Picks for Big 12 bowls

[RonMexico]

Fran loses on Friday, A&M is not going to a bowl, and he's gone by Monday.

New head coaching search will begin shortly thereafter.

I read on an LSU message board some guy wrote: "Anyways, I heard from an aTm fan that Spurrier has a deal in principle with aTm, but he will wait to see how the LSU job plays out before accepting the aTm gig. Any thoughts on this?"

I think that might be the most ridiculous comment I've ever heard.

[leemajors]

i doubt spurrier wants to give up being so close to augusta national and not paying any dues.

[Holt's Cat]

Think so Holt? Part of me thinks that with the disappointing season for the Aggies (At least in Aggie fan eyes) and how folks want to see Fran run out on a rail, that the interest for a bowl game would be lacking. But, one in Texas would draw more than one out of state.

A&M has had 80K+ game showing up in College Station this season. Doesn't matter.

[MajorMike]

Actually they didn't go over 80k until the 4th game.

[Holt's Cat]

75k, whatever.

[MajorMike]

75k, whatever.

I'm far from knocking 75k, that's awesome. Kyle Field is up there with Neb's home as the best places in the B12 to see a game; no one is disputing that. The point, however, that 1369 was making about this being a disappointment to the fans is very vaild. While this year's game against OSU was the 6th highest attendance ever at Kyle, atm failed to sell out 4 of 6 home games to this point (tho I'm sure UT will be one). The preseason rankings gone bad, the Fran scandal, getting whipped by ttek and uo, being big underdogs to UT, the prospect of being 2-13 to UT, ttek and UT in the Fran years, 3 out of 5 Fran season with losing B12 records - much more was expected from atm this year; by everyone.

To be quite frank and knock my own fanbase, why would you pick a disappopinted fanbase in atm just because they are local when OSU fans are just happy to get to a bowl and will sell just as many tickets? atm has the 2nd highest ever attended Alamo Bowl in 1999; however OSU has the 3rd highest attended just a few years back in 2004 at just over 100 tickets less. atm has the highest attended Cotton Bowl in 2005 (75k) against national powerhouse Tennessee since UT/ND in 1976; however when OSU played one-year wonder Ole Miss in 2004, that was the highest attended Cotton Bowl since '76.

Also, ttek brought just as many to the Alamo and Cotton, plus way more than atm did to the Holiday and Houston. ttek's Holiday Bowl is the 3rd highest ever.

OSU can't sell out 40k at home games, but they have some some of the best bowl attendance in the conference. On the flip side, just because atm gets 80k+ to home games doesn't equate to larger bowl attendance.

OSU was at a recent Alamo Bowl, but atm played there more recently against Army. atm fans will not buy as many hotel rooms as OSU will, and will not visit as many local attractions as OSU fans will, and yet will sell 100 less tickets. I think that is a very attractive give and take.

Alamo Bowl Reps have been at the last 3 OSU games and will be at Bedlam Sat night.

Alamo looking, but...

The Valero Alamo Bowl was also in attendance (at the KSU/Mizzou game), but has a short list of Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech from the Big 12, and Wisconsin and Penn State from the Big Ten.

"If Kansas State would get hot, they could be in our mix," bowl representative Joe Linson said.

The Alamo Bowl picks behind the Holiday, and ahead of the Insight.

Independence Bowl still high on Cats

Even after a 73-31 loss to Nebraska last week, and a 49-32 blistering this week at the hands of Missouri, the PetroSun Independence Bowl knows it has a good shot at landing Kansas State for its Dec. 30, game in Shreveport, La.

"One of the things we look at is how are teams going to travel," said Pesky Hill, a representative of the bowl in attendance Saturday. "A&M is closer to us in miles, but we know K-State's track record of following its team.

"We're here for the game, but also to get a feel for the fans," Hill said. "I just spent time in the parking lot asking if they were ready to come to Shreveport, and they all said yes."

Hill said the bowl also looks at whether a team is on a rise, or decline, and how the team is finishing the season.

A third choice would be Oklahoma State, but likely a third option since the Cowboys played in the 2006 Independence Bowl.

In reality, nobody knows, but history shows you can't assume atm gets picked over ttek or OSU just because they are closer or have more fans at home games.