Best Bowl Game options.

I think BYU will qualify for a bowl game this year and I hope they're 11-1 and every other team has three losses and they make the playoffs or the get to play ND in the Fiesta bowl but if not here are the options.



The best matchups are predicated on one of the P5 conferences not filling their spots and leaving one open against another P5. Some of you might prefer the Bahama or Miami Beach bowl but this is based off getting a P5 matchup.



B1G 14 teams, 9 bowl tie-ins (8 vs P5, MAC already has secondary tie-in to Quick Lane). B1G had a poor showing this week but only has 3 teams that are very unlikely to make bowls. If Ohio, PSU, and one other make it to the playoff/NY6 and they cannibalise and only produce 7-8 bowl eligible teams BYU could sneak into the San Francisco Bowl. This is probably the best case scenario in terms of it likelihood and location because the B1G could get multiple teams in the NY6 games.



B12 10 teams, 7 bowl tie-ins (6 vs P5, MWC has secondary tie-in with Cheez-it, AAC with Liberty). The Texas bowl is the best chance, but they already look like they'll have the teams even if one qualifies for the playoffs and another for NY6. I suppose if Baylor gets a bowl ban and has a good year beating other B12 opponents this is more of a possibility.



ACC 15 teams (including ND), 11 bowl tie-ins (10 vs P5, MAC has secondary tie in to Quick Lane, AAC backs up the Independence bowl). 8 league games makes the ACC more likely to hit their quota. And with all the lower tier bowls having backups already they'd only have to produce 7-8 bowl eligible teams to take up all the P5vP5 slots. Best chance is the Taxslayer bowl.



SEC 14 teams, 10 bowls (9 vs P5 teams, AAC backs up both the Liberty and Independence bowls). If 2-3 teams make the playoffs and NY6 this could happen. Best shot would be the Texas bowl vs B12. They only play 8 conference games so this is still pretty unlikely.



PAC 12 teams, 7 bowls (6 with P5 teams, MWC has secondary agreement with Cheez-it bowl). If Stanford, Oregon, UW, or CO make it to the playoff and another team makes the Rose bowl, and PAC only has 6 eligible teams BYU could play in the Sun bowl vs the ACC. The LVB is in play here as well, and, considering how poorly the PAC has played might be the most likely place BYU ends up but that would be vs a MWC team.



I love BYU football.

At 11-1, with wins over Wisconsin, Washington, and Boise St., we would have a shot at the Fiesta Bowl. We'd need to beat out two or three P5 conference runners up (Wisconsin and Washington?) and/or Notre Dame. If we reached the NY6 threshold, the CFP Selection Committee would pair us with the G5 champ that gets the NY6 access bid, unless that is Boise St.



If we finish with 8 to 10 wins, we have a shot at the Cheeze-It (Cactus) Bowl in Phoenix against a B12 opponent - like Texas or TCU?!! I wouldn't mind the San Francisco Bowl against a PAC 12 - or even B1G - opponent.



If we're barely bowl eligible at 6-6, I think we play in the Frisco Bowl against an AAC team - may be Houston...but more likely Tulane.



But, I'm thinking we finish with 8 or 9 wins and end up in the Armed Forces Bowl against Army or Navy. Not a bad destination.

Cheez-it won't happen because the MWC has the spot if either P5 conference doesn't make it. That't the reason we won't go to the Liberty, Quick Lane, or Independence bowls either (unless ESPN pulls some strings there).



Best options are the San Francisco, Texas, and Sun bowls as they don't have G5 backup contracts. The Las Vegas Bowl could happen as well, though that would be against a MWC team. The Sun bowl is the best bet particularly if the PAC gets a team in the playoff, the second place team goes to the Rose Bowl, and they only have 6 eligible teams which looks likely now given their out of conference performance. That would be against an ACC team which would be a great matchup for BYU. I'd love to see them play Virginia there.



At 11-1 BYU could get the Fiesta or Peach bowl, probably the Fiesta bowl based on proximity. It really depends on what the matchups are. Would they play UCF vs Georgia/Auburn/LSU in the peach and BYU vs a B1G team in the Fiesta or would they completely burn one of those bowls with BYU and UCF. Hard to say.

The CFP committee could maximize attendance and probably TV ratings with UCF/USF v. SEC in Atlanta and BYU v. B1G/PAC/B12 in Phoenix. I note that the Fiesta Bowl has the "early" kickoff on January 1 this year - that could be 11am local time....



Back to reality - looks like San Francisco bowl would probably be the easiest destination to make room for BYU, if BYU finishes with a good win-loss record.

Going to ANY bowl game would be nice after last year.

I am hoping we hit jackpot with something like the Sun bowl.

scott715 wrote:

I am hoping we hit jackpot with something like the Sun bowl.

