Hellah,
Thought you would find this artcle interesting. I really wanted to pound Miami if this was the bowl matchup. Not as much because they are the better team, which I believe they are. Mostly because I think TCU will not have its heads in this game as they went from thinking they were playing in a BCS bowl game and now won't even get the liberty bowl. Miami is not the team to play if they are still lamenting their loss to Southern Miss. Anyway here it is:
TCU has not accepted and may wind up playing elsewhere
01:18 AM CST on Sunday, November 30, 2003
By KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News
UNIVERSITY PARK ? TCU was extended an invitation by the GMAC Bowl after Saturday's 20-13 win over SMU but has not accepted or declined, a school spokesman said.
Athletics media relations director Steve Fink said TCU thanked the GMAC Bowl for the invitation but that the school has to work out academic issues before responding.
The GMAC Bowl is Dec. 18 in Mobile, Ala. Earlier in the week, athletic director Eric Hyman said the school would probably decline an invitation to the GMAC Bowl because it conflicts with TCU's exam schedule.
Conference USA has scheduling a meeting Sunday to discuss its bowl situation.
The GMAC bowl has the second pick of C-USA teams, but TCU could end up playing in the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl, the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl or the New Orleans Bowl instead.
Hyman's announcement sparked speculation that TCU was trying to avoid playing Miami of Ohio, which had already been invited to the GMAC Bowl.
Charges that TCU was ducking Miami drew the ire of TCU coach Gary Patterson, who said the Horned Frogs aren't afraid to play anyone.
"We don't know what we're going to do, but the whole story hasn't been told yet," Patterson said. "If we backed down from people, then I wouldn't have played Nebraska [in 2001] with 28 seniors gone and had 10 guys go to the NFL the first year I was a head coach."
Patterson said he hopes to have TCU's bowl destination resolved within 48 hours. Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said the league has been working to find fit for its bowl-eligible teams.
"We're going to hopefully conclude that in a timely way," Banowsky said. "There are some particularly challenging issues this year."
No bowl officials were seen in the Ford Stadium pressbox Saturday, although the GMAC Bowl requested credentials from SMU on Friday.
TCU (11-1) fell out of contention for a BCS bowl when the Horned Frogs lost at Southern Miss on Nov. 20.
Southern Miss, which beat East Carolina Saturday, won the C-USA title and a berth to the the AXA Liberty Bowl.
"Some guys are still upset about that game, but we can't let that get us down," quarterback Brandon Hassell said.
Coming off its only loss, TCU struggled to put away winless SMU on Saturday.
"I guess you can't blame my group for being a little bit flat, but I don't say they were flat," Patterson said.
E-mail kwhitmire@dallasnews.com
****Well to me it sounds like they are trying to avoid Miami. Especially since the projected bowl game if not Miami would be against that juggernaut known as Tulsa in a game played in Texas. It also sounds like they are upset they are playing in a garbage bowl game (to them) and are using exams as an excuse. Even if it is a valid excuse they HAD to know that if they lost to Southern Miss they probably would have ended up in the GMAC bowl. This team has been pouting ever since their loss to S. Miss and I was so wanting to pound Miami as I am sure given TCU's high ranking all year they would have been the fav or just a slight dog and Miami would have beat them by at LEAST a TD. I am sure their reasoning could be valid but it sure sounds awfully fishy given the way their season ended.
Thought you would find this artcle interesting. I really wanted to pound Miami if this was the bowl matchup. Not as much because they are the better team, which I believe they are. Mostly because I think TCU will not have its heads in this game as they went from thinking they were playing in a BCS bowl game and now won't even get the liberty bowl. Miami is not the team to play if they are still lamenting their loss to Southern Miss. Anyway here it is:
TCU has not accepted and may wind up playing elsewhere
01:18 AM CST on Sunday, November 30, 2003
By KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News
UNIVERSITY PARK ? TCU was extended an invitation by the GMAC Bowl after Saturday's 20-13 win over SMU but has not accepted or declined, a school spokesman said.
Athletics media relations director Steve Fink said TCU thanked the GMAC Bowl for the invitation but that the school has to work out academic issues before responding.
The GMAC Bowl is Dec. 18 in Mobile, Ala. Earlier in the week, athletic director Eric Hyman said the school would probably decline an invitation to the GMAC Bowl because it conflicts with TCU's exam schedule.
Conference USA has scheduling a meeting Sunday to discuss its bowl situation.
The GMAC bowl has the second pick of C-USA teams, but TCU could end up playing in the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl, the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl or the New Orleans Bowl instead.
Hyman's announcement sparked speculation that TCU was trying to avoid playing Miami of Ohio, which had already been invited to the GMAC Bowl.
Charges that TCU was ducking Miami drew the ire of TCU coach Gary Patterson, who said the Horned Frogs aren't afraid to play anyone.
"We don't know what we're going to do, but the whole story hasn't been told yet," Patterson said. "If we backed down from people, then I wouldn't have played Nebraska [in 2001] with 28 seniors gone and had 10 guys go to the NFL the first year I was a head coach."
Patterson said he hopes to have TCU's bowl destination resolved within 48 hours. Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said the league has been working to find fit for its bowl-eligible teams.
"We're going to hopefully conclude that in a timely way," Banowsky said. "There are some particularly challenging issues this year."
No bowl officials were seen in the Ford Stadium pressbox Saturday, although the GMAC Bowl requested credentials from SMU on Friday.
TCU (11-1) fell out of contention for a BCS bowl when the Horned Frogs lost at Southern Miss on Nov. 20.
Southern Miss, which beat East Carolina Saturday, won the C-USA title and a berth to the the AXA Liberty Bowl.
"Some guys are still upset about that game, but we can't let that get us down," quarterback Brandon Hassell said.
Coming off its only loss, TCU struggled to put away winless SMU on Saturday.
"I guess you can't blame my group for being a little bit flat, but I don't say they were flat," Patterson said.
E-mail kwhitmire@dallasnews.com
****Well to me it sounds like they are trying to avoid Miami. Especially since the projected bowl game if not Miami would be against that juggernaut known as Tulsa in a game played in Texas. It also sounds like they are upset they are playing in a garbage bowl game (to them) and are using exams as an excuse. Even if it is a valid excuse they HAD to know that if they lost to Southern Miss they probably would have ended up in the GMAC bowl. This team has been pouting ever since their loss to S. Miss and I was so wanting to pound Miami as I am sure given TCU's high ranking all year they would have been the fav or just a slight dog and Miami would have beat them by at LEAST a TD. I am sure their reasoning could be valid but it sure sounds awfully fishy given the way their season ended.
