Fanblogs.com - Latest Comments in Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

1Tomcat — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:17:58 -0000

I agree GH Troy not getting a shot at a bowl after a 8-4 season is indeed an injustice to the school and the league.

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

shiguy — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:51:10 -0000

are you kidding? so you think the papajohn's bowl isn't going to have a BE team??? if ANYTHING it's going to be a no 2or 3 BE team that is going to end up going to the papa john's bowl getting shafted by the SEC and then playing an extremely one sided battle against a sun belt team. the other bowls arn't that bad but the papa john's one is a little odd. with the inclusion now of the SEC for that bowl it now is much more relevant as a no3 BE team or a no2 in the years when they don't go to the gator bowl. which means that whoever goes to it is going to have the possibility of a good game against a medium SEC team or a game against a non conference champ sunbelt team? wow talk about a total stroke of chance.

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

Ben Prather — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:17:08 -0000

Agreed.

One simple, reasonable, rule change on the bowl selection process could fix it.

The two new Bowl games should help avoid this in the future also.

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

gatorhippy — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:06:14 -0000

And out of all those you listed, Ben...

Only one (Cal) actually won their game...

There were quite a few 7+ win teams that should/could have been pushed aside for a Troy invite...

The Troy snub was a definite travesty...

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

Ben Prather — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:59:27 -0000

I looked it up. My understanding was they should have gone before UCLA, Maryland, Nevada, Colorado, or California. Apparently the conference tie ins are stronger than I understood them.

It should be required that before a bowl selects a 6-6 team from one of its tie ins all 7+ win teams must be selected to a bowl game.

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

4cornerz — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:50:55 -0000

This is great for the Sun Belt b/c I do not believe the Big East will fulfill all its bowl agreements this season

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

gatorhippy — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:32:26 -0000

Troy would have made the St. Pete Bowl last season had it existed rather than staying home...

I felt that was the biggest snub of the year in 2007...

That was a solid football team last season at 8-4 and assuredly deserved to be playing in a post-season exhibition before more than a few non-deservers that received & accepted invites...

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

Tigers318 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:15:08 -0000

I agree the top dogs are probably FAU and Troy.

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

Ben Prather — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:55:59 -0000

Troy and FLA Atlantic have set themselves above the rest, and North Texas could return to the top of the conference as well.

The Sunbelt has had conference champions go to bowls at 5-7 in the past, as conference champions are exempt from the wins requirements of bowl eligibility.

No one is going to give them a direct spot for their #2 team, so a guaranteed third pick in the bottom tier bowls near home is the best they can reasonably expect.

I don't see the MWC, WAC or C-USA making similar arrangements, as they are already picking up these games.

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

Tigers318 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:42:00 -0000

I don't think they could be able to fill these spots, because they are all about even in ability..........so they all beat up on each other.

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

arkstfan — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:39:40 -0000

The Sun Belt had two available teams last year that didn't make a bowl game. 8-4 Troy (notable win... over Oklahoma State) and 6-6 Louisiana-Monroe (notable win... over Alabama).

Starting next season Western Kentucky will be a full member and the conference will go to an 8 game league schedule so there should always be 2-3 teams available maybe more.

Re: Sun Belt inks provisional deals with three bowls

Ben Prather — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:03:40 -0000

The current rules required a bowl to take an at large with 7 or more wins over a 6-6 team. Any team with 7 wins will get a bowl game. This will help the Sun Belt if they have a 6-6 team and these bowls have a slot open after all 7+ win teams are taken. If the SEC sends two teams to the BCS the Sun Belt is likely to replace them in the Papa John's Bowl.

Another question is would the Sun Belt actually be able to fill any of these slots?