The Sun Bowl against Virginia would be my third choice. Second choice is the San Francisco Bowl because I'd go for sure. First choice is a NY6/playoff spot.



It probably also depends on the wording of the ESPN bowl contract which says ESPN will provide access to a bowl if BYU is bowl eligible. The Sun Bowl is on CBS so BYU might have to take an ESPN bowl.



It makes you wonder if BYU should have a back-up agreement with the Cheez-it bowl which would be very likely this year given the PAC records. BYU is stuck hoping for one of the Sun, Texas, San Francisco, or Taxslayer bowls not to fill. I think the best chances are the Sun bowl or the SF bowl but the chances of these look pretty slim. Otherwise it will be a lesser bowl against at best an OK opponent. Signing a back-up agreement with the Cheez-it bowl in Phoenix seems like a no brainer. BYU gets a P5 opponent if things work out and they're in the same position they are now if not.

We should be in on these backup plans. BYU first then MWC or other conference.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24773646/college-football-bowl-projections-week-4



Projected game against an academy.

https://watchstadium.com/news/brett-mcmurphys-college-football-bowl-projections-after-week-6-10-15-2018/



Has us playing UVA in the independence bowl.

Well that would be a game.

scott715 wrote:

https://watchstadium.com/news/brett-mcmurphys-college-football-bowl-projections-after-week-6-10-15-2018/



Has us playing UVA in the independence bowl.

in terms of date and payout and opponent (ACC), that would be a good one.

An unlikely scenario. The independence bowl has back up agreements with the AAC and conference USA. Of course no one knows the specifics of those back up agreements (or BYU's agreement with ESPN for that matter) so anything can happen.



More likely to happen in the sun bowl if the pac doesn't have enough bowl eligible teams.

The bowl system is one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of DI college football developing a real playoff and legit national championship.



But hey, who would want to give up 40 bowls - including the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the Dollar General Bowl, or the Gasparilla Bowl- in favor of that?

Whatever happens, I really don't want to play Virginia. That team would embarrass us.

frdbtr wrote:

Whatever happens, I really don't want to play Virginia. That team would embarrass us.

Because Bronco >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Kalani.

SpiffCoug wrote:

Whatever happens, I really don't want to play Virginia. That team would embarrass us.

Because Bronco >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Kalani.

Mainly because I see on here that it is a possibility and I have watched Virginia play this year and they are good. They play tough, hard nosed, Bronco ball and we don't. Remember what Bronco did against Oregon State in the 09 bowl game? Yeah, I don't want that to be us.

Imagine Bronco against this offense...

Gunk wrote:

Imagine Bronco against this offense...

That defense (called by Nick Howell by the way) would shut us out. They are Bronco's defense with speed, something that we rarely had. Imagine a defense with multiple Kyle Van Noy's. Yeah, that is Virginia's defense right now.

So an update here on most best case scenarios.



1. Right now the B1G will have a minimum of 8 bowl eligible teams (Purdue and Indiana @ 5-5 play each other). If MD loses to Ohio and Penn St, MN losses to NW and Wisconsin and Illinois loses another game and the loser of Purdue-Indiana loses their other game the redbox bowl has an open slot as long as there are two teams in the CFP/NY6. Even if another B1G team qualifies there could be three representatives in the CFP/NY6 if NW wins the conference championship or Penn state sneaks in at 9-3. I think the odds of a slot being available in the redbox bowl vs a PAC team are close to 50%. The first responders bowl is almost certain to have an open slot but that's vs CUSA.



2. Big 12 bowls. It's possible only five teams will be eligible and three of them will be in the NY6. That would leave a spot open in the Texas bowl. Odds are low but are pretty likely there will be a slot available in the armed forces bowl (the independence and cheez-it bowls too but they already have back up deals with the AAC and mwc).



3. ACC bowls. If Syracuse beats ND or the Coastal champion beats Clemson they could have 3-4 teams (including ND) in the NY6. There are nine teams currently eligible and it may stay that way if WF loses to Pitt and Duke, Miami loses to VT and Pitt, FSU loses to FL or BC and bronco beats his rival. That would leave spots in the pinstripe and music city bowls (the independence and quick lane bowls too but they have backup agreements) and almost certainly the military bowl.



4. PAC bowls. No option here. Even if Leach pulls off a miracle and makes it to the CFP all the bowl slots are full.



5. SEC bowls. Ten teams are bowl eligible probably eleven if Tennessee wins another game but three will be in the CFP/NY6 and Florida could still sneak in as well. That would leave spots open for the Birmingham and possibly a first tier bowl like the Texas bowl (the independence bowl has a backup contract with CUSA).



So overall I think BYU has good shots at the redbox bowl or taking one of the acc bowls with a long shot at Big 12 and SEC bowls with P5 opponents. Worst case scenario is really the AFB, military or first responders bowl. That's a pretty good outcome.