(11-26-2013 10:21 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Sounds like BK has stated they want to go to a warm-weather bowl. Looks like our chances of playing Notre Dame in NYC are decreasing

Quote:Almost every published bowl projection now has the Irish landing in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 28 against a team from what used to be the Big East — the American Athletic Conference.

Losses by Indiana, Northwestern and Tennessee over the weekend expanded those bowl options by virtue of the Big Ten and SEC not being able to fill all their contracted bowl slots.

Could there be a dark horse that derails what seems like a natural matchup?

Kelly said Sunday there are times that bowl destinations can give his team a recruiting bump, depending on the location (El Paso is a good example where that was not the case), but when he gives his input to athletic director Jack Swarbrick, Kelly said that won’t be a consideration at all this time.

“I want this to be a reward for our seniors,” Kelly said, “so the bowl opportunity for our team is going to be, in large degree, the input that I’ve gotten from our seniors and where they’d like to go and where they’d like to play.”

So if you’re a 22-year-old and mulling Shreveport, La., Dallas, Detroit, Memphis, Birmingham, New York, San Diego, etc., it certainly would seem to bring the low-paying, but geographically alluring Poinsettia Bowl back into play.

Also when you look at the ACC bowl alignment for 2014 and beyond, of which ND will be a part starting next season, New York and Detroit are on the list as is Florida three times, El Paso, North Carolina and Tennessee. California, where the Poinsettia is played, is not.

The Poinsettia matches the No. 2 pick from the Mountain West Conference against Army,. which is already out of the bowl picture. The logistical problem if ND did have interest is the bowl’s backup contract with the Mid-American Conference.

“We would not renege on our agreement with the Mid-American Conference,” Poinsettia Bowl executive director Bruce Binkowski said Sunday night. “We have a long-standing relationship with them, either as a backup or a primary team through 2019. And I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

He also said he hasn’t been in discussions with anyone but the MAC to this point, but knows there can be backdoor deals struck between teams, leagues and bowls.

“The only way those work is if everybody could be made happy and whole,” he said.

The MAC already has six bowl-eligible teams and likely will add a seventh in former Kelly coaching stop Central Michigan. There are three contracted MAC slots, four if you count the Poinsettia and five if Northern Illinois transcends into the BCS lineup.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/c...f6878.html

He's afraid.

If UC beats ND in a bowl game, Kelly would never be able to live it down.

UC is going to Belk, Russel or BCS. Rutgers better play decent or they might not even get to a bowl
game.

(11-26-2013 10:58 AM)pat5775 Wrote:  

(11-26-2013 10:21 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Sounds like BK has stated they want to go to a warm-weather bowl. Looks like our chances of playing Notre Dame in NYC are decreasing

Quote:Almost every published bowl projection now has the Irish landing in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 28 against a team from what used to be the Big East — the American Athletic Conference.

Losses by Indiana, Northwestern and Tennessee over the weekend expanded those bowl options by virtue of the Big Ten and SEC not being able to fill all their contracted bowl slots.

Could there be a dark horse that derails what seems like a natural matchup?

Kelly said Sunday there are times that bowl destinations can give his team a recruiting bump, depending on the location (El Paso is a good example where that was not the case), but when he gives his input to athletic director Jack Swarbrick, Kelly said that won’t be a consideration at all this time.

“I want this to be a reward for our seniors,” Kelly said, “so the bowl opportunity for our team is going to be, in large degree, the input that I’ve gotten from our seniors and where they’d like to go and where they’d like to play.”

So if you’re a 22-year-old and mulling Shreveport, La., Dallas, Detroit, Memphis, Birmingham, New York, San Diego, etc., it certainly would seem to bring the low-paying, but geographically alluring Poinsettia Bowl back into play.

Also when you look at the ACC bowl alignment for 2014 and beyond, of which ND will be a part starting next season, New York and Detroit are on the list as is Florida three times, El Paso, North Carolina and Tennessee. California, where the Poinsettia is played, is not.

The Poinsettia matches the No. 2 pick from the Mountain West Conference against Army,. which is already out of the bowl picture. The logistical problem if ND did have interest is the bowl’s backup contract with the Mid-American Conference.

“We would not renege on our agreement with the Mid-American Conference,” Poinsettia Bowl executive director Bruce Binkowski said Sunday night. “We have a long-standing relationship with them, either as a backup or a primary team through 2019. And I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

He also said he hasn’t been in discussions with anyone but the MAC to this point, but knows there can be backdoor deals struck between teams, leagues and bowls.

“The only way those work is if everybody could be made happy and whole,” he said.

The MAC already has six bowl-eligible teams and likely will add a seventh in former Kelly coaching stop Central Michigan. There are three contracted MAC slots, four if you count the Poinsettia and five if Northern Illinois transcends into the BCS lineup.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/c...f6878.html

He's afraid.

If UC beats ND in a bowl game, Kelly would never be able to live it down.

That's exactly what's going on. He wants no part of UC. He's already beating feet to a low paying bowl against a Mountain West team!? Coward.

