If Syracuse had won one more game, they might be in the Holiday Bowl

Here’s what I know.

1. Bowl games are about making money.
2. Bowl games will happen, come hell or high water.

So with the news that the Minnesota Golden Gophers players are boycotting the Holiday Bowl in protest of the ten teammates suspended over sexual assault allegations.

At the center of the issue is AD Mark Coyle, whom you may remember. Per The Daily Gopher, Coyle’s statements on the issue directly led to the quagmire.

The team’s statement specifically took issue with “misleading statements” Coyle allegedly made when addressing the team earlier this week. Wolitarsky said the players received “no answers” when they asked Coyle for an explanation.

Wolitarsky also said he does not believe [football coach Tracy] Claeys was involved in the decision to suspend the players. He believes that Coyle alone made that call.

So as it stands, the Gophers will not participate in the 2016 Holiday Bowl against the Washington State Cougars. Going back to the two things I know at the beginning of the article, there’s no way in hell the bowl game isn’t being played. So that means they would absolutely find another team to substitute in if Minnesota indeed does drop out.

That might have Syracuse fans wondering if their squad would have been next in line thanks to the funky APR rules that allow for such a thing. There would be a certain karmic hilarity to SU taking Minnesota’s rightful place in a quality bowl game a year after Coyle spurned “special place” Syracuse for “special place” Minnesota.

Of course, Syracuse didn’t finish 5-7 so it’s kinda moot, but with an APR score of 973, that would have been enough to make us next in line. Of course, we probably already would have been in a bowl game at 5-7 considering our APR is better than NIU’s, but let’s not nitpick when karmic revenge is on the line.

Oh well. Let’s spend December racking up more JUCOs instead.