After about three weeks of confusion, we have almost everything been pinned down in regards to Notre Dame and the Big East's agreement with the Sun Bowl.
Thank Syracuse for maybe taking the Sun Bowl away from Notre Dame. If the Irish lose to USC, and Rutgers defeats Pitt, then the Sun Bowl must take a 7-5 or greater Big East team over 6-6 Notre Dame.
Check out ESPN Big East blogger Brian Bennett for the explanation.
Watching the 24-23 in the lobby of the hotel in Tampa it was perhaps the worst loss ever for the Irish. Syracuse is just a flat out bad football team.
No one ever expected Syracuse to win and all the other scenarios written were assuming a 7-5 Notre Dame team. I am not sure the Sun Bowl knew the rules.
Now, we are going to go status quo and if USC beats ND and Rutgers beats Louisville I am figuring this arrangement.
BCS: Cincinnati
Sun: West Virginia
Meineke: Rutgers (Scarlet Knights would have earned this game). All bets are off if Pittsburgh beats WVU and then UConn. They may end up in the Sun Bowl in that scenario.
Toronto: UConn-Pitt winner
Birmingham: UConn-Pitt loser
St Pete: South Florida
If ND wins and Rutgers wins
BCS: Cincinnati
Sun/Gator: Notre Dame
Car Care: West Virginia
Toronto: UConn-Pitt winner
Birmingham: Rutgers
St Pete: South Florida
Candidates to get shipped are the UConn-Pitt loser or Rutgers
If Rutgers loses we have trouble
BCS: Cincinnati
Sun: Notre Dame
Meineke: West Virginia
Toronto: UConn-Pitt winner
Birmingham: UConn pitt loser
St. Pete: South Florida
At large. I would expect 6-6 Rutgers to get placed. Not sure if 6-6 Louisville ends up anywhere. We'll see.
As far as UConn, I think by virtue of their loss to USF on Sunday they are locked into either Toronto or less likely Birmingham.
UConn's bowl prospects are quite limited at this time. A 9-3, 5-2 record might have enticed the Sun Bowl (unlikely) or perhaps a return trip to Charlotte (I find no enthusiasm for it). not now though.
The likely scenario is Toronto or Birmingham. I am leaning towards Toronto in almost all scenarios. If Pitt beats UConn on Dec. 6, then it's possible they would go to the Car Care bowl and that would send Rutgers to Birmingham (they were in Toronto last year) and UConn to Toronto.
IF Pitt beats WVU and UConn, they could be headed to the Sun. Car Care jumps at WVU, and Rutgers to Birmingham and UConn to Toronto.
I would give UConn and Toronto a 75 percent chance of happening. It's either going to be Pittsburgh or UConn in Toronto. No other teams makes sense.
Jan. 3 is cold for Toronto, but that is a Saturday, and how about New Year's in Canada? It could be worse.
One thing is clear. The bowl situation needs an overhaul. Incoming Big East commish John Marinatto has a lot of work to do this summer.
3 comments:
Rutgers already beat Pitt, Rutgers must beat Louisville.
Cincy loses to Syracuse and maybe to Hawaii.
WVU wins out.
UConn beats Pitt.
Rutgers beat Louisville.
That would mean Rutgers and UConn sharing the Sun and Charlotte bowls while WVU goes to the BCS.
Come on, at some point we have to look at the positives, right? Even if they're far-fetched, they're possible.
This isn't who beat who. UConn beat USF last year, had a better record, and a better league record and still went to the Car Care over the Sun.
The fact that Rutgers beat Pitt, has a better league record, doesn't preclude the car Care from taking Pitt.
Record means nothing. It's other factors.
That said, if UConn beats Pitt, and everything else is status quo, I think Rutgers ends up in Charlotte.
Hot team, good league record, and they haven't had them before.
It makes sense.
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