Bowl Games

[Flatlandcoug]

As the season winds down, the likely bowls have dwindled down with it. Right now, it looks like WSU is most likely going to either the Fiesta Bowl, Alamo Bowl or Foster Farms Bowl depending on the results of the next two weeks. In theory, the Holiday Bowl is on the table but is unlikely given our trip last year. The Sun Bowl is also a possibility but I'm not sure if the Cougs fall that far. Vegas is probably a distant destination but so slim I can't picture it. Which games have you excited enough to go to?

 

[Flatlandcoug]

It's interesting to see that Vegas is as popular as all but the Fiesta Bowl. Apparently location is important to Cougs. I'm not surprised that the Sun Bowl is in last place handily. The irony is that the opponent in the Sun Bowl has been of higher quality than Foster Farms in the past few years even though it's supposed to be lower in the pecking order.

 

[Coug90]

It's interesting to see that Vegas is as popular as all but the Fiesta Bowl. Apparently location is important to Cougs. I'm not surprised that the Sun Bowl is in last place handily. The irony is that the opponent in the Sun Bowl has been of higher quality than Foster Farms in the past few years even though it's supposed to be lower in the pecking order.

Others have mentioned it on here, but Vegas should move up the bowl totem pole once their fancy new stadium is built. Quite frankly, considering the location proximity to all of the conference schools, it should take over the Alamo Bowl's place in terms of bowl tier. Exciting City, great weather, easy to get people to come and easy to travel to, and will have a really nice stadium that I'm sure will seat 65K+

 

[kougkurt]

Others have mentioned it on here, but Vegas should move up the bowl totem pole once their fancy new stadium is built. Quite frankly, considering the location proximity to all of the conference schools, it should take over the Alamo Bowl's place in terms of bowl tier. Exciting City, great weather, easy to get people to come and easy to travel to, and will have a really nice stadium that I'm sure will seat 65K+

And alcohol

 

[CougSinceBirth]

I'd like this.

1. Rose
2. Vegas (in new stadium v. dope SEC/ACC matchup, please!)
3. Alamo
4. Holiday
5. Sun
Etc.

Too many good bowls the conference is missing out on with all the Florida games. CaptialOne Bowl, Outback, Citrus...usually good games with good ranked teams. P12 needs to get into more of that action.

I actually see an ACC or SEC wanting to play in Vegas.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

I'd like this.

1. Rose
2. Vegas (in new stadium v. dope SEC/ACC matchup, please!)
3. Alamo
4. Holiday
5. Sun
Etc.

Too many good bowls the conference is missing out on with all the Florida games. CaptialOne Bowl, Outback, Citrus...usually good games with good ranked teams. P12 needs to get into more of that action.

I actually see an ACC or SEC wanting to play in Vegas.

Sun Bowl should be #6 behind Foster Farms. El Paso sucks. I've been to both of our bowl games there and the weather sucked both times and the town itself is a pit. I had a good time drinking beer and shooting pool with some Cougs the night before the game but I spent the 2nd night (after the game) watching static on the screen in my hotel room since the snow knocked out the satellite TV and it was too dangerous to be on the road. I'll never go to El Paso again if I have any say on the matter.

 

[95coug]

As the season winds down, the likely bowls have dwindled down with it. Right now, it looks like WSU is most likely going to either the Fiesta Bowl, Alamo Bowl or Foster Farms Bowl depending on the results of the next two weeks. In theory, the Holiday Bowl is on the table but is unlikely given our trip last year. The Sun Bowl is also a possibility but I'm not sure if the Cougs fall that far. Vegas is probably a distant destination but so slim I can't picture it. Which games have you excited enough to go to?

Vegas is not yet “mathematically eliminated”, but landing there seems highly unlikely. The next two weeks’ game results would have to go poorly for us, and then a couple of games we’d be eligible for would have to pass on us. I really don’t see us falling past the Sun, even with an AC loss and negative results in other games.
I’m also skeptical about us in the Alamo. The only scenario I see is there in is if we win AC and lose the conference championship. But, I don’t think the Alamo takes us as the title game loser, I think Arizona looks pretty good to them at that point, and Stanford and UW might be possibilities too.
I suspect the Holiday would prefer not to take us twice in a row, but then again it wasn’t that long ago that they took the same team 3 years running (I think it was Cal).
In my mind, if we don’t win AC, we’re probably in Foster Farms. Might also go there if we win AC and lose the championship (although we’re probably more likely to get San Diego in that scenario). Of course, if we win both, we’re in the Fiesta.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

Sun Bowl should be #6 behind Foster Farms. El Paso sucks. I've been to both of our bowl games there and the weather sucked both times and the town itself is a pit. I had a good time drinking beer and shooting pool with some Cougs the night before the game but I spent the 2nd night (after the game) watching static on the screen in my hotel room since the snow knocked out the satellite TV and it was too dangerous to be on the road. I'll never go to El Paso again if I have any say on the matter.

I actually forgot about the Foster Farms Bowl. You are correct.

 

[Observer11]

I can go to Vegas for cheap pretty much any time I want. And it's not high on places in America that I'd go back to after visiting there multiple times (primarily work-related).

