Updated Tennessee Bowl Scenarios - Auburn to Outback?
by Will Shelton on Dec 1, 2009 12:28 PM EST
in Tennessee Volunteer Football
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Alternate headline: "The Outback Bowl is a joke."
There's nothing official out there at the moment, but Brent Hubbs at VolQuest ($), among others, is saying that sources close to the process have given indication that the Outback Bowl will select...the Auburn Tigers. As Clay Travis points out, that's the same Auburn that's beaten only Furman and Ole Miss since October 3, a 2-5 stretch that everyone thought would leave them at the bottom of the SEC's bowl pecking order. Chris Low also weighs in on the insanity.
When you have six teams at 7-5, it's not going to be totally fair. It's tough to argue Auburn/Tennessee, because the Tigers beat the Vols. It's not tough to argue that of the six 7-5 teams, Tennessee has the best credentials. What's more, not only did the Outback Bowl go away from their traditional agreement of picking an SEC East team, they've reportedly rejected 8-4 Ole Miss, as the Cotton Bowl's attempted trade of Tennessee for Ole Miss was shot down by the suits in Tampa.
This is the same Outback Bowl that screwed over a sixth ranked 10-2 Tennessee team in 2003, and has more than once made questionable choices based on wins and losses, sending Kentucky and South Carolina to Tampa over teams with better records.
If Auburn heads to Tampa, what does it mean for Tennessee?
You'd think the Vols would do no worse than the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, a place (unlike Tampa) they haven't been since 2003. However...should Georgia Tech beat Clemson in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday, a Clemson-Georgia matchup would be very enticing, based on the traditional rivalry and UGA's proximity to Atlanta. Will they care about the fact that Clemson would be 8-5, unranked and losers of two straight, while Virginia Tech will be 9-3 and possibly in the Top 10? Who knows.
If I were a betting man, I'd say that if Georgia Tech beats Clemson on Saturday, you'll see Georgia-Clemson in Atlanta, and the Vols will still find a way to head towards the Music City or Liberty Bowls, sending VT to the Gator Bowl. If Clemson wins the ACC title game, you'll see Tennessee-Virginia Tech in Atlanta.
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For selfish reasons
I actually wouldn’t mind the Peach Bowl because I could actually go watch it, versus watching an out-of-town game on TV.
You're full of crap.
For selfish reasons
living in SW Virginia, I want Virginia Tech in the worst way. Plus, there’s a huge jump from the Chick-Fil-A to the Music City or Liberty in terms of prestige…not that it wouldn’t be nice to play Bobby Bowden in his last game, perhaps…
by Will Shelton on Dec 1, 2009 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
Looks like what the "rep" told me
about not taking a West team was crapola. That stinks.
Cannons... fire them.
www.BucEm.com - SBNation's home for discussion of all things regarding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Not enough to confuse
the names “auburn” and “tennessee”.
Cannons... fire them.
www.BucEm.com - SBNation's home for discussion of all things regarding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For selfish reasons,
I don’t care. I’m good with either Peach or Music City. Both within driving distance.
I am boycotting the Outback Steakhouse for life
________________________________
Eric Berry is better at football than you.
Question: If we had beaten UCLA, would we still be having this conversation?
Based on the history of the Outback, I believe the answer is ‘yes’.
An even bigger screwjob
would be the rumors that the Gator Bowl is going to take 6-6 Florida State for its January 1 bid in Bowden’s farewell game. There are six ACC teams with better records than FSU, but the Gator Bowl might take them with the ACC #3 pick. That’s ridiculous. Not only does the bowl system fail to produce a fair national champion, it has become all politics and zero integrity.
Let me play devil's advocate here...
I don’t need to go into all the ways the bowl system in general is a joke…
But can we really blame the Outback for trying to maximize its income? Look at this from their perspective: despite the renewed sense of excitement about UT football this year thanks to CLK and his staff, they see us as a team who has already played in their bowl two of the last three years. We haven’t sold out a single game this year and despite a good fanbase and storied tradition (and the fact we missed bowling last year) may not be as enticing as an Auburn team that hasn’t played there since 1995.
As unfair as it may seem (and even actually be) to Vol fans, if Auburn promises them they will sell more tickets, the Outback Bowl would be stupid not to take the offer. And all of this talk about boycotting their restaurants and their bowl in the future is BS. This bowl screwed us a lot worse in 2003. If any of us were serious about this stuff, there wouldn’t be anyone left to boycott them this year when they screw us again.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
But, I really don't like their food anyway...
..seriously, I don’t. So I will continue to not eat there. :-)
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
Auburn is much closer to Tampa than Knoxville is, as well
Probably a ton more AU alums in Florida than UT alums, too.
I can’t say I’m not surprised, though!
And, in a related story, this week marked the 5,000th performance of the Broadway musical "Cats." It also marked the 5,000th time a guy turned to his wife and said, "What the hell is this?"
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