Syracuse is headed to its third bowl in four years, selected by the Texas Bowl to be played in Houston against Minnesota. Overall, this is a good landing spot for the Orange and Scott Shafer. SU gets to play a Big 10 opponent, the conditions will be good since it’ll be indoors at Reliant Stadium, and there’s a solid alumni base in Houston.
Speculation ran rampant over the past week over where SU could land. Yahoo! Sports had the Orange going to St. Pete for the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl, but Ohio and East Carolina landed there. Phil Steele put Syracuse in the Outback Bowl against North Texas, which seemed like the longest of long shots. Instead LSU and Iowa will play in Tampa (not even close there, Phil).
The Texas Bowl is always strongly attended. Since it’s inception seven years ago, it’s never had less than 50,000 fans. It’s a Friday evening, primetime window on ESPN and part of a bowl triple-header (sandwiched in between the Military Bowl and Fight Hunger). While SU does very little recruiting in Texas, it does have a very good alumni base there so Orange fans should show up. Playing against a Big 10 team instead of some middling non-BCS conference program also enhances the platform for SU. NFL stadium, good playing conditions, easy to travel to, big football state, primetime audience, Big 10 opponent. You have to like all of that.
This is actually where Daryl Gross’ salesmanship is an advantage. He’s been criticized for trying to sell anything that’s not nailed down on the Hill (and even stuff that is), and his constant shouting about being New York’s College Team gets people’s eyes rolling. But you can imagine him working the phones and selling bowl organizers on SU’s fan base and audience. That helps in situations like this year when SU is a 6-win team on the cusp.
All in all this is a good landing spot for Syracuse, and moreover establishes a bowl games as the annual expectation for the program. It wasn’t that long ago SU football was mired in the 2-win dumpster fire seasons of Groobers. Now six wins and a postseason berth is the trend, and that’s enormous for the brand of SU football.
Posted: D.A.
7 responses to “Houston, We Have Liftoff: Syracuse Will Play Minnesota in Texas Bowl”
Scott Shafer has accomplished more in his first year as head coach of the Orangemen,than all who preceeded him.
This bowl game should help with the recruiting also.
Go get em coach. Lock the doors behind them when they enter the dome and show them what Syracuse is all about while kicking their a$$es.
Just as Coach Bill Youst told his players,”I want you to make them remember forever the night they played the TITANS”. Coach Shafer will tell his “blue collar hardnosed players” to give it their all and win the battle to bring the trophy back to syracuse. Syracuse takes another baby step by getting it’s 3rd bowl invitations over the last 4 years. Before you know it they will start running up the stairs and crashing through the door to the play off system that starts in 2004.
this is perfect, extra practices and more exposure for the program..
“As anticipated, all 11 of the ACC‚Äôs bowl-eligible teams found homes for this postseason. And as expected, both Pittsburgh and Syracuse went outside the conference‚Äôs bowl structure to find places to play later this month”.
Does Notre Dame get to keep the money they earn from playing in the Pinstripe Bowl? do they have to share it with the rest of the conference?
What about Syracuse and Pittsburgh,do they get a chance to copy Notre Dame and keep the money to themselves? Or do they have to put it into the conference pot and share it with all of the other schools?
Ron,your kidding right?Since when has ND ever shared anything unless forced?I’d like the ACC to play hardball with them and get them into the dome b4 BKelly really starts getting them back to their heyday like teams?Did you see Nunes story?
Looks like I was 1st to break the bowl news about Minn/SU to the Fizz on yesterdays the 8th thread after some fool said no bowl?
You know how it goes Russell,we’re on a public website and have to put up with people who continues to show the rest of us just how stupid they really are about college athletics.
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