UCLA's Updated Bowl Prospects
by orlandobruin on Dec 4, 2009 6:20 AM PST
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PrintBumped. GO BRUINS. -N
GO NAVY. AP Photo: Marco Garcia
Although it had been reported earlier this week that the Notre Dame players voted to not to go a bowl game, there were conflicting published reports that there had been no vote. John Walters on NCAA's fanshouse posted on December 3, 2009 that it is highly unlikely that ND would accept a bid, for various reasons outlined in the story. [See also report in the Chicago Tribune, "Notre Dame unlikely to go to any bowl"]
Why does this affect UCLA's bowl prospects? Because, after you take the 7-5 teams and place them in bowls ahead of eligible 6-6 teams (which is required), the only two BCS league 6-6 teams without bowl tie ins are UCLA and Notre Dame. There is only one slot for such a team. The general consensus is that one of the lesser bowls, i.e., Humanitarian, New Mexico, GMAC, Little Casaers, or EagleBank would take a 6-6 BCS team before another 6-6 bowl eligible team.
So, the Notre Dame development, if it plays out, will help UCLA. At appears that more things must still happen though. Find out what after the jump.
(1) Wisconsin must beat Hawaii this weekend. Otherwise, Hawaii would be 7-6 and, I believe, must be selected ahead of UCLA for the final slot even though one of their wins came against a FCS school.
(2) Navy must beat Army on December 12. A 6-6 Army team is guaranteed a bowl berth in the EagleBank bowl, which would fill the final slot. Even if Notre Dame chooses not to accept a bowl, I cannot foresee a situation (although I have been wrong before :) ) where UCLA knows about it's bowl prospects until AFTER the Army Navy game is played, which may affect whether UCLA can even hold additional practices until it knows whether it is bowl bound.
The outcomes of the Texas v. Nebraska game and the Boise State v. New Mexico State games could also affect UCLA's chances if the favorites lose, which, in the former case, would elevate Nebraska to a BCS game and, in the latter case, would knock Boise State out of a BCS game, either of which may have a trickle down effect on bowl selections (although a slot would not be filled because in neither scenario would a new bowl eligible team be created since Nebraska is already bowl eligible and NMSt. is not going bowling).
The good news is that both Wisconsin and Navy are heavy favorites (as are Texas and Boise State). Pull for these teams in the next two weeks if you are a Bruin!!
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
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Edited the post.
Hawaii is already 6-6 (not 6-5). With a win they would be 7-6 (not 6-6). Also, the Chicago Tribune is now also reporting the same thing as the link above.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-04-notre-dame-football-dec04,0,3223036.story
Rivals.com Predicts Bruins in GMAC Bowl
The game is Jan. 6/7 in Mobile, Alabama, against Central Michigan. At this point, I’d take it. The 15 extra days of practice are invaluable heading into next season.
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1023421
richramus
The folks at Rivals obviously believe that . . .
. . . Notre Dame will decline a bowl game, and that Hawaii and Army will lose their finales. If one of those three things does not happen, no prediction will matter. There will NOT be a spot for UCLA.
I agree with you. The practice will help. I am would also be pleased with the GMAC bowl because it is so late in the bowl scheudle. The New Mexico Bowl, on December 19, would not be that great if we don’t find out that we can even play in a bowl until after the December 12 Army Navy game.
by orlandobruin on Dec 4, 2009 11:13 AM PST up reply actions
Of course, it has to be during the week
So that I can’t get down to Mobile.
by bruinbabe2000 on Dec 4, 2009 1:20 PM PST up reply actions
Ummm, BB2K,
as the unofficial BN Ambassador to Alabama, I think that you may be obliged to make the trip. We’ll need your little bundle of mojo there, too.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Ya know, if the Bruins go to Mobile, I think I can get there.
And if that comes to pass, we have to have a place to rendezvous.
I'll be there!
Let’s hope this pans out!
"The entire world that bleeds blue and gold ... they have been dying for this." - Coach Rick Neuheisel
I'm up
for a little trip down to Mobile from Atlanta. January 6? Why so late? And what’s up with Army-Navy on the 12th? They are that desperate to get people to watch?
