11-17-2002, 02:47 PM
Conference USA has FIVE automatic bowl berths. Even if CUSA has enough eligible schools, the teams selected could get interesting. Especially if you look at it from the perspective of the bowl people.
Liberty Bowl- If TCU wins out, they are CUSA Champs, 11-1, and probably ranked. No doubt the Horned Frogs would go here.
GMAC Bowl- They get 2nd pick out of CUSA. Southern Miss is the obvious choice here, since they are nearby and will be 8-4 should they win at Tulane and vs. ECU. That would be a good matchup against a MAC opponent.
Houston Bowl- 3rd Pick from CUSA. Louisville will clearly have the next best record should they win at home against UAB and at Houston. Of course Houston could also be picked should they finish 6-6, but the Cougars have to win at home against both South Florida and Louisville to get to .500.
Not sure who has the next pick, as ESPN's bowl schedule says both the Hawaii Bowl and New Orleans Bowl have CUSA 4/5.
Hawaii Bowl- The opponent, Hawaii, will have already played Cincinnati, so the Bearcats are out. That leaves either UAB (who will be 7-5 or 6-6), Tulane (7-5 or 6-6), Houston (6-6), or East Carolina (6-6). I would expect the Bowl Rep to ask if they could have South Florida (9-2 or 8-3), since they will be a CUSA football member next year and are already a member in all the other CUSA sports. Also consider that South Florida could also be ranked in the top 25!
New Orleans Bowl- If the Hawaii Bowl doesn't get USF, would New Orleans ask? Especially if the alternatives turn out to be one of these teams possessing the following records: Cincinnati (7-6), UAB (6-6), Tulane (6-6), Houston (6-6) or East Carolina (6-6).
What does any of this have to do with the MAC? Simply, if South Florida replaces one of CUSA's teams, that will be one less team to compete with for any other open bowl slots.
Note: USF most certainly would replace a CUSA team should the conference not fill its bowls allotment. For this scenario, all of the following would have to happen:
1] UAB lose at Lousville and at Cinci
2] Cinci lose at Hawaii, beat UAB, and lose at ECU
3] Houston lose at home to either South Florida or Louisville
4] East Carolina lose to either TCU, at Southern Miss, or vs. Cinci
Liberty Bowl- If TCU wins out, they are CUSA Champs, 11-1, and probably ranked. No doubt the Horned Frogs would go here.
GMAC Bowl- They get 2nd pick out of CUSA. Southern Miss is the obvious choice here, since they are nearby and will be 8-4 should they win at Tulane and vs. ECU. That would be a good matchup against a MAC opponent.
Houston Bowl- 3rd Pick from CUSA. Louisville will clearly have the next best record should they win at home against UAB and at Houston. Of course Houston could also be picked should they finish 6-6, but the Cougars have to win at home against both South Florida and Louisville to get to .500.
Not sure who has the next pick, as ESPN's bowl schedule says both the Hawaii Bowl and New Orleans Bowl have CUSA 4/5.
Hawaii Bowl- The opponent, Hawaii, will have already played Cincinnati, so the Bearcats are out. That leaves either UAB (who will be 7-5 or 6-6), Tulane (7-5 or 6-6), Houston (6-6), or East Carolina (6-6). I would expect the Bowl Rep to ask if they could have South Florida (9-2 or 8-3), since they will be a CUSA football member next year and are already a member in all the other CUSA sports. Also consider that South Florida could also be ranked in the top 25!
New Orleans Bowl- If the Hawaii Bowl doesn't get USF, would New Orleans ask? Especially if the alternatives turn out to be one of these teams possessing the following records: Cincinnati (7-6), UAB (6-6), Tulane (6-6), Houston (6-6) or East Carolina (6-6).
What does any of this have to do with the MAC? Simply, if South Florida replaces one of CUSA's teams, that will be one less team to compete with for any other open bowl slots.
Note: USF most certainly would replace a CUSA team should the conference not fill its bowls allotment. For this scenario, all of the following would have to happen:
1] UAB lose at Lousville and at Cinci
2] Cinci lose at Hawaii, beat UAB, and lose at ECU
3] Houston lose at home to either South Florida or Louisville
4] East Carolina lose to either TCU, at Southern Miss, or vs. Cinci