Eleven years ago, there were 18 bowl games. Today there are 32, some operated by ESPN. No wonder the opposition to a playoff by the bowl system.
After a run of five in a row, NC State is home for the holidays for the third time in four years. With a more manageable schedule approaching coming in 2008 and Coach Tom O’Brien’s system and recruiting having a year to take root, there is a very good chance that this will be the last time the Wolfpack won’t be performing on a bowl stage for a long time.
Just because the Pack isn’t bowling doesn’t mean that you won’t be watching any games this year. Today’s entry should serve as a pretty decent primer on the season’s events.
Perhaps the most interesting bowl article that you will find has nothing to do with this year’s match-ups and is linked up in this entry.
Poinsettia Bowl fever isn’t the only thing that is at an all-time high! I found two links to different rankings of this year’s bowl games with quick paragraphs on each game.
Of the two articles, CBS’ offers a perspective that is much more aligned with my own and represents a lot more original thought about the match-ups than Fox’s attempt that didn’t venture much farther than ranking the bowls based on how good or bad their name is. For example, just because the Meineke Car Care Bowl is a bad name, doesn’t mean that an even match-up of a 9-3 vs 8-4 team is one of the worst games on the docket.
This blog entry details bowl games that we would have liked to have seen. I would like to see more blog entries like that one as it was pretty good.
On a similar note, Stewart Mandel gives you the fascinating scoop on how we all missed out on an attractive match-up of Virginia Tech and Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
The BCS ultimately selected consensus No. 1 and 2 teams, Ohio State and LSU, but many followers — myself included — were left disappointed that none of the other highly ranked contenders (Oklahoma, Georgia, Virginia Tech or USC) were pitted against each other in bowl games.
As it turns out, an 11th-hour agreement had been reached that would have allowed the No. 3 and 4 teams in the final BCS standings — Virginia Tech and Oklahoma — to meet in the Orange Bowl, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. The conference commissioners who oversee the BCS, however, shot it down — and several of the affected parties are still wondering why.
Lastly, today’s N&O had an interesting look at the finances of the ECU’s bowl trip. No word yet on how much Terry Holland’s brother is contributing to the bill.
