Bowls are a funny business. Their selection of teams and matchups are hardly ever based on conference standings; rather, they’re usually determined on a combination of factors including, but not limited to, TV ratings, attractive pairings with other teams, fan travel, etc.
Texas, for obvious reasons, is a big draw for just about any bowl with Big 12 tie-ins, but according to Cotton Bowl president Rick Baker, the Longhorns could all but officially lose their chance to play in Dallas again this year if they lose to Kansas State this weekend.
“If Kansas State beats Texas, then Texas will most likely fall off our radar screen,” Baker said on Wednesday. “I think they’ll probably drop from the rankings, too.”
If Texas beats the Wildcats on Saturday -- they are a nearly 10-point favorite (which doesn’t make any sense) -- they’re still in the running for a Cotton Bowl bid. However, if the Longhorns drop their last two games against Texas A&M and Baylor, the door could shut once again.
Baker said that the bowl is considering Baylor, K-State and Texas from the Big 12 and either Arkansas, Georgia or South Carolina from the SEC.
“If you have a chance to put Texas and Arkansas together, then that is certainly something we’d look at,” Baker said. “We look at the matchup, the record, how they finished the season and the rankings. Ticket sales aren’t as important to us since we have already sold our tickets out.
“If Texas beat Kansas State, Kansas State could still end up 9-3 and Texas could lose their last two and end up 7-5,” Baker said. “If Kansas State wins, it eliminates Texas, but if Texas wins, we’ll still have to wait.”
Sorting out the bowl mess with just a few weeks remaining is like putting together a puzzle. Everybody wants the best possible scenario. It would be tough to turn away Texas no matter their record, but if K-State is hot at the end of the year, they have a great chance to get in.
(Tip of the cap: GoPowercat.com)