Bowl What If's

[TexanMark]

Okay a little cart before the horse:

A sobering look at our bowl outlook.

If Cuse beats WF on Saturday here are the bowls I think we are in contention for:

(Best Case) Military Bowl: Kind of a long shot. No head coach but the only thing in Cuse's favor is we would probably travel better than some other candidates (BC and Duke). I think VTech or GTech are good choices here.

Fenway Bowl: similar reasons above but I think BC or Duke gets selected.

I think we fall to a secondary bowl pool this year and will be a last ACC pick unless a 5-7 WF sneaks in due to APR.

The ACC has two agreements with the Birmingham and Gasparilla Bowls. The Birmingham Bowl pays a little more but I think SU convinces the ACC that going to Tampa will yield much more ticket sales.

I think we could officially sell 2-3000 tix to Gasparilla vs 500 to Birmingham. We had 20000 plus at Orlando back in 2018 but apathy has set in. However I think Cuse officially only sold about 10000.

If we get the Gasparilla I think Cuse could draw 5000 fans in the stands as many local Cuse fans can find cheaper tix options. If the other team isn't like USF or UCF or a fellow P4 team who travels well this game could be pretty empty.

If we get Birmingham I can't imagine more than 750-1000 fans in Orange. Of the possible ACC candidates Georgia Tech is by far the best choice.

Sometimes conferences and bowls do some swaps. We could possibly end up somewhere random too.

 

[corpjet]

Gasparilla please

I’ll die on the stake for my belief Bowls should be played in warm weather climates!

 

[TexanMark]

Gasparilla please

I’ll die on the stake for my belief Bowls should be played in warm weather climates!

Obviously my choice too. I'd expect to organize a tailgate.

Edit: I have 3.5 cases of beer/seltzer leftover. Either my neighbors in Florida drink it at a block party or Cuse fans drink it at some random bowl game I attend in December.

 

[CanadianSU]

Feels like Fenway if so

 

[elimunelson]

Feels like Fenway if so

Fenway could be in play if we hire Chesney and the holy cross fans come out as well to see him sitting in the press box watching Nunzio

We would sell very well in Boston. BC makes more sense for the pinstripe

 

[TexanMark]

Fenway could be in play if we hire Chesney and the holy cross fans come out as well to see him sitting in the press box watching Nunzio

We would sell very well in Boston. BC makes more sense for the pinstripe

By very well...how many you think would officially buy through SU?

I can't imagine more than 2000.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

I feel for any bowl that gets stuck with us this year. A walking wounded team without a coach or quarterback, and no fans to buy tickets. Lowest television ratings in bowl history here we come. Yikes.

 

[David332]

I know I’m a lot newer to all of this than most of you guys but I’ll be excited for any bowl. My only extra ask is that it be after 12/25, so I’m looking forward to it through Christmas.

 

[elimunelson]

By very well...how many you think would officially buy through SU?

I can't imagine more than 2000.

I think that’s prob right but I think our regional interest may push it higher

 

[ECE '76]

No one ever wants to play in that Fenway Bowl. We have no HC, no QB, likely a bunch of SU players will be transferring and/or no-shows, and SU fans aren't going to be excited watching an interim coach and lame duck staff playing out the string. Good chance we'll get relegated to Fenway and play some team that will beat us like a drum in bad weather.

 

[SmilinBob]

No one ever wants to play in that Fenway Bowl. We have no HC, no QB, likely a bunch of SU players will be transferring and/or no-shows, and SU fans aren't going to be excited watching an interim coach and lame duck staff playing out the string. Good chance we'll get relegated to Fenway and play some team that will beat us like a drum in bad weather.

Well at least if it rains or snows we don't have to worry about it hurting the passing game.

 

[sutomcat]

Okay a little cart before the horse:

A sobering look at our bowl outlook.

If Cuse beats WF on Saturday here are the bowls I think we are in contention for:

(Best Case) Military Bowl: Kind of a long shot. No head coach but the only thing in Cuse's favor is we would probably travel better than some other candidates (BC and Duke). I think VTech or GTech are good choices here.

Fenway Bowl: similar reasons above but I think BC or Duke gets selected.

I think we fall to a secondary bowl pool this year and will be a last ACC pick unless a 5-7 WF sneaks in due to APR.

The ACC has two agreements with the Birmingham and Gasparilla Bowls. The Birmingham Bowl pays a little more but I think SU convinces the ACC that going to Tampa will yield much more ticket sales.

I think we could officially sell 2-3000 tix to Gasparilla vs 500 to Birmingham. We had 20000 plus at Orlando back in 2018 but apathy has set in. However I think Cuse officially only sold about 10000.

