# 2015-16 CFB Bowls Season -- Discussion Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 22, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284 "2015-11-22T16:42:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/1 "2015-11-22T16:42:35Z")
In less than a month’s time it will be Bowl Season! One version of the schedule is at [2015-16 College Football Bowl Schedule](http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/college-football-bowl-schedule.php) and I’d appreciate your ideas on how we can improve on last year’s [2014 CFB Bowls Season – Discussion Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742752) which ran from 12-06-2014, 05:55 AM – 01-06-2015, 07:56 PM Last year’s participation was: ```auto Pick the WINNERS in the Dec/20 CFB Bowl Games Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 10. This poll is closed Pick the WINNERS in the Dec/22-24 CFB Bowl Games Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 10. This poll is closed Pick the WINNERS in the Dec/26-27 CFB Bowl Games Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 12. This poll is closed Pick the WINNERS in the Dec/29-30 CFB Bowl Games Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 10. This poll is closed [Pick the WINNERS in the Dec/31-Jan/1 CFB Bowl Games](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743405) Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 17. This poll is closed Pick the WINNERS in the Jan/2-Jan/4 CFB Bowl Games Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 11. This poll is closed [Pick the WINNER in the Jan/12 CFB Bowl Game](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745506) Voters: 33. This poll is closed ``` **Notice the links to two of those threads! (the ones with the best participation)** What can we do to make the Bowl Season more fun this time? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/2 "2015-11-22T16:49:52Z")
Can we just roll it into the omnibus thread? Oakminster already does a bowl pickum. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/3 "2015-11-22T17:08:24Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > Can we just roll it into the omnibus thread? Oakminster already does a bowl pickum. Sure, there’s always that approach! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/4 "2015-11-23T20:09:00Z")
I posted this pretty much everywhere else, so I might as well post it here… **CFP “BIG SIX” BOWL SELECTION PROCESS** (2015-16 version, where the Orange and Cotton bowls are playoff semi-finals) [ol] [li]The #1 and #4 ranked teams in the final CFP rankings are put into one of the semi-final bowls (Orange or Cotton - and it is “supposed to be” the one considered to benefit the #1 team’s fans the most, but I don’t think this is a requirement); the #2 and #3 ranked teams are put into the other semi-final bowl.[/li][li]The Big 10 and Pac-12 champions are put into the Rose Bowl. If either or both are in a semi-final bowl, the Rose Bowl committee (not the CFP committee, nor the conference in question) chooses a bowl-eligible replacement team from the same conference; it does not have to be the highest-ranked remaining team from that conference, or, for that matter, a ranked team at all. (I think - it depends on what it actually says in the CFP’s contract with the Rose Bowl.)[/li][li]The SEC and Big 12 champions are put into the Sugar Bowl. The same procedure used in the Rose Bowl applies if one or both are in a semi-final bowl, except of course that it is the Sugar Bowl committee that decides the replacement team(s).[/li][li]This leaves four openings - two in the Fiesta Bowl, and two in the Peach Bowl. If the ACC champion is not in a semi-final, that team gets one of the four spots. If the highest-ranked champion of a non-Power 5 conference is not in a semi-final, that team gets one. (If none of the non-Power 5 conference champions are ranked, the CFP committee votes to select one of them to get that berth. There must be at least one non-Power 5 team in the “Big Six” bowls.) The remaining spots are filled by the highest-ranked teams that are not already assigned to bowls. Note that there is no limit as to how many teams from a conference can be in these bowls.[/li]The CFP committee decides which teams play in the Fiesta, and which ones play in the Peach; among other things, they try to prevent rematches of games played earlier in the season. [/ol] **WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE ARE MORE BOWL BERTHS THAN BOWL-ELIGIBLE TEAMS?** The NCAA has a procedure for declaring additional teams bowl-eligible if there are not enough to fill all of the bowls. The teams are put into six “groups”, and teams are taken from the first through fifth groups in order until all of the spots are filled or all of the teams are in bowls. The groups are: [ol] [li]Teams whose only win against an FCS team was against one that did not give out at least 90% of its scholarships over the past two years (so it is not counted for bowl eligibility purposes), and would be eligible had that win counted;[/li][li]Teams with two or more wins against FCS teams that would be eligible if two of them counted;[/li][li]Any 6-7 team (only three teams had a 13-game regular season - Hawaii, Louisiana-Monroe, and Colorado - and none of them can get to 6-7);[/li][li]Any team that would be eligible except that it is in the second year of an FCS-to-FBS transfer period (I think Charlotte is the only team in this position, and I don’t think they would be bowl eligible anyway);[/li][li]Any 5-7 team in the top five of the most recent FBS APR standings;[/li][li]Everybody else - and technically, teams in Group 6 need an NCAA waiver.[/li][/ol] Some sources claim that Group 5 is “all 5-7 teams, in APR order,” but the NCAA Bylaws (a) specifically say that it is limited to the Top 5, and (b) make no mention of a requirement that, say, the #1 APR team has to be chosen before the #5 APR team. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/5 "2015-11-24T00:35:40Z")
