Bowl Game Projections

[Cycsk]

By law, every airline must offer free cancellation within 24 hours of booking. If you want to go but are waiting for ISU to be selected, book the airfare the morning of December 2nd, wait and see if ISU is selected. If ISU is picked at the bowl you booked, keep the airfare. If not, cancell within 24 hours of your booking. Like others have said, if you wait until after ISU is announced at the bowl, all airfare will skyrocket in price.

If you have a lot of miles with an airline, you can book flights for several bowls and cancel them anytime with no penalty. I've done this for multiple NCAA MBB sites as we wait for the brackets to be announced. Didn't expect to be using the tactic for football this year.

 

[Cycsk]

FWIW, a friend of mine met one of the Camping World Bowl reps at the game yesterday. They are very interested in us and it sounds like we are a shoe-in as long as we don't lose our last two games. They loved our fans.

Camping World in Orlando was my preseason pick.

 

[CysRage]

If you have a lot of miles with an airline, you can book flights for several bowls and cancel them anytime with no penalty. I've done this for multiple NCAA MBB sites as we wait for the brackets to be announced. Didn't expect to be using the tactic for football this year.

This. Using SWA frequent flyer points is great for bowl game potential destinations. I didn't have enough points for both me and my wife so we went with the $180 RT Frontier nonstop flight out of Cedar Rapids. For that kind of money we figured at worst we'd still take the trip even if ISU doesn't play there.

 

[jdcyclone19]

I just purchased two tickets from Cedar Rapids to Orlando on Frontier for $670. 12/24-12/31 These tickets are fully refundable with the "Works" package, can get a refund or credit that is good within 12 months toward other flights, fully changeable with no fee, we each get a carry on and check bag for each way and extra spacious seats. From googling on the internet, the refund does include the "Works Package" fee but I cant guarantee it. Figured it still beats waiting and prices being more than 335/ticket and if I'm wrong, I get all my money refunded (hopefully) or a credit of $670 for other flights. If they do go to Orlando, I could have saved some money but am ahead compared if I would have waited until after the bowl announcement and if they don't at least I'm protected.

 

[CysRage]

I just purchased two tickets from Cedar Rapids to Orlando on Frontier for $670. 12/24-12/31 These tickets are fully refundable with the "Works" package, can get a refund or credit that is good within 12 months toward other flights, fully changeable with no fee, we each get a carry on and check bag for each way and extra spacious seats. From googling on the internet, the refund does include the "Works Package" fee but I cant guarantee it. Figured it still beats waiting and prices being more than 335/ticket and if I'm wrong, I get all my money refunded (hopefully) or a credit of $670 for other flights. If they do go to Orlando, I could have saved some money but am ahead compared if I would have waited until after the bowl announcement and if they don't at least I'm protected.

Those are the exact same flights we are on too! Hopefully it will be full of ISU fans if we are selected for Orlando. We considered getting that package too but the details were extremely vague whether you get the airfare AND the works fee back. It would literally double our airfare so we opted to just go without it.

 

[TheJackWePack5]

So as of right now, this looks like the most likely of scenarios (I could be wrong on this, also).

OU- 9-1(goes to Playoff)
TCU 8-2(New Years or Alamo Bowl)
Okie St. 8-2(New Years or Alamo Bowl)
WVU 7-3(Camping World or Texas Bowl)
ISU 6-4(Camping World, Texas, or Liberty Bowl)

Next you have Texas, Kansas St, and Texas Tech all sitting at 5-5. The only team I could see bumping ISU down would be Texas with their large fan base, but who knows? It is guaranteed that either Texas or Tech will be bowl eligible since they play each other.

Texas plays @ WVU and then hosts Tech
Texas Tech hosts TCU then plays @ Texas
Kansas St. plays @OK St then hosts ISU.

It is possible that all three of those teams end up 6-6 depending how the next few weeks shape up. Would be interesting to see what would happen in that Scenario.

I just have a feeling that its either the Texas Bowl or the Liberty Bowl for ISU. We would need just a little help for the Camping World, and a LOT of help for the Alamo.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Those are the exact same flights we are on too! Hopefully it will be full of ISU fans if we are selected for Orlando. We considered getting that package too but the details were extremely vague whether you get the airfare AND the works fee back. It would literally double our airfare so we opted to just go without it.

Yep, i figured either way if we don't go i'd be out ~$350 IF they don't refund the full amount, which from googling, it looks like they do. Figured I might as well try and get the price locked in before it skyrockets.