San Antonio is an interesting place that I've only visited briefly but seems like a cool culture and I could handle 3 or 4 days there.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Vegas is not yet “mathematically eliminated”, but landing there seems highly unlikely. The next two weeks’ game results would have to go poorly for us, and then a couple of games we’d be eligible for would have to pass on us. I really don’t see us falling past the Sun, even with an AC loss and negative results in other games.
I’m also skeptical about us in the Alamo. The only scenario I see is there in is if we win AC and lose the conference championship. But, I don’t think the Alamo takes us as the title game loser, I think Arizona looks pretty good to them at that point, and Stanford and UW might be possibilities too.
I suspect the Holiday would prefer not to take us twice in a row, but then again it wasn’t that long ago that they took the same team 3 years running (I think it was Cal).
In my mind, if we don’t win AC, we’re probably in Foster Farms. Might also go there if we win AC and lose the championship (although we’re probably more likely to get San Diego in that scenario). Of course, if we win both, we’re in the Fiesta.

The Alamo is definitely the tricky one. If Arizona wins out, it would be a tough pick between 9-3 UA and 10-3 WSU. We have the advantage that Leach has built in fans in Texas but UA would have the head to head and be on more of a positive streak. That does put the Holiday in a bad spot. 10-3 WSU that they just had last year or 8-4 Stanford that has a fanbase that is known for poor fan travel?

 

[Glad Cougar]

I'd like to think that an AC win but a loss to USC for the championship would be good enough for us to get to the Alamo Bowl. We would have won a tough Pac-12 North division and have the 2nd best overall record in the conference....probably still ranked in the top 15 nationally. But of course, I'm not on the bowl selection committee!

Glad Cougar

 

[SaveFerris]

Politics but we should be in the drivers seat for whatever is the second best bowl in that scenario. I don't see why we can't just win out and settled it on our own. Do it!

 

[fingerdisco]

What would be cool is if all bowls cut ties to conferences, and instead were tiered to records, so basically a bottom, middle, and upper third for respective bowl selection. Said bowl tiers would then take turns selecting from amongst the teams that fit their tier level (e.g., .500-.650, .650-.800, >.800). This would allow a much better mixing of matchups so that schools could visit different bowls and play different teams that they don't get to under the current system (schools like WSU might get a chance to play in one of the SE bowls in Florida, and SE teams could get to make it out west for the AZ-CA bowls). I'm just really bored with the current system of the same bowls against the same opponents, things need a big shake-up IMO.

 

[brettcraycraft51]

is not having a regular ad a factor here? no idea what the deal is there, but i assume we're rockin some "interim" seat-filler type. moos has gotten a lot of credit the last few years for lobbying for bowls. how big a deal is that, and does not having him around (or a full-on replacement) factor into this discussion at all?

my (admittedly extremely uneducated) guess is no. my guess is once you reach 10-3/9-3 territory, the ad's lobbying role becomes pretty overrated (if it wasn't already).

 

[Fab5Coug]

This thread makes me happy. Good discussion. Remember when this topic was essentially irrelevant to us?

 

[CougSinceBirth]

What would be cool is if all bowls cut ties to conferences, and instead were tiered to records, so basically a bottom, middle, and upper third for respective bowl selection. Said bowl tiers would then take turns selecting from amongst the teams that fit their tier level (e.g., .500-.650, .650-.800, >.800). This would allow a much better mixing of matchups so that schools could visit different bowls and play different teams that they don't get to under the current system (schools like WSU might get a chance to play in one of the SE bowls in Florida, and SE teams could get to make it out west for the AZ-CA bowls). I'm just really bored with the current system of the same bowls against the same opponents, things need a big shake-up IMO.

Interesting take. I wouldn't be opposed to this. Would be fun to play different teams from around the country.

I would like to see the big bowls keep their "traditional" picks (Rose with P12/B1G, etc.) but all the other bowl games with this idea would be fun. Kinda like Selection Sunday in March Madness.

 

[95coug]

is not having a regular ad a factor here? no idea what the deal is there, but i assume we're rockin some "interim" seat-filler type. moos has gotten a lot of credit the last few years for lobbying for bowls. how big a deal is that, and does not having him around (or a full-on replacement) factor into this discussion at all?

my (admittedly extremely uneducated) guess is no. my guess is once you reach 10-3/9-3 territory, the ad's lobbying role becomes pretty overrated (if it wasn't already).

My guess is that the impact of this is limited. The top tier games (BCS bowls) are basically locked in for conference champs who don't make the playoff. For the Pac-12 games, the next 3 are limited in who they can select (they must select the team with the best conference record, or one with one less win). Below that, they pick based on conference finish, and only get to deviate if there's a tie. So, there's not always room for lobbying...and I suspect that perceived marketability is more important to the bowl committees than anything the ADs tell them.

 

[kayak15]

Where there is no set selection and the bowl committee chooses the opponents then the television guys step in big time. 95 mentioned a repeat appearance in the Holliday Bowl. It was USC. They failed the "butts in the seats" test the first time but USC on the television schedule sells ads so they were invited despite the fact that San Diego could expect no major financial benefit from the Trojan fans. Bring on the expanded playoffs and settle all or most of this nonsense.