A couple of questions

[DeepGreen]

First of all, this is not a flame. The WAC has three bowl tie-ins, is that correct? Will Louisiana Tech be Bowl eligible? I understand that the SVC Bowl does not have an eligible team from the WAC. Tech would have to win two games to be eligible, right?

Also, I read that Hawaii has already accepted an invitation to the Hawaii Bowl. Is it possible that Boise will be in the Humanitarian Bowl too? That sure sounds a little fishy to me. What do you guys think of those bowls inviting there home town teams? I think you guys got screwed big-time last year. You should have gone to the SVC Bowl.

[FriscoDawg]

The WAC does have three bowl tie-ins. To be automatically eligible a team must finish with a winning record and six I-A wins (including the once-in-four-year I-AA win exception). Tech must win all four remaining games to assure being bowl-eligible. If a conference cannot fill all of its contractual bowl tie-ins from teams with winning records (that means 7-6 for Fresno State and San Jose State), the bowl bid can be filled from 6-6 teams. To have any chance at any bowl Tech must win three of four.

The Hawaii bowl game has a contract clause guaranteeing that Hawaii gets invited if bowl-eligible. That's to guarantee ticket sales as many years as possible, and I have no problem with that. Any other WAC team can fill that bid if Hawaii doesn't qualify.

Obviously for the same reasons, the Humanitarian Bowl wouldn't mind inviting Boise State and the Silicon Valley Classic would like either home team San Jose State, Fresno State, or Nevada. If Hawaii doesn't finish first or second in the WAC, the other two bowls must pick the top two teams in the standings.

[PawDawg]

Deep,
Yes we have 3 bowl tie-ins (four if you count the Mobile Bowl). I don't know if we'll be elgible. We have to win two more and I'm not sure we deserve it even if we win out and go 7-5. The SVC bowl will have a team available from the WAC. It may be us, Fresno or Rice (who can guess?). If it happens for us, I hope some swapping will occur.

[inudesu]

I don't really like that all of our bowls have hometown teams that will always get preferential treatment, but I understand why they do. It sucks that we would be at a huge disadvantage in a tie for second place. At the same time, I understand why a bowl in Hawaii, Cali, or Idaho would rather take a team a little closer to home. In any case it is better than going 9-2 or 8-3 as an independent and going nowhere. At least we have a shot.

[Tech77]

The WAC screwed up when it let the GMAC bowl get away two years ago. The agreement we have with that bowl now doesn't give us much of a chance. The WAC desperately needs one rock-solid tie with a bowl within driving distance of the WAC East teams. Hopefully the proposed bowl in Ft. Worth will be our answer.

This year, though, I'm not sure it matters. Unless somebody (like Tech or Rice) runs the table the rest of the way I don't think we have a team in the east that deserves a bowl look.

BTW, UNT looks to be building a lot of momentum for the late season. Good defense you guys have.

[Bigdog13]

I don't think Benson screwed up with the GMAC Bowl. They made us a horrible offer. For one the WAC champ had to go there. Even if Hawaii won they had to go to Mobile which would mean if Tech finished second we would have to go out west. No Swapping they wanted the champ. Even then they could turn down the WAC champ and they could pick from a MAC or SEC eligible team in our place. There were a couple of other bad parts of that deal to but I cant remember it all right now.