(11-26-2013 11:21 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote:  UC is going to Belk, Russel or BCS. Rutgers better play decent or they might not even get to a bowl
game.

Then its the Belk or BCS.....UofL is headed to Orlando. It will be a homecoming for both Teddy and Charlie. Card fan should be afraid, after the game they may just end up back in Looeyville without a head coach.

If there is one thing that has been shown to be universally true, it is that when a bowl official claims that the bowl won't renege on a small conference (like the MAC) to get ND to play in their game, he is lying.

(11-24-2013 09:47 PM)subflea Wrote:  Hawaii is winless, no bowl for them this year.

Considering the "Island Officiating" that is quite an acheivement.

Great get by the MWC

It's a rivalry, but I don't see USF beating UCF. SMU has a chance, but would our resume, with two bad losses be able to jump UCF anyway?

I pretty much think it's the Belk.

(11-27-2013 08:46 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  It's a rivalry, but I don't see USF beating UCF. SMU has a chance, but would our resume, with two bad losses be able to jump UCF anyway?

I pretty much think it's the Belk.

I think our hope would be that a loss to one of those two teams would be damaging enough to them to put them in reach. We'll get closer in the computers, but the polls will really matter. I'm hoping we have enough name equity of the last decade to jump them.

Is SMU's QB injured? I know he left the USF game early, haven't heard anything if he'll be able to go for the next two games.

(11-27-2013 09:10 AM)Teakwood Wrote:  

(11-27-2013 08:46 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  It's a rivalry, but I don't see USF beating UCF. SMU has a chance, but would our resume, with two bad losses be able to jump UCF anyway?

I pretty much think it's the Belk.

I think our hope would be that a loss to one of those two teams would be damaging enough to them to put them in reach. We'll get closer in the computers, but the polls will really matter. I'm hoping we have enough name equity of the last decade to jump them.

Obviously all caveats apply but brand equity is going to make all the difference in the world, imho. We have it and they don't...yet. if you look at common opponents, with the exception of UConn (and soon to be USF), we've had better outcomes.

Memphis: UC +13 UCF +7
UConn: UC +25 UCF 45
Houston: UC +7 UCF +5
Rutgers: UC +35 UCF +24
Temple: UC +18 UCF +3

While i would be amazed if USF pulled out a W against UCF, i'm not expecting it. Same thing with SMU. All that said, i think we are the better football team. We beat Louisville and they lose either to USF or SMU and we'll climb the ladder while they will spiral downwards.

(11-27-2013 09:18 AM)FLIP Wrote:  Is SMU's QB injured? I know he left the USF game early, haven't heard anything if he'll be able to go for the next two games.

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/...m-in.html/

Smu's Quarterback Gilbert is out for UH game. He's questionable for
UCF

Went to Birmingham, Miami, New Orleans, Memphis and Charlotte. I will not go back to Birmingham as it is an armpit. I will not go to Pinstripe. I refused to overpay to sit in lousy seat in a BB stadium and freeze. I will go to Belk or Russell.

I looked at the seating on Stubhub and the seats are $$$$ and horrible sight lines. Let Rutgers go.

If we are in the Belk, who do we play? GA Tech, Miami, VA Tech.

(11-30-2013 09:29 PM)rosewater Wrote:  If we are in the Belk, who do we play? GA Tech, Miami, VA Tech.

most likely North Carolina

(11-30-2013 06:15 PM)dossbig Wrote:  I looked at the seating on Stubhub and the seats are $$$$ and horrible sight lines. Let Rutgers go.

If Rutgers can even get Bowl eligible... They will be a dumpster fire in the Big 10

On the main AAC forum, there are still ECU fans who are insisting that ECU will be in the Belk and shoving UC off to NYC or elsewhere... According to them, it's a "win-win"...

(12-02-2013 11:03 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  On the main AAC forum, there are still ECU fans who are insisting that ECU will be in the Belk and shoving UC off to NYC or elsewhere... According to them, it's a "win-win"...

Hmm.. if playing in NYC means a matchup with Notre Dame (is that still a possibility?), I'd give them the Belk Bowl.

UC should do everything in its power to avoid the Belk Bowl. Why have another basketball-football conflict. Heck if the conference can make a trade to give ECU the Belk they should do it.

(12-02-2013 11:06 AM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote:  

(12-02-2013 11:03 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  On the main AAC forum, there are still ECU fans who are insisting that ECU will be in the Belk and shoving UC off to NYC or elsewhere... According to them, it's a "win-win"...

Hmm.. if playing in NYC means a matchup with Notre Dame (is that still a possibility?), I'd give them the Belk Bowl.

If we lose to Louisville, could happen.

(12-02-2013 11:06 AM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote:  

(12-02-2013 11:03 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  On the main AAC forum, there are still ECU fans who are insisting that ECU will be in the Belk and shoving UC off to NYC or elsewhere... According to them, it's a "win-win"...

Hmm.. if playing in NYC means a matchup with Notre Dame (is that still a possibility?), I'd give them the Belk Bowl.

Agreed, but only if the Pinstripe means playing Notre Dame. I don't want to play another 6-6 team in the Belk (UNC).