by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
Even though the UNM football team is unsure of its postseason fate, the team is confident of its postseason chances.
"It's been an outstanding year for us," Athletics Director Paul Krebs said. "We don't think our football season is over. We feel very good about the fact, and there is a very high probability that we will be in a bowl game."
The Lobos finished the regular season 8-4 and 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference, tied for third place with Utah.
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The only teams to finish above UNM in the MWC were BYU at 9-2 and 7-0 and Air Force at 9-3
and 6-2.
TCU is also bowl eligible at 7-5 and 4-4.
Despite having the fourth eight-win season in the last 42 years, UNM's bowl chances are still up in the air.
The MWC has just four bowl obligations - the Las Vegas Bowl, the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, and the New Mexico Bowl here in Albuquerque - but five teams eligible for the postseason.
"The speculation that the Lobos will be sitting at home, out of a bowl game, is unfounded," Krebs said. "There are five teams in the MWC that are eligible, and we are confident that all five teams will be placed in bowls."
With Big 12 teams No. 1 Missouri, No. 5 Kansas, No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 20 Texas in the Top 25, the most likely scenario deals with that conference. Should two Big 12 teams receive automatic berths to BCS games, the conference would be unable to fulfill its bowl obligations, opening up a slot for an MWC team in the Texas Bowl.
However, Krebs said the Lobos aren't counting on a trip to Houston on Dec. 28.
"It's safe to say that the Texas Bowl is focused on TCU right now," he said. "If you look at our other options, the most viable option for us is the New Mexico Bowl."
Should UNM be invited to the New Mexico Bowl for the second year in a row, the Lobos will have to receive permission from the MWC per contract.
"When people talk about the one-in-three rule, it's not to say that we can't play in the New Mexico Bowl more than once every three years," Krebs said. "There are other factors that come into play. The rule will have to be revisited after bowl games are played, so there isn't as much emotions involved."
Another scenario is if BYU moves into the Top 12 in BCS standings, qualifying for a BCS game. The Cougars are No. 19 this week, moving up from No. 25 two weeks ago with only San Diego State standing in their way.
Should BYU earn a BCS bowl game, all four bowl-eligible MWC teams would be able to fill the MWC's bowl obligations.
"There are a number of things that have to happen for BYU to play up in a BCS game," Krebs said. "I'm not a mathematician. I'm not an odds maker. But crazier things have happened this season."
Another possibility deals with the Pac-10 conference. Should two Pac-10 teams finish in the Top 14 - and given Arizona State beats Arizona on Saturday keeping the Wildcats bowl ineligible - the Pac-10's spot in the Armed Forces Bowl could go to another MWC team.
With No. 8 USC, No. 13 Arizona State and No. 17 Oregon all in action, none can be upset this weekend if the possibility is to become a reality.
Regardless of the postseason, head coach Rocky Long said he will wait for this weekend to see how everything plays out.
"This is the best football team we've had here in awhile," Long said. "We've beaten people we were supposed to beat. We've beaten people we weren't supposed to beat. And if we do end up going to a bowl game, it is well deserved."
