The bowl(s) to which Northwestern is lobbying for selection

[Alaskawildkat]

Coach Fitz when asked about any bowl talk with Phillips last week went off on a discussion about "the experience" as in rewarding the players. Traditionally bowl talk has been about "going some place warm." Nashville is slotted below San Diego with regard to both of those priorities so I tend to agree with the suggestion over on "The Rock" based on a ..... source that the lobbying is for the Holiday Bowl in sunny warm California and all of the "fun" (at least for the team) that would go with traveling to San Diego in late December.

(For the details and veracity of the source, now is as good a time as any to spring for a subscription to "The Rock" by taking advantage of Lou's generous offer tagged at the top.)

It is also noteworthy that The Holiday Bowl is playing up the fact that this will be its marque 40th year and that they are going all out with a parade led by a Padres baseball celebrity to commemorate same. Check out the link below.

Then too one cannot ignore the fact that California has the potential for being a much more fertile recruiting ground for Northwestern than Tennessee.

(I can also see Pat Fitzgerald wanting to go back to the Citrus to right a personal score from his own playing days. The Citrus will also most likely be guaranteed to Northwestern if in the final CFB Playoff Poll we end up ranked over Michigan State, a team that we beat and which has the identical same record. [Alternatively, there is a possibility that our head to head could be determinative even if our ranking remains below MSU. With three B1G teams in the New Years 6, the usual rules imposed upon the Citrus may be in flux.])

America’s Largest Balloon Parade
The scenic, bayside streets of downtown San Diego will come alive with the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade presented by National Funding! As always, this exciting family event brings together world-class marching bands, magnificent floats, entertaining drill teams, and a procession of enormous balloons – more than any other parade! Over 100,000 street-side spectators will enjoy the parade along with a nationwide television audience.

HOLIDAY BOWL PARADE
America's Largest Balloon Parade

http://www.holidaybowl.com

 

[phatcat]

San Diego some sounds great if I can win the lottery to afford plane tickets. anywhere DC area to anywhere in SoCal looks like it will be about 600 per(x3)

 

[Deeringfish]

Why do we do this every year? We speculate and speculate when important information like B1G championship results are not yet determined, then we complain about being passed over by bowls that didn't come our way.

 

[NJCat]

Why do we do this every year? We speculate and speculate when important information like B1G championship results are not yet determined, then we complain about being passed over by bowls that didn't come our way.

Because otherwise this board would be....

[crickets]

 

[phatcat]

Because otherwise this board would be....

[crickets]

Exactly. We've won seven in a row so nothing to complain about

 

[NJCat]

Exactly. We've won seven in a row so nothing to complain about

....other than the annual whipping boy, the Offensive Line.....

 

[catsattackfor3]

More and more Citrus momentum I am hearing (Vs. the other USC)

 

[Catreporter]

I would love to play South Carolina in Orlando. Very winnable game. I was there for the '97 game vs. Peyton Manning and would consider going again, hopefully to see a VICTORY.

 

[Cat In The Cradle]

I wonder what omen a sudden appearance from the Mojo Moose would bring as to bowl selection. Citrus?

 

[kaTNap]

I would love to play South Carolina in Orlando. Very winnable game. I was there for the '97 game vs. Peyton Manning and would consider going again, hopefully to see a VICTORY.

SoCar has nothing like a quality win. The closest they came is beating Mizzou early in the season. All the rest of their wins are over non-P5 or teams that are firing their coaches, non-bowl-eligible, etc. Seems very winnable.

 

[NURoseBowl]

San Diego some sounds great if I can win the lottery to afford plane tickets. anywhere DC area to anywhere in SoCal looks like it will be about 600 per(x3)[/QUOTE]
.

Holy heartburn, Batman! Even if I can't make it in person, anxious to see where we're going.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Coach Fitz when asked about any bowl talk with Phillips last week went off on a discussion about "the experience" as in rewarding the players. Traditionally bowl talk has been about "going some place warm." Nashville is slotted below San Diego with regard to both of those priorities so I tend to agree with the suggestion over on "The Rock" based on a ..... source that the lobbying is for the Holiday Bowl in sunny warm California and all of the "fun" (at least for the team) that would go with traveling to San Diego in late December.

(For the details and veracity of the source, now is as good a time as any to spring for a subscription to "The Rock" by taking advantage of Lou's generous offer tagged at the top.)

It is also noteworthy that The Holiday Bowl is playing up the fact that this will be its marque 40th year and that they are going all out with a parade led by a Padres baseball celebrity to commemorate same. Check out the link below.

Then too one cannot ignore the fact that California has the potential for being a much more fertile recruiting ground for Northwestern than Tennessee.

(I can also see Pat Fitzgerald wanting to go back to the Citrus to right a personal score from his own playing days. The Citrus will also most likely be guaranteed to Northwestern if in the final CFB Playoff Poll we end up ranked over Michigan State, a team that we beat and which has the identical same record. [Alternatively, there is a possibility that our head to head could be determinative even if our ranking remains below MSU. With three B1G teams in the New Years 6, the usual rules imposed upon the Citrus may be in flux.])

America’s Largest Balloon Parade
The scenic, bayside streets of downtown San Diego will come alive with the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade presented by National Funding! As always, this exciting family event brings together world-class marching bands, magnificent floats, entertaining drill teams, and a procession of enormous balloons – more than any other parade! Over 100,000 street-side spectators will enjoy the parade along with a nationwide television audience.

HOLIDAY BOWL PARADE
America's Largest Balloon Parade

http://www.holidaybowl.com

With regard to the Citrus, an astute poster on another of these bowl threads noted that the language the Citrus Bowl is using themselves is that they get the "top team" after the New Years 6 selections ahead of them. Given our head to head win over Michigan State a strong argument can be made that Northwestern qualifies as the "Top" team regardless of the whims of the rankings.

Here is BosCat's post from the other thread:

"I know I've posted something similar, but this is pinned right at the top of the official Citrus Bowl Twitter account: https://twitter.com/CitrusBowl

@FCSports hosts the top non-NY6 picks from SEC & Big Ten/ACC in Orlando on New Year's Day at 1pm ET. Last year, LSU topped Louisville 29-9 in the 71st edition.
I guess it comes down to what they mean by "top" as to how much, if any leeway they have"

 

[Overly_Invested_Cat]

....other than the annual whipping boy, the Offensive Line.....

Don't forget lack of student attendance, not winning a division championship in the Fitz era, weak recruiting and player development, lingering national perceptions of NU as a surprising upstart instead of as a consistent winner, lack of coaching turnover, Kain Colter's tenure at quarterback, parking cost and lot assignments, 11am start times, assigned broadcast teams, and a whole host of other slights - real and imagined.