This website may be the one to watch for developments that will be “official” since the early versions of the schedule may be speculative (at best). > **[2015–16 NCAA football bowl games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_NCAA_football_bowl_games)** > > The 2015–16 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games. They completed the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The games began on December 19, 2015 and, aside from the all-star games, ended with the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship which was played on January 11, 2016. > A new record total of 41 team-competitive bowl games were played in FBS, including the national championship game and the inaugural Cure Bowl and Arizona Bowl. While bowl games h... 2015–16 NCAA football bowl games Plenty of valuable details already. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/6 "2015-11-24T02:04:48Z")
Since most of the non-Big Six bowls are on ESPN, doesn’t ESPN still have some sort of “selection show” for the minor bowls? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/7 "2015-11-24T02:30:18Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Since most of the non-Big Six bowls are on ESPN, doesn’t ESPN still have some sort of “selection show” for the minor bowls? I haven’t found this year’s version of that yet, but I did find this: > **[College Football Poll.com](https://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bowl-schedule/2024-bowl-schedule/)** > > College football rankings and accurate weekly picks. Exclusive content, features, and analysis. 2015-2016 College Football Bowl Game Schedule Another slant on the Big Picture. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/8 "2015-11-24T20:37:46Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > **WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE ARE MORE BOWL BERTHS THAN BOWL-ELIGIBLE TEAMS?** > 6. Everybody else - and technically, teams in Group 6 need an NCAA waiver. Apparently, this isn’t quite true any more; according to [this report](http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/25387674/no-resolution-from-ncaa-on-bowl-eligibility-problem-talks-continue), the new NCAA Football Oversight Committee will decide how (or even if) to fill bowls if the procedure in the NCAA Bylaws does not come up with 80 eligible teams. It looks as if the committee will wait until after the Thanksgiving weekend’s games, as only nine more teams are needed and something like 18 have a chance to reach 6-6. (They may have to wait until December 6, as it may come down to some 4-6 teams winning their final two games. Note that bowl invitations are “supposed to” come out right after the Big Six bowl pairings are announced on 12/6.) ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/9 "2015-11-25T23:36:32Z")
Yikes. Thanks for figuring that out so I didn’t have to, **Don!** I was thinking of doing a simple betting pool for the bowl season (not with real money, of course). Everyone starts with $1000 and bet whatever you like on any bowls as the season progresses (we would need to find a standard source for point spreads), whoever ends up with the most fake money wins. Would there be interest in this? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/10 "2015-11-26T19:40:08Z")
Here’s an interesting set of numbers for teams and their Bowl Records: > **[List of NCAA Division I FBS football bowl records](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_FBS_football_bowl_records)** > > This article lists the all-time win/loss NCAA Division I FBS sanctioned bowl game records for all NCAA college football teams. > Win–loss records are current as of the 2022–23 bowl season. The columns for "last bowl season" and "last bowl game" have been updated to reflect 2022–23 bowl appearances for all games played through January 9, 2023. The columns are sortable and the teams with 1.000 Winning Percentages are: University- Wins -Losses -Ties -Bowl Games Played -Winning Percentage -Last Bowl Season -Last Bowl Game -Notes ```auto Eastern Michigan 1 0 0 1 1.000 1987 1987 California Bowl [4] Florida Atlantic 2 0 0 2 1.000 2008 2008 Motor City Bowl Idaho 2 0 0 2 1.000 2009 2009 Humanitarian Bowl Louisiana–Lafayette 4 0 0 4 1.000 2014 2014 New Orleans Bowl [2][25] ``` ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/11 "2015-11-28T15:15:02Z")
