Iowa cannot play in the Gator, Outback or Pinstripe. 8-4 or 9-3 & no Indy? Holiday Bowl (San Diego)
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
See the Doctherman tweet above, where he says "I have a feeling a few of these bowls (cough, Gator, cough) might turn these rules into guidelines."
Translation: Dochterman was wrong when he said Iowa could not play in the Gator Bowl.
isn't it mostly a chance for the bowl reps to wine and dine and introduce themselves in person to the AD, the head coach, etc? then on bowl selection day, this is not the first time Iowa has heard from that bowl
Iowa's "problem" getting to the Holiday Bowl involves several facts:
1. Michigan, like Iowa, hasn't been to the Holiday Bowl during the relevant contract period.
2. Holiday Bowl picks before the Gator Bowl.
3. USC is the likely Pac12 rep in the Holiday Bowl.
4. Holiday Bowl reps are likely salivating over a Michigan / USC "blue blood" match-up.
5. Michigan beat Iowa.
The rules regarding teams playing at the same bowl multiple times within a particular time frame are drafted to protect the bowls, not the teams. Bowls don't want to be the same destination for the same team year-after-year. If you doubt that, look at a large number of Iowa fans' reaction to the Outback Bowl bid last year.
Iowa won't be considered for the CFP, the Rose Bowl or the Outback Bowl. That leaves the Citrus Bowl, Holiday Bowl and Gator Bowl as the next three opportunities.
Fair questions/assertions:
Citrus Bowl: Why would the Citrus Bowl, with the opportunity to pick the third best B1G team, chose Iowa over 9-3 Michigan (Michigan won head-to-head), 10-2 Minnesota, 10-2 Wisconsin or 10-2 Penn State? Won't happen. Citrus Bowl is out.
Outback Bowl: No way in hell that Outback Bowl would consider yet another Iowa invitation.
Holiday Bowl: Assuming that OSU goes CFP and Minnesota, Wisconsin and Penn State take the Rose, Citrus and Outback (in no particular order), why would the Holiday Bowl take Iowa over Michigan? Particularly if it can get a Michigan / USC match-up? I can't see that happening. Also, to those who think that the B1G will work hard to slot Iowa in this bowl and relegate Michigan to the Gator Bowl . . . you're nuts. If the Holiday Bowl wants Michigan and Michigan wants to go to San Diego, Iowa isn't getting any special treatment.
Gator Bowl: They'd be left with choosing Iowa again (despite the 2015 invitation) and perhaps face a repeat Iowa/Tennessee match-up. As unattractive as this may look, they'd be left looking at choosing from Indiana (8-4?) or Illinois (7-5?). If Gator Bowl follows the contract limitations (no repeat teams in 5 years), it will choose Indiana. If it doesn't care about a repeat invite, it will pick Iowa.
*** Wildcard: Iowa and B1G put pressure on Gator Bowl to take an ACC team and let the Music City Bowl pick a B1G team. In that case, Iowa heads to Nashville. No doubt about it.
Redbox Bowl: If a 9-3 Iowa team is left on the board, its a no brainer. Iowa will be heading to northern California.
Iowa fans wanting to travel to San Diego should be HUGE Indiana fans this weekend followed by HUGE OSU fans. Michigan needs to lose out for a Holiday Bowl bid to be realistic option.
My money, short of a Michigan meltdown, is on the B1G trying to work a deal to get Iowa to Nashville. Otherwise, it'll be a game in Jacksonville or San Jose.
From what has been described to me, B1G admins communicate extensively with the bowls about which teams they are considering and have previously "worked" with bowls in an effort to slot B1G teams.
I'd speculate that a pretty strong message could be delivered to the Gator Bowl that they shouldn't expect a strong turnout for a repeat Iowa/Tennessee football game and that the bowl officials need only look at Iowa turnout in Tampa last year as an example.
From a financial perspective, the Gator Bowl may be better off picking an ACC team to face a SEC team.
By rule, we are likely headed to the Holiday since we hit that 8 win mark.
Will the bowls follow the rules or will they use the rules simply as guidelines?
Will the bowls follow the rules or will they use the rules simply as guidelines?
Check out the quote from the Gator Bowl President. Even he is not sure if they could pick Iowa if they wanted to. If he doesn't know.....
