Take your pick: Memphis or Nashville

by Jarred Amato on Dec 2, 2008 2:05 PM EST in Football

After finishing the regular season 6-6, Vanderbilt's bowl destination is down to two possibilities: the Liberty Bowl in Memphis (Jan. 2) or the Music City Bowl here in Nashville (Dec. 31).

Here's a look at the most recent projections:

SI.com's Stewart Mandel believes Vanderbilt will play Virginia Tech in the Music City Bowl (with Kentucky and Tulsa playing in Memphis).
CBS Sportsline predicts that Vanderbilt play Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl (with Kentucky and North Carolina playing in Nashville).
Both Bruce Feldman and Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com expect Vanderbilt to play in the Music City Bowl against either Clemson or North Carolina (with Kentucky and Tulsa playing in Memphis).
ESPN.com's SEC writer Chris Low expects the Dores to play in the Liberty Bowl (with Kentucky coming to Nashville).

Clearly the pundits are split on this one, and for good reason. Commodore fans should pay close attention to the ACC Championship between Virginia Tech and Boston College weekend because, as Mandel writes:

While the winner of Saturday's ACC title game between Virginia Tech and Boston College will head to the Orange Bowl, the loser could slip all the way to the Music City Bowl. Why? The Chick-fil-A Bowl, which has first choice of ACC teams after the BCS, has to be eyeing hometown Georgia Tech (9-3) following its upset of Georgia; the Gator Bowl will snatch up 8-4 Florida State to face 8-4 Nebraska; and the Champs Sports Bowl is eyeing rejuvenated Clemson, even at 7-5.

Feldman and Schlabach disagree slightly. They expect the Chick-fil-A Bowl to take Virginia Tech if the Hokies lose Saturday. However, if the Hokies win, it's almost certain that Boston College will slide all the way to the Music City Bowl.

As for the SEC representative, it appears as though it's down to Kentucky and Vanderbilt, neither of whom are particularly attractive teams. The Cats have played in Nashville the past two seasons and are considerably worse this season.

Meanwhile, taking the hometown team, while a nice storyline, does not bring in as much revenue, which could be even more troubling if the Music City Bowl is forced to take another small-traveling school (B.C.).

We'll find out the Dores' destination on Sunday, but in the meantime, who and where would you like to see them play? What's your ideal matchup? For me, it's Vanderbilt against either Boston College or North Carolina (two prestigious schools) in Nashville.

Also, where do you think the players want to go? I'm sure some of them would prefer to get out of Nashville and actually get to travel for their bowl game, while some would like to play in the comforts of their own city against an ACC opponent. Either way, this team will be making history.

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Music City Bowl

This is the first bowl game for the Dores in, what, 25 years or so? I would think the players would want a good crowd on their side. I live in Memphis, Liberty Bowl isn’t gonna draw well if the team isn’t Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, or Arkansas. I think Vandy would be better off staying at home, enjoying the home cookin’, home town fans, and takin’ it to the ACC. Playing an ACC team is much more attractive than CUSA champ any day of the week, I’d think. Besides, the Music CIty Bowl probably has better gifts for the players than the LIberty Bowl does…

"Wherever you go, there you are"

by brik on Dec 2, 2008 2:46 PM EST reply reply 0 recs

Personally

I would rather the guys go to Memphis.
1) I won’t have to go up 20 minutes down the road.
2) It is against a weaker opponent that we might actually have a chance to beat. I don’t want another losing season…
3) The game is on January 2nd instead of Dec. 31. Why does that matter? Correct me if I am wrong, but there is only one other bowl game on the 2nd, so it would be great exposure for the program esp. if we won.
4) I think the majority of the players would rather travel for the bowl game.

With all this said, I think Vandy is in the MCB. Remember the bowls and the SEC decide (the schools have no say and head to head doesn’t really matter), and if I were them, I would send UK (a large fan base) to Memphis to play a small fan base (Tulsa) and then have Vandy (a small fan base) play a Tech or BC (large fan base). It just seems like more of a compromise for both bowls considering the fact that the MCB is screwed either way having to take the home team or a team that has been in their bowl the last 2 seasons…

by David Shochat on Dec 2, 2008 7:22 PM EST reply reply 0 recs

CUSA

The problem with playing Tulsa is, you have a chance to lose to Tulsa. There isn’t any shame to lose to Tech or BC, those are schools from a major conference like the SEC. And with your first bowl since the beginning of the Reagan Administration, it would be better to have fan support on your side. You won’t get that in Memphis – don’t know how well Vandy fans travel, but there won’t be as many to come to town as there will be staying in Nashville to watch them in MCB. And only 35,000 in the Liberty Bowl would be quite an emotional let down for any program, especially when you can probably draw in 50,000 in Nashville.

"Wherever you go, there you are" - Buckaroo Bonzai

by brik on Dec 2, 2008 7:43 PM EST reply reply 0 recs

Don't know...

