Bowls

[UPitt '89]

How I see it:


Peach Bowl - 0.1% chance. Only if Pitt beats Clemson. 1 in a 1000 chance.

Music City - 10% chance. Need a good showing and close loss to Clemson. This would be a near lock if we would've beaten Miami.

Sun - 50% chance. With a 3 TD loss to Clemson.

Detroit - 39.9% chance. A blowout loss to Clemson.

There is no rule requiring Pitt gets a Tier 1 bowl. At 7-6 with a blowout loss to Clemson, Pitt could be Detroit bound.

ON EDIT... HERE'S HOW I THINK THE ACC WILL BE SLOTTED:

Playoff (Orange): Clemson
Camping World: NC State
Pin Stripe: Syracuse
Belk: Georgia Tech
Music City: Miami
Sun: Pitt
Independence: Virginia
Military: Virginia Tech
Quick Lane: Boston College
First Responder: Duke
Birmingham Bowl: Wake Forest

 

[fairgambit]

How I see it:


Peach Bowl - 0.1% chance. Only if Pitt beats Clemson. 1 in a 1000 chance.

Music City - 10% chance. Need a good showing and close loss to Clemson. This would be a near lock if we would've beaten Miami.

Sun - 50% chance. With a 3 TD loss to Clemson.

Detroit - 39.9% chance. A blowout loss to Clemson.

There is no rule requiring Pitt gets a Tier 1 bowl. At 7-6 with a blowout loss to Clemson, Pitt could be Detroit bound.

In the end it's not about where they play. It's about who they play. Matchups matter. Pitt needs a solid bowl win to build momentum for recruiting and next season. Better a lesser bowl with a win than a better bowl with a loss.

 

[UPitt '89]

In the end it's not about where they play. It's about who they play. Matchups matter. Pitt needs a solid bowl win to build momentum for recruiting and next season. Better a lesser bowl with a win than a better bowl with a loss.

Where (and when!) they play absolutely *DOES* matter. It matters to the fans who might travel to the game, and to the TV slot the game is played in (exposure!).

Detroit at 5:15pm on the day after Christmas against a MAC team will have *ZERO* interest.... fans won't go to it, and few will watch it.

Music City on 12/28 against an SEC team will sell 10 times as many tickets to Pitt fans as a game in Detroit on 12/26 against a MAC team.

Those of us who actually buy tickets and plan travel to bowl games absolutely DO care very much about the destination and date.

I've gone to 5 straight Pitt bowl games. If they're playing in Detroit on 12/26, I'm staying home and watching on TV. If they're in Nashville on 12/28 or Charlotte on 12/29, or NYC on 12/28... I'm going.

It matters.

 

[fairgambit]

Where (and when!) they play absolutely *DOES* matter. It matters to the fans who might travel to the game, and to the TV slot the game is played in (exposure!).

Detroit at 5:15pm on the day after Christmas against a MAC team will have *ZERO* interest.... fans won't go to it, and few will watch it.

Music City on 12/28 against an SEC team will sell 10 times as many tickets to Pitt fans as a game in Detroit on 12/26 against a MAC team.

Those of us who actually buy tickets and plan travel to bowl games absolutely DO care very much about the destination and date.

I've gone to 5 straight Pitt bowl games. If they're playing in Detroit on 12/26, I'm staying home and watching on TV. If they're in Nashville on 12/28 or Charlotte on 12/29, or NYC on 12/28... I'm going.

It matters.

I understand your point as a fan who will attend, but in terms of recruiting and next season, I disagree. Yes, more people may attend, or watch, Pitt play an SEC team as opposed to a lesser opponent, but I would think they would be much better off blowing someone out in Detroit than losing in Nashville. Now, the ideal would be to win in Nashville, and if that's where Pitt is bound, I hope it happens.

 

[UPitt '89]

I understand your point as a fan who will attend, but in terms of recruiting and next season, I disagree. Yes, more people may attend, or watch, Pitt play an SEC team as opposed to a lesser opponent, but I would think they would be much better off blowing someone out in Detroit than losing in Nashville. Now, the ideal would be to win in Nashville, and if that's where Pitt is bound, I hope it happens.

It isn't so much the opponent.... as the location and date/time.

Dec 26 at 5pm would get no travelling fans.

Dec 28 or 29 would get lots of fans.

Not to mention a much more fun location.



