 It's never too early to start speculating about bowl destinations and with just two weeks left in the regular season in the Mid-American Conference, bowl possibilities are front and center the main topic of discussion. So, let's take a look at the three MAC bowl tie-ins and the likely participants as of this moment.
 MOTOR CITY BOWL
December 26, 2007
Detroit, MI (Ford Field)
MAC vs. Big Ten
Now entering its eleventh year, the Motor City Bowl set an attendance record last year of 54,113 when Central Michigan defeated Middle Tennessee State 31-14. Last year's contest was the first time in the Motor City Bowl's history that a team from Michigan participated and the organizers can't wait to invite Central Michigan back for a return visit.
The Chippewas have clinched the MAC West and have two games remaining, against Eastern Michigan and Akron. At 6-4 the Chips are technically bowl eligible but by winning one of their next two games would ensure that they enter the MAC Championship on December 1 with no worse than a 7-5 mark and would go bowling even with a loss in the MAC Championship Game. Expect the Motor City Bowl to finalize plans to invite Central Michigan prior to the MAC Championship.
This year, for only the second time, the Big Ten will be able to supply an opponent for the MAC in the Motor City Bowl and the bowl organizers will try to move heaven and earth to get Michigan State into the game, thus ensuring the first sell-out in Motor City Bowl history. Currently the Spartans are 6-5 and play Penn State in the season finale. The Motor City Bowl gets the seventh choice of bowl eligible teams in the Big Ten and right now Northwestern sits in the Motor City Bowl slot, assuming the BCS claims at least one Big Ten team. But with four teams at 6-5, things are far from settled in the Big Ten.
We chatted with Motor City Bowl officials and worked out that the most likely scenario that will land Michigan State in the Motor City Bowl would include Ohio State defeating Michigan and taking the Big Ten's BCS slot in the Rose Bowl, coupled with a Michigan State victory over Penn State. But with a full week yet of Big Ten games to be played, this remains speculative at best and in the end the Motor City Bowl still may not know for sure which team they will land from the Big Ten until December 2 when the BCS pairings are announced.
Projected Matchup: Central Michigan vs. Michigan State
Motor City Bowl History
|
1997
|
Mississippi 34, Marshall 31.
|
|
1998
|
Marshall 48, Louisville 29.
|
|
1999
|
Marshall 21, Brigham Young 3.
|
|
2000
|
Marshall 25, Cincinnati 14.
|
|
2001
|
Toledo 23, Cincinnati 16.
|
|
2002
|
Boston College 51, Toledo 25.
|
|
2003
|
Bowling Green 28, Northwestern 24.
|
|
2004
|
Connecticut 39, Toledo 10.
|
|
2005
|
Memphis 38, Akron 31.
|
|
2006
|
Central Michigan 31, Middle Tennessee State 14.
|
MAC Record in Motor City Bowl: 6-4
 GMAC Bowl
January 6, 2008
Mobile, AL (Ladd-Peebles Stadium)
MAC vs. Conference USA
Technically, the GMAC Bowl has first choice among MAC teams this season as part of the alternating agreement with the Motor City Bowl but realistically the GMAC Bowl is poised to likely select the MAC East Division champion, assuming the winner of the MAC East comes through its matchup with Central Michigan in the MAC Championship Game with no worse than a 7-6 record.
NCAA rules require a waiver for a team with a sub .500 record to participate in a bowl game. Such a waiver has only been granted once and that was to a conference champion. What does all this mean? It means that with The Motor City Bowl likely selecting Central Michigan, regardless of whether the Chips win the MAC Championship, the GMAC Bowl's MAC participant could possibly wind up being a team other than the MAC East champ if the MAC East champion winds up finishing 6-7.
As of this writing, and before Miami's game against Akron Wednesday night, the RedHawks are in the driver's seat. Currently Miami is 5-5 and with a pair of season-ending victories (over Akron and Ohio) would finish 7-5 and move into the MAC Championship Game in good shape for a GMAC Bowl berth. Miami can also claim the MAC East by splitting its last two games combined with a loss by Buffalo to either Bowling Green or Kent State. Bowling Green can only claim the MAC East by defeating Buffalo combined with Miami losing twice. The odds certainly favor the RedHawks at this point.
