Topic: 78 Bowls - 81 or 82 Eligible teams

[herdgadfly]

According to The Associated Press, there are 81 college teams who are bowl-eligible, meaning they have at least six wins over Football Bowl Subdivision teams — and an 82nd is possible if Virginia Tech, at 5-6, takes its regular-season finale against Marshall — while there are 78 bowl slots available.

The MAC could lose one or two eligible teams. MACtion means middle-of-the-week games and not enough bowls - only 5 with 7 eligible  teams but they might get into the Detroit Bowl depending on The Ohio State University wiggling into the top 4 by beating Northwestern in the B1G championship while Texas whups the Sooners (again!) in Arlington.

In any case, Little Miami at 6-6 doesn't go for sure  So if the MAC can only send 5 teams and either 7-5 WMU or 7-5 EMU is also gone . NIU at 7-5 is guaranteed a bowl since they won the West. The other team not going bowling could likely be 6-6 Southern Miss because CUSA likely will not get more than 7 bowls this year.

[01101101]

According to The Associated Press, there are 81 college teams who are bowl-eligible, meaning they have at least six wins over Football Bowl Subdivision teams — and an 82nd is possible if Virginia Tech, at 5-6, takes its regular-season finale against Marshall — while there are 78 bowl slots available.

The MAC could lose one or two eligible teams. MACtion means middle-of-the-week games and not enough bowls - only 5 with 7 eligible  teams but they might get into the Detroit Bowl depending on The Ohio State University wiggling into the top 4 by beating Northwestern in the B1G championship while Texas whups the Sooners (again!) in Arlington.

In any case, Little Miami at 6-6 doesn't go for sure  So if the MAC can only send 5 teams and either 7-5 WMU or 7-5 EMU is also gone . NIU at 7-5 is guaranteed a bowl since they won the West. The other team not going bowling could likely be 6-6 Southern Miss because CUSA likely will not get more than 7 bowls this year.

Right now, the general speculation is that Miami of Ohio, Louisiana-Monroe, and Wyoming are the teams without a current bowl home.  C-USA has a spot in the Independence and a home for Southern Miss should that bowl open up - which it should.  The speculation is should VaTech upset Marshall, it will kick the second unsecured MAC spot out, meaning either EMU or WMU would be the likely victims should VaTech upset Marshall.

[goherd24]

Its ridiculous that so many teams go to bowls now. Maybe if they just trimmed it back to 25 bowls, would mean something again if only the top 50 teams went.

[Big City]

Its ridiculous that so many teams go to bowls now. Maybe if they just trimmed it back to 25 bowls, would mean something again if only the top 50 teams went.

Saw the topic of this thread and immediately thought 78?! is this even possible? Probably needs to be 25 or less.

[bradestep]

The good ole days.  1997 had 20 bowl games with only 1 before Christmas

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/1997-bowls.html

[bbcard1]

So you're saying there's not enough bowls, right?

[GreenWhite]

There is no way a team who is 6-6 should be in a bowl game. Eight should be the minimum. Of course, in order to do that, you have to get rid of some bowls. As others have pointed out, there are just too many.

[coalherd]

Biggest PLUS from the numbers in the OP is that this year at least televised bowl game viewers' intelligence WILL NOT be insulted by the fact that there are bowl games being aired that include teams having 5 and 7 records!!!!

(Draw your own conclusions about the intelligence of viewers who spend mind numbing hours watching bowl games involving teams with 6-6 records!!). 

[jstherd]

You're not required to watch ANY bowl, are you. Teams get 15 days extra practice, the players get a trip, each school makes "some" money, and fans, if they choose, can go to another game while on a family trip. You guys are sour pusses. Again, I have news for you. If you don't want to watch a bowl, then don't, but don't try to deprive players of a "paid" vacation that doesn't cost the university one cent! The more the merrier.

[coalherd]

No one is saying, jstherd, that you can't watch all the bad college football that you want!!  View away, my man.  View away!!

[herdfan429]

You're not required to watch ANY bowl, are you. Teams get 15 days extra practice, the players get a trip, each school makes "some" money, and fans, if they choose, can go to another game while on a family trip. You guys are sour @#$%es. Again, I have news for you. If you don't want to watch a bowl, then don't, but don't try to deprive players of a "paid" vacation that doesn't cost the university one cent! The more the merrier.

Just add a 13th regular season game if that’s all that matters. And you do know that schools can and do lose money on bowl games right

[MUonium]

then it's important that we beat VT just to stick it the P5s face, nothing against VT as an individual.  i'd rather see a bubble team in than a P5.  as a whole, if attendance continues to decline, CFB will be forced to do something other than the current playoff system