Last year after Week 8, there were 7 teams already eliminated from bowl eligibility:

Kansas
Central Florida
Wyoming
Miami (O)
Eastern Michigan
North Texas
New mexico State

This year, there are 8 teams that are one loss away from elimination. Two of those, however, are idle this week (Iowa State and Florida Atlantic).

Two schools facing elimination play each other (Miami (O) @ Bowling Green), so one of them will be out for sure.

The remaining four don't face powerhouses, but they could still lose. They are:

Fresno St @ Utah State (2-4)
Northern Illinois vs Buffalo (1-5)
Rice vs Prairie View A&M (FCS)
UMass @ South Carolina (2-4)

Keep the dream alive, guys!

Conversely, last year after Week 8, 32 teams had achieved bowl eligibility. So far this year, 14 have qualified, and another 10 can reach the required min total this week. But for most of them, getting that qualifying win won't be a cakewalk.

One will get it for sure, as Central Michigan (5-2) plays at Toledo (5-1).

Of the remaining eight, 7 of them play teams that have 4 wins (and either 1 or 2 losses). Only San Diego State would be a big favorite against San Jose St (2-5).

The others are:

Louisville vs NC State (4-2)
Arizona State vs Washington St (4-2)
Colorado @ Stanford (4-2)
Iowa vs Wisconsin (4-2)
Arkansas @ Auburn (4-2)
Memphis @ Navy (4-1)
West Virginia vs TCU (4-2)

Bottom line: At the end of the day on Saturday there will be both fewer bowl eligible teams and fewer eliminated teams than last year. Appears to be greater parity across the board this year. What isn't clear is if that means there will ultimately be enough qualified teams to fill all the bowl slots or not enough. As always, it will go down to the wire.

I think a bit of a difference is more teams it seems have had their byes already so only have 6 games played entering this weekend. Big 10- only 2 teams with no bye yet- Rutgers and Iowa. So rest of the conference with only 6 games played.

(10-21-2016 09:40 AM)ken d Wrote:  Last year after Week 8, there were 7 teams already eliminated from bowl eligibility:

Kansas
Central Florida
Wyoming
Miami (O)
Eastern Michigan
North Texas
New mexico State

This year, there are 8 teams that are one loss away from elimination. Two of those, however, are idle this week (Iowa State and Florida Atlantic).

Two schools facing elimination play each other (Miami (O) @ Bowling Green), so one of them will be out for sure.

The remaining four don't face powerhouses, but they could still lose. They are:

Fresno St @ Utah State (2-4)
Northern Illinois vs Buffalo (1-5)
Rice vs Prairie View A&M (FCS)
UMass @ South Carolina (2-4)

Keep the dream alive, guys!

Don't think UCF (Central FL) should be on the eliminated list. In fact, I'm think they get to 6 wins.

(10-21-2016 10:44 AM)Atlanta Wrote:  

(10-21-2016 09:40 AM)ken d Wrote:  Last year after Week 8, there were 7 teams already eliminated from bowl eligibility:

Kansas
Central Florida
Wyoming
Miami (O)
Eastern Michigan
North Texas
New mexico State

This year, there are 8 teams that are one loss away from elimination. Two of those, however, are idle this week (Iowa State and Florida Atlantic).

Two schools facing elimination play each other (Miami (O) @ Bowling Green), so one of them will be out for sure.

The remaining four don't face powerhouses, but they could still lose. They are:

Fresno St @ Utah State (2-4)
Northern Illinois vs Buffalo (1-5)
Rice vs Prairie View A&M (FCS)
UMass @ South Carolina (2-4)

Keep the dream alive, guys!

Don't think UCF (Central FL) should be on the eliminated list. In fact, I'm think they get to 6 wins.

They were on last year's list, not 2016.

(10-21-2016 10:12 AM)stever20 Wrote:  I think a bit of a difference is more teams it seems have had their byes already so only have 6 games played entering this weekend. Big 10- only 2 teams with no bye yet- Rutgers and Iowa. So rest of the conference with only 6 games played.

Not as much as you would think. By Saturday night, FBS teams will have played 1030 games - six fewer than through Week 8 last year.

(10-21-2016 09:40 AM)ken d Wrote:  Last year after Week 8, there were 7 teams already eliminated from bowl eligibility:

Kansas
Central Florida
Wyoming
Miami (O)
Eastern Michigan
North Texas
New mexico State

This year, there are 8 teams that are one loss away from elimination. Two of those, however, are idle this week (Iowa State and Florida Atlantic).

Two schools facing elimination play each other (Miami (O) @ Bowling Green), so one of them will be out for sure.

