I don’t see where Army winning vs Navy has any thing to do with Temple? Temple would go to play a 6-6 Army team just as easy as say a 6-6 Marshall team like other websites have. You need some help on the whole bowl thing….please visit cbs sports as Durst is awesome at it.

Army has an automatic tie-in to the Eagle Bank Bowl. If it wins, it is in the Eagle Bank Bowl. It will not win, therefore a slot in the bowl will be open to a MAC team. Temple doesn’t want to assume the miniscule risk of Army winning and grabbing the Army slot.
Durst, smurst.

Temple already played Army this season so the bowl would not want a rematch. I think that makes the difference in the bowl committee selection.

You are wrong. The open slot for the mac team comes from the ACC not having enough bowl eligible teams. NOT ARMY LOSING! The mac team will play either ARMY or con usa Marshall. If Army wins it plays a mac team, if army loses marshall will play a mac team. Once again the army-navy game HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY MAC TEAM!

EagleBank Bowl was set up to be ACC vs. Army (or CUSA if Army’s not eligible). NIU would be taking the ACC slot, as ACC had only 7 eligible teams for 9 slots. Army-Navy has no bearing on NIU or Temple playing in DC. The real wild card in this scenario is the possibility of Marshall declining a bid because they just fired their coach. Then the game would have two at-large spots, and I’m guessing UCLA would take a pass on flying cross country to play a MAC team in a nothing bowl. So that would leave NIU vs. UL Monroe or UL Lafayette. Unless, of course, Hawaii beats Wisconsin, which would push a WAC team out into the cold. Fresno or Nevada vs. NIU or Temple? Hmmm….

I know this is a discussion for another day, but any bowl game helps the program with extra practices, higher profile, ESPN game. Is there any scenario where NIU does not get a bowl bid. Thanks again for this blog from a Class of 93 alum!!

No Sox there is no scenario where NIU does not go to a bowl. The only teams up in the air is Army….they need to beat Navy to go to the Eagle Bank bowl (Does not effect NIU) and Hawaii….they need to beat Wisconsin to go to the Hawaii (Or whatever it’s called) bowl. In that case a 6-6 UCLA team may not get an at large bid as that would send another at large WAC team to a bowl….once again does not effect NIU getting a bowl. NIU is 7-5 and a lock for a bowl. Remember a bowl choosing an at large team MUST take a 7-5 or better team over a 6-6 team.

About this whole bowl thing….. I can certainly see where Temple would like the EagleBank bowl….short trip for students,alums…… Sidenote: heard a rumor that Al Golden, Temple coach, is on the list for Virginia job

BUT will Marshall accept a bowl bid w/ their coach gone? also, didn’t UL Monroe just fire it’s coach?
Bottom line: I’ll just be happy to see the Huskies in a bowl game….. my Christmas wish was the New Mexico Bowl – I could hop a SW Airlines flight from Dallas, catch the Huskies and be back home the next day
GO HUSKIES!!

The Eagle Bank for International Bowl makes sense. It gets confusing because the bowl committee wouldn’t want a rematch of Army – Temple. Unfortunately, the schedule makers set Army – Navy for Dec. 12 and the bowl won’t know if Army is in until then. Would we swap with Temple on the 12th to make this work? I know they want to give fans more notice then that to travel, make reservations, etc. I’m also sure Temple would rather play a C-USA team over a Big East team. Any Big East team would be tough.
sidenote – Golden is rumored to go to Virginia and Gil is rumored to go to Kansas from Buffalo if that job opens up.