Interesting tidbit: Navy could create issues for bowls

[95coug]

Read here

Basically, here's the issue: the highest ranked mid-major team is guaranteed a berth in a New Year's bowl (the Cotton bowl this season). Right now, Western Michigan sits at #17. Navy is at #19. WMU plays Ohio in the MAC championship on Saturday, Navy plays Temple for the AAC title.

But, Navy plays Army on December 10. If they win both games, they could jump past WMU...and the CFP ranking committee might delay deciding who gets the Cotton bowl berth until after December 10, which creates a domino effect delaying who gets berths in the other lesser (earlier) bowl games, and gives barely a week for ticket sales and travel arrangements.

While it's interesting to speculate, I kind of expect this to be moot. If both WMU and Navy win, I don't think Navy gains the 3 spots they need, and beating Army won't gain them anything. If either of them loses, they tumble out of contention. In the end, I think Navy gets hosed by the way the polls work - WMU and Navy will both win, and Florida will lose to Alabama. Navy will move 0-1 spots. WMU will move 1-2, because Florida will drop 2 spots. The gap will widen, and Navy will win a game but lose ground.

The tough scenario will be if they both lose.

 

[Coug90]

Navy runs a gimmicky offense. There's no way they can hang with any of those champion caliber teams

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Read here

Basically, here's the issue: the highest ranked mid-major team is guaranteed a berth in a New Year's bowl (the Cotton bowl this season). Right now, Western Michigan sits at #17. Navy is at #19. WMU plays Ohio in the MAC championship on Saturday, Navy plays Temple for the AAC title.

But, Navy plays Army on December 10. If they win both games, they could jump past WMU...and the CFP ranking committee might delay deciding who gets the Cotton bowl berth until after December 10, which creates a domino effect delaying who gets berths in the other lesser (earlier) bowl games, and gives barely a week for ticket sales and travel arrangements.

While it's interesting to speculate, I kind of expect this to be moot. If both WMU and Navy win, I don't think Navy gains the 3 spots they need, and beating Army won't gain them anything. If either of them loses, they tumble out of contention. In the end, I think Navy gets hosed by the way the polls work - WMU and Navy will both win, and Florida will lose to Alabama. Navy will move 0-1 spots. WMU will move 1-2, because Florida will drop 2 spots. The gap will widen, and Navy will win a game but lose ground.

The tough scenario will be if they both lose.

I hope that this is nothing more than a gimmick to generate interest in those games. If they were to delay the overall bowl pairings because of a pair of games (and teams) that not that many people care about, it would be a disaster. It could prevent tens of thousands of fans from attending bowl games by not giving them enough notice to request the proper time off and purchase airfare and lodging at reasonable rates. If Navy hasn't jumped WMU on Sunday.....they shouldn't jump them based on beating a mediocre Army team next week.

 

[Fab5Coug]

The New Years Six Bowls should just implement a rule stating they will make their bowl selections on a certain date. If that happens to be before Army & Navy play, then so be it.

Army, Navy doesn't HAVE to be the weekend after championship games. I believe it's only been like that since '09, so it's not like it would be disturbing some century long tradition to move it up in the schedule.

If Navy wants all their games to be counted towards their CFP ranking, then play them in the same time span that everyone else does and don't give yourself an extra bye week.

 

[95coug]

The New Years Six Bowls should just implement a rule stating they will make their bowl selections on a certain date. If that happens to be before Army & Navy play, then so be it.

Army, Navy doesn't HAVE to be the weekend after championship games. I believe it's only been like that since '09, so it's not like it would be disturbing some century long tradition to move it up in the schedule.

If Navy wants all their games to be counted towards their CFP ranking, then play them in the same time span that everyone else does and don't give yourself an extra bye week.

But...how often is the Army-Navy game relevant to the national picture anyway? It only is this year because of a rankings quirk.

Truth is that neither WMU or Navy has really played anyone, and neither deserves to be ranked where they are. WMU didn't play a single ranked opponent, their toughest was probably Northwestern, who finished 6-6, and they only beat them by a point and needed NU's QB to fumble at the 1 with 3 minutes to play. Navy at least beat a ranked team (Houston), although a disappointing one, and they lost to Air Force and South Florida. Neither deserves to play on New Years.

