CBS sports now has NIU in the Boca Raton Bowl against Memphis, currently 7-4 and likely to go 7-5 since they host Houston this week.

Boca is great destination and the game is Dec. 20 this year, plenty of time to get home before Christmas. Had a great time there in 2014, weather in the 70s / low 80s with the south Florida sun.

They now project WMU against Penn State in the Cotton Bowl, probably a bad matchup for WMU as Penn State is really strong right now.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/bowls/predictions

Also could catch NIU BB playing in Boca at Florida International Sat Dec 17th and / or 4 hours away up in Tampa. NIU BB also would be playing during the bowl game against South Florida 4 hours away up in Tampa.

I'm sorry, but a 5-7 team is not worthy of a bowl...especially a mid major 5-7. Who is our biggest win....EMU? I have to draw the line somewhere and this season is it.... we. Should. Not. Be. In. A. Bowl.

(11-20-2016 09:32 AM)JB04 Wrote:  I'm sorry, but a 5-7 team is not worthy of a bowl...especially a mid major 5-7. Who is our biggest win....EMU? I have to draw the line somewhere and this season is it.... we. Should. Not. Be. In. A. Bowl.

I have mixed feelings. The extra practices would be good for the program. However, the coaching staff and team did not play well enough to get rewarded and if we back into a game there is a good chance we will get embarrassed (especially without an experienced QB that has demonstrated the ability to excel at this level).

I kind of think that we have seen that Graham has a limited upside and I think that Santa is an unknown because it is unfair to judge a guy that has played fewer than 4 quarters after being pressed into service on an emergency basis. Who knows, maybe Graham has more potential than he has shown but he has not shown that he has a strong arm and I am not sure how much of that can be addressed through coaching and weight training. That said, they are both HUSKIES so I will cheer for them when they are on the field and wish them the best.

(11-20-2016 09:06 AM)HuskieJoe Wrote:  CBS sports now has NIU in the Boca Raton Bowl against Memphis, currently 7-4 and likely to go 7-5 since they host Houston this week.

Boca is great destination and the game is Dec. 20 this year, plenty of time to get home before Christmas. Had a great time there in 2014, weather in the 70s / low 80s with the south Florida sun.

They now project WMU against Penn State in the Cotton Bowl, probably a bad matchup for WMU as Penn State is really strong right now.

http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/bowls/predictions

I hope that pans out, but I don't think the game will go well for us.
FAU has a nice stadium. Hopefully we'll get a Huskie tailgate together.

I went to the FIU game last night, FIU beat Marshall pretty soundly.
Clear and 72 degrees, maybe 4K in the stands.

(11-20-2016 09:32 AM)JB04 Wrote:  I'm sorry, but a 5-7 team is not worthy of a bowl...especially a mid major 5-7. Who is our biggest win....EMU? I have to draw the line somewhere and this season is it.... we. Should. Not. Be. In. A. Bowl.

We don't want a repeat of the Poinsettia Bowl, what an embarrassment.

Sean Frazier should turn down any bowl invite. This team does not deserve one. Save the $200k+ we will lose on this game to put towards Rod Carey's buyout.

As unpredictable as sports are, the worst NIU team we have had in years would go to the Bowl and crush it. Love to get another game to cheer them on.

(11-20-2016 09:32 AM)JB04 Wrote:  I'm sorry, but a 5-7 team is not worthy of a bowl...especially a mid major 5-7. Who is our biggest win....EMU? I have to draw the line somewhere and this season is it.... we. Should. Not. Be. In. A. Bowl.

+1. IMO, no team that is .500 or worse should be in a bowl. Mediocrity or worse should not be rewarded in any sport. There are way too many bowl games, with the purpose solely to suck in more money. Bowl games that feature two sub-par mid-major teams deserve to lose money with attendance of less than 5K. Enough is enough.

So players work their butts off all year and you don't want them to go to a bowl game?
I don't understand that at all...they didn't create the system...so what if a few 5-7 teams go---it's an exhibition, not a championship...I am not a fan of the coaching staff, but I'm guessing the players would love a bowl game.

I have no idea what Frazier would do if invited, but I'll say I'm all for accepting any bowl game/extra game you get, no matter the situation, and I'm willing to help pay for it if that's the situation. The players, especially seniors, deserve any game we can get them too, for most of them, their last organized football game of their life. The younger players, deserve every chance they can to improve.

If you care about the players and care about the future (extra practices), not sure how you'd be against it. The whole 'reward for mediocrity', 'participation trophy' argument, I get it, but I really just care that the team/program gets better. Sitting at home on your *ss doesn't help with that.

The point is moot if we don't beat Kent. It would take giving the ball to Huff 25 times but I think he will only get 10 at the most.

There is a pretty good analysis of bowl eligibility going on the realignment board. It looks like up to four slots could open for APR with Vandy, BC, and Texas getting in ahead of NIU. UCLA has four wins and would get the fourth spot with a win but if they lose NIU would be next. Hawaii losing yesterday would have been big but they blocked a kick with no time left to hold on against Fresno.

So basically beat Kent and then hope UCLA and/or Hawaii lose. Also need Ohio to beat Akron and Ball State beating Miami probably open another spot. I still think it is a stretch but if NIU does somehow get into a bowl they will likely be the last team in.

