[goblue12]

Let's figure out how!

First off, 62 of the 68 bowl tie-in's are already filled.

The following conference have filled all of their tie-in's baring something unforeseen by the BCS...

- SEC (9 tie-in's + BCS at-large)
- Big 12 (8 tie-in's)
- Pac-10 (6 tie-in's)
- Conference USA (6 tie-in's)
- WAC (3 tie-in's + BCS at-large)
- MAC (3 tie-in's)
- Sun Belt (only 1 tie-in)

The remaining tie-in's that have not been filled are...

- Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (Big Ten #7, they will get 2 teams in the BCS)
- GMAC Bowl (ACC #9, will go to Middle Tennessee)
- EagleBank Bowl (ACC #8, will go to Temple)
- Humanitarian Bowl (MWC #5, TCU will get in the BCS and the MWC only has 5 bowl eligible teams)
- St. Petersburg Bowl (Big East #6, should fill this assuming UConn wins one of their last two games)
- Armed Forces or New Mexico Bowl (MWC #4, should TCU go to the BCS and Wyoming lose to Colorado State)

Middle Tennessee, the runner-up in the MAC East (Ohio or Temple), and any remaining 7+ win team MUST BE SELECTED over any 6-win team, and that includes Notre Dame.

If the following teams win on Saturday, the Irish will not be going bowling...

- Stanford (-7.5; kills the Gator Bowl bid for ND)
- Connecticut (-12; kills the St. Petersburg bid for the at-large teams)
- Bowling Green (-7.5; another 7+ win team that must be selected ahead of ND)
- Wyoming (+3; kills the Armed Forces or New Mexico Bowl bid for the at-large team)
- UL Monroe (+4; another 7+ win team that must be selected ahead of ND)

Justice just might actually be served for the team who refuses to join a conference. To think, they would be comfortably in the Alamo Bowl had they been in the Big Ten.

[daneblazer]

they'll get invited. The question is will they want to go?

They've turned down lesser bowls in the past.

[goblue12]

they'll get invited. The question is will they want to go?

They've turned down lesser bowls in the past.

Did you manage to read any part of my post?

They won't go to a bowl if there are enough 7-win at-large teams.

If Stanford, UConn, Bowling Green, UL Monroe and Wyoming win, there won't be a bowl for them.

[daneblazer]

Sure I managed to read it. I also don't believe all the stuff you referenced to will happen. That's why they'll be invited.

Is it possible? Sure.

[goblue12]

Apologizes for jumping at your throat. You are entitled to your opinion.

Wyoming and UL Monroe are both underdogs and could easily lose, which would open up the Humanitarian Bowl for either UCLA or Notre Dame, and the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl for the other one. And of course, one of the TD underdogs (ND, Toledo, Syracuse) could win outright on the road. Stranger things have happened.

I'm just saying, this has a lot more legs then people are giving it credit.

[MartinBlank]

Go Blue.

Check again.

I don't believe the Big 12 has filled their spots. Kansas State has 2 wins over 1-AA teams....and only one can count. Additionally, if the Big 12 lands another BCS spot.....another spot opens for ND.

If Penn State or Iowa get a BCS bid----another bowl spot opens up.

The Moutain West with TCU going to a BCS game will also have an opening.

All that aside----the International Bowl played in Toronto on January 2nd has a specific clause that then can select ND over any Big East team---so ask yourself this----if you are the bowl committee for the International Bowl---are you going to select Rutgers, South Florida or Notre Dame? Which of those three teams will sell more tickets and draw a bigger tv audience?

ND is going to a bowl game at 6-6. Guaranteed.

[hhsilver]

I hope they go so they can start another bowl losing streak and finish at 6-7. They stopped their longest ever bowl losing streak last year by going to a lesser bowl and finally winning one against a mediocre team.

[titleist1604]

they won't go 6-6

[BigdaddyQH]

Did you manage to read any part of my post?

They won't go to a bowl if there are enough 7-win at-large teams.

