TCU in the Houston Bowl

December 02, 2007

Drew Champlin

A 7-5 TCU team is going to the Texas Bowl.

What does this mean? Not sure, really. It could mean the BCS took two Big 12 teams (not announced yet) and the Texas Bowl had an opening. OR, the Texas Bowl took a 7-5 TCU team over 6-6 Oklahoma State and 6-6 Colorado.

Seems as if I read somewhere that the bowl had CUSA vs. either Big 12/MWC, with the MWC team (TCU) going if it had 7 wins.

Bowl Watch, 201

Drew Champlin

I guess we’ve graduated into sophomores in this Bowl Watch thing now.

I spoke to Troy head coach Larry Blakeney a few minutes ago, and he and the Troy officials are pretty much in the same line of thinking as I am. If the BCS shuns Hawaii OR invites Arizona State and a second Big 10 school (to the Rose, Ohio State is in the title game) to one of its bowls, then it should have the Armed Forces Bowl left over for Troy.

The selection show is at 7 p.m. Usually stuff leaks out before then, but it should be an interesting few hours.

Of note, Arizona State beat Washington earlier this year 44-20, but might have to watch Hawaii, a team that played Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern and team that beat Washington 35-28 in the final minute, go to a BCS.

Maybe I was too out of it to realize this earlier, but….

Drew Champlin

Air Force and TCU are in the same conference, so I don’t think they would play in that bowl game (Armed Forces). Makes sense as to why the guy didn’t mention them earlier. Now, it looks like if the BCS pulls an upset and picks Arizona State instead of a second Big 12 school, Troy should be in because the Pac 10 wouldn’t be able to fill its spot.

Am I right in thinking that? Of course, the Big 10 would have to have 2 BCS entries, and this is still assuming the Sugar Bowl takes Hawaii.

Some projections have Kansas vs. Oklahoma in the Fiesta, but they didn’t play each other in the regular season. Air Force and TCU did.

If the Fiesta Bowl wants the hometown team, they’ll pick ASU. Missouri might have a better resume and Kansas has just one loss (but no marquee wins).

Unless more and more crazy stuff happen. It’s been a long football season.

Heard back from a couple of bowls

Drew Champlin

Guy from the Armed Forces Bowl said obviously the Pac 10 would have to get 2 teams in the BCS (USC, perhaps Arizona State), but if so, Troy is definitely on their radar. If Hawaii gets in the BCS, Arizona State would have to get selected over a second Big 10 or a Big 12. The Fiesta Bowl might like Arizona State because of proximity but a lot of projections have Kansas playing Oklahoma in that bowl (weird, but true, since they didn’t play each other in the season).

I’m off to church from 10:30-noon, but if I hear anything, I’ll keep you informed. If the Pac 10 gets just USC in the BCS, then the Pac 10 will fill all its spots, including in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Guy from the Texas Bowl emails me back....

..."I don’t think Troy is in the picture for the Texas Bowl.  Our conference affiliations are Conference USA and the Big 12.  Houston has already accepted a bid to represent CUSA in the game, and we’ll know their opponent today.  It will either be a Big 12 team or possibly one from the Mountain West if there aren’t enough Big 12 teams available.  We select eighth among Big 12-affiliated bowls, and eight bowl-eligible teams from the conference.  If two Big 12 schools go to the BCS, there would be one team too few for us to have one from the conference.”

These would the two media representatives, not necessarily the guys who make the selections.

Well, here’s the situation

Drew Champlin

Oh goodness, how bout that ending? First a long pass, then the INT off the deflected ball? Goodness.

With Hawaii’s come-from-behind win, it looks like Troy may not be in a bowl game after all UNLESS Hawaii is not selected for a BCS game OR Troy is picked over a team like TCU or one of the Big 10s who is still around.

Got to figure these teams are in the BCS, with Ohio State in the title game. These are purely my guesses based on projection readings, and in no particular order.
1. Ohio State
2. West Virginia
3. Virginia Tech
4. LSU
5. Oklahoma
6. Georgia
7. USC
8. Hawaii
9. Illinois (in Rose with OSU in title game)
10. Kansas/Missouri (most likely) or a 2nd ACC or a 2nd Pac 10

Hawaii probably takes Arizona State’s spot, and it fills up all the Pac 10 spots, eliminating the Armed Forces Bowl from consideration. With two Big 10 teams in the BCS, all the Big 10 spots are filled with 7-win teams and they have no extras. With just one ACC team in the BCS, all the ACC spots, including the Humanitarian, are filled.

That leaves Troy at 8-4 and TCU at 7-5. TCU beat just one team with a winning or .500 record - New Mexico. The MWC would have filled their spots, but you figure the Texas Bowl would take a geographically closer TCU over Troy, who has beaten two teams (Oklahoma State and UL-Monroe) with .500 records.

That, or just hope that the BCS does not take Hawaii. That would open up a second spot for Troy somewhere.

Here’s some 6-6 teams that will get in over Troy
Alabama or South Carolina (SEC tie-in)
Nevada
Colorado
Oklahoma State
UCLA
California

Plenty more 7-5 teams. Guess Troy had its chance earlier today, but didn’t get it done.