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Column: A guide to ISU's bowl possibilities
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-11-20
Trust me, I’ve looked up both and it’s probably not a good thing for college football that the bowl system is more complex than quantum field theory.
After spending some time digging into everything bowl related, I’ve put together a guide on what needs for happen for ISU to get to the postseason.
Think of this as Cliffs Notes for making a bowl.
No. 1: A win today guarantees a bowl berth.
Yes, most ISU fans know a win over Missouri secures a postseason game. At that point, the question becomes do the Cyclones play in the Insight Bowl, the Independence Bowl or the Texas Bowl?
But there are plenty of questions ISU must answer if it’s to beat the Tigers.
Can the Cyclones slow down Danario Alexander? Can the offense outscore Missouri? Has the defense found a way to stop spread offenses?
Note: If the Cyclones have six wins, points No. 2-4 will help ISU secure a bowl bid. If the Cyclones have seven wins, these events will put them in a more prestigious bowl.
No. 2: Root against the Kansas schools.
If Kansas and Kansas State lose out, it’s likely the Big 12 will have eight bowl eligible teams and ISU will play in a conference-affiliated bowl regardless of their win total.
The Jayhawks have to beat either No. 3 Texas or Missouri in the next two weeks to become bowl eligible. The Wildcats must defeat Nebraska Saturday to be bowl eligible.
The good news for Cyclone Nation is the Kansas schools will be underdogs in all three games.
If the favorites hold up, the conference will have no more than eight bowl eligible teams and the Cyclones will be secured, at worst, a spot in the Texas Bowl.
There are currently seven bowl eligible Big 12 teams. Texas A&M and Baylor are the only other teams with a chance at six wins and an Aggie win over the Bears today, which I expect will happen, would eliminate Baylor from bowl contention.
No. 3: Root for No. 12 Oklahoma State.
No matter how many wins ISU ends up with, this is something all Cyclone fans should do.
The Cowboys have an outside shot at a BCS at-large berth. If they defeat Colorado and Oklahoma in the next two weeks, they could be in line to play in the Fiesta, Sugar or Orange Bowls.
That would move every Big 12 team up one bowl game and if nine conference teams do end up bowl eligible, all nine go bowling.
No. 4: Root for a Big Ten team to wind up 10-2.
It may be too much to ask Cyclone Nation to root for Iowa, so luckily there are two Big Ten teams with a chance at a BCS at-large berth. If either Penn State or the Hawkeyes win this Saturday, a second Big Ten team will get a BCS berth.
A 10 win team out of Iowa City or Happy Valley, Pa., is too appealing for a BCS bowl to pass up.
That matters to ISU because if the Cyclones somehow don’t get selected by a Big 12 bowl, they could wind up in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
Unless Michigan upsets No. 9 Ohio State today, the Big Ten will be one team short of filling its bowl allotments, assuming Iowa or Penn State is playing in a BCS bowl.
An open spot in the Big Ten, along with what could be openings in Big East, ACC and Mountain West Conference bowls, would likely assure ISU the chance of being a replacement team in a non-Big 12 affiliated bowl game.
Hopefully this cheat sheet made the bowl system easier for you to decipher than the ideas of Dutch physicist Hendrick B.G. Casimir.
Because I don’t have enough space left to explain the Casimir Effect and how it could possibly be used to stabilize wormholes.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-11-20
Bobby La Gesse covers Iowa State football and women's basketball for The Tribune.
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Trust me, I’ve looked up both and it’s probably not a good thing for college football that the bowl system is more complex than quantum field theory.
After spending some time digging into everything bowl related, I’ve put together a guide on what needs for happen for ISU to get to the postseason.
Think of this as Cliffs Notes for making a bowl.
No. 1: A win today guarantees a bowl berth.
Yes, most ISU fans know a win over Missouri secures a postseason game. At that point, the question becomes do the Cyclones play in the Insight Bowl, the Independence Bowl or the Texas Bowl?
But there are plenty of questions ISU must answer if it’s to beat the Tigers.
Can the Cyclones slow down Danario Alexander? Can the offense outscore Missouri? Has the defense found a way to stop spread offenses?
Note: If the Cyclones have six wins, points No. 2-4 will help ISU secure a bowl bid. If the Cyclones have seven wins, these events will put them in a more prestigious bowl.
No. 2: Root against the Kansas schools.
If Kansas and Kansas State lose out, it’s likely the Big 12 will have eight bowl eligible teams and ISU will play in a conference-affiliated bowl regardless of their win total.
The Jayhawks have to beat either No. 3 Texas or Missouri in the next two weeks to become bowl eligible. The Wildcats must defeat Nebraska Saturday to be bowl eligible.
The good news for Cyclone Nation is the Kansas schools will be underdogs in all three games.
If the favorites hold up, the conference will have no more than eight bowl eligible teams and the Cyclones will be secured, at worst, a spot in the Texas Bowl.
There are currently seven bowl eligible Big 12 teams. Texas A&M and Baylor are the only other teams with a chance at six wins and an Aggie win over the Bears today, which I expect will happen, would eliminate Baylor from bowl contention.
No. 3: Root for No. 12 Oklahoma State.
No matter how many wins ISU ends up with, this is something all Cyclone fans should do.
The Cowboys have an outside shot at a BCS at-large berth. If they defeat Colorado and Oklahoma in the next two weeks, they could be in line to play in the Fiesta, Sugar or Orange Bowls.
That would move every Big 12 team up one bowl game and if nine conference teams do end up bowl eligible, all nine go bowling.
No. 4: Root for a Big Ten team to wind up 10-2.
It may be too much to ask Cyclone Nation to root for Iowa, so luckily there are two Big Ten teams with a chance at a BCS at-large berth. If either Penn State or the Hawkeyes win this Saturday, a second Big Ten team will get a BCS berth.
A 10 win team out of Iowa City or Happy Valley, Pa., is too appealing for a BCS bowl to pass up.
That matters to ISU because if the Cyclones somehow don’t get selected by a Big 12 bowl, they could wind up in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
Unless Michigan upsets No. 9 Ohio State today, the Big Ten will be one team short of filling its bowl allotments, assuming Iowa or Penn State is playing in a BCS bowl.
An open spot in the Big Ten, along with what could be openings in Big East, ACC and Mountain West Conference bowls, would likely assure ISU the chance of being a replacement team in a non-Big 12 affiliated bowl game.
Hopefully this cheat sheet made the bowl system easier for you to decipher than the ideas of Dutch physicist Hendrick B.G. Casimir.
Because I don’t have enough space left to explain the Casimir Effect and how it could possibly be used to stabilize wormholes.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
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