By the way, there are 40 bowl games now, which means that 80 teams go to a bowl. There are only 128 FBS teams, so over half (62.5%) go bowling this year. There are only 76 teams that have 6+ wins right now, and 2 more (South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette) who could pick up a 6th win with games this week. Army gets in at 6-5, even though 2 wins are over FCS teams, because apparently the NCAA has now decided that 6 wins are better than 5, no matter who they are against.

So at least 2, possibly 4 teams with 5-7 records will go to bowls this season. North Texas and Mississippi State are in. Texas and Northern Illinois are on the bubble, although I would think Herman would lean toward declining a bid at this point, which could put Cal on the bubble.

I think it's clear that some bowls need to get cut. There's no reason any 5-7 team should go to a bowl, or a 6 win team with multiple FCS wins. I think getting it down to 30 games would guarantee that only winning teams get bowls. The APR tiebreaker could then be applied to the 6-6 teams, if necessary.

 

[fingerdisco]

But...how often is the Army-Navy game relevant to the national picture anyway? It only is this year because of a rankings quirk.

Truth is that neither WMU or Navy has really played anyone, and neither deserves to be ranked where they are. WMU didn't play a single ranked opponent, their toughest was probably Northwestern, who finished 6-6, and they only beat them by a point and needed NU's QB to fumble at the 1 with 3 minutes to play. Navy at least beat a ranked team (Houston), although a disappointing one, and they lost to Air Force and South Florida. Neither deserves to play on New Years.

By the way, there are 40 bowl games now, which means that 80 teams go to a bowl. There are only 128 FBS teams, so over half (62.5%) go bowling this year. There are only 76 teams that have 6+ wins right now, and 2 more (South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette) who could pick up a 6th win with games this week. Army gets in at 6-5, even though 2 wins are over FCS teams, because apparently the NCAA has now decided that 6 wins are better than 5, no matter who they are against.

So at least 2, possibly 4 teams with 5-7 records will go to bowls this season. North Texas and Mississippi State are in. Texas and Northern Illinois are on the bubble, although I would think Herman would lean toward declining a bid at this point, which could put Cal on the bubble.

I think it's clear that some bowls need to get cut. There's no reason any 5-7 team should go to a bowl, or a 6 win team with multiple FCS wins. I think getting it down to 30 games would guarantee that only winning teams get bowls. The APR tiebreaker could then be applied to the 6-6 teams, if necessary.

The way it is now, there might as well be 64 bowl games so every team gets to go to one, and they all get participation trophies and blue ribbons too.

 

[Coug90]

But...how often is the Army-Navy game relevant to the national picture anyway? It only is this year because of a rankings quirk.

Truth is that neither WMU or Navy has really played anyone, and neither deserves to be ranked where they are. WMU didn't play a single ranked opponent, their toughest was probably Northwestern, who finished 6-6, and they only beat them by a point and needed NU's QB to fumble at the 1 with 3 minutes to play. Navy at least beat a ranked team (Houston), although a disappointing one, and they lost to Air Force and South Florida. Neither deserves to play on New Years.

By the way, there are 40 bowl games now, which means that 80 teams go to a bowl. There are only 128 FBS teams, so over half (62.5%) go bowling this year. There are only 76 teams that have 6+ wins right now, and 2 more (South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette) who could pick up a 6th win with games this week. Army gets in at 6-5, even though 2 wins are over FCS teams, because apparently the NCAA has now decided that 6 wins are better than 5, no matter who they are against.

So at least 2, possibly 4 teams with 5-7 records will go to bowls this season. North Texas and Mississippi State are in. Texas and Northern Illinois are on the bubble, although I would think Herman would lean toward declining a bid at this point, which could put Cal on the bubble.

I think it's clear that some bowls need to get cut. There's no reason any 5-7 team should go to a bowl, or a 6 win team with multiple FCS wins. I think getting it down to 30 games would guarantee that only winning teams get bowls. The APR tiebreaker could then be applied to the 6-6 teams, if necessary.