The remaining four don't face powerhouses, but they could still lose. They are:

Fresno St @ Utah State (2-4)
Northern Illinois vs Buffalo (1-5)
Rice vs Prairie View A&M (FCS)
UMass @ South Carolina (2-4)

Keep the dream alive, guys!

Big weekend in Columbia, SC!

80 teams right now at 3-3 or better. with 52 at 4-2 or better and another 13 teams at 4 wins with either 3 or 4 losses. Seems a lot further along right now vs last year.

(10-21-2016 11:38 AM)stever20 Wrote:  80 teams right now at 3-3 or better. with 52 at 4-2 or better and another 13 teams at 4 wins with either 3 or 4 losses. Seems a lot further along right now vs last year.

Last year there were 77 teams at 3-3 or better. Of those, 50 were at 4-2 or better.

(10-21-2016 10:03 AM)ken d Wrote:  Conversely, last year after Week 8, 32 teams had achieved bowl eligibility. So far this year, 14 have qualified, and another 10 can reach the required min total this week. But for most of them, getting that qualifying win won't be a cakewalk.

One will get it for sure, as Central Michigan (5-2) plays at Toledo (5-1).

Of the remaining eight, 7 of them play teams that have 4 wins (and either 1 or 2 losses). Only San Diego State would be a big favorite against San Jose St (2-5).

The others are:

Louisville vs NC State (4-2)
Arizona State vs Washington St (4-2)
Colorado @ Stanford (4-2)
Iowa vs Wisconsin (4-2)
Arkansas @ Auburn (4-2)
Memphis @ Navy (4-1)
West Virginia vs TCU (4-2)

Bottom line: At the end of the day on Saturday there will be both fewer bowl eligible teams and fewer eliminated teams than last year. Appears to be greater parity across the board this year. What isn't clear is if that means there will ultimately be enough qualified teams to fill all the bowl slots or not enough. As always, it will go down to the wire.

Louisville wins!

Entering Week 9, there are 3 teams already ineligible for a bowl. Eight more are on the brink, and most of those are playing teams one win away from becoming eligible. Those are: Kansas @ Oklahoma, Miami(O) @ Eastern Michigan, Buffalo vs Akron, Kent @ Central Michigan, Florida Atlantic vs Western Kentucky and Rice @ Louisiana Tech. The others are Iowa State vs Kansas State (4-3) and San Jose St vs UNLV (3-5).

Last year after Week 9 there were already 13 ineligible, so we will be better than that this year.

Last year there were 41 teams eligible. This year there are 20 eligible going into the weekend with another 30 one win away (and scheduled to play). So we could conceivably pull ahead of last year's pace.

Week 9 ended with 7 teams ineligible for a bowl, and 37 eligible, compared with 13 and 41 last year.

After Week 10, there could be as many as 23 ineligible and 58 eligible (though both are doubtful). In 2015 there were 21 ineligible and 50 eligible.

Michigan State and Illinois face off in Champaign-Urbana, with the loser knocked out. Air Force travels to West Point, with the winner bowl eligible.

Fifteen other teams face elimination:

Virginia @ Wake Forest (5-3)
Oregon St @ Stanford (5-3)
Arizona @ Washington St (6-2)
Rutgers vs Indiana (4-4)
Missouri @ South Carolina (4-4)

UConn vs Temple (6-3)
San Jose St @ Boise (7-1)
Miami (O) vs Central Michigan (5-4)
Buffalo @ Ohio (6-3)
Northern Illinois vs Bowling Green (1-7)

FIU @ Western Kentucky (6-3)
Marshall at Old Dominion (5-3)
UTEP vs Houston Baptist (FCS)
UL Monroe vs South Alabama (4-4)
Georgia St vs Arkansas St (3-4)

Twenty more teams can seal the deal:

Florida State @ NC State (4-4)
Wake Forest vs Virginia (2-6)
Pitt @ Miami (4-4)
Georgia Tech @ UNC (6-2)
Stanford vs Oregon St (2-6)

USC vs Oregon (3-5)
Kansas St vs Oklahoma St (6-2)
Maryland @ Michigan (8-0)
Iowa @ Penn State (6-2)
Kentucky vs Georgia (4-4)

Tennessee vs Tennessee Tech (FCS)
LSU vs Alabama (8-0)
Arkansas vs Florida (6-1)
Memphis @ SMU (4-4)
Navy vs Notre Dame (3-5)

New Mexico vs Nevada (3-5)
Akron vs Toledo (6-2)
Central Michigan @ Miami (O) (3-6)
Old Dominion vs Marshall (2-6)
Southern Miss vs Charlotte (3-5)