Birmingham Bowl: Florida Gators vs East Carolina Pirates

[Escambia94]

The Pool of Six selected the Florida Gators to play against the East Carolina Pirates on January 3rd in Birmingham, Alabama.

ECU is 8-4, 4th in the MAC. Their only common opponent is South Carolina, a 23-33 loss.

The game could go either way based on the transitive property, with ECU winning 2 of 3 scenarios.

Scenario 1:
First, on 2014/09/13, East Carolina beat Virginia Tech 28 - 21
Next, on 2014/09/06, Virginia Tech beat Ohio St 35 - 21
Next, on 2014/11/22, Ohio St beat Indiana 42 - 27
Next, on 2014/09/20, Indiana beat Missouri 31 - 27
Finally, on 2014/10/18, Missouri beat Florida 42 - 13

Scenario 2:
First, on 2014/09/20, East Carolina beat North Carolina 70 - 41
Next, on 2014/10/18, North Carolina beat Georgia Tech 48 - 43
Next, on 2014/11/15, Georgia Tech beat Clemson 28 - 6
Next, on 2014/11/29, Clemson beat South Carolina 35 - 17
Finally, on 2014/11/15, South Carolina beat Florida 23 - 20 OT

Scenario 3:
First, on 2014/09/13, Florida beat Kentucky 36 - 30 OT
Next, on 2014/10/04, Kentucky beat South Carolina 45 - 38
Finally, on 2014/09/06, South Carolina beat East Carolina 33 - 23

 

[Leakfan12]

Could be a win but I said that about three times before and they lost.

 

[DRU2012]

Could be a win but I said that about three times before and they lost.

How much does it really MATTER, man? I mean, "Birmingham Bowl"??? Ouch. Latest in exactly the kind of "They Come and Go"-Bowls that we were doomed to by the time we managed to lose the last coupla "woulda/coulda/shoulda" games the way we did (especially that last--which WAS our true "Bowl Game" for THIS season, one where a different kind of "statement" was there for the taking than the one made--as in "This is why Muschamp is GONE"-performance).
Sigh...Oh well: We at least DO get a few more weeks of practice, among several practical advantages to playing in one of 'em--and a headstart for the new Coach may be the most important "plus" of all. A real one.

 

[Escambia94]

The funny thing is that Florida plays ECU in game 2 the regular season 2015.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

I think this game is an audition for Coach McElwain, so any returning players and some coaches next year, will want to show how good they are.

 

[FrozenGator]

I doubt I'll even GET this bowl up here... Yikes.

I think we should always play in the Gator bowl - that every bowl in which we play is renamed the Gator Bowl.

 

[Escambia94]

I hate to say "I told you so" @DRU2012 , but bowl tickets are almost gone. The Florida-ECU game is the SEC tie in bowl game closest to a sell out by far.

Hopefully this gets the Gator Nation and future Gator recruits excited about the new direction the team is going in.

Birmingham Bowl: 30 tickets available

Razor Gator: Get-in price — $94; Most Expensive — $180
Ticket City: Get-in price — $48; Most Expensive — $186

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

I am still on the fence about going, part of me want's too, another part of me does not want to go to Boringham, I meant Birmingham.

 

[DRU2012]

I hate to say "I told you so" @DRU2012 , but bowl tickets are almost gone. The Florida-ECU game is the SEC tie in bowl game closest to a sell out by far.

Hopefully this gets the Gator Nation and future Gator recruits excited about the new direction the team is going in.

Birmingham Bowl: 30 tickets available

Razor Gator: Get-in price — $94; Most Expensive — $180
Ticket City: Get-in price — $48; Most Expensive — $186

E-, Ok, I'm wrong--but for the life of me, I just still can't imagine who these folks are who are snapping up these tix, nor why they wanna personally witness this "fine matchup". I mean, after everything, a meaningless game, in a town not exactly noted for it's escape from winter OR particular reveling IN its "pleasures"...I have to wonder if maybe it's just a matter of "Gator Nation" being SO large and wide spread that, even without most of those in the southeast and southwest who either have BETTER weather where they are now and/or better holiday travel alternatives than Birmingham, to see a completely off-the-radar, lukewarm non-rivalry game between a (whatever it may hopefully be one day soon) not-"there"-yet Gator-squad and someone only their fans care about, there are still plenty left for whom it is somehow still an attractive getaway, weather- AND excitement-wise, to sell out our allotment.
I do agree it's a credit to our "buying-power" and "travelability"...and I hope you're right about it all generally adding up to recruiting help--but I have a feeling this last at least will be mainly a matter of the cache we already carry with our past success, high profile, room at key positions, and whatever the new staff can do, with all of that and more, that will make a difference there.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

