Sooo...where do we bowl?
- Thread starter 79COUG
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I think Vegas but before we debate that the Beavs are making a comeback. However, their premature decision to go for 2 and their inability to make up for it after the next two TD''s has complicated their comeback.
Vegas… please. If not then I’d be happy with Holiday. I’ll have free lodging and lots of folks to catch up with.
Since game is now at Petco, there are a shit ton of bars within walking distance providing ample opportunities for us to drink another city dry!
Since game is now at Petco, there are a shit ton of bars within walking distance providing ample opportunities for us to drink another city dry!
San Diego is a navy/tourist town and the gateway to Tijuana. If we drink it dry, we’ve really done something.
It is worth remembering that after the 2nd half collapses against USC and Utah there were people here seriously asking whether we would win 3 games. Against that pessimism 7-5 and a bowl bid looks pretty impressive. If JDL had been on the field for all 12 games I think we go 9-3 and tie for the North championship although that still wouldn't get us in the Pac-12 championship game because we lost to Oregon.
El Paso is far from everything. It's almost a 9-hour drive from Austin, which is in central Texas. Otherwise, no issues with the Sun Bowl or any other bowl, really. Just glad to have one in this insane year. BTW, anyone thinking we get picked over ASU or UCLA has an interesting view on things. Barring a Cal upset, both those teams will have better overall records and the same conference records as the Cougs. They will get the Vegas and, most likely, the Holiday. Oregon State has even been getting more hype all year than us, too, even though we have a better conference record and beat them. They might get the Sun while we get stuck with the "LA Bowl." Most of our fans probably will take that deal, though.
Well we beat ASU rather handily--so did the Beavs. UCLA might be attractive but whether a Bruin fan wants to go to San Diego or Las Vegas is open to question. Covid complicates travel plans so I'm not sure how bowl committees will weigh these things. I think we are a good story coming back from firing 4 coaches at mid season and winning the Apple Cup by a bigger margin than ever before. Last week the two guys on ESPN had us going to either the Holiday or the Sun. Those 2 still seem most likely but I wouldn't be shocked with a Vegas Bowl bid.
I've been to El Paso twice and it was a terrible "travel" experience both times. I enjoyed the results of both games and El Paso residents do a good job of showing up for the game, but the town itself is just really, really mediocre and the weather was bad for both games (terrible in 2015).
Vegas is the only bowl that I'll definitely make it to this year. I've been to the Holiday Bowl twice, went to San Antonio in 2018 and I've got no use for El Paso. We'll talk about the LA Bowl and we might go there if we get dumped that low but I'm not all that excited about it.
Conference record is all that matters. Each bowl gets to pick from the team with the best conference record and those within 1 game. Looks likely that all but 2 of our eligible teams (oregon and Utah) will meet that, so it’ll truly be which team each game wants.
Utah is in the best spot. If they lose the conference title game, the Alamo has to take them. After that, there’s no obligation. The remaining games can take whoever they think gives them the best matchup. Assuming Utah beats the Ducks…any game can take any team except the Beavers over the Ducks (Beavers are 5-4, Ducks 7-2. They could take any 6-3 team over the Ducks, and the Beavers over any 6-3 team). So the decisions will be based on matchups and perception of how well the teams will draw viewers.
The bowls can take a team one step lower. We're going to the Sun Bowl, and it will be just fine.
Yeah, that's a great explanation. The Vegas Bowl isn't taking us over an 8-4 UCLA or ASU team for various reasons that I probably don't need to get into. I doubt the Holiday takes 7-5 WSU over 8-4 ASU or UCLA, either, especially with WSU having been there a couple times in recent memory. Might even go with the Beavs. So I think it's the Sun for us, most likely, and maybe the LA Bowl.
Probably zero chance of another COVID shutdown.
California? Depends on Newsom's science that particular week (i.e. poll numbers)
I don’t expect the holiday to take us based on recent appearances. But I’m not going to try to predict what sort of ideas the bowl committees are going to come up with.
The other half of the matchup is also significant. I haven’t looked at how the other conference tie-ins are set up, but there used to be a more firm designation from some of them (I.e. Big 12 #4, ACC #5, etc.). No bowl is going to set a matchup that’s likely to be a blowout, and They’re not likely to set up a rematch with teams that have played this season already.
Neither the Alamo or the Holiday had to pick us in the last 10 years. They had other options that might have seemed like better draws. But they took us.
Ha. Knew someone would point that out. I’m speaking about football. Should’ve been more specific.
The guys on ESPN that do their bowl projections had us in the Sun Bowl against either Miami or Louisville. They had UCLA in the Holiday and Ariz St. in the Vegas Bowl.
Playing Miami in the Sun Bowl would be odd since that is who we played the last time we went to the Sun Bowl.
Sun Bowl is great for practice time and gives the coaches more time on the recruiting trail.
Had a kid 6 months ago, before that trapped inside for part of the year. Got the clear to go to Vegas. I’m being selfish. I want to hit Gallagher’s, Morimotos, and Best Friend, catch a game and then jet home.
Preach! I have no desire to see the city of El Paso in the rest of my life. Been there twice...and both visits were the worst bowl trips in terms of locale and weather. I didn't go to the New Mexico Bowl and that's the only one that might have been worse. The only good thing about El Paso is that we won the games....and I did have a good time shooting pool at some crappy pool hall on Christmas Eve after eating microwaved (at the bar) pizza pockets. El Paso blows. I have zero desire to play Miami again. I won't go to the game but I might buy in if we play someone like UNC.
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