Falcon's bowl eligibility could set up rematch with Navy (Colorado Springs Gazette)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Air Force Academy - Colorado Springs
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<p>Falcon’s bowl eligibility could set up rematch with Navy
By JAKE SCHALLER
THE GAZETTE
October 20, 2007 - 11:20PM</p>

<p>Air Force-Navy, the rematch?</p>

<p>It’s possible in the Poinsettia Bowl.</p>

<p>But the Midshipmen would have to sign off on it.</p>

<p>Navy will play in the bowl ‹ which will take place at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, on Dec. 20 – if it wins six or more games this season. The Midshipmen are 4-3 after a loss to Wake Forest on Saturday.</p>

<p>If Navy becomes eligible, its opponent in the bowl will come from the Mountain West Conference, which has tie-ins with four bowls.</p>

<p>The Las Vegas Bowl gets the first choice of Mountain West teams and typically will take the league champion. The Poinsettia Bowl gets the second choice, and there are plenty of reasons why Air Force - now bowl eligible at 6-2 - is attractive, according to Weldon Donaldson, a member of the Poinsettia Bowl team selection committee who was in attendance at Air Force’s 20-12 victory over Wyoming on Saturday.</p>

<p>For one, if Navy earns a bid, the game will match two bitter rivals. In addition, there are several Air Force bases and many retired Air Force personnel in the area. Finally, Air Force is one of the few Mountain West teams in contention for a bowl bid that has not already played in San Diego this year (BYU, New Mexico, Wyoming and TCU all play at San Diego State this year).</p>

<p>But it seems unlikely Navy - which beat Air Force for the fifth straight time earlier this year - would grant a rematch.</p>

<p>“They’ve got a lot to lose,” Donaldson said. "That’s the only downside to that. But it’s up to (Navy coach Paul Johnson). I would suspect that (Air Force) coach (Troy) Calhoun would say, “Yeah, let’s do it.” But if I were the Navy coach I might say, “Eh, rather not. Let me play somebody else.”</p>

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<p>Great rematch! I'll keep hoping.</p>

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<p>NAVY's AD has a yellow streak and has already refused a rematch, and the Bowl Committee is opposed to a rematch...Too Bad</p>

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<p>The prediction is Air Force to play the Armed Forces bowl. Possibly against Michigan State, Purdue or Indiana. Navy could possibly play Utah at the Poinsettia Bowl. Which is Mountain West vs. At-large or Navy. Armed Forces Bowl is Pac-10 vs. Mountain West. </p>

<p>Air Force is standing pretty good mainly because they have played 6 conference games and are 5-1. The rest of the mountain west has only played 3 or 4 conference games. So Air Force only has 2 more games to go. New Mexico and San diego. New Mexico could be tough.</p>

<p>The catch in this is if Air Force happens to win both their final conference games. That will put them 7-1, and unless BYU can pull a rabbit out of their butt and win all 5 conference games to go 8-0 in conference, that would make Air Force #1 in the Mountain West and automatically at the Las Vegas bowl which pits Pac10 #4/5 (Probably Oregon State) against #1 in the Mountain West.</p>

<p>Let's just hope Air Force hangs in there, stays healthy, and wins.</p>