Are all of the bowls profitable....anyone have any insight on that? Because if they are, fat chance any get cut. The almighty $1 rules in college football so I'd think if a money losing epidemic began with some of these bowls they would get cut.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Are all of the bowls profitable....anyone have any insight on that? Because if they are, fat chance any get cut. The almighty $1 rules in college football so I'd think if a money losing epidemic began with some of these bowls they would get cut.

I don't think all of them are profitable in themselves, but the cities sell themselves on the idea that the visitors and economic impact justify any expense.

 

[CrimsonWazzu]

There is no chance a 13-0 WMU isn't the highest ranked mid-major regardless of how badly Navy plungers Army.

 

[Fab5Coug]

But...how often is the Army-Navy game relevant to the national picture anyway? It only is this year because of a rankings quirk.

Truth is that neither WMU or Navy has really played anyone, and neither deserves to be ranked where they are. WMU didn't play a single ranked opponent, their toughest was probably Northwestern, who finished 6-6, and they only beat them by a point and needed NU's QB to fumble at the 1 with 3 minutes to play. Navy at least beat a ranked team (Houston), although a disappointing one, and they lost to Air Force and South Florida. Neither deserves to play on New Years.

By the way, there are 40 bowl games now, which means that 80 teams go to a bowl. There are only 128 FBS teams, so over half (62.5%) go bowling this year. There are only 76 teams that have 6+ wins right now, and 2 more (South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette) who could pick up a 6th win with games this week. Army gets in at 6-5, even though 2 wins are over FCS teams, because apparently the NCAA has now decided that 6 wins are better than 5, no matter who they are against.

So at least 2, possibly 4 teams with 5-7 records will go to bowls this season. North Texas and Mississippi State are in. Texas and Northern Illinois are on the bubble, although I would think Herman would lean toward declining a bid at this point, which could put Cal on the bubble.

I think it's clear that some bowls need to get cut. There's no reason any 5-7 team should go to a bowl, or a 6 win team with multiple FCS wins. I think getting it down to 30 games would guarantee that only winning teams get bowls. The APR tiebreaker could then be applied to the 6-6 teams, if necessary.

I agree, they could do away with the "Other 5" rule, or whatever the mid majors are called now. I have no issue with a Boise St, or Houston playing in a New Years 6 bowl, but make them earn it by being ranked high enough to get in. Don't "throw a bone" to WMU/Navy/whatever 20-something ranked team happens to be highest ranked.

And, as I was reading your take on bowls in general, I had a thought. I wonder if there would be any way to reward the top FCS teams with a bowl. I mean, we're talking about crappy 5-7 Cal, Miss St, Northern Illinois teams getting in. I would rather see Eastern, or NDSU take another crack at a decent FBS team. I assume it's not feasible with the FCS playoffs, but if it could somehow work, that would make the bottom feeder bowls, at least, slightly more interesting.

 

[LoveJeffersonFanClub]

I don't think all of them are profitable in themselves, but the cities sell themselves on the idea that the visitors and economic impact justify any expense.

ESPN Events, a company of ESPN, puts on the games. They want them for live TV and a poor live college bowl game will get higher ratings than an NBA game or other sports at that time of year. ESPN makes money by putting them on.

 

[dgibbons]

ESPN Events, a company of ESPN, puts on the games. They want them for live TV and a poor live college bowl game will get higher ratings than an NBA game or other sports at that time of year. ESPN makes money by putting them on.

ESPN owns many of the lower tier games- New Mexico, Vegas, etc.

 

[Fab5Coug]

ESPN Events, a company of ESPN, puts on the games. They want them for live TV and a poor live college bowl game will get higher ratings than an NBA game or other sports at that time of year. ESPN makes money by putting them on.

You sure about that?

 

[LoveJeffersonFanClub]

You sure about that?

I read it today on a fairly reputable site (at least it sounded like it, it had business in the title) but can't find the website. It could be wrong. I will try to find it.

 

[95coug]

There is no chance a 13-0 WMU isn't the highest ranked mid-major regardless of how badly Navy plungers Army.

I agree at this point. WMU's win over Ohio was not decisive, but at 13-0 I don't really see Navy overtaking them, even if they beat Temple by 50

 

[Flatlandcoug]

So much for Navy