Could Iowa State go bowling at 5-7?

[AlaCyclone]

They've lost their luster a bit, but still, as someone mentioned, it's nice to get to watch your team one last time in the midst of winter. Good experience for those on the team that need the extra reps.

I actually really enjoy the "12 Days of Bowls" or whatever the Mid-late December daily Bowl Games is called. Those games are more interesting these days than the NY6 Bowls. Once the Citrus Bowl is played (my favorite Bowl Game to attend), it's all down hill from there.

 

[LtRaczack]

'Begging your pardon Baltar but don't you think we should first go through the formality of winning the games before ordering our bowl tickets?"

"That had the note of sarcasm Lucifer. Watch yourself, you are not the only IL Series Cyclone fan that dreams of standing on the field watching the greatest 5-7 team in the history of Cyclone football."

"Forgive my impudence."

 

[cygrads]

Help me understand the economy comment

While there are currently plenty of jobs inflation is currently outpacing wage increases. The price of almost everything is up including gas and airfare. More and more companies are either beginning layoffs or freezing future hiring - heard on business news this morning the cloud division of Amazon is freezing future hiring in anticipation of a recession next year. Economically things are getting worse.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

Of course, I hope we finish 8-4, blah blah blah. But we should consider the real possibility that Iowa State will get a bowl invitation at 5-7.

Brett McMurphy's bowl projections currently anticipate that five 5-7 teams will be needed to fill the ever-growing number of bowl games. The NCAA typically allows 5-7 teams to participate based on academic progress rate (APR). Only the highest APRs of the 5-7 teams are eligible, so if McMurphy is correct, you would expect the five best APRs of the 5-7 teams to be in bowl games.

Iowa State's APR... is good! It's tied for 17th among the 131 FBS football programs this year. And most of the schools ahead of ISU are either definitely going to be bowling (Clemson, Ohio State) or definitely not bowling (Northwestern, Temple).

Meanwhile, 5-7 might be the most likely outcome for ISU's season, and if we lose to OU, it almost certainly will become a heavy favorite in analytical models for the most likely finish.

What would you think about Iowa State filling in a minor bowl, likely on behalf of a G5 league that could not fulfill its bowl obligations, as a 5-7 team?

I wouldn’t go, but I’d watch. One more game for the seniors…and additional practices for everyone else…makes it a no-brainer. Not really something to celebrate though.

 

[BryceC]

Going to a bowl at 5-7 means ISU only wins 2 more games, and probably ensures that no coaching changes would be made.

If we go 4-8 what coaching changes would you expect to be made? I'd expect zero changes.

 

[BryceC]

The smurf bowl and 2003 season would like a word.

Most fun bowl I've ever been to and it's not close. Great trip.

 

[CascadeClone]

Of course, the standard answer is "never turn down a bowl game."

If nothing else, moar practice and experience.

Agree.

Plus, you know what is worse than going 5-7 and going to a bowl game?

Going 5-7 and NOT going to a bowl game. I might even go to it depending on the date.

 

[cyIclSoneU]

Agree.

Plus, you know what is worse than going 5-7 and going to a bowl game?

Going 5-7 and NOT going to a bowl game. I might even go to it depending on the date.

Agreed on all points.

Plus a 5-7 bowl would be outside the Big 12 pecking order. It could be some weird place we would never play again.

You can do a lot worse than being favored by two touchdowns in a bowl game in Tampa in December, even if it’s on ESPN2 on a Tuesday against a C-USA team. We all lived through 2013-15, we know it can be worse.

 

[AlaCyclone]

Most fun bowl I've ever been to and it's not close. Great trip.

Nice! I haven't been to the Boise Bowl yet, but it is on my "To Do" list.

 

[BryceC]

Nice! I haven't been to the Boise Bowl yet, but it is on my "To Do" list.

I'm not a skier but there were some great, great ski/snowboard places up there and I had a ball.

 

[CascadeClone]

I'm not a skier but there were some great, great ski/snowboard places up there and I had a ball.

Was that for the Smurf Bowl humiliation game, or the Hampton emotional disemboweling game?

 

[VeloClone]

FWIW, the 1972 Liberty Bowl team was 5-5-1 back when there were only 8 or so Bowls.

