Is this a record?

[JayFarrar]

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?

 

[da man]

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

 

[Ledbetter]

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?

 

[JayFarrar]

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)

 

[beefncheddar]

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.

 

[Freelance Hack]

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?

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.

 

[Just_An_SID]

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.

 

[User 1019]

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?

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.

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 ****ing****load.

 

[playthrough]

If I'm not mistaken, 6-6 gets you in now. The key is getting to six wins. You can even use a win over a I-AA school as one of the six every few years, I think.

 

[dixiehack]

From deep in the abyss of the NCAA Web site

A deserving winning team is de fined as one that wins a minimum of six games
against Division I-A competition and has a record that includes more wins than losses.
Exception:Each year,a Division I-A institution may count a victory against a Division
I-AA opponent that has averaged 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of
grants-in-aid per year in Division I-AA football over a rolling two-year period.]
Per Bylaw exception 30.9.2.1 an institution with a record of six wins and six losses
may be selected for participation in a bowl game if 1)the institution or its conference
has a primary contractual af filiation,which existed prior to the first contest of the
applicable season,with the sponsoring bowl organization.In the case of a conference
contractual af filiation,all conference teams with winning records must be placed in one
of the contracted bowl games before any institution with a record of six wins and six
losses may be placed in a contracted bowl game;and 2)all contratual affiliations have
been ful filled and all institutions with winning records have received bowl invitations
either through a contractual af filiation or as an at-large selection).

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.

 

[Ledbetter]

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)

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

 

[novelist_wannabe]

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

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

Exactly. The extra weeks of practice can sometimes mean more than playing the bowl game (See: any team that plays a bowl game in Seattle, Hawaii, etc.)

 

[slappy4428]

Alabama's shouldn't count; FIU and Duke?
Vandy does far more with much less...

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Georgia's likely heading to Shreveport, where Mighty Mizzou has spent some time.

 

[slappy4428]

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 think the fact that the MAC had five bowl spots a couple of years ago is a greater accomplishment than the SEC having the potential to send 10 this year.

 

[OTD]

Georgia's likely heading to Shreveport, where Mighty Mizzou has spent some time.

. . . and probably will be again after taking the pipe against the 'Huskers.

 

[Football_Bat]

Arkansas is a lock for the Cotton Bowl unless they somehow win the SEC.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Frankly, I like the Hawgs' chances of winning the SEC. They've got the biggest impact player on offense of any team in the conference in McFadden, and Florida really shouldn't scare anyone. Sugar Bowl for Arkansas.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Frankly, I like the Hawgs' chances of winning the SEC. They've got the biggest impact player on offense of any team in the conference in McFadden, and Florida really shouldn't scare anyone. Sugar Bowl for Arkansas.

Ohio State drills Michigan
Rutgers beats Louisville
West Virginia beats Rutgers
Pittsburgh beats West Virginia
Alabama beats Auburn
USC beats Cal
USC beats Notre Dame
UCLA beats USC
Nebraska beats Texas
Arkansas beats Florida

and plays Ohio State for the national championship