One more win probably gets us to a bowl, right?
- Thread starter FeralFelidae
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We would be the first 5-7 team in, but it depends on whether there's any extra slots this year after all the other eligible teams get bowls.
I would say odds are >50% if we win a 5th game, but yes, you want to win the 6th to remove any issue.
I would say odds are >50% if we win a 5th game, but yes, you want to win the 6th to remove any issue.
More importantly, a team can continue practicing until formally eliminated from bowl possibilities. An extra week or two can be HUGE for player development, especially for younger guys. Essentially an extra spring ball.
Would actually be even more interesting if we have a new head coach, Braun or otherwise. A chance for that guy to put his initial stamp on the program.
Would help with greatly with recruiting too (obviously).
I will be really disappointed if we don't get two more wins with this remaining schedule. We are good enough to win three of them.
I agree, but 2 are true road games and the Wrigley game will be a de facto Iowa home game
James Madison will be the first ineligible team to get a bowl bid if there are extra spots. After that would be us, unless New Mexico State or Hawaii finish 6-7.
James Madison (and Jacksonville State)?
What we can say for sure is that they are ineligible if there are any 6-6 teams available.
I’m about 99% sure they’re ineligible because of rules about moving up a level. Don’t think there are any exceptions, could be wrong.
They are ineligible because they are in their final year of "transitioning" to FBS. And yet they are playing a full Sun Belt (JMU) and CUSA (JSU) schedule and James Madison is in the top 25.
NCAA president left the door open for a possible bowl game:
"James Madison may still access postseason bowl participation this year if an insufficient number of active FBS institutions meet the requirements for bowl eligibility."
James Madison is in its second year of transition, and thus is eligible for a bowl berth if there are not enough eligible teams.
Priority order of ineligible teams:
1) 6-6 teams that had one win against an FCS opponent that didn't meet scholarship requirements (Ivy League etc.)
2) 6-7 teams that played 13 regular season games
3) 6-6 or better teams in their second year of reclassification from FCS to FBS
4) 5-7 teams in order of APR
Nobody qualifies for category 1 this year, and only New Mexico State and Hawaii are playing 13 regular season games this year. James Madison is in category 3, and since they are already 7-0, they will get a bowl bid ahead of any 5-7 team.
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Jacksonville State is in their 2nd year of transition. They began their transition in the 2022 season after being invited to CUSA in 2021.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...f-to-beat-middle-tennessee-45-30/71067205007/
"Malik Jackson and J’Wan Evans added rushing touchdowns for Jacksonville State (5-1, 3-0 Conference USA), which is in the second year of an FCS-FBS transition."
https://www.gadsdentimes.com/story/...playoff-eligible-postseason-2022/10329566002/
"Jacksonville State football is in transition for the 2022 season as it moves from FCS to FBS."
It is their first season as an FBS team.
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Some more:
https://theathletic.com/4456730/2023/04/26/james-madison-fbs-waiver-sun-belt/
"Football programs moving from the Football Championship Subdivision to the FBS are required to take a two-year 'transition,' during which they are ineligible for the postseason. The idea behind the rule is for schools to spend that time making necessary investments for the jump, and the postseason ineligibility is supposed to be the price of the move, to deter schools from trying to fast-track a leveling up of their program. In most cases, those programs spend one transition year in the FCS and the second in the FBS. Sam Houston and Jacksonville State spent their first transition year in the FCS last fall and will join Conference USA in FBS this summer, ineligible for the postseason."
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Mostly bullshit to me, but all for it if it helps NU back into an unlikely bowl bid.
The point is, if James Madison is deemed eligible before 5-win teams, as a team in its 2nd year of transition, I think that would also apply to Jacksonville State.
So JMU and JSU both very well might be selected before a 5-win 'Cats team.
Get it.
I’m saying that I think it’s bullshit that a team has to “transition” to bowl eligibility. If a team earns it at the FBS level, they earn it.
You are correct. I was thinking of JMU, who took the unusual step of playing their first transition year with a full FBS schedule. Jacksonville State are indeed in their second year of transition. Therefore, as they're already 7-2, both they and JMU would be eligible to fill empty bowl slots before any 5-7 team - as a result, if NU goes 5-7, there must be at least three empty bowl slots for us to go bowling.
(This also applies to Sam Houston, but as they're 0-8 they won't be going anywhere)
We have shots in all 4 games. I don’t see anyone that is that strong. Of course, we could easily lose all four as well.
