ADVERTISEMENT

SMF Bowl Projections (end of regular season)

Sean Miller Fan

Lair Hall of Famer
Oct 30, 2001
64,717
20,789
113
Orange: Virginia

Camping World: Notre Dame

Tier 1: VT (8-4), Lou (7-5), FSU (6-6), UNC (6-6)

Wake Forest and their lack of a fanbase is going to miss out on Tier 1 in my opinion. Remember, there is NO "1 win rule."

Music City: Louisville goes 3 hours down the road.

Belk: UNC stays in state. They typically don't travel all that well to games in Charlotte but their fans are pretty excited about Mack Brown, Sam Howell, and stomping NC State so they should buy up a good number of tickets

Pinstripe: VT - Really, its going to be VT's pick. They've never been to this bowl and I'm sure there's a lot of VT alums within 50 miles or so from Yankee Stadium so I think they pick this bowl.

Sun: Florida State

Tier 2
Military Bowl - they go first and pick Miami

Independence Bowl - they pick 2nd and pick Pitt

Quick Lane Bowl - they have to pick Wake

BC will get a bid somewhere else.
 
Orange: Virginia

Camping World: Notre Dame

Tier 1: VT (8-4), Lou (7-5), FSU (6-6), UNC (6-6)

Wake Forest and their lack of a fanbase is going to miss out on Tier 1 in my opinion. Remember, there is NO "1 win rule."

Music City: Louisville goes 3 hours down the road.

Belk: UNC stays in state. They typically don't travel all that well to games in Charlotte but their fans are pretty excited about Mack Brown, Sam Howell, and stomping NC State so they should buy up a good number of tickets

Pinstripe: VT - Really, its going to be VT's pick. They've never been to this bowl and I'm sure there's a lot of VT alums within 50 miles or so from Yankee Stadium so I think they pick this bowl.

Sun: Florida State

Tier 2
Military Bowl - they go first and pick Miami

Independence Bowl - they pick 2nd and pick Pitt

Quick Lane Bowl - they have to pick Wake

BC will get a bid somewhere else.
I hope PItt gets the invite to the Bowling Alley Bowl in Detroit vs South New Hampshire University Internet. Pitt football needs a win badly and this matchup provides the opportunity although the betting line would probably favor SNHUI by 7.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CaptainMurphy
But there is a 2-win rule, so how can you pick UNC and FSU to be Tier 1 when Wake has an 8-4 record, and 2 more wins than UNC and FSU? So 8-4 HAS to be selected over any 6-6 team
 
But there is a 2-win rule, so how can you pick UNC and FSU to be Tier 1 when Wake has an 8-4 record, and 2 more wins than UNC and FSU? So 8-4 HAS to be selected over any 6-6 team

No there isnt. The ACC will fight for Wake to get the Sun Bowl but there's no official "2 win rule."
 
10 acc schools get to bowl eligibility after today and Pitt has not two win rule at 7-5. With Notre Dame snatching an ACC spot it will be interesting where we la d
 
I read that in Joe Giglio's blog/tweet and he is the guru on ACC bowl selections. He said Pitt and UL's losses today open up 2 slots in the Tier 1 for the 6-6 teams.
Joe Giglio‏Verified account @jwgiglio

Losses by Louisville and Pitt today open up Tier I for UNC.

Its an unofficial, unwritten rule just like the ACCCG loser not falling out of Tier 1 and we found out last year that we weren't guaranteed Tier 1.
 
I hope PItt gets the invite to the Bowling Alley Bowl in Detroit vs South New Hampshire University Internet. Pitt football needs a win badly and this matchup provides the opportunity although the betting line would probably favor SNHUI by 7.

Of course Pitt would be up 31-10 at the half and allow three straight TDs to the SNHU Syrup Tappers. Pitt will pull one out to the Tappers in the end.
 
What a crappy way to end the season for Pitt. Not saying 8-4 would've got us that much better of a bowl game, but still. We don't travel at all either. We shall see.
 
Jerry Palm predicts Pinstripe against Indiana

I think that would be a good matchup that we'd probably find a way to lose. We showed up well to our last Pinstripe Bowl so I'd think they would welcome us back.
 
I think that would be a good matchup that we'd probably find a way to lose. We showed up well to our last Pinstripe Bowl so I'd think they would welcome us back.
Indiana is a better team, but IMO Michigan St would be a more enticing opponent.
Bigger brand, the connection between Narduzzi and Dantonio, and most importantly an easier W.
 
