Looks like the Pac-12 is wrong, says Page 18 of Postseason Handbook
On Nov. 13-14, I wrote about the Pac-12 South division's extremely weird potential postseason scenario, but come on, there was no way Colorado - which hadn't won a conference road game since 2007 - was going to win at Utah today, right? Right?
Welp.
So now, we're one step closer to bizarro bowl season.
The Buffaloes' upset of the Utes clinched a Pac-12 championship berth for the 6-5 Bruins, who play at USC tomorrow. If UCLA loses to the Trojans to fall to 6-6, then subsequently loses at Oregon (or Stanford, but probably Oregon), the Bruins will finish at 6-7, and, as a Pac-12 spokesman told me in mid-November: "According to conference office, a team that owns 6-7 record after the championship game is not bowl eligible."
Hold the presses! Or stop the blog publishing software from publ...whatever!
As an alert reader pointed out, Page 18 of the 2010-11 NCAA Postseason Football Handbook contains this passage:
2. A conference team that is 6-6 and plays in a conference championship game and
loses to finish with a record of 6-7 may apply for a waiver to allow that team to be
considered for a postseason bowl. Conditions that will be considered in such a waiver
include whether or not all other conference teams under consideration have 6-6 records
and there are not a sufficient number of eligible teams to meet the conference's bowl
commitments.
So, there you go. Even if things end in calamity for the Bruins the next two weeks, they'll still have a shot at bowling.
Imagine all that extra practice time. It's gotta pay-off next year.
Oregon will probably play in the Rose Bowl, and Stanford will likely be selected to another BCS bowl game (Fiesta Bowl, I'm guessing barring an incredibly unlikely loss to Notre Dame). That would leave 6 other Pac-12 bowl berths that need to be filled by 5 remaining 6-win Pac-12 teams (including UCLA).
Therefore, UCLA will DEFINITELY go bowling as a bowl selection committee would NEVER turn down a team from the largest viewer market in the country, even if that team needs a waiver to be technically eligible.
So Herbie from ESPN was right. He's better than Ms. Cleo from the Psychic Network. Now, just don't get blown out Saturday. Is that too much to ask?
USC beat us on Saturday and we are now 6-6, but heading up to Eugene next Friday to play Oregon.
By some unthinkable miracle we beat Oregon and now we're 7-6.
Has a SIX-LOSS team ever represented in the Rose Bowl game ?
No Bowl
Eagle Bank Bowl - Win!
No Bowl
Pac 12 Championship game
We are definitely closing the gap and after our win tomorrow, we'll be the equal of USC and on the verge or equaling Oregon.
Can't wait for my fifth year to see how high we can go! True Blue!
Does anyone have extra tickets for tomorrows game? I would like to tailgate or attend the game.
Go Bruins!!!
please let the Neu era die peacefully! it would already be embarrassing to get to a bowl with a LOSING record.
but let's say by some miracle we beat Oregon... well, Oregon would be the epitome of failure. but the beat down we would get in the Rose Bowl, the granddaddy of bowl games, the bowl game with the greatest tradition, would simply embarrass the PAC-12, UCLA, and the Rose Bowl itself.
Yes, as I said all along I would lead you to the championship. Ye of little faith. I, the Weasel of Westwood,on the eve of our south division championship victory. Now you need to pay homage to your team and fearless leader. Tomorrow you may contact our exalted athletic director, and demand another 5 years. Many more championships will come our way. Also, cheer for our new uniforms.