Official bowl speculation / "How tan will I get this Christmas?" thread
I'm not sure about a lot of this, but I thought that I'd start a thread to collect some news, speculation, and opinions.
Here's what's extremely likely: we'll play an SEC team in either the Outback Bowl or Gator Bowl. With Nebraska losing, we're ineligible for the Capital One Bowl, since we have two fewer wins than Nebraska. So either Nebraska or Northwestern will go to the Capital One.
Then the Outback Bowl picks. They'll choose between Michigan and whichever of Nebraska and Northwestern doesn't go to the Capital One Bowl. If the Capital One picks Northwestern, the Outback has to pick Nebraska. Then the Gator Bowl chooses, and they'll almost certainly pick whichever of the three is left.
Long story short: we're going to either the Outback (Tampa, Jan 1, vs. SEC #3/4) or Gator (Jacksonville, Jan 1, vs. SEC #6).
That means that we're playing an SEC team. If you believe some reporting out there by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Shreveport Times (links below), the SEC bowl picture seems to be clarifying. It sounds like the Capital One will probably take Texas A&M (maybe for an old Big 12 battle vs. Nebraska). They probably also like that they'll get the likely Heisman winner.
The Shreveport Times then says this:
The Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., is next, and it is strongly in favor of taking No. 10 South Carolina (10-2). A logical place for the Gamecocks could be the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but that bowl is locked into No. 14 Clemson (10-2) as an opponent. And the SEC does not want a South Carolina-Clemson rematch after those two just played on Nov. 24.
Most projections I've seen have Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl.
So if you believe what's above and that the Big Ten is more unsettled than the SEC, we're most likely looking at South Carolina in the Outback Bowl or Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl.
Worth noting ----- It's very possible that all of this is wrong or premature.
http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2012/12/01/notebook-nick-saban-bel…
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20121201/SPORTS0202/121201015/Gl…
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:47 AM ^
No way in hell that Wisconsin vs. Stanford is a push. Wisconsin will be lucky to keep it competitive. Won't be able to rush for 600 yards against Stanford. I wish Wisconsin luck, but they won't be winning the Rose Bowl.
December 2nd, 2012 at 11:02 AM ^
I don't know - I would have said the same thing 5 weeks ago, but this Wisconsin team really really got destroyed by injury and by QB ineptidude and by coaching ineptitude. Stanford is a little overrated, and in my opinion; they don't have the kryptonite to this Wisconsin team. They don't have any gamechangers on defense and they don't have as much speed as, for example Taylor Martinez, or Mariota, or De Anthony Thomas.
I really believe that they're going to bring their A+ game for this 3rd rose bowl of theirs. They can't afford to let another one slip away. I think they win in a great game.
December 2nd, 2012 at 2:33 AM ^
Going from your bowl line-up:
Wisconsin (L)
Nebraska (L)
Michigan (L)
Northwestern (L) (but this one to me is a toss-up. I lean towards NW losing just because they always seem to lose bowl games close).
Michigan State (W)
Minnesota (L)
Purdue (L)
December 2nd, 2012 at 11:14 AM ^
This is the other side of the toss-up coin. Although I think Minnesota will definitely win also. TCU is not good at all... they benefit from playing in a weak Big 12 schedule.. their record should be something like 3-9 on the season.
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
What about Minnesota convinces you they will beat Iowa State?
They got blown out in 4 out of their six losses.
Iowa State only got blown out twice.
Minnesota doesn't have a convincing win over an FBS opponent this year.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:37 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:23 AM ^
wait... I didn't see Ohio anywhere in that bowl lineup of yours... Guess I must have missed it.
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:56 AM ^
But I think Michigan beats S. Carolina...
I like Borges with a month to prepare in a NON-RIVALRY game. It's also Denard's last game so I think he'll play 3-4 different positions.
I see it being a game that happily pisses off ALL Michigan fans like the Cap. One Bowl vs. Florida in Lloyd Carr's last game when we're all yelling "WHERE WAS THIS ALL SEASON!!!!???? AHHH!!!!"
December 2nd, 2012 at 11:10 AM ^
Or... it could end up like VT last year - Denard run left; Denard run middle; 3rd and 10 - arm punt. More like the narrative for every Denard game against good defenses.
A fully healthy O-line might help to quell the force that is S. Carolina's pass rush, but I really think our best shot to win lies on our defense stopping Connor Shaw
December 2nd, 2012 at 11:53 AM ^
LOL - I see what you did there.
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:42 AM ^
I remember this around 2007...