A 7-6 Hawaii (or any other) team
must indeed be selected before a 6-6 team per NCAA rule:
30.9.2.2 Exception—Football Championship Subdivision Opponent. [FBS] Each year, a Football Bowl Subdivision institution may count one victory against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent toward the six-win minimum, provided the opponent has averaged 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of grants-in-aid per year in football over a rolling two-year period.
formerly AZBruin
Seems to me we should add a game
There has to be a directional school who doesn’t want to go to Gainesville and have 70 points dropped on them in August. Why don’t we try to schedule someone like Western Kentucky (0-12 in 2009) or Eastern Michigan (0-12). We could ask Coach Walker if he’d like to return to the Rose Bowl with his 3-9 Aggies. You get the idea. Get us a nice cream puff to start the campaign.
Never played a I-AA/FCS team
I like the fact that we have never played an FCS team. Two weeks ago was an embarrassment when Florida and Alabama were both running up the score against FCS opponents (embarrassing for Florida and Alabama not the FCS teams). The “best” teams from the “best” conference in college football should not have to schedule games against decidedly inferior opponents. It is not a level playing field between the two subdivisions.
Overall I really dislike this rule and think that only wins over FBS teams should count for bowl eligibility.
One can always bring up the Appalachian State example, but that example is memorable because FCS teams (almost) never beat FBS teams.
All three of the teams I mentioned are D-1 or FBS or FBI or BMW or whatever the current acronym is.
Western Kentucky is in the Sun Belt Conference, Eastern Michigan is in the Mid-American Conference, and New Mexico is in the Mountain West. They’re all listed in the Bowl Subdivision of the ncaa. I don’t want to schedule Cal Lutheran or teams like that, but we can take a lesson from Florida and LSU and those guys as to who to schedule. Our non conference schedule next year is, let’s just say, not filled with Eastern Michigans.
D1/FBS is fair
No problem with non-bcs teams. When you play nine conference games every year unlike any other conference, you need to balance the load.
You can only play 13 games in a year
if you’re Hawaii or are playing at Hawaii in a season. The NCAA tried to help Hawaii out with that rule because they were struggling so much to get teams willing to travel out there. I get that it’s a long way and expensive, but really….it’s Hawaii! Who doesn’t want to go?
Formerly ryebreadraz
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 4, 2009 1:18 PM PST up reply actions
I didn't know that.
Only Hawaii, huh. Well, I guess that takes care of that.
to answer the question
the university presidents and AD’s writing the checks to get 100+ players, staff, and coaches flown there, fed, sheltered, and flown back. (I know, you weren’t seriously asking…)
formerly AZBruin
Doesn't Hawaii help out the opposing team with expenses?
I thought I read that somewhere. Seemed like coaches hate the destination because it’s a huge time-zone change for the players, and that the islands provide an irresistible level of distraction for the guys.
GO BRUINS!!!
I believe...
…Northeastern Western Southern Alabama Tech Institue of Technology East has an open game next year. Anything the SEC can do, we can do better.
As much as it pains me to say it... GO BADGERS!
I don’t hate the Badgers like I hate $C, but I still have flashbacks to the Hideous Sea of Red in ’94 and ’98.
No problem cheering for the Midshipmen, though, as my uncle was a Petty Officer in the Navy, and my secretary’s son is serving on a destroyer in the Gulf right now. GO NAVY!
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
The sea of Red is to Wisconsin's credit and our shame
I was there, both times.
Shame on our alum’s and season ticket holders for scalping their tickets instead of showing up for the games.
And, credit to the Wisconsin people who traveled here to support their team.
I left the game with respect for the Badger fans and disdain for some of our own.
sjh
I was there for both, myself.
Senior year in ’94, and one year out of law school in ’98.
I respect Badger fans for coming out in waves and floods, but come ON past Bruin fans. yeah, sure, in ‘94 the Badgers hadn’t been there in 40+ years, but it’s not like we went to the Rose Bowl EVERY year, either.
The Rose Bowl is still a MAJOR event in a college sports fan’s life, and only the spoiled, self-righteous, silver-spoon-sucking crybabies at $C would think otherwise.
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
I was there myself... my senior year too
a sea of read… polka music outside the gates in addition to grilling all types of meats I’d never seen… I was IN the UCLA student section sitting next to two middle-aged men donned in Wisconsin red. Embarrassing. When I saw some sort of DAIRY balloon cow sailing over the Rose Bowl (I think advertising something or some product in WI, I knew we’d lose.) The clincher was when THEIR band came out, there were more cheers for the band than even our own football team. When THEIR team came out, it’s one of the loudest roars I’ve ever heard live. I was simply embarrassed. And of course, we lost.