Here’s some additional reading to help us decide which (if any) Bowl Games to have polls about: # ========================================================= [Bowl Championship Series - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_Championship_Series) Bowl Championship Series – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia # [Bowl Challenge Cup - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_Challenge_Cup) Bowl Challenge Cup – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Since there are 41 games to consider, one approach would be to split the slate into four groups of 10 games each. If we did that the whole list would look like: ```auto DATE BOWL LOCATION MATCHUP Dec. 19 AutoNation Cure Bowl American vs. Sun Belt Citrus Bowl Stadium Orlando, FL 7:00pm / CBSSN Dec. 23 GoDaddy Bowl MAC vs. Sun Belt Ladd-Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL 8:00pm / ESPN --- ==================================================== (10) Dec. 24 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl C-USA vs. MAC Thomas Robinson Stadium Nassau, Bahamas Noon / ESPN Dec. 28 Quick Lane Bowl ACC/Notre Dame vs. Big Ten Ford Field Detroit, MI 5:00pm / ESPN ==================================================== (20) Dec. 29 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Big Ten vs. MWC Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX 2:00pm / ESPN Dec. 31 Capital One Orange Bowl Playoff Semifinal Game Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 4 or 8pm / ESPN ==================================================== (31) Jan. 1 Outback Bowl Big Ten vs. SEC Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL Noon / ESPN2 Jan. 2 Cactus Bowl Big 12 vs. Pac-12 Chase Field Phoenix, AZ 10:15pm / ESPN ==================================================== (40) Monday, Jan. 11 CFP National Championship Semifinal Winner vs. Semifinal Winner U. of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ 7:00pm / ESPN ==================================================== (41) ``` ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/12 "2015-11-29T22:40:16Z")
I think the overall College Football thread is creeping into this one - [here is a post I made on that thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18897207&postcount=552) listing the 5-7 (and 5-6 and 4-7 teams with one game left) teams in APR order. (Well, orders - the NCAA lists their one-year and four-year APRs and isn’t too clear as to which one to use.) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/13 "2015-11-29T23:04:50Z")
I’m good with whatever y’all decide to do. My home computer died over the weekend, so I’ll have limited access until I can get a replacement. Maybe a playoff bracket? Pick the winners of the semi-finals and final? ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/14 "2015-11-30T02:49:20Z")
At 6-6, my Indiana Hoosiers are technically bowl-eligible; we’ll have to see how it goes. I wouldn’t deprive a 7-win team, “even” a mid-major, of a bowl bid, even if it comes at IU’s expense. (A 2-7 record in the Big Ten is not exactly something to be proud of, though we _did_ hang in there against both Ohio State and Michigan, as I recall.) ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/15 "2015-11-30T15:10:54Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > At 6-6, my Indiana Hoosiers are technically bowl-eligible; we’ll have to see how it goes. I wouldn’t deprive a 7-win team, “even” a mid-major, of a bowl bid, even if it comes at IU’s expense. You need not worry. Every 7-5 team will get a bowl game. Every 6-6 team will get a bowl game. There are so many bowl games, sad to say, that even some 5-7 teams will get bowl games, which I certainly will not watch and hope nobody else does either. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/16 "2015-12-06T22:21:45Z")
IU made it to the Pinstripe Bowl on 12/26, where they will play Duke. ---
**Author:** ![BigBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@BigBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/17 "2015-12-06T23:32:52Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > At 6-6, my Indiana Hoosiers are technically bowl-eligible; we’ll have to see how it goes. I wouldn’t deprive a 7-win team, “even” a mid-major, of a bowl bid, even if it comes at IU’s expense. ( **A 2-7 record in the Big Ten is not exactly something to be proud of** , though we _did_ hang in there against both Ohio State and Michigan, as I recall.) No, but a 2-6 record is. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/18 "2015-12-08T03:05:35Z")
Indiana and Duke playing each other in the postseason-- are we sure this is football, or is it basketball? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/19 "2015-12-08T16:14:04Z")
Here’s a link that might assist in the decision-making of which bowls to try to watch: > **[Ranking the bowls 1-40 (excluding the national championship)](https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/ranking-the-bowls-1-40--excluding-the-national-championship---231057782.html)** > > Dr. Saturday ranks the bowls from best to worst. ---
**Author:** ![BigBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@BigBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284/20 "2015-12-09T01:41:42Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > Indiana and Duke playing each other in the postseason-- are we sure this is football, or is it basketball? You never responded to my comment. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-cfb-bowls-season-discussion-thread/738284.md?page=2)