St. Petersburg Bowl vs. Houston

[zim262]

Stewart Mandel, whoever he is, has us playing Houston in the St. Petersburg Bowl in December 26 due to a lack of qualifying ACC teams.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ ... hp#image=1

[Saint3333]

No thanks, 11AM on the 26th is a no go.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

Not the ideal time or date for me, but it's not about me. I knew this could happen when the talks of moving up started. I want what's best for the program. Win against Houston would be huge, even if it meant I had to watch at home.

[WVAPPeer]

This is the absolute best opponent I have seen even if it is just a guess --- Huge game if it happens!!!

[Yosef10]

Two ways to look at this:

1. If you actually want this program to continue to grow and be seen nationally there is almost no better bowl game we can play.

2. If you just want to be able to attend he game and not miss Christmas with the family then there may not be a worse bowl game for you.

I personally look at this through lens number 1. If we want to thump our chest we need to play (and beat) the better G5 teams in the country and not the Sun Belt schools of the world. Could not have a better measuring stick game.

[Rick83]

This is the absolute best opponent I have seen even if it is just a guess --- Huge game if it happens!!!

I totally agree but it's going to be hard for me to go on the 26th to FL. It would be such a great match up, I just hope the team that played Tennessee shows up as opposed to the team that played Miami...if we end up there.

[mountaineerman]

This needs to happen!

[mike87]

Ho, Ho, Ho, I'd definately go. Flown out west to go skiing on Christmas day. It's really a good travel day. And most of the celebrations are done up to and including Christmas Eve.

[AppinATL]

Stewart Mandel, whoever he is, has us playing Houston in the St. Petersburg Bowl in December 26 due to a lack of qualifying ACC teams.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ ... hp#image=1

I would go. Houston would be a great opponent and a huge feather in our cap if we win. The thing I don't like is that 11 am start time. We've NEVER played worth a damn when we start at 12. I hate to see what we'd look like at 11.

[Rick83]

Stewart Mandel, whoever he is, has us playing Houston in the St. Petersburg Bowl in December 26 due to a lack of qualifying ACC teams.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ ... hp#image=1

I would go. Houston would be a great opponent and a huge feather in our cap if we win. The thing I don't like is that 11 am start time. We've NEVER played worth a damn when we start at 12. I hate to see what we'd look like at 11.

It's hard to start drinking that early too...

[t4pizza]

This would be a great bowl opportunity if we landed there. It would be the best opponent by far that I have seen us matched against. Plus, its only 2 hours for me so I'd be there for sure.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

Stewart Mandel, whoever he is, has us playing Houston in the St. Petersburg Bowl in December 26 due to a lack of qualifying ACC teams.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ ... hp#image=1

I would go. Houston would be a great opponent and a huge feather in our cap if we win. The thing I don't like is that 11 am start time. We've NEVER played worth a damn when we start at 12. I hate to see what we'd look like at 11.

It's hard to start drinking that early too...

I had no problem obtaining a buzz before the Miami game.

[EastHallApp]

Two ways to look at this:

1. If you actually want this program to continue to grow and be seen nationally there is almost no better bowl game we can play.

2. If you just want to be able to attend he game and not miss Christmas with the family then there may not be a worse bowl game for you.

I personally look at this through lens number 1. If we want to thump our chest we need to play (and beat) the better G5 teams in the country and not the Sun Belt schools of the world. Could not have a better measuring stick game.

Both are valid viewpoints. I am typically all about growing the program's profile, so I do see the value there. But let's not oversell the impact. Houston got lots of pub this year for two reasons: 1) They were beating big-name teams and were briefly a playoff contender, and 2) their coach was going to basically have his pick of any P5 opening in the country.

Tom Herman won't be there, and Houston isn't ranked anymore (at least by the CFP). Houston vs. App State won't generate the same hype as Houston vs. Oklahoma or Louisville. And 11 a.m. on a Monday isn't exactly a primetime TV spot.

So yeah, it would be a higher-profile win than whoever we might play in Montgomery or Orlando. But I'm not sure it would move the needle much outside our fanbase. To me, it wouldn't be worth the negative effect it would have on our attendance.

Oh, and we'd be more likely to lose this game than others. That matters too.

[AppSt94]

Heck yea. Great opponent. On the network and it's a 20 minute car ride. Works for me.

[appfanjj]

It is probably unlikely that this game happens. However, if it does, is it a "must win" game? Don't like that term but it is time for us to win a game against a
"name" opponent. Especially since the Cougars did not finish strong and have the coaching thing going on.
Also, how do you think they would see us as a bowl opponent?

[hotrod2001]

Stewart Mandel, whoever he is, has us playing Houston in the St. Petersburg Bowl in December 26 due to a lack of qualifying ACC teams.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ ... hp#image=1

I would go. Houston would be a great opponent and a huge feather in our cap if we win. The thing I don't like is that 11 am start time. We've NEVER played worth a damn when we start at 12. I hate to see what we'd look like at 11.

It's hard to start drinking that early too...

Amateur...back when I cared about NASCAR we'd pull up to Darlington at 6am and we'd be putting them away as the sun rose, lol.

[appst89]

Stewart Mandel, whoever he is, has us playing Houston in the St. Petersburg Bowl in December 26 due to a lack of qualifying ACC teams.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ ... hp#image=1

I would go. Houston would be a great opponent and a huge feather in our cap if we win. The thing I don't like is that 11 am start time. We've NEVER played worth a damn when we start at 12. I hate to see what we'd look like at 11.

It's hard to start drinking that early too...

You just don't stop from the night before.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

Stewart Mandel, whoever he is, has us playing Houston in the St. Petersburg Bowl in December 26 due to a lack of qualifying ACC teams.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ ... hp#image=1

I would go. Houston would be a great opponent and a huge feather in our cap if we win. The thing I don't like is that 11 am start time. We've NEVER played worth a damn when we start at 12. I hate to see what we'd look like at 11.

It's hard to start drinking that early too...

You just don't stop from the night before.

Or you just do the alternative that I am sure most if not all of us did while at App for a buzz/high. Not condoning it, but a hint is it's legal in Colorado.

[Rick83]

Stewart Mandel, whoever he is, has us playing Houston in the St. Petersburg Bowl in December 26 due to a lack of qualifying ACC teams.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/ ... hp#image=1

I would go. Houston would be a great opponent and a huge feather in our cap if we win. The thing I don't like is that 11 am start time. We've NEVER played worth a damn when we start at 12. I hate to see what we'd look like at 11.

It's hard to start drinking that early too...

I had no problem obtaining a buzz before the Miami game.

It's clear from this and other responses that I forgot who my audience was here...party on Mountaineers!

[EastHallApp]

It is probably unlikely that this game happens. However, if it does, is it a "must win" game? Don't like that term but it is time for us to win a game against a
"name" opponent. Especially since the Cougars did not finish strong and have the coaching thing going on.
Also, how do you think they would see us as a bowl opponent?

Whoever we play is at least going to have some fans on message board/Twitter who make the typical "What? Why are we playing a D2 team?" comments. Just go ahead and get ready for it now.