SEC bowl selection

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[Courtesy of the SEC]

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  2. The simplest way to look at whether the Gators may land in a NY-6 bowl game is to look at their contractually available options this year.

    The Peach and Fiesta host playoff games, so they’re out for UF. The Rose is obligated to take Big 10 and Pac 12 teams, so it’s out. The Sugar is obligated to take Big 12 and SEC teams and LSU, UGA and Bama rank higher than UF. So, one of them will land in the Sugar, even if the other two end up in the playoffs. All that leaves just the Orange and Cotton as the only NY-6 bowls open for the Gators this year.

    The Orange MUST take an ACC team and Clemson’s almost certainly in a playoff bowl. So, the Orange will be STUCK with an unranked ACC team of their choice vs. possibly UF. Easy win for the Gators if they go there.

    The Cotton is designated “access bowl” this year. So, they’re STUCK with the Group of Five champ vs. possibly UF. Interesting matchup for the Gators if they go there. Not necessarily an easy win, since they’ll play either Memphis or Boise State and both are a handful offensively.

    For either of those two NY-6 bowl invitations to come the Gators’ way one of the following must happen:

    1. Ohio State wins out, thereby clearing Penn State, Michigan and the Minnesota-Wisconsin winner on Nov 30th out of the way of an Orange invitation for the Gators.

    2. UGA beats LSU in the SECC and BOTH get playoff invites. Then, Bama gets the Sugar invite and the Gators end up in the Cotton.

    All THAT assumes, of course, that the Gators make short work of the Semis on Nov 30th.

    So, GO GATORS!!!

    • Not so fast, my friend. Would it not be possible, under the scenario you laid out on the other article, that UF ends up ranked higher than Bama if the Tide loses to Auburn? In that case, with GA having beaten LSU and both of them in the playoff, UF would get the Sugar Bowl invitation. Right?

      • You are technically correct Joe. For the above scenario, I accepted the media’s assumption that Alabama will beat Auburn, remain a 1-loss team and therefore ahead of the Gators in the CFP ranking.

        Auburn beating an injury depleted Alabama SHOULD place the Gators ahead of Alabama in the CFP ranking IF the committee looks at both bodies of work with no bias for Alabama’s past. Both teams would be 10-2. Both teams would’ve lost to LSU. Alabama would’ve lost to an Auburn team the Gators beat. Then, they could ask themselves a simple question, “Can this Alabama team (without Tua) beat UGA today?” If their answer is “No,” the benefit of THAT doubt should benefit the Gators’ ranking.

        However, will ALL THAT happen???

    • Id rather see them in the Citrus bowl or the Outback bowl since they both are on jan 1 and all the nation would see them! Especially the Citrus as its on ABC not cable!40 million homes dont get cable! Everyone gets broadcast TV! perfect time too, 1pm! I can sit back, eat (noon) and watch it on my mothers new 50″ TV I just bought her!!!!! Both games get SEC teams Citrus gets big 10 or ACC, Outback gets Big10. My next choice would be the Cotton on Sat but not nearly as many people will see it at Noon as on NY’s day!

      • Daz, you advocate for convenience of fans watching and there’s something to be said for that. However, NY-6 bowl invitations are more prestigious, bring in more $$$ to the participants and place the Gators in a better light with recruits, especially if they win.

        • Not for “convenience”, but for Fans. EYES, the audience for a new years day bowl are huge, not so much for a 1pm game on the sat after Thanksgiving when everyone is out shopping or doing stuff and nobody’s watching except gator fans and sports media! I dont think recruits care about the title “NY-6” when 4 of the games are not even on NY’s! I can dang sure say that recruits seeing the gators on a NATIONALLY televised, Broadcast game on New years day when the whole nation is watching would darn sure impress them! the money is a whole ‘nother subject but then the Gators arent hurting for that either, so i dont see that matters so much!

          • Well, we can still have BOTH “Less filling AND more taste!” 😁

            Root for Wisconsin over Minnesota next week and for Ohio State to win out. That will devalue Penn State and Minnesota in the final ranking, so the Orange Bowl will have to take the Gators over a Big 10 team, or ND. There’s a LOT of Gators living in South Florida, so it should feel like a game in the Swamp.

            Also, this year the Orange Bowl is being played on Monday night (12/30,) on prime time (8 PM,) on ABC, not cable. It should get a bigger fan audience than any 2nd tier, NY Day afternoon bowl game.