining two good sweatshirts to make one of those ridiculous half-and-half things.

Make it front-back. not side by side. In 2008 I gave a sweatshirt to a friend who was a UH alum. sShe was happy when she saw the red front with the number 42 on it, until she saw the blue back with the number 56 on it.

Brilliant!

FWIW Mrs. Bacon is all in for the Bahamas Bowl. But I doubt that a 9-4 team will be sent there.

(11-24-2014 05:39 PM)I45owl Wrote:  

(11-24-2014 03:52 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  Phil Steele's updated-today bowl projections continue to have Rice in Fair Park, facing Rutgers (same for the Tampa Bay Times). These projections have Marshall in the Peach Bowl and La. Tech in either the Bahamas or Hawaii, probably indicating that they assume Rice will beat La. Tech, which - if Marshall is granted the G5 access slot - should give Rice pretty much a de facto claim to CUSA's best bowl slot.

Rutgers Fears Rice [1] [2] [3].

(11-24-2014 04:49 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(11-24-2014 01:33 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  In terms of updated projections for this week, CBS (Jerry Palm) has us in ABQ (Dec. 20 vs. MWC, whom he projects to be Utah State).

Pitting Sachse HS alums WR James Mayden vs QB Kent Myers? Could be interesting...

Also, Driphus Jackson vs. Chuckie Keeton.

Utah State has been quite a story as they lost their top THREE QB's - including Chuckie K - to season ending injuries.

The last time I saw them they were starting a true freshman from Rowlett - and are somehow still winning.

(11-24-2014 06:27 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  Rice's program is in much greater need than Illinois's,

I don't disagree ... but my gosh was that a thin crowd in Champaign last weekend.

I grew up a die-hard Illinois fan (St. Louis Metro East) - makes me sad to see how far things have fallen on the football side of the house.

Illinois coach in 2015 is ....?

Marshall is finally ranked in the playoff poll...but behind Boise state. Seems unlikely marshall gets that access spot now

We are in HOD or Armed Forces. If we win at La Tech, see us in HOD with Big 10 match-up against Rutgers, Illinois, etc. If we lose, see a Bayou Bucket in Ft. Worth.

About tickets, proximity, etc. which mean butts-in-seats. Lower probability scenarios are in Independence, horse trade for Cactus, etc. Hard to see a scenario where UTEP does not go to NM Bowl as that makes too much sense for folks in NM to sell more tickets. No way for Rice to Hawaii as Rice loses $ and also keeps kids from some parents at Xmas (they have to pay on their own to get there which is hard for some). We declined in 2012 for this reason..hard to see why 2014 is different.