Is this a record?

What's the record for the most teams sent bowling by one conference?
The SEC has seven teams - Florida, Tennesse, Georgia, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU and Alabama - all bowl eligible with six or more wins. Two teams - Kentucky and South Carolina - are at five wins and Vanderbilt still has a shot of getting in with four wins.
Of the remaining games, Vandy has to win out, and would have to beat Kentucky this week and the Vols next to get in.
South Carolina needs one win between Florida, Middle Tennessee, and Clemson. Middle is the best bet in that deal. While Kentucky is almost assuredly in with Louisiana-Monroe oe of the three remaining games. Vandy, as noted, is next week and the 'Cats close out the season with Tennessee.
So without any stretch, the SEC should have at least nine teams being bowl-eligible and playing post-season football. And a 50-50 shot at 10 teams.
So the question is, what's the record for the most bowl-eligible teams from one conference?

 

I stopped caring about bowl bids when the number of them began approaching half of all Division I-A teams.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens in the SEC because so many of the teams will be at or around 6-6.

Are there enough low-level bowls to go around for all of them? And does a team like Georgia, which has been so good for the past five years, consider turning down something like the Independence Bowl?

 

I was wondering the same thing about Georgia. To start the season 6 and 0 and finish, maybe, 6 and 6.
Anyway, I did some numbers, but I don't remember how many bowl games this season.

50 bowl-eligible teams now
Big 12 (7)
SEC (7)
ACC (6)
Big Ten (6)
Big East (5)
Pac-10 (5)
WAC (4)
Mid-American (3)
C-USA (2)
Mountain West (2)
Major Independents (2)
Sun Belt (1)

68 teams with five wins or more
Big 12 (9)
SEC (9)
ACC (8)
Big Ten (7)
Big East (6)
Pac-10 (6)
C-USA (5)
Mid-American (5)
Mountain West (5)
WAC (4)
Sun Belt (2)
Major Independents (2)

 

Considering that you now need only six wins in 12 games, when it used to be six wins in 11 games, my guess is that there will be LOTS more bowl eligible teams this year.

 

Can Georgia (or any SEC team) turn down a bowl bid?

I know South Carolina and Clemson did a few years ago, but that was as a punishment for their teams' brawl in the season ender. I'm not sure the conference would appreciate a member school thinking it's too good for a minor bowl.

 

Unless they changed it, I believe the rule still stands that a team must have a winning record so 7-5 is bowl eligible, not 6-6.

6-6 will only get you in if there aren't enough teams at 7-5.

 

No, and bowl committees won't turn them down, either. How many fans would Georgia or Bama take to Vegas?

I'm not a smart man, but I can answer that. A fuckingshitload.

 

From deep in the abyss of the NCAA Web site

http://www.ncaa.org/library/handbooks/football/2006/2006_postseason_football_handbook.pdf

The SEC has seven bowl contracts aside from the BCS. If Auburn gets an at large BCS berth, that would take care of nine teams. If No. 10 is 6-6, it is SOL.

 

Georgia started an unimpressive 5-0, then got killed by Tennessee in the second half. The Dogs have gotten worse every game since.

 

No way Georgia turns down a bowl game, because it's a few weeks of practice they don't get otherwise.