ASU looks kinda good

[Denver_sc]

Uh Mizzou and UCF both lost to USC. So I don't understand your logic. I could see the orange bowl doing UCF-Clemson.

Ah... to be young and naive again and think that on the field performance drives bowl selection, not ticket sales.

 

[Junction]

Ah... to be young and naive again and think that on the field performance drives bowl selection, not ticket sales.

Yup. And that kills the Pac-12 in trying to get 2 BCS teams. Pac-12 schools have never traveled well to the east, which is why the Sugar and Orange Bowls want nothing to do with them. The debacle a few years ago when U$C went to the Orange Bowl probably sealed that deal.

After doing a little more looking, I found that the Orange Bowl gets the first of the at-large picks, then the Sugar, then Fiesta. That's even worse for the Pac-12.

Assuming the 6 AQ teams are the highest ranked in their conferences now, that would be FSU, Ohio State, Auburn, Okie Lite, Stanford and UCF. Plus, Northern Illinois meets the qualifications to get an automatic spot, since they're in the top 16 (#14) and ahead of an AQ team (#16 UCF). Once the Orange Bowl loses FSU to the NC game, and the Rose Bowl loses Ohio State (again, assuming the highest ranked teams stay that way), you have the Rose Bowl with Stanford against a replacement team, the Fiesta with Okie Lite against a pick, the Sugar with Auburn against a pick, and the Orange with a replacement team against a pick.

The Orange and Rose pick their replacements first. I still think the Rose goes to another Big 10 team - they are weirdly committed to that tradition, so Michigan State there. And the Orange would grab Bama instantly. Then the other 3 picks get made, with the Orange going first. They can pick from Northern Illinois, UCF or an at-large. As somebody mentioned earlier, they owe their life to the ACC, so I think they go with Clemson (although I guess the fact that UCF is in-state might also move some tickets). The Sugar then picks between UNI or UCF to play Auburn. No idea which way they'd go. The Fiesta then gets whatever is left, which is going to be either UNI or UCF.

Basically, the only shot the Pac-12 has to get 2 schools into the BCS is if the Orange and Sugar lose their minds, take UNI and UCF ahead of any at-large, then let the Fiesta use that last at-large spot to take a Pac-12 school. Not happening. Oh well...

 

[Buffnik]

Is it really ticket sales (read: hotel rooms) that drive bowl selections these days? Or has broadcast rating surpassed that?

 

[leftybuff]

Is it really ticket sales (read: hotel rooms) that drive bowl selections these days? Or has broadcast rating surpassed that?

I have a relative on a bowl committee. It is butts in the seats, that is the number one priority.

 

[Uncle Ken]

I have a relative on a bowl committee. It is butts in the seats, that is the number one priority.

But(t) are those seats in a stadium or a living room? I can do this all day.