[pincemob]

I have been reading a bit more about the coming playoff system and I do think it upgrades our bowl hopes slightly.  The "committee" apparently (if I read it correctly) will not only slot the 4 playoff teams, their rankings determine the participants in the other 4 bowls which now include Cotton and Peach.  So that is 4 additional slots in "big time" bowls which would be available to a Pac 12 team.  The flip side is that now a mid-major is guaranteed a slot.  In addition, somehow the SEC and Big 10 managed to secure themselves 2 automatic slots.    Still, net-net, if Stanford ends up ranked between 5 and 12, I think we have a better chance of a big-time bowl than we have now (if we don't win the Pac 12).  If we're not top-12, an Alamo or Sun Bowl won't feel like an insult.

Side note, I think there is an opportunity for San Diego to sponsor a bigger bowl than the Holiday.  That's a great destination and I think it could handle a Jan 1 bowl, maybe in the evening slot vacated by the Orange Bowl.  The Holiday Bowl just does not seem to want to step up to the plate and is content to play on a random Tuesday night at 10pm eastern rather than Jan 1. 

[pincemob]

I have been reading a bit more about the coming playoff system and I do think it upgrades our bowl hopes slightly.  The "committee" apparently (if I read it correctly) will not only slot the 4 playoff teams, their rankings determine the participants in the other 4 bowls which now include Cotton and Peach.  So that is 4 additional slots in "big time" bowls which would be available to a Pac 12 team.  The flip side is that now a mid-major is guaranteed a slot.  In addition, somehow the SEC and Big 10 managed to secure themselves 2 automatic slots.    Still, net-net, if Stanford ends up ranked between 5 and 12, I think we have a better chance of a big-time bowl than we have now (if we don't win the Pac 12).  If we're not top-12, an Alamo or Sun Bowl won't feel like an insult.

Side note, I think there is an opportunity for San Diego to sponsor a bigger bowl than the Holiday.  That's a great destination and I think it could handle a Jan 1 bowl, maybe in the evening slot vacated by the Orange Bowl.  The Holiday Bowl just does not seem to want to step up to the plate and is content to play on a random Tuesday night at 10pm eastern rather than Jan 1.