So...beat ILL for APR bowl?
- Thread starter phatcat
- Start date
Getting to a bowl game will be challenging but it would be a huge accomplishment for this team and very beneficial for the continued development of our young players. Illinois is a lot tougher than you think. Could just as easily get our 5th win against Michigan.
A win over Illinois and bowl meets the bar for success with this team, so I’m down
Agree that Michigan may be easier (but unlikely), although Illinois lost at home to Minnesota today.
There are 82 postseason slots available and 34 teams have thus far qualified for them. Last year there were 3 open bowl slots. The priority order for filling them:
1. 6-6 teams with a win over an FCS school that did not meet scholarship requirements (none)
2. 6-7 teams that lost their conference title game (likely impossible this year, maybe in the Sun Belt?)
3. 6-7 teams that played 13 regular season games (Nevada is the only one playing 13 and they are 3-6 right now)
4. FCS teams with at least 6-6 records in their final year of transition to FBS (Kennesaw State is the only such team and they have already lost 7)
5. 5-7 teams ranked by APR
And so here are the APR rankings for 2024:
1. Ohio State (already bowl eligible)
2. Alabama (already bowl eligible)
T3. NU (4-5) and North Carolina (currently 4-4)
So if we finish 5-7 the only teams that could possibly take bowl slots ahead of us are Nevada and UNC. In short, if we win another game, we will likely go bowling.
1. 6-6 teams with a win over an FCS school that did not meet scholarship requirements (none)
2. 6-7 teams that lost their conference title game (likely impossible this year, maybe in the Sun Belt?)
3. 6-7 teams that played 13 regular season games (Nevada is the only one playing 13 and they are 3-6 right now)
4. FCS teams with at least 6-6 records in their final year of transition to FBS (Kennesaw State is the only such team and they have already lost 7)
5. 5-7 teams ranked by APR
And so here are the APR rankings for 2024:
1. Ohio State (already bowl eligible)
2. Alabama (already bowl eligible)
T3. NU (4-5) and North Carolina (currently 4-4)
So if we finish 5-7 the only teams that could possibly take bowl slots ahead of us are Nevada and UNC. In short, if we win another game, we will likely go bowling.
We won’t but I would absolutely punt next week in terms of resting anyone who is either currently injured or “playing hurt” (Porter, Henning, Thompson) and put all your chips in the middle for at Michigan and vs Illinois.
We had the third hardest schedule in the country going into the year. And I think it’s technically gotten even harder on paper with Indiana and Wisconsin’s success (even if Miami OH hasn’t been as good).
The goal was always 6-6. 5-7 wouldn’t be too bad and shows to recruits, fans, media that even in a clear rebuilding year our “floor” is bowl eligibility.
We had the third hardest schedule in the country going into the year. And I think it’s technically gotten even harder on paper with Indiana and Wisconsin’s success (even if Miami OH hasn’t been as good).
The goal was always 6-6. 5-7 wouldn’t be too bad and shows to recruits, fans, media that even in a clear rebuilding year our “floor” is bowl eligibility.
