Where the Mountain West hurts TCU?

[George S. Patton]

Because our coaching search talk has become so recycled, I'm throwing something else out there.

That conference has four(?) bowl affiliations. There appears to be a chance that the Horned Frogs could go 7-5 and miss a bowl? If you look at their schedule, they have BYU Thursday and finish with UNLV and San Diego State. Figure they go 2-1 and get to 4-4.

But the bowl projections on ESPN don't have them going anywhere because of who's ahead of them. New Mexico, a team they hammered, could go 2-1 in its final 3 and finish 8-4 and get to that bowl in San Diego. Looks like the FW Bowl is pushing for Air Force because the Falcons are bowl eligible and BYU would go to Las Vegas again. Utah could also go 2-1 and finish 8-4.

And with that, the Frogs could get left out unless a conference can't fill its bowl slots and that makes them attractive. They would definitely be considered if not chosen.

Strange and really too bad for the Frogs because they seem to be coming around and playing much better. I won't count them out in Provo, but I don't see them winning.

[Stallion]

Now that is true. But its doubtful CUSA can fulfill all of ours so they'll just take them. We are and will be very lucky if a poor product on the field does not eventually result in fewer bowls especially with all the privates with their miniscule fan traveling squads. The move will be judged 10, 20, 30 years from the switch not 3 years after the switch. Right now I'd say the move is trending higher.

[TCU owns YOU]

Nice Try. But we have FW Bowl to fall back on.


The FW Bowl is always pulling for TCU because we sell most tickets since it is on campus. The highest attendance for FW Bowl was TCU/Boise St.

We Frogs have been to Bowl Game for 8 of the last 9 years, so obviously our conference is not hurting our bowl picture. There are very few programs that have been to bowl in 8 of last 9 years.

Sadly, I can't remember when SMU last went to Bowl game.

I guess it would have been 1997, but we beat you in FW for our only win of the season. This was avenged by our only loss in 2005 when SMU kept 11-1 Frogs from Fiesta Bowl.

[George S. Patton]

Nice Try. But we have FW Bowl to fall back on.


The FW Bowl is always pulling for TCU because we sell most tickets since it is on campus. The highest attendance for FW Bowl was TCU/Boise St.

We Frogs have been to Bowl Game for 8 of the last 9 years, so obviously our conference is not hurting our bowl picture. There are very few programs that have been to bowl in 8 of last 9 years.

Sadly, I can't remember when SMU last went to Bowl game.

I guess it would have been 1997, but we beat you in FW for our only win of the season. This was avenged by our only loss in 2005 when SMU kept 11-1 Frogs from Fiesta Bowl.

I'm sure that the FW Bowl would be happy to have you. I was just going off the ESPN bowl projections. Where they don't have the frogs it. Hence, I said strange. That said, there's no way Air Force is going to be kept out of this.

I don't know what you mean by this Nice Try business. Civility in this type of discussion still exists.

[LakeHighlandsPony]

Enjoy the Old South Pancake House Bowl! Try and field a basketball team sometime. You have not beat us since when???

[FWMustangGirl]

Enjoy the Old South Pancake House Bowl!

Hey! Don't bag on Old South. You can't beat their Dutch Babies...they come with a side of angioplasty.

[MustangStealth]

A couple points...

The bowl is under no obligation to take a 8-4 team over a 7-5 team, so if the 7-5 team will be a bigger draw (TCU in Ft Worth) they are likely to be the pick.

Also, CUSA's contract with the Hawaii Bowl runs out after this year and our current contract with the GMAC Bowl runs out after next year. They may both decide to go another direction if CUSA can't field some better teams or show higher turnouts. In that case we would be looking at 4-5 bowls for 12 teams, while the MWC has 4 bowls for 9 teams.

[George S. Patton]

A couple points...

The bowl is under no obligation to take a 8-4 team over a 7-5 team, so if the 7-5 team will be a bigger draw (TCU in Ft Worth) they are likely to be the pick.

Yes, and that's why the oversaturated bowl system blows!!

[cs09viking]

I say if Air Force beats ND this weekend, finishes the season second in the MWC with a 9-3 (6-2 conf) record then they are a sure bet for the FW bowl.

Interesting how the FW "Armed Forces Bowl" already has booked ex-Air Force player Chad Hennings as a keynote speaker for one of the evening events.

My Affiliations....
AFA Undergrad
SMU Grad School Grad

[EastStang]

Hate to say this to our Froggie friend, but Air Force brings about 20-25,000 fans with it to a bowl game. The organizers of the Ft. Worth Bowl want to sell hotel rooms, fill the restaurants, and keep the Ft. Worth Gentlemen's Clubs busy. This means that if every thing else is equal Air Force gets the nod over TCU. If the Aggies were available in the Big XII, that would be quite a match-up. AF vs. the Cult. Fran's swann song at his former stadium.

[ReedFrawg]

I can't blame the bowl situation on anything other than our play. If we don't literally give away the game at AF then we likely aren't in this position. Yes, the MWC bowl tie-ins blow, but as you said, should a 6 or 7 win team even be bowl eligible??? I remember in the last year of the SWC in 1995 we went 6-5 and there was never once a mention of a bowl game. If you can't win 8 or 9 in the regular season then you shouldn't play in a bowl.

As for the FW Bowl, it would be interesting if AFA loses to ND and finishes 8-4 and TCU wins out to finish 8-4. I wonder what would happen.

[SMU Football Blog]

Now that is true. But its doubtful CUSA can fulfill all of ours so they'll just take them. We are and will be very lucky if a poor product on the field does not eventually result in fewer bowls especially with all the privates with their miniscule fan traveling squads. The move will be judged 10, 20, 30 years from the switch not 3 years after the switch. Right now I'd say the move is trending higher.

I still think C-USA to fill its six spots.

[MustangStealth]

But its doubtful CUSA can fulfill all of ours so they'll just take them.

4 teams are already bowl eligible with 3 more that can still make it.

USM needs 1 win out of Memphis, UTEP, and Ark. St.
Memphis needs 2 wins out of USM, UAB, and SMU, with UAB and SMU at home
UTEP needs 2 wins out of Tulane, USM, and UCF


I think USM and Memphis will both get there, UTEP probably not.

[Treadway21]

What about all tose commercials on TV and radio begging the MW and TCU fans to call Direct TV to demand they carry games?

[deepellumfrog]

I can't blame the bowl situation on anything other than our play. If we don't literally give away the game at AF then we likely aren't in this position. Yes, the MWC bowl tie-ins blow, but as you said, should a 6 or 7 win team even be bowl eligible??? I remember in the last year of the SWC in 1995 we went 6-5 and there was never once a mention of a bowl game. If you can't win 8 or 9 in the regular season then you shouldn't play in a bowl.

As for the FW Bowl, it would be interesting if AFA loses to ND and finishes 8-4 and TCU wins out to finish 8-4. I wonder what would happen.

We might still have a Houston Bowl spot avail.