No, it doesn’t affect Penn State, but it seems that the Fiesta Bowl desperately hates itself, and will select TCU and Boise State to play in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.  That’s right, they’ll get a rematch of last year’s San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, which last year drew a huge [sarcasm] TV audience: the 15th highest ratings of all bowl games and a massive 3.70 Nielsen rating.  That wasn’t even close to last year’s Alamo Bowl, which pitted Missouri and Northwestern.  So, um, no idea what’s going on there.  Furthermore, only about 35,000 were in attendance–does the Fiesta Bowl really think they’ll fill up the stadium with two mid-major teams?

But, even though we’ve got over an hour before that’s officially announced, it has been declared as such across the internet.  CBS11 in Dallas is calling it–by far the most official entity to do so, joined by a New York Times blog, and so too is BHGP, citing the Tampa Chapter of the I-Club (Iowa’s version of the Nittany Lion club) and  it seems like this morning’s hot rumors will be correct.

Now, I hate buying in to the rumor cycle, especially considering that they’ve been wavering back and forth, but I just want to let you, the reader, know, that I have absolutely no idea a) what’s going on and b) why the Fiesta Bowl would do something like this?  It will inevitably set up a Georgia Tech-Iowa matchup in the Orange Bowl and a Florida-Cincinnati showdown in the Sugar, and sure, both are intriguing matchups, but does the Fiesta really think they’ll get a full house with TCU/Boise? What about the TV ratings, for that matter?  And if I’m on either one of those teams, or a fan, I’m royally pissed.  For TCU to take on a Georgia Tech or an Iowa or a Florida is a chance to say look, we’re right up there with big-time, big-conference teams, and that’s why Utah gets so much credit for last year’s beatdown of Alabama.  If TCU beats up on Boise, what do they win? They would have a victory over an “overrated” Boise State team, and will never get to show that they were championship game material.  Even if Boise were to defeat TCU, the loser will inevitably be labeled a fraud, and the winner will get nothing out of it.

I hope this chatter is just that, but if the Fiesta has created this matchup, not only have they done a disservice to themselves, but to two quality football teams as well.

And to tie Penn State in here: I’m a little shocked that the Orange Bowl would select Iowa over Penn State.  I thought the generally accepted theory was that if it was up to the Fiesta, it would be Iowa, and Penn State would be favored by the Orange Bowl, but it now seems like Iowa was always the first choice of both bowls.  Nobody’s talking about Penn State to anything but the Capital One–and I’m absolutely fine with that, but after Penn State’s showing in 2006, I’m absolutely shocked that the Orange would avoid bringing the Lions back there.  I’d have liked to get a shot at Georgia Tech and the triple option, but I’m not shedding a tear over this one.