(11-20-2016 11:27 AM)HuskieNationSince1978 Wrote:  So players work their butts off all year and you don't want them to go to a bowl game?
I don't understand that at all...they didn't create the system...so what if a few 5-7 teams go---it's an exhibition, not a championship...I am not a fan of the coaching staff, but I'm guessing the players would love a bowl game.

I'm sure that players from 4-8 and 3-9 teams also work their butts off. Should they be invited to bowl games, too? Where do you draw the line?

Hey team, wanna go to a bowl game? Then show up at games, play some defense, learn how to wrap up and tackle, play decent QB, protect the QB and RB, and win a few more games - including the game against an FCS opponent. Can't do that? Well then, get through the season and wait for the participation trophy.

(11-20-2016 10:21 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Sean Frazier should turn down any bowl invite. This team does not deserve one. Save the $200k+ we will lose on this game to put towards Rod Carey's buyout.

This is so ******* stupid. These kids work their asses off year round. No way we should turn down any invite.

(11-20-2016 12:57 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(11-20-2016 11:27 AM)HuskieNationSince1978 Wrote:  So players work their butts off all year and you don't want them to go to a bowl game?
I don't understand that at all...they didn't create the system...so what if a few 5-7 teams go---it's an exhibition, not a championship...I am not a fan of the coaching staff, but I'm guessing the players would love a bowl game.

I'm sure that players from 4-8 and 3-9 teams also work their butts off. Should they be invited to bowl games, too? Where do you draw the line?

Hey team, wanna go to a bowl game? Then show up at games, play some defense, learn how to wrap up and tackle, play decent QB, protect the QB and RB, and win a few more games - including the game against an FCS opponent. Can't do that? Well then, get through the season and wait for the participation trophy.

That argument about 3 win or 4 win teams makes no sense. The teams have no control over how many bowl spots there are. If NIU is offered a spot and declines it then someone else will accept it. You may dislike the fact that there are so many bowl games but that doesn't mean they should decline an invite. Reevaluate your idea of what a bowl berth means. It may not be as prestigious as it used to be but it's still a good reward for guys who put 4-5 years into the program and the freshmen who can benefit from extra practices

(11-20-2016 12:57 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(11-20-2016 11:27 AM)HuskieNationSince1978 Wrote:  So players work their butts off all year and you don't want them to go to a bowl game?
I don't understand that at all...they didn't create the system...so what if a few 5-7 teams go---it's an exhibition, not a championship...I am not a fan of the coaching staff, but I'm guessing the players would love a bowl game.

I'm sure that players from 4-8 and 3-9 teams also work their butts off. Should they be invited to bowl games, too? Where do you draw the line?

Hey team, wanna go to a bowl game? Then show up at games, play some defense, learn how to wrap up and tackle, play decent QB, protect the QB and RB, and win a few more games - including the game against an FCS opponent. Can't do that? Well then, get through the season and wait for the participation trophy.

There is no line to draw. If you get invited, you go. It's that simple.

(11-20-2016 01:01 PM)armour248 Wrote:  

(11-20-2016 12:57 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(11-20-2016 11:27 AM)HuskieNationSince1978 Wrote:  So players work their butts off all year and you don't want them to go to a bowl game?
I don't understand that at all...they didn't create the system...so what if a few 5-7 teams go---it's an exhibition, not a championship...I am not a fan of the coaching staff, but I'm guessing the players would love a bowl game.

I'm sure that players from 4-8 and 3-9 teams also work their butts off. Should they be invited to bowl games, too? Where do you draw the line?

Hey team, wanna go to a bowl game? Then show up at games, play some defense, learn how to wrap up and tackle, play decent QB, protect the QB and RB, and win a few more games - including the game against an FCS opponent. Can't do that? Well then, get through the season and wait for the participation trophy.

That argument about 3 win or 4 win teams makes no sense. The teams have no control over how many bowl spots there are. If NIU is offered a spot and declines it then someone else will accept it. You may dislike the fact that there are so many bowl games but that doesn't mean they should decline an invite. Reevaluate your idea of what a bowl berth means. It may not be as prestigious as it used to be but it's still a good reward for guys who put 4-5 years into the program and the freshmen who can benefit from extra practices

Well, yeah, if NIU is invited they should accept it - and be ready to empty their purse. I'm saying there is something terribly wrong with the system when a mediocre to bad team (and a mid-major at that) gets invited to a bowl. Again, IMO, only teams with winning record should go bowling. Remember when it used to be that way? Now greed and the thirst for more money have taken over, so let's invite all teams.

(11-20-2016 01:00 PM)7 Wrote:  

(11-20-2016 10:21 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Sean Frazier should turn down any bowl invite. This team does not deserve one. Save the $200k+ we will lose on this game to put towards Rod Carey's buyout.

This is so ******* stupid. These kids work their asses off year round. No way we should turn down any invite.

No, its not at all. It's a waste of money to go to another meaningless bowl to watch our team get taken to the woodshed. NIU will most certainly have to eat a ton of the tickets because very few people except friends and family of players will go to the game.

Everyone keeps talking about how NIU has no money to do this or that but we have enough money to go to bowl games.

The money situation should be considered but it's possible they don't lose that much money depending on ticket agreements etc.

As far as there being something "terribly wrong" with the bowl system...I just disagree. Like I said, adjust your feelings on what a bowl berth means. It's not how it used to be but that doesn't mean it's bad. If you enjoy football then you should take a deep breath and enjoy the additional games. It doesn't affect you in any way if a 5-7 team plays another football game in December. If the players like going then who cares.