W.S. Montano Class of 1994
by wsmontano1994 on Dec 5, 2009 8:35 AM PST up reply actions
Yep
Was at both games. Attended the second game with Menelaus. For the first one, I turned down a lovely Wisconsin couple’s offer of $800 for two tickets, when I was picking up my tickets at CTO. Could have used that cash back in those days!
I was at 94 game
and it was sickening looking at the sea of red singing their fight song (or whatever stupid song it was) all game.
I was in HS but remember a Wisc fan telling me he’d buy my ticket for $1k. I suspect thats where all the Bruin tickets went.
What I remember most is Stokes day and yelling at Cook to throw the ball away at the end of the game. Then yelling I wished we played Ohio St afterwards….
Free Brandon Wood!
One of the players in 1994 said...
that when we came out of the tunnel, it was really loud. But when Wisconsin came out of the tunnel, it was deafening.
Also, Terry Donahue, in his infinite wisdom, decided to have the starts stay in a hotel near the Rose Bowl the night before the game. This pissed off a lot of the starters and non-starters, and was a huge internal distraction in the few days leading up to game.
by bornagainbruin on Dec 9, 2009 12:43 PM PST up reply actions
Being at the '94 Rose Bowl
was a massive let-down, to put it mildly, after watching Marvin Goodwin’s INT seal the win against U$C* to get us there.
formerly AZBruin
I'll never root for Texas
Unless, of course, they’re playing a cocky, arrogant, cheating, run-up-the-score bunch of dickwipes (and future NFL busts) from SUC, but that’s a unique case. I never root for the Horns unless there are VERY special circumstances. So I’ll definitely root for Wisconsin, Navy, and Boise State…but I just can’t bring myself to root for Texas against Nebraska. Hopefully we can secure a bowl bid with that situation I just described.
Why?
Why so much hate against Texas football? I am upset that their bball team has beaten us a couple of years in a row, but what do you have against their football team? I guess I’ve always been a big fan of Vince Young and Colt McCoy, so I actually usually root for them. I also love how passionate Texas is for football, not just for college, but for all levels.
Why is the Army-Navy game SOO incredibly late?
It seems to be the only game played on the 12th.
Does it have to do with military-training conflict?
I have no problem rooting for Navy. I come from a Navy family and my brother is currently serving. So Go Midshipmen!
I enjoy watching both schools.
I have always liked Navy, going back to Joe Bellino. And I liked what Paul Johnson did there. And for all his faults, I’ll never say anything bad about Charlie Weis, after he took his team that had lost to Navy for the first time in several millenia to the Navy rooting section and sang their alma mater. That was just about the classiest thing I can imagine, and it made me a Weis fan for life. (I wouldn’t want him within a thousand miles of any team I was rooting for, but I would enjoy watching a game with him.)
Can you imagine what would have happened if Cheatie Petie had been the coach who had just lost to Navy? I don’t think the post-game activities would have been quite the same.
Anyway, I’ll enjoy watching that game. Given the karma I bring with me, I should root for Army. Maybe the safe thing is to root for nobody.
The bottom scroll on ESPN2 now states that ND will not accept a bowl invite
Just came up while watching the UCLA-Stanford match.
formerly bruinhoo
Go NAVY! Beat Army!
I’ve enjoyed watching Navy this year, as I do every year. That first game against Ohio State was awesome and I thought they would pull off the upset. Then, they just punched Notre Dame in the mouth with that win.
Army should be tougher this year than previous years, but I still expect Navy to come out with the win. Their QB Dobbs is a legitimate dual threat and has completed decent mid and long range passes this year. They also have solid slotbacks that fight for every yard. On defense, Ram Vela has been an absolute beast at LB.
Navy has played in enough tough games this year to give them the edge. I expect a disciplined, hard fought game with class and sportsmanship on both sides. Definitely one rivalry game I enjoy watching and am happy if either team wins.
I don't think Army-Navy matters for us.
It matters for Marshall, who’s 6-6 and would get the C-USA spot if Army doesn’t make it. (That said, I’m assuming a bowl with an at-large spot would take us over Marshall.)
GO BADGERS
Notre Dame official out, CMU on TV tonight (RIGHT NOW)
Central Michigan is on ESPN2 RIGHT NOW. If you are watching, make sure you give us your quick scouting impression. Special Friday Night spontaneous OPEN THREAD.
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