I was just reading The New Jersey Journal, and was kind of shocked to see that in one weeks time USF could go from a possible BCS bid to no bowl at all. The article stated that the Car Bowl could have taken USF yesterday but chose not to, and instead are waiting on the UConn game saturday. The Motor City Bowl opens up if Ohio State is chosen as an atlarge team in the BCS. I would think that if USF plays well Saturday, then that would bode well for them.

It sounds like the Car care Bowl is waiting to see what the outcome of the Uconn game. If Uconn wins, They would probably rather select Uconn, because of a better known name, and the fans have proven last year that they travel. USF is not proven yet as far as fans traveling. If Uconn loses, USF will be there for sure.

Eaglefan; Is this the article that you saw? It pretty much explains everything to me:



UCONN HUSKIES FOOTBALL
Meineke Has Eye On UConn
But Bid Hinges On Louisville Game
November 30, 2005
By KEN DAVIS, Courant Staff Writer

The UConn football team soon could be making plans for New Year's Eve in Charlotte, N.C.

A victory over No. 16 Louisville Saturday would virtually guarantee the Huskies a spot in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, sources said Tuesday. UConn (5-5, 2-4 Big East) must win to become bowl eligible. Representatives from the Meineke Car Care Bowl will be in attendance at Rentschler Field and might offer the Huskies a bid immediately after the game.

UConn kept its bowl hopes alive with a 15-10 victory over South Florida last week. South Florida (6-4, 4-2) is bowl eligible and plays West Virginia Saturday night, but the loss to UConn eliminated the Bulls from contention for the conference's Bowl Championship Series bid.

The BCS bid goes to West Virginia (9-1, 6-0), with the Mountaineers likely headed to the Sugar Bowl to play LSU or Georgia. Louisville (8-2, 4-2) has accepted a bid to the Gator Bowl, most likely against Miami. Rutgers accepted an invitation Monday to play Arizona State in the Insight Bowl.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl (11 a.m., ESPN2) is the only game affiliated with the Big East with an unresolved scenario. If UConn wins, the conference would have five bowl-eligible teams for only four spots. George Johnson, associate director for the Meineke Bowl, said no decision will be made this week, even though a bid could have been offered to South Florida by this time.

"We are waiting for the final outcome of the Connecticut game as well as the South Florida game," Johnson said Tuesday. "That exhausts our pool of teams to look at. If Connecticut wins, we have a decision to make. If Connecticut loses, there's no decision and we take South Florida."

The Big East team in the Meineke Bowl will receive $1.1 million, based on conference allocation. The Atlantic Coast Conference opponent is expected to be Clemson or North Carolina State.

A UConn victory coupled with a South Florida loss could leave the Bulls scrambling. There are 64 teams eligible for 56 bowl spots. Perhaps the only possibility for South Florida would be the Motor City Bowl in Detroit (Dec. 26, 4 p.m.). A Big East team could get a spot in that game if Ohio State receives an at-large bid to a BCS bowl because then the Big Ten would not be able to fulfill its commitment to the Motor City Bowl.

UConn won the Motor City Bowl last season in its first bowl appearance.

Johnson will attend the South Florida game in Tampa. Officials from the Sugar and Motor City bowls will also be at that game.

Will Webb, executive director of the Meineke Bowl, will be in East Hartford with Meineke president and CEO Ken Walker. Webb was at Rentschler earlier this season when UConn defeated Syracuse. Webb and his selection committee took a long look at UConn last year before selecting Boston College, then a Big East member, to play North Carolina.

"They are attractive to us," Johnson said. "I don't think it's fair to say [UConn is the favorite] at this point in time. We do have a selection committee. We meet once a week. I think we'd like to see what happens.

"Depending on the outcomes, I think we could announce something as early as Saturday night. But I couldn't say that definitively."

Cuseroc, I don't believe it is, but it says the same thing as what I have read. I know the Car Bowl guy is trying to be nice but if UConn wasn't the favorite then USF would already be invited. I think a good performance against WV will help them. It is unfortunate for USF, because they have not been to a bowl yet, to prove how well they could travel.

One flaw in that article:

Of the 64 (65 in UConn wins) bowl eligible teams, seven play in the MAC, which has two (I think) auto bids, and most of the teams have fanbases that I imagine would dwarf USF's. BTW, three of the MAC's bowl-eligible teams are in the division that beats the stuffing out of Buffalo and Kent.

Also, two in the Sun Belt (I can't see >1 going to a bowl), and four in the WAC (probably three are actually bowl-destined). C-USA also has one more eligible team than they have spots.

Now the MWC has five at this point. It may come down to USF vs. NM or CSU. I'm sure Utah or BYU with their fans get the nod over the other 6-5's. It would all depend on how things shake out, and where the open spots remain. There are more bowls in the east than the west.

All this said, it's a moot point if UConn loses to UL (which I predict). But, it WOULD be sweet if, after all the grief the BE has taken, that we end up with five eligible teams :D

Lemmiwinks Wrote:One flaw in that article:

Of the 64 (65 in UConn wins) bowl eligible teams, seven play in the MAC, which has two (I think) auto bids, and most of the teams have fanbases that I imagine would dwarf USF's. BTW, three of the MAC's bowl-eligible teams are in the division that beats the stuffing out of Buffalo and Kent.

Also, two in the Sun Belt (I can't see >1 going to a bowl), and four in the WAC (probably three are actually bowl-destined). C-USA also has one more eligible team than they have spots.

Now the MWC has five at this point. It may come down to USF vs. NM or CSU. I'm sure Utah or BYU with their fans get the nod over the other 6-5's. It would all depend on how things shake out, and where the open spots remain. There are more bowls in the east than the west.

