Tom Murphy
Published: Sunday, December 20, 2020
FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas secured the ninth position in the SEC bowl pecking get Saturday and will identify its bowl desired destination, very likely amongst the “pool of six” bowls with SEC tie-ins, right now.
Typically the SEC, the bowls and the universities arrange bowl berths in a collaborative manner soon after the School Soccer Playoff, New Year’s Six and Citrus Bowl selections have been designed.
This calendar year, mostly owing to the coronavirus pandemic, supplying SEC systems bowl choices that make the most sense to school officials geographically and for group and admirer travel criteria is the solution. So Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek, in consultation with Mentor Sam Pittman and faculty officials, need to get to make his option immediately after the first 8 SEC groups are off the board.
The Razorbacks are nearly specified to wind up in a bowl inside of an 81/2-hour generate of their Fayetteville campus. The Liberty Bowl in Memphis and the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Well worth are the closest postseason websites, adopted by the Songs Town Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., and the Texas Bowl in Houston.
“ESPN will have a bowl mania present, and which is when the community will locate out wherever we’re likely,” Pittman claimed on his radio display Wednesday night. “I do not know where by we’re going proper now. But I’ll know some time early afternoon on Sunday, and I’ll be operating ideal with Hunter Yurachek on which one we’d like to go to or which one provides us a place.”
The Razorbacks (3-7) acquired the ninth spot in the SEC by virtue of their head-to-head win around Tennessee (3-7), which dropped 34-13 to Texas A&M on Saturday. LSU self-imposed a bowl ban and is out of the bowl combine.
“In all my discussions, I think the conferences and their bowl associates are likely to throw the pre-approved range get out the window a very little little bit and make matchups that make a little additional geographic feeling,” Nick Carparelli, the executive director of Bowl Period (formerly the Soccer Bowl Association) mentioned on a teleconference very last 7 days. “Just to help save on journey time, travel expenditures and to make it all as protected as possible. I entirely hope you are heading to see a ton much more regional matchups in bowl online games than you generally do.”
The SEC is positioned to have three or four teams in the College Soccer Playoff and the New Year’s 6 bowl online games. SEC West champion Alabama (10- coming into the SEC title sport) and runner-up Texas A&M (9-1) glance guaranteed for that mix. SEC East champion Florida (8-2 getting into the SEC title sport) and runner-up Georgia (7-2) are also contenders.
Florida’s general performance versus Alabama in the SEC Championship Match late Saturday will have a bearing on no matter whether the Gators’ postseason vacation spot is a New Year’s Six sport or the Citrus Bowl, whose slot is confirmed to the SEC Championship Match loser.
If the Gators and Ga the two perform in New Year’s Six video games, Auburn or Missouri would be in line to acquire the Citrus Bowl berth.
Right after Auburn (6-4) and Missouri (5-5), Kentucky (4-6) and Ole Overlook (4-6) will get their bowl assignments prior to the Razorbacks, with Mississippi State and South Carolina to follow. Winless Vanderbilt (-9) is not envisioned to go bowling.
Pittman explained on countrywide early signing day Wednesday that his choice would be a bowl spot where a contingent of Arkansas followers could simply journey.
“Obviously [the] Liberty sticks out for the reason that we’re near,” he said. “Texas sticks out because we recruit that state. Nashville sticks out simply because it is 8 hours from below, whatever, 8-and-a-fifty percent, 9 hrs.
“All all those bowls are located well. We just want to go, and when we go, we want to acquire it. So whichever just one we can go in there and participate in effectively and gain, that is the one we’d like to go to.”
The Razorbacks opened bowl practices for a generic opponent Thursday and will include three extra opponent-precise techniques this week just before breaking for Xmas.
The Liberty Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 30, whilst the Armed Forces, Music City and Texas bowls are all slated for Dec. 31.
The Tunes Town Bowl pits an SEC opponent vs. a crew from the Significant 10. The Armed Forces Bowl features an SEC vs. Pac-12 matchup. The Liberty and Texas bowls pit an SEC method vs. a Major 12 workforce.
Matt Jones of WholeHogSports contributed to this report