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Bowl Alliance Still Does Not Solve All of College Football’s Problems

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NEWSDAY

This statement is for people living in caves: Bowls are different this year.

This is for people living in a dream world: The new system isn’t anywhere near perfect.

First, the details of the bowl coalition, which takes effect this season expressly to avoid heavy politicking and early arrangements and to enhance the possibility of (but not guarantee) a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in a bowl game.

--Bowl matchups will be decided by the final regular-season rankings in The Associated Press (writers) poll, and will not be determined until Dec. 5, after the Southeastern Conference championship game.

--Bowls involved at the top level are the Sugar, Orange, Cotton and Fiesta. Teams and conferences involved are the SEC, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southwest Conference, Big East, Big Eight and Notre Dame. Traditional tie-ins remain intact: Big Eight champ to the Orange, SWC champ to the Cotton, SEC champ to the Sugar.

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--If the No. 1 and No. 2 teams are from among Notre Dame, the ACC and Big East (i.e., Notre Dame and Miami), they automatically play in the Fiesta Bowl, only if the teams are Nos. 1 and 2.

--If the No. 1 or No. 2 team is from among Notre Dame, the Big East and ACC and the other No. 1 or No. 2 team is one of the traditional tie-in teams (Big Eight, SEC or SWC), those two automatically play in the host bowl of the tie-in team (i.e., if Notre Dame is No. 1, Texas A&M; is No. 2, they automatically play in the Cotton Bowl).

--If no 1 vs. 2 scenario exists, the Orange, Sugar and Cotton Bowls will “draft” opponents in order of ranking (i.e., if Florida of the SEC is ranked No. 1 and Nebraska of the Big Eight No. 2, the Sugar Bowl picks an opponent for Florida first, then the Orange for Nebraska). In this case, the Big East and the ACC champions are guaranteed spots in the Orange, Sugar or Cotton Bowls.

--After these picks are made, the Fiesta picks from the remaining teams.

--After the Fiesta is finished, second-tier bowls (the Gator, Blockbuster and John Hancock) pick one team each to round out their games.

--The Big Ten and Pac-10 aren’t involved, so there’s never a guarantee of a national-title match-up. These conferences continue to send their champs to the Rose Bowl.

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