So, with the bowl game in Fort Worth changing conference affiliation for this year (to include the SEC), does that mean we are probably headed there? I’m discounting next weeks results (forgive me), but with 3 wins, we appear to be at the mercy of the “pickers”. If Fort Worth, that would replace lost game in Arlington for those that believe that playing in the Dallas area is important to our recruiting in Texas. (I’m not saying that playing in the Dallas area isn’t important to Texas recruiting). With all respect to Memphis, I believe that Fort Worth would be better for our situation than the Liberty Bowl this year. I just don’t see us going any farther east than Memphis this year due to our record.
The conference and the bowls work together to come up with the placements. The order would look something like this:
• Winner of the SEC goes to the playoff, with the outside shot of two SEC teams making the playoff. If Florida beats Alabama, I think both teams will be in the playoff. If Alabama wins, there is a chance Texas A&M gets into the playoff.
• Next-highest ranked SEC team goes to the Orange Bowl. Assuming Alabama wins the SECCG, this is either Florida or Texas A&M if neither make the playoff.
• Best SEC team not in a NY6 bowl (there could be three SEC teams in a NY6 this year) goes to the Citrus. This would be the third- or fourth-best SEC team, either Florida, Texas A&M or Georgia.
• The “pool of six” bowls work together to pick their teams. The pool of six this year are the Outback, Gator, Music City, Liberty, Texas and Las Vegas bowls (in odd-numbered years the Belk replaces the Las Vegas). Does the Armed Forces Bowl replace the Las Vegas in this selection process this year? I don’t know. In any event, I think Arkansas probably falls into this category, especially if there are three teams in a NY6 bowl. The other teams likely in this category are Auburn, Missouri, Ole Miss, LSU and Kentucky. If Florida or Texas A&M fall to the Citrus, Georgia bumps a team from the pool of six.
• The Birmingham Bowl picks after the pool of six and the Gasparilla Bowl has the option of taking an SEC team.
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If Notre Dame beats Clemson twice, Clemson won’t be in the playoff. If they split, the ACC will get two teams. So the Aggies need to become Irish and Tide fans on the 19th. Will Florida jump over A&M in the ranking if they beat Bama despite the head to head loss at A&M? We may see. Or may not. This is not a classic Bama defense but their offense is so good it doesn’t matter.
Do we get in? I’d think Fort Worth would love to take us.
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If we went to Fort Worth, if they let fans in, sure a lot of Hog fans in the area.
I think they’ll let fans in, but probably 10K or less. Amon Carter Stadium seats 45,000.
I have a friend who is a season-ticket holder at TCU. He said the attendances have been capped at between 12,000 and 13,000 this year.
So between 25 and 30 percent. Sounds about right. Texas allowed 50% of capacity but nobody has gone that high except the Aggies, who lied about it.
How many bowls are available for, and/or probable for, the SEC teams, not counting the Play-offs?
We know that we will finish ahead of just 2 teams - Vandy and SC.
We probably will finish ahead of MS St, but they could beat MO at home and tie us. We probably would still be a choice of a bowl ahead of them since we beat them.
We probably will finish tied with TN (they play Vandy for their 3rd win). We beat them, but would they look more attractive to a bowl anyway?
Lsu will either be tied with us, or if they beat OM will have 4 wins. They beat us, so they would probably be the choice of a bowl ahead of us, even if they lose out.
Assuming the SEC only gets 1 team in the play-offs, that means the Hogs would probably be tied for 9th with TN out of the 13 remaining teams. Are there enough bowls that AR and TN could get a bowl game?
There is also a slight possibility that we could be tied with TN, LSU, and MS St for 7th out of the 13 teams. We would almost certainly still be behind LSU as a bowl choice, but should be ahead of MS St.
Now, if the SEC gets 2 in the play-offs our hopes would go up another spot. A high of 7th and a low of 10th out of the 12 or 13 teams left.
Would 8th, 9th, or 10th get us a bowl bid?
Yes. See my post above. There are no fewer than eight SEC bowl tie ins outside of the New Year’s 6 bowls. If one SEC team makes the playoff, another will play in the Orange Bowl. It’s possible three SEC teams will play in NY6 bowl games.
Thanks. I just wasn’t sure if those other “tie-in” bowls were optional for SEC teams or mandatory picks.
In a normal year, the bowls are required to take a team unless the conference doesn’t have enough bowl-eligible teams. For instance there were multiple times the SEC didn’t have enough teams to send to Shreveport when that was an SEC-affiliated bowl and got the last pick.
Without the win requirement, I assume every bowl with an SEC tie in is going to take an SEC team.
So…with bama getting ready for the sec champ gm in Atlanta they’ll possibly lighten up, reserving key players by half-time with a comfortable lead.And there’s really no reason that we shouldn’t do the same thing and preserve our best players for future bowl game.
When will the bowl match ups be announced?
I heard, Dec. 20th, after the conference championship games. I guess maybe the lesser bowls could announce earlier?
Probably not. They have to see how the NY6 will break down for the P5 leagues before the rest of the bowls take theirs. Good idea, actually. The first year of the Big Twelve championship game, the Aggies upset undefeated K-State. But because the other bowls in the LD pecking order jumped the gun on making their matchups, K-State fell all the way to Alamo Bowl, I think, at 12-1. After that they made everybody wait.
I had a news feed go across my phone that projected Arkansas to Music City vs Iowa
Amazing at 3-6* (that’s two losses to the SEC Officiating - actual record is 5-4)
However, I’m grateful - gives Our Hogs a chance to end the year with a victory and that would do alot for the team
Really disappointed in the Mizzou loss - last regular season game Arkansas had a clear chance to win - but a bowl allows a chance to win and have a positive attitude going into off season
I’d actually prefer Fort Worth over Nashville. I like Nashville better, if you could do anything while there. You can’t. Fort Worth just seems a little closer for more Arkansas fans. Not saying many can go, but it will be different than say a normal road game like Mizzou where there were maybe 200 Arkansas fans (and assume it was mainly family). I had two cars with Arkansas fans (Razorback flags flying) pass me between Camdenton and Osage Beach and both had Texas plates. Assume they were family of players.
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Another reason to play in a bowl game is the extra practices, we may not get spring practice again, if the virus hasn’t slowed down by then
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Normally you would have some extended practice time. Don’t know that it will be much more than game prep this year. You are playing deep into December.
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Good point, Clay. Any practice at all will help some
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