 

[cyclonepower]

So as of right now, this looks like the most likely of scenarios (I could be wrong on this, also).

OU- 9-1(goes to Playoff)
TCU 8-2(New Years or Alamo Bowl)
Okie St. 8-2(New Years or Alamo Bowl)
WVU 7-3(Camping World or Texas Bowl)
ISU 6-4(Camping World, Texas, or Liberty Bowl)

Next you have Texas, Kansas St, and Texas Tech all sitting at 5-5. The only team I could see bumping ISU down would be Texas with their large fan base, but who knows? It is guaranteed that either Texas or Tech will be bowl eligible since they play each other.

Texas plays @ WVU and then hosts Tech
Texas Tech hosts TCU then plays @ Texas
Kansas St. plays @OK St then hosts ISU.

It is possible that all three of those teams end up 6-6 depending how the next few weeks shape up. Would be interesting to see what would happen in that Scenario.

I just have a feeling that its either the Texas Bowl or the Liberty Bowl for ISU. We would need just a little help for the Camping World, and a LOT of help for the Alamo.

Have to remember OSU played in the Alamo last year and WV played in the Camping World, while not a dealbreaker it certainly factors into bowl decisions...Of course like the Alamo but like the time slot and opponent of the Texas Bowl

 

[JP4CY]

Where in the world would I want to stay at for the Camping World Bowl? Orlando is just so big, any recommendations to initially look at?

 

[TheJackWePack5]

Have to remember OSU played in the Alamo last year and WV played in the Camping World, while not a dealbreaker it certainly factors into bowl decisions...Of course like the Alamo but like the time slot and opponent of the Texas Bowl

Yeah and I get that. OU losing in the Big 12 title game or somehow before then would really throw a wrinkle into the selection process.

My first choice would obviously be the Alamo Bowl, but for the more likely options I am pretty indifferent on Orlando/Houston/Memphis.

If ISU can finish 8-4, the Alamo Bowl certainly seems realistic.

 

[CyForPresident]

We decided to take the chance on Orlando and got our plane tickets. If ISU doesn’t make that bowl game, then we wouldn’t have gone to another bowl game anyway.

Memphis = gross, Houston = hurricane central, and San Antonio seems really unlikely.

If ISU makes Orlando, awesome! If not, we’ll spend 4 days at Daytona Beach and then a week on the golf course!

 

[atlantacyclone]

If the game is Orlando I'm going...

 

[CyInDFW]

If it's Orlando I'll just be making it a 2 day road trip, stopping to see some old friends along the Gulf Coast on my way there.

 

[Cyclone5050]

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Iowa State vs. Missouri --Dec 30

If we get Mizzou, do we bust out the Telephone Trophy?

 

[CyForPresident]

If we get Mizzou, do we bust out the Telephone Trophy?

Both schools would have to agree to it, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t play for it

 

[CyInDFW]

We decided to take the chance on Orlando and got our plane tickets. If ISU doesn’t make that bowl game, then we wouldn’t have gone to another bowl game anyway.

Memphis = Stay out of the gross areas, Houston = Not hurricane central in late December, and San Antonio seems really unlikely.

If ISU makes Orlando, awesome! If not, we’ll spend 4 days at Daytona Beach and then a week on the golf course!

FIFY...

I understand though. Unfortunately if ISU were to drop to the Cactus Bowl I won't be able to make that one. Plus I hate everything Phoenix, except for the Iowa Café and Mill Ave, but I'm way past the age for Mill Ave.

 

[CyForPresident]

FIFY...

I understand though. Unfortunately if ISU were to drop to the Cactus Bowl I won't be able to make that one. Plus I hate everything Phoenix, except for the Iowa Café and Mill Ave, but I'm way past the age for Mill Ave.

I get what you’re saying. Memphis was fun once, but I’m not going back. My Houston comment is based more on the destruction they endured this fall.

 

[CloniesForLife]

This might be a silly question but where does one buy tickets for each one of these bowl games? I am assuming each bowl has their own website?

 

[CNECloneFan]

Texas bowl scares me. I would hate to play an SEC team in Houston. And Houston - what a depressing holiday destination...

 

[JP4CY]

I don't get the anti-Memphis sentiment. It's drivable, affordable, and has a great bar scene.
I had a blast there. It's way better than Shreveport.
While I would prefer Phoenix, San Antonio, Orlando, those are giant cities with people scattered everywhere. It really felt like ISU took over Memphis downtown.