Rematch Possible???

[Harry0569]

ESPN has to set up this match up. The story lines are endless
-SMU going bowling for the first time in 25 years
-a repeat of the 84 Hawaii Bowl
-new ND coach Brian Kelly checking out his team

Nothing else is on on X-mas Eve. ESPN would love to have this match up for a ratings perspective.

[Rebel_Pony]

ESPN has to set up this match up. The story lines are endless
-SMU going bowling for the first time in 25 years
-a repeat of the 84 Hawaii Bowl
-new ND coach Brian Kelly checking out his team

Nothing else is on on X-mas Eve. ESPN would love to have this match up for a ratings perspective.

Agreed. Could be one of the highlights, match-up wise, of the bowl season in my opinion.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

Fresno State please. please!....And Weis may end up eating all of his available players from ND and am worried if we play them he may eat most of our guys too....'Jabba the coach'...me want food.....

Mangino the Hutt might take offense to your Jabba/Weis comparison!

[Charleston Pony]

I'd love to see the Hawaii bowl feature SMU vs either Hawaii or Notre Dame and I expect ESPN would, too

[SMU2007]

this would be incredible. is there really a chance of this happening??

[indianmustang]

may be ND needs atlarge bid

[SMU2007]

does a WAC team get priority over at large or is it completely up to the discretion of the bowl committee?

[Charleston Pony]

ESPN may have a voice in this. From the Hawaii Bowl's standpoint, I'm sure they would love to have Hawaii 1st but my guess is that Notre Dame would be a stronger draw than anyone else the WAC could offer up.

[mrydel]

This does not make sense to me. Regardlss of the sexiness of the match up, it is my understanding this is a WAC/CUSA match up. If they can blow off the WAC they could conceivably blow us off and do a Notre Dame/????? match up. Sure they want us this year but what about the next time. Why would ND get to step into a set tie in? They already get preferential BCS treatment.

[Ralph]

Idaho is the pick for the Humanitarian Bowl, played in Idaho. Usually its Boise there but BCS might be a chance for BSU. The Sheraton is a lock for a WAC team, primarily for Hawaii if they win 7. Hawaii has 6 wins, play Wisconsin on Saturday. No announcement until then, and definitely no ND because C USA has enough teams qualifying for Bowl berths and the Sheraton Bowl is one of them.

[Stallion]

WAC wouldn't be blown off they would be "bought off" in my scenario. ie a Bowl Trade that for example could get Boise a more visible bowl against a better team. I'm not saying it will happen-I'm just pointing out ESPN has done this in the past. The survival of Hawaii probably makes it less likely though since Hawaii Bowl must hold out for Hawaii. Also, because of upsets, Boise looks like they may go BCS making it less likely that ESPN goes looking for a trade off like last year against TCU. But remember Boise the WAC Champion did not play in a WAC affiliated Bowl last year. TCU was not slotted in the Poinsetta Bowl and Notre Dame had no affiliation with the Hawaii Bowl-and yet ESPN made it happen.

[CA Mustang]

Still CSUF: http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/ ... jections-3

[Garret]

Idaho is the pick for the Humanitarian Bowl, played in Idaho. Usually its Boise there but BCS might be a chance for BSU. The Sheraton is a lock for a WAC team, primarily for Hawaii if they win 7. Hawaii has 6 wins, play Wisconsin on Saturday. No announcement until then, and definitely no ND because C USA has enough teams qualifying for Bowl berths and the Sheraton Bowl is one of them.

The only possible way that the ND scenario could occur would require Hawaii to lose to Wisconsin on Saturday and BSU getting to a BCS game. In that scenario you have Nevada, Fresno State, and Idaho bowl-eligible for what could be *4* spots available for the WAC...Humanitarian Bowl (Idaho will go there), New Mexico Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, and GMAC Bowl (since the WAC apparently gets the spot if the ACC doesn't have a team to send to that bowl).

Last year Notre Dame chose the Hawaii Bowl over the GMAC Bowl and I'm sure that they would do so again. ESPN owns so many bowls and I think they might own both the Hawaii and GMAC bowls so they would have control of the situation. If the WAC has 3 teams for those 4 spots, I'm guessing ESPN has a *big* say in who plays where.

Hopefully Hawaii will beat Wisconsin and we will have a Hawaii vs. SMU game...that would get a huge crowd and will give ESPN a lot of stories to run. However, if Wisconsin wins, it looks like ESPN could do whatever it wants.

I think that Nevada and Hawaii would beat SMU, Fresno State would be a toss-up with SMU, and SMU would beat Notre Dame.

[Garret]

WAC wouldn't be blown off they would be "bought off" in my scenario. ie a Bowl Trade that for example could get Boise a more visible bowl against a better team. I'm not saying it will happen-I'm just pointing out ESPN has done this in the past. The survival of Hawaii probably makes it less likely though since Hawaii Bowl must hold out for Hawaii. Also, because of upsets, Boise looks like they may go BCS making it less likely that ESPN goes looking for a trade off like last year against TCU. But remember Boise the WAC Champion did not play in a WAC affiliated Bowl last year. TCU was not slotted in the Poinsetta Bowl and Notre Dame had no affiliation with the Hawaii Bowl-and yet ESPN made it happen.

The WAC won't need to be "bought off" if they have 4 bowl-eligible teams for 5 bowl spots (assuming Boise State goes to a BCS bowl).

[Stallion]

OK that's another scenario. I thought WAC really only had 4 bowls. I really think SMU v. Hawaii would be fun. Can't wait to hit Waikiki. We could be the good guys or the bad guys in the Bowl.