AND... I think recruiting is much better helped by having a higher-profile game at a nice location than beating a MAC team. Recruits are looking at where they might go to play games and how much they'll be on TV, etc. No recruit is caring whether Pitt is 8-6 or 7-7... as neither record will result in a ranking.

 

[infinitehighway42]

It isn't so much the opponent.... as the location and date/time.

Dec 26 at 5pm would get no travelling fans.

Dec 28 or 29 would get lots of fans.

Not to mention a much more fun location.

How about a Military Bowl on Dec. 31st? Best of both worlds, but likely very much below where Pitt will end up.

 

[Las Panteras]

Would not a lot of Pitt fans go to the Clemson game and wrap it up for the year?

If we likely wont travel well, we are better off in the Sun or a likely win in Detroit

 

[Burgh15]

Would not a lot of Pitt fans go to the Clemson game and wrap it up for the year?

If we likely wont travel well, we are better off in the Sun or a likely win in Detroit

A lot easier to travel between Christmas and New Year's than this weekend for the ACC Championship game.

 

[UPitt '89]

Would not a lot of Pitt fans go to the Clemson game and wrap it up for the year?

If we likely wont travel well, we are better off in the Sun or a likely win in Detroit

Absolutely not.

I know I make my travel plans assuming a game between Christmas and New Year's for Pitt. The ACC Championship game is just an added, driveable, bonus.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Where (and when!) they play absolutely *DOES* matter. It matters to the fans who might travel to the game, and to the TV slot the game is played in (exposure!).

Detroit at 5:15pm on the day after Christmas against a MAC team will have *ZERO* interest.... fans won't go to it, and few will watch it.

Music City on 12/28 against an SEC team will sell 10 times as many tickets to Pitt fans as a game in Detroit on 12/26 against a MAC team.

Those of us who actually buy tickets and plan travel to bowl games absolutely DO care very much about the destination and date.

I've gone to 5 straight Pitt bowl games. If they're playing in Detroit on 12/26, I'm staying home and watching on TV. If they're in Nashville on 12/28 or Charlotte on 12/29, or NYC on 12/28... I'm going.

It matters.

Actually, 5:15 on Dec 26 will be one of the most watched crappy bowl games. No other sports are on TV. However, nobody will go to it.

 

[fairgambit]

It isn't so much the opponent.... as the location and date/time.

Dec 26 at 5pm would get no travelling fans.

Dec 28 or 29 would get lots of fans.

Not to mention a much more fun location.



AND... I think recruiting is much better helped by having a higher-profile game at a nice location than beating a MAC team. Recruits are looking at where they might go to play games and how much they'll be on TV, etc. No recruit is caring whether Pitt is 8-6 or 7-7... as neither record will result in a ranking.

You may be right. I guess we'll all know soon enough.

 

[FreddieFunk]

Where (and when!) they play absolutely *DOES* matter. It matters to the fans who might travel to the game, and to the TV slot the game is played in (exposure!).

Detroit at 5:15pm on the day after Christmas against a MAC team will have *ZERO* interest.... fans won't go to it, and few will watch it.

Music City on 12/28 against an SEC team will sell 10 times as many tickets to Pitt fans as a game in Detroit on 12/26 against a MAC team.

Those of us who actually buy tickets and plan travel to bowl games absolutely DO care very much about the destination and date.

I've gone to 5 straight Pitt bowl games. If they're playing in Detroit on 12/26, I'm staying home and watching on TV. If they're in Nashville on 12/28 or Charlotte on 12/29, or NYC on 12/28... I'm going.

It matters.

You get it! Many do not

 

[oldpanther]

You get it! Many do not

I think it is important to secure that 8th win so I believe that the bowl that provides the best opportunity for victory is the one that PItt is invited to. The season was brutal that included 2 undeated opponents and a 3rd if one considers the Sat. Clemson game. Granted 8 and 6 is not much better than 7 and 7 but perhaps this team deserves a break and can finish the season with a win.

 

[Burgh15]

Actually, 5:15 on Dec 26 will be one of the most watched crappy bowl games. No other sports are on TV. However, nobody will go to it.

22nd most watched bowl game last year (2.526M viewers) behind the Music City (4.626M), Gator (4.424M), Camping World (4.358M), Pinstripe (4.008M), Belk (2.957M) and ahead of Sun (2.205M), Military (2.052M). 18th the year before that, so definitely good TV numbers for a lower tier bowl game.