New Years Day Bowl

[AppSt94]

As it has been discussed, our schedule will work against us. However, winning the conference gets us into the conversation. The best way to align us for a New Year's Bowl is to win the conference this year. I saw bowl projections that had us playing in the Cure Bowl. One "Expert" had us playing ECU while another has us playing Pittsburgh. While I understand the allure to play ECU, I would rather play a P5 school. A win in a bowl game against a P5 would go along way to getting us recognition nationally.

[appvette]

Depends on how other teams do as much as how we do. Boise State has already lost to a 2-2 BYU team that lost 31-0 to Michigan. If they lose one more game and we keep winning and shutting out lower G5 teams I think we would be picked over them. Last year, Marshall and ECU looked to be contenders but stumbled near the end of the season.

[AppSt94]

In my opinion, Marshall's late season collapse bailed the committee out. Their schedule was soft. Now I think that you have a point about how we win games. We have a top 10 defense and let's say that we are able to stay healthy and win out. How we beat people could overcome some of those nay sayers. I don't think that it helps us this year but I can see being in the preseason discussion based on what we will have returning.

[APPdiesel]

YEAH WHY AREN'T WE IN THE SUPERBOWL YET?

[EastHallApp]

Depends on how other teams do as much as how we do. Boise State has already lost to a 2-2 BYU team that lost 31-0 to Michigan. If they lose one more game and we keep winning and shutting out lower G5 teams I think we would be picked over them. Last year, Marshall and ECU looked to be contenders but stumbled near the end of the season.

Boise State (with two losses) was ranked ahead of Marshall (with zero losses) in the CFP poll even before Marshall lost to WKU.

[EastHallApp]

As it has been discussed, our schedule will work against us. However, winning the conference gets us into the conversation. The best way to align us for a New Year's Bowl is to win the conference this year. I saw bowl projections that had us playing in the Cure Bowl. One "Expert" had us playing ECU while another has us playing Pittsburgh. While I understand the allure to play ECU, I would rather play a P5 school. A win in a bowl game against a P5 would go along way to getting us recognition nationally.

FYI, the Cure Bowl has a tie-in with the AAC, so the Pitt projection would be based on the AAC not having enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all its spots (and the ACC having extra).

[NewApp]

Let's win out so they will have to give us a decent bowl bid. We have a good following and a loss to 12th ranked Clemson sure shouldn't be a black mark of significant import.

[EastHallApp]

Let's win out so they will have to give us a decent bowl bid. We have a good following and a loss to 12th ranked Clemson sure shouldn't be a black mark of significant import.

Would love to win out of course, but barring a miracle CFP access bowl bid, the options for us are the same whether we're 7-5 or 11-1: New Orleans, Mobile, Montgomery or Orlando.

Or theoretically we could land a spot that another conference is unable to fill, but that would actually be less likely if we win 10 or 11 games (since it would require getting passed over by all four Sun Belt bowls).

[AppinVA]

I will consider it a victory if we're in the conversation. That kind of exposure will help us with recruits, too. Even if they're talking down the strength of our schedule, they're still talking about us.

[WVAppsfan]

A bowl invite to any bowl will make my Christmas, and by the way Let's beat those Cowboys

[asucrutch23]

Or theoretically we could land a spot that another conference is unable to fill, but that would actually be less likely if we win 10 or 11 games (since it would require getting passed over by all four Sun Belt bowls).

Would we really be required to take say the New Orleans Bowl if there was a possibility of taking a P5 vacated bowl spot? My understanding is that it is allowed to ask for more time and negotiate for a different bowl if there is a better possibility, a move that came back to bite Louisiana Tech in the rear in 2012 as they ended up sitting at home at 9-3:

On Friday, November 30, Louisiana Tech was invited to play in the Independence Bowl but asked for more time as they were in negotiations with the Liberty Bowl and Heart of Dallas Bowl.[9] Louisiana Tech athletic director Bruce Van De Velde and WAC commissioner Jeff Hurd both claimed that on Saturday, December 1, the Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Ehrhart guaranteed the Bulldogs a bowl invite.[10][11] After the Independence Bowl's deadline for Louisiana Tech to accept their invitation passed, the Independence Bowl selected the MAC's Ohio (8-4) instead.

[AppfaninCAALand]

Winning out would definitely get us in the conversation at the end of the season and again for next year's pre-season; that in itself is a win. But I suspect we would only seriously be considered even at 11-1 if Boise, Toledo, and the AAC winner are sitting on three loses - Toledo and the AAC winner I can see but I doubt Boise loses two more.

[EastHallApp]

Or theoretically we could land a spot that another conference is unable to fill, but that would actually be less likely if we win 10 or 11 games (since it would require getting passed over by all four Sun Belt bowls).