If Stanford, UConn, Bowling Green, UL Monroe and Wyoming win, there won't be a bowl for them.

Notre Dame is considered past of the Big East for Bowl purposes. What you must remember is that bowls do not have to choose teams based on their records. They can opt for a 6-6 team over a 10-2 team if they want. This is why Notre Dame will go to a bowl. My guessw is the Pizza Bowl, the day after Christmas against Central Michigan or Temple. I will lay you 10/1 that unless Notre Dame turns down a bowl request, they are going. They will definately be asked.

[Serbone]

Under the circumstances, I think they almost certainly will decline a bowl invitation.

[MartinBlank]

They accepted a bowl bid after they fired Willingham.

I think Kent Baer coached them in the Insight Bowl.

[goblue12]

Go Blue.

Check again.

I don't believe the Big 12 has filled their spots. Kansas State has 2 wins over 1-AA teams....and only one can count. Additionally, if the Big 12 lands another BCS spot.....another spot opens for ND.

If Penn State or Iowa get a BCS bid----another bowl spot opens up.

The Moutain West with TCU going to a BCS game will also have an opening.

All that aside----the International Bowl played in Toronto on January 2nd has a specific clause that then can select ND over any Big East team---so ask yourself this----if you are the bowl committee for the International Bowl---are you going to select Rutgers, South Florida or Notre Dame? Which of those three teams will sell more tickets and draw a bigger tv audience?

ND is going to a bowl game at 6-6. Guaranteed.

That ... I did not know. Was there a backdoor deal last year with the Hawai'i Bowl? Because if that was true, I'm trying to figure out why the International Bowl didn't take ND and took UConn instead.

Everything else you stated I had already taken into consideration. I had the Big Ten, SEC, Boise State, and TCU getting the at-large bids.

The MWC has 5 tie-in's (3 which are locked up between Utah, BYU, Air Force) with the New Mexico / Armed Forces Bowl pending on Wyoming's upset over Colorado State. The Humanitarian Bowl will be open unless TCU is left out of the BCS.

The Big 12 has 8 tie-in's and 8 teams bowl eligible (9 teams with 6+ wins, KSU is 6-6, not going bowling). They will fill all of their tie-in's assuming Oklahoma State loses in Norman this week which would kill all hope of a second team in the BCS for the Big 12.

[MartinBlank]

That ... I did not know. Was there a backdoor deal last year with the Hawai'i Bowl? Because if that was true, I'm trying to figure out why the International Bowl didn't take ND and took UConn instead.

Everything else you stated I had already taken into consideration. I had the Big Ten, SEC, Boise State, and TCU getting the at-large bids.

The MWC has 5 tie-in's (3 which are locked up between Utah, BYU, Air Force) with the New Mexico / Armed Forces Bowl pending on Wyoming's upset over Colorado State. The Humanitarian Bowl will be open unless TCU is left out of the BCS.

The Big 12 has 8 tie-in's and 8 teams bowl eligible (9 teams with 6+ wins, KSU is 6-6, not going bowling). They will fill all of their tie-in's assuming Oklahoma State loses in Norman this week which would kill all hope of a second team in the BCS for the Big 12.

Last year, ND simply did threw the Big East a bone.

The Hawaii bowl came about because the Pac-10 didn't meet their allotment.

ND had their choice---they selected the Hawaii Bowl because it allowed the Big East to fill their spots as well. Call it a good will gesture.

I do not see any scenario that would keep ND out of a bowl game.

Bowls are desperate to sell tix and tv ratings---and in this economy they will take ND over anything the Big East has to offer.

[polson22]

so, what are the odds of notre dame getting to toronto? that would be absolutely huge

[BigdaddyQH]

Not good. The Irish seem to be penciled in by most experts in the Pizza Bowl against a MAC team, probably Central Michigan. It is closer for them. If Big 10 sends two teams to BCS games, they can not fill their spot in this game and the Irish will take it. Any bowl is good for a team because of the extra practice the team gets.