Actually there were 11 bowl games* so you would expect everyone in the AP top 20 to get an invite. Things were a little bit different back then. Bowls often gave out invitations before the season was done in an effort to secure the best teams for their bowls.

ISU started the season 5-1. Later they were 5-2-1 with their only losses to #13 Colorado and #7 OU. Their tie was with #3 Nebraska. At that point they were ranked #14 in the country and the teams that they lost to or tied were then ranked CU #15, OU #4 and NU #5. I'm not sure exactly when they got the invite but it seemed like a no-brainer even at that point. But that is when the wheels came off and ISU finished the regular season on a 3 game skid.

As a side note the skid started with a loss televised on ABC to #19 Missouri by the improbable score of 6-5. ISU's kicker - clearly rattled by missing the PAT in the NU game resulting in a tie - missed 3 of 4 field goal attempts. Majors decided to go for it on 4th and goal from the 2 with 6 minutes to go in the 4th Q rather than attempt a FG to go up 8-3. ISU was stuffed and Misery drove the field and kicked the winning FG for the final 6-5 margin.

After doing some more research it appears that ISU got their bowl invite after the Misery loss so they would have been 5-3-1 (AP #15) with all of their losses and a tie to AP ranked teams: #4 OU, #5 NU(t), #13 CU and #14 MU. All of these rankings are at the time of the bowl offer.

*Bowl games in 1972:
Cotton
Rose
Orange
Sugar
Bluebonnet
Gator
Sun
Peach
Tangerine
Fiesta
Liberty

 

[CapnCy]

Honestly....
I'd gripe about it online. ***** and moan to my friends and co-workers.




Then.....


Sure enough, I would tune into the game and yell for a win like I always do.

Same.

1. I'd love to have at least ONE more game to tune into and have food/drinks
2. If the guys on the team would want to do it, i'm for it (although, some may want the time to go home with family?)
3. If it helped overall (more practice time, etc) why not?
4. Drawback....a loss and 5-8 would look even more gross

 

[VeloClone]

Sure hope not. Bowl games shouldn't reward mediocrity.

If ISU isn't one of the 5-7 teams that go bowling there will be another 5-7 team that will go. It isn't like if ISU doesn't take a bowl at 5-7 no other mediocre team will go.

 

[cyclones500]

If we win that hypothetical bowl game, do we storm the field?

Hypothetically, we do!

 

[Cycl1]

If ISU isn't one of the 5-7 teams that go bowling there will be another 5-7 team that will go. It isn't like if ISU doesn't take a bowl at 5-7 no other mediocre team will go.

How embarrassing for them.

 

[drmwevr08]

The extra practices would be a welcome boost for a young team.

So someone said they've never understood the extra practices thing. Then many chimed in similar to this.
I still think it doesn't matter. a handful of December practices is going to make them noticeably better 6-9 months later?

I don't buy it.

 

[theshadow]

If we're really going down this path, the pool of potential APR bowl teams above/equal to ISU is down to 11. The others are already eligible the regular way.

Northwestern (1-6)
Rice (4-3)
Air Force (5-3)
Wisconsin (4-4)
Utah (5-2)
Boise State (5-2)
Louisville (4-3)
Minnesota (4-3)
Temple (2-5)
Boston College (2-5)
Iowa State (3-4)

 

[CycloneErik]

So someone said they've never understood the extra practices thing. Then many chimed in similar to this.
I still think it doesn't matter. a handful of December practices is going to make them noticeably better 6-9 months later?

I don't buy it.

I tend not to buy it. It just sounds like a cheesy excuse to me. I doubt there's a ton of benefit to it. I suspect any seniors with NFL prospects would smartly sit it out.

UCLA skipped a bowl game years ago because they would lose money on the deal. I think the financial aspect of any game that would invite a 5-7 team is worth looking at. If it would lose money, don't go at all. If the #s are fine, then go ahead, I suppose.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

Most fun bowl I've ever been to and it's not close. Great trip.

I agree..........for fans. However in regards to a bowl game.......any bowl game being good as "practice" for the next season, I think that bowl and the results of 2003 would speak otherwise.