Would we really be required to take say the New Orleans Bowl if there was a possibility of taking a P5 vacated bowl spot? My understanding is that it is allowed to ask for more time and negotiate for a different bowl if there is a better possibility, a move that came back to bite Louisiana Tech in the rear in 2012 as they ended up sitting at home at 9-3:

On Friday, November 30, Louisiana Tech was invited to play in the Independence Bowl but asked for more time as they were in negotiations with the Liberty Bowl and Heart of Dallas Bowl.[9] Louisiana Tech athletic director Bruce Van De Velde and WAC commissioner Jeff Hurd both claimed that on Saturday, December 1, the Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Ehrhart guaranteed the Bulldogs a bowl invite.[10][11] After the Independence Bowl's deadline for Louisiana Tech to accept their invitation passed, the Independence Bowl selected the MAC's Ohio (8-4) instead.

I don't know, can't say I'd given it any thought. But that example seems a good reason why we probably wouldn't take that approach. Any available at-large bowl isn't going to be a high-end one anyway - it's going to be a case where the SEC can't fill its 11th spot or something like that. Can't imagine we'd risk missing our first-ever bowl appearance for that.

[asucrutch23]

Or theoretically we could land a spot that another conference is unable to fill, but that would actually be less likely if we win 10 or 11 games (since it would require getting passed over by all four Sun Belt bowls).

Would we really be required to take say the New Orleans Bowl if there was a possibility of taking a P5 vacated bowl spot? My understanding is that it is allowed to ask for more time and negotiate for a different bowl if there is a better possibility, a move that came back to bite Louisiana Tech in the rear in 2012 as they ended up sitting at home at 9-3:

On Friday, November 30, Louisiana Tech was invited to play in the Independence Bowl but asked for more time as they were in negotiations with the Liberty Bowl and Heart of Dallas Bowl.[9] Louisiana Tech athletic director Bruce Van De Velde and WAC commissioner Jeff Hurd both claimed that on Saturday, December 1, the Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Ehrhart guaranteed the Bulldogs a bowl invite.[10][11] After the Independence Bowl's deadline for Louisiana Tech to accept their invitation passed, the Independence Bowl selected the MAC's Ohio (8-4) instead.

I don't know, can't say I'd given it any thought. But that example seems a good reason why we probably wouldn't take that approach. Any available at-large bowl isn't going to be a high-end one anyway - it's going to be a case where the SEC can't fill its 11th spot or something like that. Can't imagine we'd risk missing our first-ever bowl appearance for that.

Agreed.

[appbio91]

I am as excited about this team as anyone, but I do believe some App fans may be setting themselves up for a disappointment. I see away games at ULM, and South Alabama as well as home games against GS, ASU and ULL as tough tests for the mountaineers. To go undefeated against all those teams would be quite a feat, especially since we play GS only five days after traveling to Monroe. I will be happy with a good bowl game, hopefully the Cure Bowl, but lots of play left to do. GO APPS!

Frankly, I would be surprised if we ran the table the rest of the way. We have some very difficult games ahead of us, both home and away.

I agree we are going to get everyone's best shot this year.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

[AppSt94]

As it has been discussed, our schedule will work against us. However, winning the conference gets us into the conversation. The best way to align us for a New Year's Bowl is to win the conference this year. I saw bowl projections that had us playing in the Cure Bowl. One "Expert" had us playing ECU while another has us playing Pittsburgh. While I understand the allure to play ECU, I would rather play a P5 school. A win in a bowl game against a P5 would go along way to getting us recognition nationally.

FYI, the Cure Bowl has a tie-in with the AAC, so the Pitt projection would be based on the AAC not having enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all its spots (and the ACC having extra).

Thanks. I didn't do the research on conference tie ins. I wish we would go back to the old days where bowls went out and tried to get good matchups regardless of conference affiliation.

[AppinVA]

As it has been discussed, our schedule will work against us. However, winning the conference gets us into the conversation. The best way to align us for a New Year's Bowl is to win the conference this year. I saw bowl projections that had us playing in the Cure Bowl. One "Expert" had us playing ECU while another has us playing Pittsburgh. While I understand the allure to play ECU, I would rather play a P5 school. A win in a bowl game against a P5 would go along way to getting us recognition nationally.

FYI, the Cure Bowl has a tie-in with the AAC, so the Pitt projection would be based on the AAC not having enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all its spots (and the ACC having extra).

Thanks. I didn't do the research on conference tie ins. I wish we would go back to the old days where bowls went out and tried to get good matchups regardless of conference affiliation.

Nope. You'd have 11-1 teams from the Belt or coousa go without.

[AppSt94]

As it has been discussed, our schedule will work against us. However, winning the conference gets us into the conversation. The best way to align us for a New Year's Bowl is to win the conference this year. I saw bowl projections that had us playing in the Cure Bowl. One "Expert" had us playing ECU while another has us playing Pittsburgh. While I understand the allure to play ECU, I would rather play a P5 school. A win in a bowl game against a P5 would go along way to getting us recognition nationally.

FYI, the Cure Bowl has a tie-in with the AAC, so the Pitt projection would be based on the AAC not having enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all its spots (and the ACC having extra).

Thanks. I didn't do the research on conference tie ins. I wish we would go back to the old days where bowls went out and tried to get good matchups regardless of conference affiliation.

Nope. You'd have 11-1 teams from the Belt or coousa go without.

Only if they don't travel well.

[AppinVA]

Or ratings...or insert your P5>G5 argument here.