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:43 AM ^
When is the bowl selection going to happen?
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:56 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:43 AM ^
Wait, what about Florida and Georgia? I know one will go to a BCS bowl, but where is the other headed?
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:47 AM ^
Florida to Sugar. Georgia to Cotton. Capital One gets first choice amongst SEC teams and they'll take Texas A&M (because of Johnny). Would have been cool to see Texas (likely in Cotton) vs. Texas A&M in a bowl game.
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:49 AM ^
I keep seeing Florida to the Sugar Bowl and Georgia to the Chick-fil-A Bowl (vs. Clemson). It seems a little weird to me that Georgia would slide that far, especially after a good showing today, but we'll see.
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:30 PM ^
Was #4 in BCS rankings heading into the weekend. If a team is ranked #3 in the BCS rankings and does not qualify for an automatic berth, there are guaranteed an at-large berth. Georgia might not fall that far but Florida will almost certainly move into the #3 slot.
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:55 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:59 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:14 AM ^
mlive
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:59 AM ^
If we play Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl, we need to bombard the Gator Bowl staff with emails about the cowbells. Noisemakers are listed in the "Prohibited Items" section of their website.
December 2nd, 2012 at 2:29 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:06 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 10:14 AM ^
yep, I have a nervous tick whenever that I think fo that damn game. Sitting row 1 from for that debacle gave me Vietnam era PTSD
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:34 AM ^
why we lost.
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:01 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:12 AM ^
Already discussed above. We can't go there by rule
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:13 AM ^
you guys know that the OL isn't going to improve over 15 practices don't you.
Not looking forward to playing anyone in any bowl game.
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:44 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:22 AM ^
this is rediculous. Northwestern will more than likley be picked by outback bowl officials over michigan. Earlier in the day we were almost assured a capital one bowl game, now we get to go to the ghetto pitt in jax!!
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:37 AM ^
let's be real here guys, Florida is hell on earth in general. Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa are basically just different degrees of stankness And one could mount an argument that, regardless of what their tie ins are, the Gator is a better bowl than the Outback. For one, the Gator's been around for a lot longer. And it doesn't have a shitastic corporate name.
December 2nd, 2012 at 2:29 AM ^
cough cough...
erm, it is the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl I'll have you know...
December 2nd, 2012 at 3:18 AM ^
if it were the Outback Steakhouse Hall of Fame Bowl it wouldn't be nearly as awful, though it would still be worse.
December 2nd, 2012 at 2:45 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 3:19 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:22 AM ^
Ah yes, the old "all of Florida is southeast Florida" misconception.
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:39 AM ^
I think the hillbillies is a reference to Northern Florida. Not so much a misconception but reality.
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:11 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 10:17 AM ^
Yes, and I'm sure Floridians couldn't easily retort with the fact that the University of Michigan is in.... well, Michigan. Home of Detroit, Flint, Dearborn, and Lansing. I mean, anyone in their right mind would rather live in any of those cities over Tampa, right? But hell, you can always come back with the usual, "But Northern Michigan is really nice for 3 months in the summer!"
~Herm
December 2nd, 2012 at 10:23 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:19 AM ^
Says someone who I can almost guarantee has only ever been to those listed cities plus Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Palm Beach. I thought the same thing, too, though, until I moved to Florida, so I'll cut you some slack.
December 2nd, 2012 at 9:43 AM ^
What's the good part? It seems like Tampa, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, Palm Beach covers a pretty wide swath of the state's geography, at least the more populated parts.
Just curious.
December 2nd, 2012 at 10:17 AM ^
December 2nd, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
I can't stand. Check out the Panhandle and West Coast--seriously--beautiful and still largely unexploited. I'd never move back to Michigan, can tell you that. (My wife is a prof at FSU.)
December 2nd, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
Northwestern will more than likley be picked by outback bowl officials over michigan.No way. The bowls are a business. NW has no fans and no one really wants them in their bowl. They'll go to the lowest possible bowl they are slotted for.
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:42 AM ^
where we play or who we play, I just love watching my team play, Go Blue!!!
December 2nd, 2012 at 1:49 AM ^
say you're scared of playing an SEC team? We had a tough sched this year and only got whooped in one game, the others were very winnable had we kept mistakes and crucial injuries to a minimum
December 2nd, 2012 at 8:22 AM ^
Second, we didn't keep mistakes to a minimum all year. Why do you think we will do so now?
I am not so much afraid of an sec team, but I suspect that we will lose to most teams with superior talent (duh) and most sec teams curretly have more talent.