Saw the shocking end to the Syracuse game, and as Mr. Anonymous stated in the comment portion, has ND "jumped the shark?"
This is going to get ugly because from the reports I have read, the Sun Bowl is very interested in ND at all costs. They have said they would strongly consider ND at 6-6. Make no mistake, Notre Dame is going get drilled by USC next week. No 7-5 bailout for ND or the Sun.
Now, this is where it gets messy. The Gator and the Big East have a "handshake" agreement about not taking ND with three wins less than the Big East's candidate. And, the Gator is unlikely to take a Big East team anyway. They are going to let ND/Big East ride and take their shot next year at perhaps a better ND team. I expect Nebraska to go here unless something crazy happens (like three Big 12 teams in the BCS game, which was ruled possible if Missouri gets the automatic bid and two Big 12 become at larges).
The Sun has no such verbal agreement. The Sun Bowl likes hype and matchups and this may be the only time they ever get a chance for ND to go to El Paso. When the bowl agreements are up for 2010, what happens if the Sun loses its Big East/ND tie in with the Gator?
So, what about being 6-6? ND is its own conference. They are eligible because they have a tie-in at 6-6. I would say even if a 7-5 Big East team is left out because of lack of bowls, ND will get theirs.
It's a legal mess. Do you consider ND a separate entity, or are they part of the Big East for purposes of bowl bids? Or, is ND's agreement similar to Navy's agreement with the Congressional Bowl. Once they are eligible the bid is theirs if they want it? The key point is that the Big East is included in these agreements because of Notre Dame, not the other way around. There is no Gator/Sun deal without Notre Dame.
I can't fathom the outrage if say a 9-3 WVU team, which is 6-1 in the league, gets bumped down to the Car Care bowl. That could also move a UConn team that is 9-3 (big if and tough task) to the International Bowl. Ouch.
Notre Dame plays by its own rules.
1 comment:
Are you sure ND is guaranteed a bid at 6-6? The Star-Ledger in Jersey thinks otherwise. And I remember the Motor City Bowl a couple years ago where they had to take Middle Tennessee State even though they didn't want to because they were 7-5 and got a spot over an at-large 6-6. Not saying I know the answer but there's some difference of opinion. And would ND even take a bowl bid if they lose by 50 to USC and fire Weis? They are ND, they do things differently.
More importantly...thanks for nothing Pitt. All UConn needed was for them to beat Cincy and they couldn't. UConn is still alive for the Big East title but they need a win and Syracuse to continue its roll next week.
ps - Entourage jumped the shark a long, long time ago.
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