For me, it’s hard to get excited about the Music City Bowl. Nashville is a decent city (I used to live there), but the game isn’t generally a great matchup. Since the bowl’s inception in 1998, there have been 5 ranked teams selected to play. The Holiday Bowl is a different story. Over the same period of time, the Holiday has hosted 30 ranked teams. I’ll take the Holiday Bowl any day and I think this team deserves a better matchup than they can get in Nashville.
Yeah, I think Iowa fans are excited about San Diego. Its been a long time coming.
I'm sure the Holiday Bowl director was super impressed with the 15,000 empty seats at Kinnick on Senior Day vs. another bowl-eligible team during perfect football weather.
and only 58,000 tickets distributed/sold, correct?
EDIT:
Attendance: 58,331
Source: https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401112155
The "rules" they write are of course more like guidelines. No way would they want to lock themselves into something completely inflexible.
If um can't do better than the Holiday, and it comes down to them or Iowa we know which way that is going to go. I'd like to see Iowa get the Holiday, but Redbox doesn't seem entirely unlikely.
If um can't do better than the Holiday, and it comes down to them or Iowa we know which way that is going to go. I'd like to see Iowa get the Holiday, but Redbox doesn't seem entirely unlikely.
Flying to the west coast is super expensive in late december.
Holiday Bowl is a better bowl, but i dont see attendance being great just due to money reasons.
Nashville isnt as big of a bowl, but there would be 2x as many iowa fans to make that trip.
Holiday Bowl is a better bowl, but i dont see attendance being great just due to money reasons.
Nashville isnt as big of a bowl, but there would be 2x as many iowa fans to make that trip.
correct me if I am wrong, but Michigan fans don't travel very well for "lesser" bowls, IIRC....
One of the largest alumni bases in the country (perhaps the largest). Tons of Michigan alumni in southern California. If the Holiday Bowl could line up Michigan/USC, they’d do it in a heart beat. And, frankly, why should the Holiday Bowl pass on Michigan and take Iowa? Great chance that Michigan will be ranked higher in CFP (even with loss to OSU), will have same overall record as Iowa and will have won the head-to-head match-up. Both teams lost to Penn State and Wisconsin.
It seems that the only way Iowa would get the Holiday over Michigan is if the Big Ten forced their hand, which is possible.
Iowa's bowl scenarios following the Holiday:
Gator - GB has basically already come out and said we're not going there. Would make little sense for Gator to take the same B1G team twice in their 3 picks, and makes even less sense for them to make a deal with the Music City and give up their last chance at a Big Ten team for the foreseeable future, especially with the middle of the ACC so weak this year.
Pinstripe - Please no. That bowl preaches about how they want 8 different teams in 8 years. Perfect spot for a 6-7 win team.
Redbox - Looks like would be the landing spot for Iowa if they get passed by the Holiday. Iowa simply deserves better than this game. In the game's 17-year history, a total of 3 ranked teams have played in it, and none since the Big Ten's agreement started with them.
My feeling is that if Iowa and Michigan both finish 9-3, it will be Iowa in the Holiday and Michigan in the Gator. It makes the most sense. Iowa has played in the Gator more recently, and Michigan has played in the Holiday more recently. I can't imagine Iowa falling to the Redbox, behind Indiana and Illinois. The biggest factor will be if the Holiday really wants Michigan, how much power do they have to say "It's our turn to pick and we're taking who we want." I don't think any of us really know.
That will be where I am staying. I have flight and hotel saved if hawks go to San Diego.
Then where do you slot Minnesota (at most 2 losses), Wisconsin (2 or 3 losses) and Penn State (likely only 2 losses)? If Michigan and Ohio State take NY6 bowl slots, the next three B1G bowls are Citrus, Outback and Holiday.
You think Iowa is going to leapfrog Minnesota, Wisconsin or Penn State?
Make it happen. Also my bowl of preference. I will not go to Redbox. Definately go to San Diego and Orlando. 60-40 going to Gator bowl.
Delaney dumped the Alamo so he could focus on "bowls from coast to coast".
So we have bad bowls like Pinstripe and RedBox to meet his artificial goal.
The goal should be good bowls that people want to attend. The Pinstripe is a crap bowl.
That's one scenario. However, I think that it is unlikely. The Gator Bowl is the SEC's "6th bowl" (outside of CFP) If two SEC teams make the CFP, that doesn't leave an attractive SEC opponent for the Gator Bowl. Heck, even if only one SEC team makes the CFP, the Sugar, Orange, Citrus, Outback and Music City will take Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and A&M. Not much left over from the SEC.