If we get the Gasparilla I think Cuse could draw 5000 fans in the stands as many local Cuse fans can find cheaper tix options. If the other team isn't like USF or UCF or a fellow P4 team who travels well this game could be pretty empty.

If we get Birmingham I can't imagine more than 750-1000 fans in Orange. Of the possible ACC candidates Georgia Tech is by far the best choice.

Sometimes conferences and bowls do some swaps. We could possibly end up somewhere random too.

The Gasparilla will be played on Friday, December 22nd.

The Birmingham Bowl will be played on Saturday, December 23rd.

 

[Cuse12]

Can a new HC coach us in that game? I assume no but I don’t know. If so that has a huge difference IMO on attendance and views.

 

[MSOrange]

Can a new HC coach us in that game? I assume no but I don’t know. If so that has a huge difference IMO on attendance and views.

Technically they can. There's no rule against it. But in the past when a new coach has been hired at other schools, they've typically just watched from the sideline or press box to get a feel for the players who will be coming back.

 

[sutomcat]

Can a new HC coach us in that game? I assume no but I don’t know. If so that has a huge difference IMO on attendance and views.

He can, assuming he is available and wants to.

John Wildhack offered Coach Babers the opportunity to coach the Wake game AND a possible bowl game.

That tells me he is thinking the new coach is not going to coach the bowl game.

It would be asking a lot of a coach to bring him in out of the blue, not knowing any players, probably not familiar with the schemes Syracuse is using, maybe not even knowing any of the assistants, and ask them to coach.

I think it would be better to have the new hire focus on lining up a new staff, work on evaluating and hopefully solidifying existing recruits, adding some additional ones and perhaps most importantly, work on retaining our players and adding some more from the portal.

 

[David332]

Whoa, I didn’t know Wildhack offered Dino the chance to coach the potential bowl game too!

 

[MSOrange]

He can, assuming he is available and wants to.

John Wildhack offered Coach Babers the opportunity to coach the Wake game AND a possible bowl game.

That tells me he is thinking the new coach is not going to be to coach the bowl game.

It would be asking a lot of a coach to bring him in out of the blue, not knowing any players, probably not familiar with the schemes Syracuse is using, maybe not even knowing any of the assistants, and ask them to coach.

I think it would be better to have the new hire focus on lining up a new staff, work on evaluating and hopefully solidifying existing recruits, adding some additional ones and perhaps most importantly, work on retaining our players and adding some more from the portal.

Well said Tom. I would rather the new hire focus on the bigger "long term" picture rather than worry about the bowl game.

 

[blue&orange]

Couple games that may impact Syracuse if they should go 6-6
BC vs. Miami…BC likely loses and goes to Fenway at 6-6. An upset here puts BC 7-5 in Pinstripe and Syracuse to Fenway.

Virginia Tech vs. UVA. VT is couple point favorite and 5-6 like Syracuse. A win for Tech means 12 ACC bowl teams and one will go to a secondary bowl tie in.

Based on a dozen projections the most likely scenario seems like…
12 teams go bowling
BC stays in Boston
Pinstripe takes Ga Tech
VT to Military in Annapolis
Syracuse gets secondary bowl pre-Christmas
Birmingham or Gasparilla in Tampa.

 

[BVille44]

With everything the players have been thru this season a warm weather bowl in Tampa would be a good way to end the season.

My preferred bowl game is the Military Bowl.

 

[Cusefan95]

I travel occasionally to Birmingham for work. It’s one of my least favorite cities in the country; I’m not sure if you could pay me to go to a bowl game there. I mean - I get paid to go there now, and I’m still largely unwilling to do so until I have no other option.

It baffles me that Birmingham and (even more so) Shreveport host college football bowl games.

 

[djorange1989]

No idea what to expect this weekend. How do our players feel? How many know they want to leave and are checked out? Wake has nothing to play for, we do, but how many of our guys feel that way? Should be interesting, really hope we get that 6th win

 

[SUFaninNJ]

No one ever wants to play in that Fenway Bowl. We have no HC, no QB, likely a bunch of SU players will be transferring and/or no-shows, and SU fans aren't going to be excited watching an interim coach and lame duck staff playing out the string. Good chance we'll get relegated to Fenway and play some team that will beat us like a drum in bad weather.

 

[Chip]

I think we fall to a secondary bowl pool this year and will be a last ACC pick unless a 5-7 WF sneaks in due to APR.

If Wake is 5-7, that means we are 5-7. We won't both get in.

 

[690West]

If Wake is 5-7, that means we are 5-7. We won't both get in.

I was thinking the same thing reading TM's post

 

[storange]

My daughter lives in West Roxbury, Boston is a fun place . No lodging cost, 41/2 hour drive, great restaurants. Not a bad holiday trip for me ….. but yea not the greatest from a competition/ weather standpoint.