The way our team has been playing (esp. on offense), I probably would give us a negative percent chance of beating an ACC school. I would at least give us a 50% chance of beating a CUSA team not to mention a loss is a loss. Lose to a CUSA school by 10 or get killed by an ACC team??? They are both bad and pathetic. As for the fan support, Memphis is only 3 hours away. It is not that much of a difference for Vandy fans around the country and those in Nashville would probably like to travel for the bowl experience esp. if it is within driving distance. As for an emotional letdown, our home stadium only houses close to 40,000 so 35,000 would not be a huge letdown in fact that would probably be a good showing for us for an “away” game. I doubt we get 50,000 no matter where we go….

by David Shochat on Dec 3, 2008 3:43 AM EST reply reply 0 recs

Not that I could get to either one, but I’d much rather go to Memphis than Nashville. (OK, hypocrite – I’m sitting here pulling for the wife’s Cal Golden Bears to play in the Emerald Bowl here in SF, so yes I’m a donk) The only way I would consider the MCB acceptable is if I knew we would be back in a bowl, and a better one, within 2 or 3 years.

And let’s be honest – how many of the lesser bowls really draw a full house? Are the Dores fans really going to spend that much more than a bunch of Blue Mist that also have to pay for lodging and restaurants and the like?

Either way, I have quit my job so as not to run the risk of not being able to watch the game, because who knows when I’ll get another crack at it…

by VandyImport on Dec 3, 2008 1:17 PM EST reply reply 0 recs

This is a no-brainer!!!

Please – anywhere but Nashville! A bowl game is about a special event – travel for the team and fans – an extra bonus – a holiday excursion – a party for the fans … and extra practice for the team. AFTER 26 YEARS…it’s cruel to send – HA – not send – leave the ‘Dores in Nashville. Nice storyline – home town team …blah blah blah…how ’bout this storyline … bowl committee sabotages local economy by selecting team that will bring in NO, I repeat NO hotel revenue. It’s ludicrous! And for a warm fuzzy feeling??? I know UK has been to Nashville the past two years – but so what…do better and beat VU…‘Dores should get Memphis … if not other! Wake up bowl games…the ’Dore Nation is ready to travel…and if you aren’t…are you really a ‘Dore fan? Do the ’Dores have to make the SEC championship before you’ll notice? …… Sorry for getting all that pent up emotion off my chest…but my idea of special bowl trip is not Nashville…that’s just a sick joke. ’Dores deserve better.

by VUrocks! on Dec 3, 2008 2:48 PM EST reply reply 0 recs

Cater to the fans that won't travel? - HA, whatever!!

by VUrocks! on Dec 3, 2008 2:50 PM EST reply reply 0 recs

VUrocks is a baller

Your comment/rant was a joy to read. I am now fully convinced that the Dores deserve to play in Memphis

by Jarred Amato on Dec 3, 2008 4:57 PM EST reply reply 0 recs

VURocks!

Wow, that rant inspired me to invade Mexico and swtich to Miller Lite! I’m so fired up I think I will choose the Liberty Bowl. Yes, the Liberty Bowl…ah, that grand bowl, where mighty TULSA FRIGGIN GOLDEN HURRICANES (yes, hurricanes in Oklahoma, we all know how ultra common that is) will play. In Memphis, the homicide capital of the south. In a decrepit half-empty stadium, in a bad part of town – damn it, THAT’S that bowl I want to go to. Screw staying at home where you might actually have some support – nah, we want to travel. Forget the fact that hey, we have six games a year that we can do that if we want. This is MEMPHIS – it’s not like we don’t go there during Elvis week enough as it is. Nope, we need to go to the friggin’ by God stand up and salute when you say it LIBERTY BOWL. I hear the barbeque is excellent, by the way. Try Corky’s.

"Wherever you go, there you are" - Buckaroo Bonzai

by brik on Dec 3, 2008 8:31 PM EST reply reply 0 recs

Can I say it...

no I better not…but for someone who lives in Memphis, it sounds like you should probably move and never return. Would I rather go to Tampa or Orlando than Memphis? Hell yeah! The way I see it, Memphis is better than Shreveport or Birmingham which are the places we will probably be going for years to come if we can muster 6 games again in the next 20 years since this was a down year for the SEC…

Also, sorry you want to see another ACC school kick our butt instead of Vandy at least playing a CUSA team close and probably beating them. Sorry but Memphis has now dropped to around 14th in murders from its previous rank in the top 3. Sorry that Vandy is only going to be able to muster about 35,000 fans no matter if they are in Nashville or Memphis (remember Dudley only houses about 39,000 and that is with almost 5,000 students (a lot of whom won’t go to the bowl because of previous plans) and about a third of the stadium composed of opposing teams fans). Sorry that the players would like to travel for a bowl game experience instead of playing a home game and staying at the Marriott for the seventh time this season. Sorry that Vandy football has had more success in the past few years away from Nashville. Sorry that the Rendezvous is 100 times better than Corky’s…

by David Shochat on Dec 4, 2008 1:39 AM EST reply reply 0 recs