UPDATED MEDIA BOWL PROJECTIONS + Assuming we do end up playing UCLA in the Holiday Bowl ......

[Alaskawildkat]

...as at least one of the bowl gurus has projected, it will it give us the opportunity to avenge our Sun Bowl loss.

Here is the projection:

National University Holiday Bowl
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
Wed., Dec. 30, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

McMurphy: Northwestern vs. UCLA

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In addition there are some fun things to join in on earlier in the day:

America’s Largest Balloon Parade
When: December 30, 2015
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Where: Downtown San Diego


*CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE GRANDSTAND TICKETS*
*NOTE* – Tickets may be purchased at the grandstands on the day of the parade for $20, cash only. Grandstands are located at the intersection of Harbor Drive & Ash Street.

The scenic, bayside streets of downtown San Diego will come alive with the 2015 Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade – a San Diego Bowl Games Production. 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.

Parade festivities will begin in the television area with the finals of the 19th annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals and the Bumble Bee Seafoods 5K Run/Walk.

Holiday Bowl Day – Event Timeline
9:30 a.m. Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals
9:45 a.m. Bumble Bee Seafoods 5K
10 a.m. Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade
11:45 a.m. Battle of the Bands – Broadway Pier
7:30 p.m. Holiday Bowl

 

[Alaskawildkat]

NU Bowl Guru GoUPurple at HailtoPurple.com has updated the bowl projections for Northwestern. Here is his summary of where the pundits have us going at present:

MEDIA PROJECTIONS:
CFN: Holiday vs. USC
CBS (Palm): Outback Bowl vs. Georgia
ESPN (McMurphy): Holiday vs. UCLA
ESPN (Schlabach): Pinstripe vs. Pitt
ESPN (Bennett): Pinstripe
SB-Nation (Kirk): Outback vs. Tennessee

For the full analysis regarding the bowl picture for Northwestern here is the direct link:

http://hailtopurple.com/cde/bowls.html

 

[Hungry Jack]

I really hope our guys aren't forced to play on the west coast. The change in time zones puts us at a huge disadvantage.

 

[kaTNap]

I really hope our guys aren't forced to play on the west coast. The change in time zones puts us at a huge disadvantage.

The Holiday Bowl kicks off at 9:30 PM Central Time. That would mean it would end around 1:00 AM the next day. College students never stay up that late. We can't possibly be competitive under those circumstances.

 

[DonatelloCat]

The Holiday Bowl kicks off at 9:30 PM Central Time. That would mean it would end around 1:00 AM the next day. College students never stay up that late. We can't possibly be competitive under those circumstances.

Well . . . if Stanford makes it to the playoffs, then perhaps we could just switch with them? They could play a Pacific timezone game, and we could take one in the Central or Eastern timezone. Win/win!

 

[shakes3858]

The Holiday Bowl kicks off at 9:30 PM Central Time. That would mean it would end around 1:00 AM the next day. College students never stay up that late. We can't possibly be competitive under those circumstances.

The team hates the late games. You wake up for breakfast in the hotel... and then what do you do? You want to focus on football and the game, but you're stuck in a hotel. I've been told you start to get antsy after many many hours of being trapped in the hotel. They'd rather get up and play the game at 11:00. 7:30 PAC 9:30 Central sounds like a nightmare. Keep in mind, these aren't normal college students. They practice early most mornings. That will most likely change for some of the bowl practices and then the team will be told to adjust their biological clocks after finals are over, but trust me, they want the 11:00 am game.

 

[Bwm57]

I know it's not in the upper level of bowl hierarchy, but, I would love Nashville and the Music City Bowl.
Hard to not have a good time down there.

 

[FloridAlum]

I know it's not in the upper level of bowl hierarchy, but, I would love Nashville and the Music City Bowl.
Hard to not have a good time down there.

Me, too

 

[phatcat]

My first preference is NOT to have our guys play basically an away game in SEC land. Obnoxious. Although MSU fans were nice

 

[pawildcat]

With three games to go, it seems a little silly to speculate. I hope we don't end up in San Diego, though, as that absolutely would kill any chance I had to attend the bowl game.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

If we don't make Outback or Holiday it looks like we are doomed to New York City for the Pinstripe on the day after Christmas. Nashville would be nice but does not seem as likely an option.

At this point we have to hope the team plays well enough to qualify for at least the Outback in Florida or the Holiday in San Diego to be assured of going somewhere warm for the holidays. Still an outside chance we could qualify for another Florida bowl like the Citrus - or even the Rose in Pasadena - but the stars would have to align.

Note none of the above media pundits have us going to Nashville. GoUPurple though remains contrarian over on HailtoPurple.com. Curious if Phillips would try to work his magic to get us to Nashville over New York City since both are technically equally prestigious and I assume there is a significant portion of the NU fan base for which Christmas is not a celebrated holiday.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

If we don't make Outback or Holiday it looks like we are doomed to New York City for the Pinstripe on the day after Christmas. Nashville would be nice but does not seem as likely an option.

At this point we have to hope the team plays well enough to qualify for at least the Outback in Florida or the Holiday in San Diego to be assured of going somewhere warm for the holidays. Still an outside chance we could qualify for another Florida bowl like the Citrus but the stars would have to align.

Note none of the above media pundits have us going to Nashville. GoUPurple though remains contrarian over on HailtoPurple.com. Curious if Phillips would try to work his magic to get us to Nashville over New York City since both are technically equally prestigious and I assume there is a significant portion of the NU fan base for which Christmas is not a celebrated holiday.

Based on the amount of angst about a December 26th bowl game, I would gather a significant amount of the fans that would actually attend ( from this board at least) would find the date problematic. I know I will not be at a December 26th game. Give me a different day and better weather.

 

[willycat]

If we don't make Outback or Holiday it looks like we are doomed to New York City for the Pinstripe on the day after Christmas. Nashville would be nice but does not seem as likely an option.

At this point we have to hope the team plays well enough to qualify for at least the Outback in Florida or the Holiday in San Diego to be assured of going somewhere warm for the holidays. Still an outside chance we could qualify for another Florida bowl like the Citrus but the stars would have to align.an

Note none of the above media pundits have us going to Nashville. GoUPurple though remains contrarian over on HailtoPurple.com. Curious if Phillips would try to work his magic to get us to Nashville over New York City since both are technically equally prestigious and I assume there is a significant portion of the NU fan base for which Christmas is not a celebrated holiday.

Can NU through Phillips decline an invite? Actually 12/26 is not a bad date because air travel on the evening of the 25th should be an pretty easy reservation. Know that my better half would love NYC. She had lived there on a couple of occasions and then there is "the shopping". New York and it's Holiday decorations are stunning.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Can NU through Phillips decline an invite? Actually 12/26 is not a bad date because air travel on the evening of the 25th should be an pretty easy reservation. Know that my better half would love NYC. She had lived there on a couple of occasions and then there is "the shopping". New York and it's Holiday decorations are stunning.

That tree at the Rockefeller Center would be worth a look see and the corned beef/Pastrami combo on rye smothered in melted Swiss with a monster sized pickle along with Strawberry Cheese Blintzes from Carnegie Deli would make for a festive holiday snack. Maybe I could talk myself into the Pinstripe. (Miss The Stage Deli though with its Cheese Blintzes that were out of this world.)

By the way anyone routing through D.C. Just swing by the White House to see a piece of Alaska on the lawn in the form of a 70 foot Alaska Spruce which is currently en route from Seward Alaska for the nation's Christmas Tree.