Im getting my travel plans together. I will be going. Ironically this my 2nd consecutive bowl game where we had an incoming coach. The last was the Gator Bowl

 

[Escambia94]

I would go if I did not live 3500 miles away. The last bowl game I attended was the 2009 Sugar Bowl, Tim Tebow's last game.

 

[DRU2012]

I would go if I did not live 3500 miles away. The last bowl game I attended was the 2009 Sugar Bowl, Tim Tebow's last game.

Yeah, the "Let Down Bowl"...SOUNDS like "all good", on the surface, in retrospect--until you recall that we seemed on track from summer on to play for the back-to-back, had laid an egg in the SEC Championship (actually whole melodrama in the week leading up to it--and signs of long-developing, serious cracks finally becoming visible, the whole Meyer "I'm leaving cause I'm tired" fiasco, and all that followed), and the fact that it was against an overmatched Cincinnati squad that turned out to be even less worthy than it looked going in. Still, worth being on hand, really, all in all--for TT AND the fact it was in New Orleans. Big Easy is fun any weekend--and New Years/Sugar Bowl is a gas, even when it's NOT the Nat'l Championship.
Sorry Dale and everyone else: but my own commitment threshold depends on a combination of expectation going into the season and what in fact ensues. This one fails on both counts, far as I'm concerned...Don't mind me though. In truth I'm glad there're Gators, and lots of 'em, that support our guys this way--I used to be one--but I USED to go as much for the partying and Gator-fellowship as for the game and its ultimate result; By now, though, while I still enjoy both, the pain and frustration we've been exposed to all too often last few years, all those very king-sized "let-downs" and embarrassing screw-up fests (STARTING with that '09 SEC Championship week, btw--the last post-season Gator Game I actually attended, now that I think about it), have taken their toll. I HAVE to see a strong, determined and consistent dominance in our play and on-field demeanor, probably a whole season's worth, before I'll be ready to expend the kind of emotional energy--let alone dollars and cents--that traveling to a Bowl Game requires.

 

[Escambia94]

What gets me most about the 2005-2009 Florida Gators is that if the team had the same media coverage, police cover-up, and coach laissez-faire, they would have been unstoppable for a few more years.

Another thing to keep in mind, @DRU2012 , is that the offensive coordinator that shut down the 2009 Gator defense is now our head coach. That Alabama defense had a few All-SEC and All-American, future NFL players.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

Just looked at the Weather report for Birmingham, AL the weekend of the Game. It is supposed to rain the entire Weekend, with a chance of 60 Percent on Game day.

Gonna play my tickets by ear, and not purchase in advance; because I am not interested in sitting in a cold rainy game.

 

[awebbf5]

Just looked at the Weather report for Birmingham, AL the weekend of the Game. It is supposed to rain the entire Weekend, with a chance of 60 Percent on Game day.

Gonna play my tickets by ear, and not purchase in advance; because I am not interested in sitting in a cold rainy game.

Vanderbilt was cold enough for me. But if you go have a great trip!

 

[DRU2012]

What gets me most about the 2005-2009 Florida Gators is that if the team had the same media coverage, police cover-up, and coach laissez-faire, they would have been unstoppable for a few more years.

Another thing to keep in mind, @DRU2012 , is that the offensive coordinator that shut down the 2009 Gator defense is now our head coach. That Alabama defense had a few All-SEC and All-American, future NFL players.

Agree completely with your first point--but "hope" comes" from the second one, right?

 

[awebbf5]

Not trying to hijack the thread but this could be good news.
http://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...v5l5ULMG3lVqdMFt-je_buxBT7eLQXBW2DDk8G9jQ&s=1

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

Dude this would be huge!!!!!!

 

[awebbf5]

I like the wearing of orange jerseys

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

How can you drop that pass?