NEWS: BOWL GAME

expony18 · Post by **expony18** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 11:54 pm

covok48 wrote:"anyone know how long it takes to drive from Wyoming to Louisiana????"

4 days comfortably.

depends on what your drinking on the way

THE-SMU · Post by **THE-SMU** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 12:48 am

perunapower wrote:
Billy Joe wrote:The story of SMU making its first bowl game since the death penalty creates a lot of national media attention and gets people talking about the bowl game that people would otherwise not talk about. This fact makes it possible SMU gets a bowl invitation over a team with more wins.

I don't care how much hype we would get, we have to win 7. I don't feel like posting the rule again verbatim, but it explicitly states that above-.500 teams must go to conference affiliated bowls ahead of .500 teams. So, if we lose, happy holidays guys it's been fun ride, if we win, buckle up 'cause we're goin' bowlin'.

Obviously we need to win this weekend... To be safe... However, these bowl "rules" aren't unbreakable. The bowls are all about money. In the big picture of all bowl games, the New Orleans Bowl is not very high profile, in and of itself (don't get me wrong, a bowl is a bowl, and any bowl for us this year would be absolutley great).

Anyway, you take The New Orleans Bowl as the first bowl return to New Orleans, to be played in the Superdome after Katrina and you spice it up with the SMU Mustangs returning to bowl contetnion for the first time since the biggest penalty ever given to an NCAA football team, and all of the sudden, you have the buzz and drama to make the bowl watchable to people who have no vested intrest in either team, and some fantastic storylines leading up to the game.

It is at least possible that if SMU runs 6-6, the NO Bowl commitee will still fight to have the 'Stangs represent.

That said, let's not be content until we leave Rice with a W.

Col. Nathan R. Jessep · Tue Nov 21, 2006 1:05 am

Although I prefer NO Bowl-- from a recruiting standpoint, I see FW the better route.

You're at home practicing in front of local recruits; at the game you have DFW talent checking you out, as well. And if you get the chance to beat
"tc who" (at their place), well bragging rights on recruiting go along with it!

GO PONIES- BEAT THE OWL [deleted] OUTTA rice

RE Tycoon · Post by **RE Tycoon** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 2:06 am

Another thing to consider is that according to the respective websites, NOLA will be on ESPN2, while FW will be on ESPN. There is definitely a cache with being on the mother ship instead of the ocho.

Mountain Mustang · Post by **Mountain Mustang** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:30 am

covok48 wrote:"anyone know how long it takes to drive from Wyoming to Louisiana????"

4 days comfortably.

You can actually make the trip fairly easy in 2 days. I drove from Dallas to Montana, stopping in Denver the first day, and Jackson Hole the second. Make the trip!!!!

35straight · Post by **35straight** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:26 am

BRStang wrote:
MustangIcon wrote:Remember someone else posted on here that they talked to a NO Bowl official and that official told him that NO Bowl wants SMU and if we became bowl eliginle they would give us a bowl bid. I'm not an expert on the bowl selection process but its nice to see a lot of things pointing to a bowl for us.

Yeah. That was 35straight, who I lightly derided through one of my posts. Sorry.

Thank You.

The Stampede · Post by **The Stampede** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:25 am

Well, it's 27 hours straight from Dallas to Jackson Hole and a helluva trip.

LonghornFan68 · Post by **LonghornFan68** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:32 am

Also, I understand SMU wants the New Orleans Bowl selection

I find this kind of hard to believe. If SMU has any smarts they will want a bowl nearer their fan base. Until SMU can prove that they can fill their own stadium, why would they assume that they will fill an away stadium. I know that's a callous way of looking at it, but it's true.

A better scenario would be the Fort Worth Bowl. I know it's not the ideal bowl, but it's a good match up and it would give the SMU crowd a fair shot at filling their ticket allotment. Also, it would be great for local recruiting and that alone should be the only thing that matters to the SMU athletic department. If SMU plays locally, they can get exposure to the same recruits that TCU competes for. How can playing in NOLA - again - help recruiting as much?

That's my take on it.

MustangStealth · Post by **MustangStealth** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:35 am

THE-SMU wrote:
perunapower wrote:I don't care how much hype we would get, we have to win 7. I don't feel like posting the rule again verbatim, but it explicitly states that above-.500 teams must go to conference affiliated bowls ahead of .500 teams. So, if we lose, happy holidays guys it's been fun ride, if we win, buckle up 'cause we're goin' bowlin'.

Obviously we need to win this weekend... To be safe... However, these bowl "rules" aren't unbreakable.

This rule is unbreakable. 6-6 teams are only eligible for selection if their conference has a tie in with a bowl and no more winning teams available. Likewise, 6-6 teams are only available for at-large selection if there are no more winning teams available from any conference.

BrianTinBigD · Post by **BrianTinBigD** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:40 am

Armed Forces Bowl payout is twice what the NO Bowl pays as well. NO only pays $375K so it will barely cover all the costs of the team and band and everyone that will be attending the game there. I believe we actually paid Sam Houston State more to play us this year.

BRStang · Post by **BRStang** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:55 pm

Just to update: I have not heard any additional info about how we are supposedly "in." I am starting to believe everyone's counting on an ECU loss this weekend, but I don't know.

Hoop Fan · Post by **Hoop Fan** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:40 pm

that must be it, people are presuming NC State of the mighty ACC will hold serve at home against ECU. Frankly I would be shocked if ECU won that game on senior day for the Wolfpack, but stranger things have happened. I'm not saying i dont want smu to go bowling no matter what, but bowling at 6-6 aint right anyway.

westexSMU · Post by **westexSMU** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 12:46 am

But when we beat Rice Saturday, the Fort Worth Bowl will not take a 6-6 Rice team. I certainly don't object to a Bowl in New Orleans but why would we want to play Middle Tenn. State if we beat Rice, instead of TCU or a school from a better conference if availiable ?

MrMustang1965 · Post by **MrMustang1965** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 1:14 am

BrianTinBigD wrote:Armed Forces Bowl payout is twice what the NO Bowl pays as well. NO only pays $375K so it will barely cover all the costs of the team and band and everyone that will be attending the game there. I believe we actually paid Sam Houston State more to play us this year.

Sam Houston State was paid just a little over $200,000.

EastStang · Post by **EastStang** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:59 am

There is a new wrinkle that was pointed out in the DMN today. ECU could lose to NC State. If Marshall beats USM, then ECU is the east champion. If they lose to UH in the conference championship game, then they would be 6-7 and ineligible for a bowl despite being the Eastern Division champion. How funny is that. Of course Marshall would be bowl eligible at that point and be a great story for the NO Bowl with a movie tie-in. We just need to beat Rice not to worry about all of this.