I hope PItt gets the invite to the Bowling Alley Bowl in Detroit vs South New Hampshire University Internet. Pitt football needs a win badly and this matchup provides the opportunity although the betting line would probably favor SNHUI by 7.
That would be better than LOSING ANOTHER ONE to a P5 team. Say all you want bowl games don't matter, two straight years of losing the last 3 to go 7-7 and 7-6 would be devastating. An 8-5 would look at least a little better, nobody ever goes back to see who you beat.
 
What a crappy way to end the season for Pitt. Not saying 8-4 would've got us that much better of a bowl game, but still. We don't travel at all either. We shall see.
Pitt alums cannot even be bothered to show up to home games. There is little to no school spirit from the alums.
 
Sporting news still has Pitt vs Kentucky in Belk.
Surprised about that.
 
Indiana is a better team, but IMO Michigan St would be a more enticing opponent.
Bigger brand, the connection between Narduzzi and Dantonio, and most importantly an easier W.

This matchup reeks of 2008 Sun Bowl. No way it will happen.
 
No chance. These guys look at record only and dont account for othet things such as fan travel. At 6-6, FSU, UNC, and Miami will be chosen ahead of Pitt

We'd probably bring more fans than those other teams. I think there'd be a high chance of our selection given how well we traveled last time.
 
We'd probably bring more fans than those other teams. I think there'd be a high chance of our selection given how well we traveled last time.

You cannot possibly think the Belk Bowl would select Pitt over North Carolina or Florida State. I mean how could anyone seriously think that's a possibility? This is the same bowl that took 7-5, 3-5 NC State over 8-4, 6-2 Pitt in 2015, a year when we deserved a Tier 1 bowl.
 
One factor still could be if B10 goes to Orange, that opens up additional spot in Citrus for ACC.
 
One factor still could be if B10 goes to Orange, that opens up additional spot in Citrus for ACC.

I don't really think that's a possibility because Penn State, Minnesota, or Wisconsin have to go to the Rose Bowl. The teams that don't will probably not be ranked higher than Alabama, Georgia, Florida, or Auburn. 1 of those teams have to go to the Sugar Bowl though.
 
Maybe they sell it out, but I wonder if Pitt *eats* a lot of the tickets. Certain away games, Pitt fans show up, no doubt. But Pitt notoriously doesn't travel well for bowl games, that's well documented.
 
nobody attends the bowl games that a Pitt team makes. its December programming for ESPN you could play it before a studio audience like these holiday basketball tournaments in a high school gym
 
nobody attends the bowl games that a Pitt team makes. its December programming for ESPN you could play it before a studio audience like these holiday basketball tournaments in a high school gym

Titleman, I guess you weren't at the last military bowl when there were more Pitt fans than Navy in attendance.
 
So if thats true:

Music City: Louisville
Pinstripe: VT
Belk: UNC
Sun: Wake

Military: FSU
Independence: Miami
Quick Lane: Pitt

So far, you're the only one projecting Detroit..

Kyle Bonagura, ESPN: Belk vs. Appalachian State (Charlotte, N.C.)

Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Military vs. Navy (Annapolis, Md.)

Jerry Palm, CBS: Pinstripe vs. Indiana (New York)

Brad Crawford, 247 Sports: Pinstripe vs. Michigan State

Bill Bender, Sporting News: Military vs. Temple

Jason Kirk Banner Society: Belk vs. Tennessee

Joe Tansey, Bleacher Report: Pinstripe vs. Michigan
 
  • Like
Reactions: PittFamily2
Agreed with the concept that a lone bowl game may not matter much, but losing a 5th in a row will be a fairly negative thing for the program. It would also be losing 7 out of the last 8 with the one win over Bowling Green o_O
 
Joe Giglio
EKtjQWAXkAADb-v
 
Joe Giglio
EKtjQWAXkAADb-v

FSU went to the Independence 2 years ago. They arent going there again. I realize that Pitt sold a lot of tickets to the Military Bowl but if you are them, do you REALLY pass on Florida State for Pitt? How many times will that bowl be able to land basically a blue blood program like that? Also, they could take Miami which has a large NE corridor fanbase.

As for Joe Giglio, he thinks the Pinstripe will take 6-6 UNC over 7-5 Pitt but the Military will take 7-5 Pitt over 6-6 FSU. Splain that one.
 
ADVERTISEMENT