Iowa vs. Army in the Military Bowl sure sounds good to me
Army snubbed by the bowls despite winning nine games
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – What I’m about to say never would or could happen, even in a year when fact seems stranger than fiction, but I’ll say it anyway.
I wish there was a will, and a way, for Iowa to opt out of its contractual obligations as a Big Ten member so it could face 9-2 Army in a bowl game instead of facing 5-5 Missouri in the Music City Bowl.
Army deserves to be in a bowl game, but was snubbed because so many other bowl games, according to Brett McMurphy from @Stadium, had contractual agreements with teams and were locked into taking teams with losing records over a 9-win team.
Under almost any circumstance, a contractual agreement should be honored.
But if ever there were a time to bend the rules, or make an exception, this would be that time as one of the craziest years ever comes to an end.
The fact that Army isn’t in a bowl game with a 9-2 record, while 2-8 South Carolina is bowl bound is ridiculous and a sorry statement about what influences the bowl-selection process.
It seems in the pursuit of money that rules often are bent, or broken, in order to appease the most powerful and influential teams.
But in other cases, there is no wiggle room, or so it seems.
I would much rather from a competitive standpoint have Iowa face Army in the Military Bowl on Dec. 28 in Annapolis, Md., than Missouri in the Music City Bowl.
The Military Bowl, which matches teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference, has been forced to cancel because so many teams have decided not to play in a bowl game this year.
The Music City Bowl, which will be played on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tenn., is without question a more prestigious bowl than the Military Bowl.
But does that really even matter this year, considering the strange and surreal circumstances?
Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta said Monday on a zoom conference that the bowl games will not produce a profit for the Big Ten.
“The bowls will be a money loser when it’s all said and done throughout the Big Ten,” Barta said.
In that case, Iowa should volunteer to give up its spot in the Music City Bowl in order to face Army in another bowl, preferably the Military Bowl.
It might not be the wisest decision from a financial standpoint, and it would undoubtedly upset the Big Ten decision makers.
But imagine the public relations boost it would give an Iowa program that has suffered mightily from a public relationship standpoint ever since multiple former Iowa black players accused the program of racial disparities.
Not only would Iowa be honoring one our esteemed military institutions by facing Army in a bowl game, it would be a better matchup.
Army had agreed to play in the Independence Bowl, but the Independence Bowl announced on Sunday that it would have to cancel because it couldn’t find another opponent.
The Black Knights were set to face a Pac-12 team on Saturday, Dec. 26 in Shreveport, La. It will be the first time the Independence Bowl will not be played in 45 years
Army would be a difficult preparation for any team because it runs such a unique offense, and because there isn’t much time to prepare.
I know this is all wishful thinking, and that Iowa is locked into facing Missouri in the Music City Bowl.
My previous wish was that Iowa and Iowa State would meet in a bowl game, but the Cyclones some how managed to secure a spot in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon despite having three losses. And besides, there would have been too many obstacles to overcome. But just because something is secured by a contractual agreement doesn’t necessarily make it the best option.
And who knows, the Music City Bowl, just like any other bowl, could be in jeopardy due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Iowa announced Monday that it had received 14 positive COVID-19 tests within the athletic department, and that some of the cases were football players and staff, but Barta didn’t say how many.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is also in isolation at home until at least Saturday after having tested positive for the coronavirus.
So in other words, Iowa’s bowl situation is very fluid, while Army’s bowl situation is very unfair.