You really think that the B1G is going to force the Holiday Bowl's hand to pass over a 9-3 Michigan team to take Iowa and force Michigan to play Tennessee (at best 7-5), Kentucky (at best 7-5), Missouri (at best 6-6 if bowl eligible) or Mississippi State (at best 6-6)?
I'm just not seeing that.
That written, my Holiday Bowl bid thinking is evolving.
There are 8 slots in the NY6 bowls. One goes to the SEC, one to the B1G, one to ACC, one to SEC and one to Big 12. Since a non-Power 5 won't be in CFP, one will go to a non-Power 5 team (probably Memphis). That leaves 2 at-large spots.
Scenario #1: SEC gets two teams in CFP (Georgia, LSU and/or Alabama)
SEC: Would SEC get one team or two teams in NY6 if two SEC teams make it to the CFP? (Florida, Georgia, LSU and Alabama are the candidates)
B1G: Only OSU is a viable CFP team. Would the B1G get two teams in the NY6 mix (one to the Rose and one to another bowl)? Minnesota, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan are candidates.
ACC: Nope. They will get only one team in NY6 after Clemson is picked to CFP.
Pac 12: Oregon's loss helps the B1G. After the Rose takes Oregon or Utah, can the Pac 12 get another team in? Probably not. To be safe, Iowa fans wanting San Diego should root for Utah.
Big 12: If two SEC teams make the CFP, that means no Big 12 team is going. That puts the Big 12 champion in the Sugar Bowl. Would the Big 12 runner-up (OU or Baylor) be picked over a second B1G team?
Then it boils down to what conference will get a second team picked?
My guess? SEC won't get two in the CFP and two in the NY6. I'm thinking that the SEC gets one more and the B1G will get two
Scenario #2: One SEC team in the CFP.
SEC: SEC definitely gets two teams in NY6 if only one is in the CFP.
B1G: Only OSU is a viable CFP team. Would the B1G get the last spot after the SEC grabs one of the two slots? Minnesota, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan are candidates.
ACC: Nope. They will get only one team in NY6 after Clemson is picked to CFP.
Pac 12: If Oregon or Utah is in the CFP, the Pac will only get a team in the Rose and no other NY6. If the Big 12 and not Pac 12 gets a team in CFP, then the question remains if Oregon and Utah would both get NY6 bids (Rose and another bowl).
Big 12: If OU or Baylor gets a CFP bid, that means the other will play in the Sugar Bowl. No other chance to play NY6. If Pac 12 takes the CFP slot, that puts the Big 12 champion in the Sugar Bowl and leaves question of would the Big 12 runner-up (OU or Baylor) be picked over a second B1G team?
I think that Iowa's chances of going to the Holiday Bowl depends upon what conference will grab one of the last two NY6 slots.
I think that Iowa's best chance of getting to Holiday involves (a) two SEC teams making it to CFP and (b) OSU in CFP; and Wisconsin, Minnesota or Penn State to Rose Bowl and (c) Wisconsin, Minnesota or Penn State to Cotton Bowl to play Memphis.
That written, I still like the B1G's chances to grab the final NY6 slot even if only one SEC team makes the CFP. Notre Dame not being in the mix this year really helps the B1G's chances of landing that second NY6 slot.
The Rose Bowl's pick will be interesting this year. I think that it will choose the highest ranked B1G team in CFP - assuming OSU runs the table. Could be Penn State, Minnesota or Wisconsin. Frankly, for getting to the Holiday Bowl, Iowa fans should probably root for Minnesota to finish 11-1, get the Rose Bowl berth and then have a 10-2 Penn State team fighting for a NY6 bid.
It will be interesting to see how far PSU drops after losing to OSU. Common sense says that it shouldn't be far but . . . who the f knows?
If B1G doesn't get one team in CFP and two in the NY6, I see Iowa going to the Redbox Bowl unless B1G can force a swap between Gator and Music City.
why would you possibly want the Pinstripe Bowl? it sucks. it's in the Bronx, on a baseball field. there are no sight lines and, if they don't make an honest attempt to make the field right the players end up sliding in mud. The Bronx sucks on most days (except for Arthur Ave) on a cold winter day it really sucks.
(unless of course you were joking then just ignore me)
When Iowa was there a couple years ago, the players were sliding on an ice rink.
my old team, Rutgers was there twice. the first time they didn't put any barriers in the end zones...the players were slamming into seats..it was a disaster. The second time it was warm, all mud.
