Was it 72?

With WKU and BSU the last two on the bubble????

Mia[Fla] was eligable & declined game
EMU was eligable to apply for waiver if needed
74

EMU would not be eligible with 2 of those wins coming against DIAA schools, you can only count one towards bowl eligibility. If you really need 2 to get to 6-6 and ask for special permission do you really warrant a bowl? They may do such for a top-level BCS program, but no way they'd do so for EMU or any other MAC school.

(12-11-2011 10:54 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  EMU would not be eligible with 2 of those wins coming against DIAA schools, you can only count one towards bowl eligibility. If you really need 2 to get to 6-6 and ask for special permission do you really warrant a bowl? They may do such for a top-level BCS program, but no way they'd do so for EMU or any other MAC school.

He didn't say EMU was eligible, he said they were eligible to APPLY for a waiver since they had 6 wins.

Interesting answers.

I believe the 'correct' answer is 72.

I assume we do not count Miami as they voluntarily excluded themselves.

RE: 'Hammer's answer. EMU could have been the 70th team if there were only 69 eligible by applying for a waiver.

The correct number is 73 bowl eligible teams. Miami declined a bid and Ball State and WKU were left out.

Wow, Barbie was right, math IS hard.

Agree that the correct answer is 73. But that is kinda debatable. Everyone can agree that USC wasn't eligible due to sanctions, but Miami self-sanctioned in an attempt to offset future NCAA penalties. They basically declared themselves ineligible (though we all know that wouldn't have happened if they were in the middle of a 10-win season).

But I'd say the bottom line is that Miami could have gone to a bowl if they wanted to (especially if it was a big bowl), so you should probably count them as eligible.

That said, if Miami's reward for skipping the Military Bowl this year is to get into a BCS bowl next year, we really shouldn't begrudge them too much. After the wimpouts from Cincy and Xavier, Miami should at least be recognized for not trying to downplay their punishment.

I think, and it is my question, that the answer, or at least the answer I was looking for was:

72.

What I was getting at is the NET number of teams who could go bowling.

That number excluded Miami and USC but includes UCLA.

It would have excluded Illinois if they had declined.

I was trying to determine how many eligible teams stayed home and that answer is two with an asterisk.

WKU is the 7 win team to stay home. Ball State the 6 win team was next.

and EMU might have been granted an exemption if 3 MORE teams were ineligible, declined, or whatever.

(12-12-2011 03:05 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I think, and it is my question,

It was your question, and you stated "what was the final bowl eligible count?"

The answer is 73. Illinois was absolutely bowl eligible. If they would have declined a bowl, you can't exclude them from that count! They would have still been bowl eligible. Same story with Miami.