All this said, it's a moot point if UConn loses to UL (which I predict). But, it WOULD be sweet if, after all the grief the BE has taken, that we end up with five eligible teams :D

CSU, Utah, and BYU already have accepted bids to bowls. If UConn wins they go to Charlotte and USF to Detroit. If Uconn loses then USF to Charlotte.

The WAC has Nevada pencilled into Hawaii but is trying to get them into either the Motor City Bowl (if Ohio State makes the BCS) or the Las Vegas Bowl (if Oregon makes the BCS). That would allow the WAC to send fourth place Louisiana Tech to the Hawaii Bowl.

New Mexico is the odd team out in the MWC right now. Their best hope might be Oregon making the BCS. The Las Vegas Bowl could then select New Mexico vs. BYU and immediately trade New Mexico to another bowl, like Hawaii, to avoid a MWC vs. MWC game.

Houston is the odd team out in CUSA because they have the smallest fan base. CUSA is supposedly trying to dangle Memphis to the Motor City Bowl if Ohio State makes the BCS. That would allow CUSA to send Houston to one of its own bowls (likely Hawaii).

But if Connecticut upsets Louisville, that throws another monkey wrench into everyone's plans. Does the Big East have enough pull with the Motor City Bowl to get a 6-5 team into that slot? They don't have to take a Big East team with fewer than 7 victories.

Krocker Krapp Wrote:The WAC has Nevada pencilled into Hawaii but is trying to get them into either the Motor City Bowl (if Ohio State makes the BCS) or the Las Vegas Bowl (if Oregon makes the BCS). That would allow the WAC to send fourth place Louisiana Tech to the Hawaii Bowl.

New Mexico is the odd team out in the MWC right now. Their best hope might be Oregon making the BCS. The Las Vegas Bowl could then select New Mexico vs. BYU and immediately trade New Mexico to another bowl, like Hawaii, to avoid a MWC vs. MWC game.

Houston is the odd team out in CUSA because they have the smallest fan base. CUSA is supposedly trying to dangle Memphis to the Motor City Bowl if Ohio State makes the BCS. That would allow CUSA to send Houston to one of its own bowls (likely Hawaii).

But if Connecticut upsets Louisville, that throws another monkey wrench into everyone's plans. Does the Big East have enough pull with the Motor City Bowl to get a 6-5 team into that slot? They don't have to take a Big East team with fewer than 7 victories.

I think the MC Bowl has to take a BE team if they are Bowl eligible. I have never seen that provision about having to have 7 wins before. I am not saying it isn't true, just that I have never read or heard about it.

The Motor City president was quoted on the Tampa paper today saying that should UConn win and be taken by the Meineke Bowl they would pick USF wether they won or lost vs WV

BE has a contract with MCB that if there is not enough B10 bowl eligible teams available, they have to take a BE team. So, if UCONN wins on SAT, UCONN will go to Car Care Bowl and USF will go to Detroit. Not a bad deal and none of the WAC, CUSA or MWC teams will be selected by MCB.

Clear enough? On that note, lets go Huskies and kick some Cards ****** and go to a bowl. It will be a huge motivation for the team. RENT will be freezing but the entire stadium will be packed with noise. It should be awesome on ESPN.

St. Patrick Eagle Wrote:I think the MC Bowl has to take a BE team if they are Bowl eligible. I have never seen that provision about having to have 7 wins before. I am not saying it isn't true, just that I have never read or heard about it.

The actual Motor City Bowl back-up contract with the Big East does have a 7 win clause. They can still choose a 6 win team if they want. But the 7 win clause does exist. I didn't make it up.

Cubanbull Wrote:The Motor City president was quoted on the Tampa paper today saying that should UConn win and be taken by the Meineke Bowl they would pick USF wether they won or lost vs WV

That answers the question. UConn wins and 5 Big East teams go to bowls. Motor City decided to not bother with the 7 win clause and take a Big East team anyway. Good business decision.

SF Husky Wrote:BE has a contract with MCB that if there is not enough B10 bowl eligible teams available, they have to take a BE team. So, if UCONN wins on SAT, UCONN will go to Car Care Bowl and USF will go to Detroit. Not a bad deal and none of the WAC, CUSA or MWC teams will be selected by MCB.

The actual Motor City Bowl back-up contract with the Big East does have a 7 win clause. They made a good business decision not to be technical about it this year. Those other teams? Wah!

SF Husky Wrote:BE has a contract with MCB that if there is not enough B10 bowl eligible teams available, they have to take a BE team. So, if UCONN wins on SAT, UCONN will go to Car Care Bowl and USF will go to Detroit. Not a bad deal and none of the WAC, CUSA or MWC teams will be selected by MCB.

Clear enough? On that note, lets go Huskies and kick some Cards ****** and go to a bowl. It will be a huge motivation for the team. RENT will be freezing but the entire stadium will be packed with noise. It should be awesome on ESPN.

Sorry Husky, I would love for you guys to be bowl Eligible but I don't want it to happen at the expense of my team losing.LOL Hopefully we can brave the elements and play up to potential. I'm looking towards a tough UCONN defense and good luck this weekend. I was going to fly up to CT but I don't think I could take watching that game at night in the freezing temps. I guess I"m not a real football fan.LOL I wish that game was earlier so I could go, I have family in East Hartford, but I will definitly be at the basketball game when we play you guys in Hartford. :wave:

SF Husky Wrote:BE has a contract with MCB that if there is not enough B10 bowl eligible teams available, they have to take a BE team. So, if UCONN wins on SAT, UCONN will go to Car Care Bowl and USF will go to Detroit. Not a bad deal and none of the WAC, CUSA or MWC teams will be selected by MCB.

Wouldn't Ohio State need to make it to the BCS?