Looks like UNT will face either Syracuse or The Pirate

[Harry]

This is from this mornings Syracuse paper:

"Heart of Dallas Bowl vs, Conference USA on Jan. 1 This remains the favorite (for Syracuse), and the most logical, among all the projections. It's been well-known that the Big Ten wouldn't fill this spot, so conversations should have been in the works for the past week. Syracuse provides a television market, and one of Conference USA's Texas-based teams would provide the home crowd. The threat is a return of Washington State coach Mike Leach, formerly of Texas Tech, or Sun Belt teams that are closer geographically."

Read more: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2013/12/nothing_is_a_certainty_for_syr.html

[Harry]

Again everything is stating that the Big ten WILL NOT fill all of its bowl slots and it appears they have known about this for awhile...

So we are probably looking a the team with the biggest TV market of the leftovers.

UNT will be leaned on as the home team to sell tickets and fill the stadium.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Wouldn't Boston College have a bigger TV market?

[CMJ]

Wouldn't Boston College have a bigger TV market?

They're probably thinking NYC will watch (being as how it's the most successful university in the state for athletics), even though the Cuse is upstate.

[greenit]

Syracuse? If we lose to Syracuse, we should just give up football.

[Harry]

Syracuse? If we lose to Syracuse, we should just give up football.

You know that Syracuse beat Tulane 52-17 right. Their losses this season came from Penn State, Northwestern, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson and a one point loss against Pitt. This is a very good football team and would present a major challenge for us.

[greenit]

You know that Syracuse beat Tulane 52-17 right. Their losses this season came from Penn State, Northwestern, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson and a one point loss against Pitt. This is a very good football team and would present a major challenge for us.

It was a play on the Pitt fanboard comment.

[trud1966]

Exactly....Lets not commit the sin again like we did with UTSA and think, "Oh, we GOT this...." Nothing is a given. Syracuse will come prepared for this, guaranteed..

Edited December 8, 2013 by trud1966

[GrayEagle]

I'm not sold on getting enough NYC viewers to watch Syracuse. Boston is the #7 market and the leading team in New England and Pittsburgh is the only bowl-eligible team in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is the 23rd largest TV market but Philadelphia is #4 and there are several smaller markets throughout the state.

This could be just Syracuse hype. I'd prefer Boston College as the bigger attraction; Pittsburgh as the better chance for a win; and Washington State because of the Pirate's popularity ahead of Syracuse. But, as far as an opponent, Syracuse would be great. They have a storied tradition from the Jim Brown days and a lot of followers. It should be an early start and would get a lot of the East Coast audience. Win, win for everybody.

[UNT90]

I'm not sold on getting enough NYC viewers to watch Syracuse. Boston is the #7 market and the leading team in New England and Pittsburgh is the only bowl-eligible team in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is the 23rd largest TV market but Philadelphia is #4 and there are several smaller markets throughout the state.

This could be just Syracuse hype. I'd prefer Boston College as the bigger attraction; Pittsburgh as the better chance for a win; and Washington State because of the Pirate's popularity ahead of Syracuse. But, as far as an opponent, Syracuse would be great. They have a storied tradition from the Jim Brown days and a lot of followers. It should be an early start and would get a lot of the East Coast audience. Win, win for everybody.

Conversations like these are what is wrong with college football.

Just sayin...

[Rudy]

Do not want Washington State. The stories coming into the game will revolve around Leach, not us.

[Harry]

Do not want Washington State. The stories coming into the game will revolve around Leach, not us.

The key point is Leach generates stories. Would you rather have us mentioned in stories with Leach as the magnet or none at all.

[Rudy]

I think Leach will be THE story. That's the problem.

[Harry]

Syracuse out of the running: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2013/12/syracuse_football_appears_out.html

[MeanGreenMusic]

UNLV

[Green Mean]

I think if Wash St. came they could have a lot of fans for that game from the TT fans that still love Leach.

[SSP]

Its all happening just like I said........ muahuhah...

[Side Show Joe]

UNLV too?

[SSP]

I said Wash St or Syracuse... UNLV is NOT official yet. They are still shifting things around.

[Cerebus]

The only way I would have been excited about playing Syracuse would be to threaten to have us play UNLV.

No matter anyway you spin it, not playing (and possibly beating) a AQ team in the bowl is a letdown.

Really hope all the UNLV talk is premature and we get a AQ school... if not, lets take of business with the hand that is dealt us.