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I don't know about you, but the last couple weeks of the college football season (of which the Big Ten is never a part) make me antsy. As the SEC and Big XII gear up for conference championship games with BCS National Championship Game implications, all Big Ten fans can do is watch idly and wait for their team's bowl destination to be announced on Sunday. But why not pass the time by taking a look at the Gophers possibilities? I'll throw in my two cents at the end but first let's consider the three options.
1) Champs Sports Bowl: Dec. 27 in Orlando, FL - It seems the head-to-head matchup would give Wisconsin the upper hand over Minnesota on this one, but there is speculation that the Badgers are shooting for the Insight Bowl after playing its postseason game in Florida for the past four seasons.
2) Insight Bowl: Dec. 31 in Tempe, AZ - As it stands right now, this seems to be the bowl the Gophers are slotted for, but as I just mentioned, Wisconsin may be aiming for a trip to Arizona instead of Florida. Both scout.com and SI.com have Kansas as the Big Ten's foe in this game. Yes, the same Kansas that just knocked off No. 13 Missouri.
3) Motor City Bowl: Dec. 26 in Detroit, MI - Anyone hoping Minnesota would end up somewhere warm for its bowl should be thanking the Oregon Ducks profusely for knocking off Oregon State on Saturday. A win by the Beavers would have sent them to the Rose Bowl, USC to an at-large BCS bid, and Ohio State to the Capital One Bowl instead of the Fiesta Bowl where it is projected to land now. Not meaning to count my chickens too early, but with the Oregon State loss, USC should make the Rose Bowl after beating UCLA this Saturday. Then, it is expected that the Fiest Bowl will take the 10-2 Buckeyes over undefeated Boise State; with two teams in BCS bowls, Minnesota should not be in Detroit the day after Christmas and will avoid a matchup with undefeated and 12th ranked Ball State.
Well, I hope that was thoroughly confusing. Personally, I think the Gophers will end up right where records tell us they should - at the Insight Bowl. I see no reason why Champs wouldn't select Wisconsin; the Badgers' fan base travels well to Florida, as evidenced by its last four trips there, and Wisconsin won the head-to-head meeting. And, though nothing is guaranteed in college football (especially when it comes to the BCS), it looks at though Oregon State's loss secured Minnesota a spot somewhere other than Detroit for its bowl.
OK, there's my take on it. What's yours?
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Hmmm, one should possibly do some homework...
Review this Washington Post article to help your homework out.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/01/AR200812...
Really now, do you think a two loss team should compete in a BCS anything (ala OSU)?
Tim Brewster
Congratulations to Gophers, for hiring Tim Brewster as your head coach. I went to high school with Tim and have followed his career for quite sometime. He has all the knowledge and experience to put your Minnesota football team where it belongs. What a wonderful turn around. We wish him the best and look forward to seeing a Coach of the Year award very soon. Bob Stem could sure use some help back in Phillipsburg - the State Liners dropped another one to Easton.
Are you kidding
Hey there Coach Garcia, if you actually believe that the folks over at the Fiesta Bowl are going to take Boise State and their nine fans over Ohio State and their 30,000 traveling fans, your smoking some kind of crack. I don't want to see it anymore than the next college football guru but give me a break. And the next time you tell anyone else to do their homework, find a reliable source. Michael Wilbon??? Dudes a moron.
About that homework...
Just to expand on my posit:
This is a no brainer. No 2 loss team should play in any BCS tournament. You wouldn't do that in soccer, volleyball, or ping pong...why would you do that in College D1 Football?
Look, if this is a Bowl Championship Series, then Boise State should play a Texas, or Texas Tech, in the Fiesta Bowl. Utah should play at the larger venue of the Orange or Sugar Bowl.
Here's a couple items for consideration. First, an article from the Washington Post, and Second, an insiders insight to the Boise proposition:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/01/AR200812...
Since the goal is to make a bowl game, it's important to schedule quality opponents that will give you the strength of schedfule you need to be judged as having a successful season.
Boise State ranks first among the 14 BCS-eligible teams by scheduling and beating eight bowl eligible teams. The Broncos became just the fourth non-conference team in 17 years to beat Oregon in their home stadium, and also beat Nevada, Southern Mississippi and San Jose State on the road and Bowling Green, Fresno State, Hawai'i and Louisiana Tech at home.
Alabama places second in facing bowl eligible teams. The Crimson Tide are 6-0 with a game against Florida in the SEC Championship this weekend. Ball State and Utah are both 5-0, followed by Florida at 8-1, Oklahoma and Texas both 6-1, Texas Tech 5-1, then it's Penn State and USC at 4-1, Cincinnati 5-2, and Ohio State (4-2), Texas Christian (3-2) and Oklahoma State (3-3) bringing up the rear.
http://fresnostate.scout.com/a.z?s=164&p=2&c=817095
Dude, no one is arguing with
Dude, no one is arguing with you about any of the crap you just said. I sure as hell don't think Ohio State is any good and don't think they should be playing in a BCS bowl. But the Buckeyes bring with the dollar bills. We don't have a playoff system, we don't have a bowl selection that actually goes by the BCS rankings. As dumb as that is, it is a fact. Ohio State will bring fans and money. Boise State will not bring fans or money. Ohio State will play in the Fiesta Bowl. Boise State will not.
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