So help me out here. Exactly what was it that Brian Kelly's team did wrong? They were one win away (a win over West Virginia) from a potential BCS bowl game and tonight, the best they're staring at is a pizza party in Alabama. Really?
The Sun Bowl said sorry to the Bearcats Monday night. They are committed there to taking the second place Big East Conference team. The Sun Bowl instead took the fourth place finisher, South Florida. The rationale was they were tied into taking a Pac 10 team and want Oregon State. Since UC had already played Oregon State this season (and beat THEM too), the Sun Bowl took a pass. OK. Now along comes the Meinke Car Car Bowl in Charlotte. Allegedly, this group is supposed to take the third place finisher in the Big East. UC finished tied for third (with South Florida). Instead, they elect to take Connecticut, yet another team UC beat this season.
You want to see Brian Kelly turn tail and run on UC? Forget new facilities and more salary, tell Kelly despite his team delivering the best season of football in Clifton in over 50 years, it's still not good enough to impress anyone on the national stage. Hello Lincoln.
Bowl game committees select teams not only based on the teams records, but also on the number of fans they think will travel to watch their team play. Honestly, three days before Christmas, only die hard UC fans will make the trip to Birmingham. And the other side of the attendance argument is this: is the bowl game and the city it's held in attractive enough to get a fan to travel? My guess is whatever UC fan base travels to watch this game, won't be big enough to enhance UC's standing for next bowl season. Advice to Brian Kelly: win at least eleven in 2008. That's awfully sad to have to say that, isn't it?
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