If Miami advances to the GMAC Bowl, they will face a team from Conference USA. The GMAC Bowl gets the second selection among Conference USA bowl-eligible teams. Currently UCF and East Carolina sit at 1-2 in Conference USA's East Division and the MAC's opponent will likely come from the East Division.
Projected Matchup: Miami vs. East Carolina
MAC History in GMAC Bowl
|
2001
|
Marshall 64, East Carolina 61 (4OT)
|
|
2002
|
Marshall 38, Louisville 15.
|
|
2003
|
Miami 49, Louisville 28.
|
|
2004
|
Bowling Green 52, Memphis 35.
|
|
2005
|
Toledo 45, UTEP 13.
|
|
2006
|
Southern Mississippi 28, Ohio 7.
|
MAC Record in GMAC Bowl: 5-1
 International Bowl
January 5, 2008
Toronto, ON (Rogers Centre)
MAC vs. Big East
Even though it has the third choice, the International Bowl probably has the least complicated selection among MAC schools for the second annual bowl game to be played in Toronto.
The leading contender to head north of the border from the MAC would be the Ball State Cardinals following their 41-20 win over Toledo Tuesday night. The Cardinals finish the season at Northern Illinois and will be prohibitive favorites to finish the season at 7-5 which would make them a very attractive team with Nate Davis and the high-octane Ball State offense which has played its non-conference slate tough even though they have not had a marquee-type victory.
If the Cardinals falter and Bowling Green finishes at 7-5 or 8-4 look for the Falcons to receive an invitation to the International Bowl but the Falcons still have to get past a road game at Buffalo and then have a home date against longstanding rival Toledo.
The International Bowl gets the fifth selection out of the Big East and right now that would appear to be either Rutgers or Louisville. We like the sound of a Cardinals vs. Cardinals bowl game.
Projected Matchup: Ball State vs. Louisville
International Bowl History:
|
2007
|
Cincinnati 27, Western Michigan 24.
|
GAME PREVIEWS
Friday, November 16
Eastern Michigan (3-8, 2-4 MAC) at Central Michigan (6-4, 5-0 MAC), 7:00 pm ET
Site: Kelly/Shorts Stadium
Series: Central Michigan leads 53-25-6 (Last meeting: Central Michigan, 24, Eastern Michigan 17 (OT) in 2006).
Television: Comcast Local
Outlook: The last three contests between the Eagles and the Chippewas have gone into overtime with Central Michigan prevailing last year after dropping overtime decisions to Eastern Michigan in 2005 and 2004 with the 2004 contest being decided in the fourth overtime for a 61-58 Eastern Michigan victory at Ford Field. This game will be the last game of the season for Eastern Michigan and the Eagles are pointing to this game as a chance to claim the Michigan MAC Trophy which currently resides in Mt. Pleasant. If EMU were to defeat the Chippewas it would be the second sweep of both Western Michigan and Central Michigan in the past four years for EMU but only their third sweep since 1986. The Eagles come into Mt. Pleasant with their offense finally clicking. Senior tailback Pierre Walker has rushed for 399 yards over the past three weeks and last week ran for a career best 155 yards in EMU's 39-32 loss to Bowling Green. Eagles' QB Andy Schmitt, since returning from injury, has guided the Eagles' offense to 53 points and nearly 600 yards over the past six quarters of play. But the Eagles defense has faltered badly down the stretch, allowing 91 points and over 1,000 yards in its past two contests; losses to Toledo and Bowling Green. For the Chippewas it may seem like there is not much to play for after having clinched the MAC West title but the Chips have no desire to relinquish the Michigan MAC Trophy and need to reach seven victories (they still have one game left after Friday - against Akron) to avoid any bowl eligibility complications. The Chips' Dan LeFevour tops the MAC in total offense and last week accounted for 307 yards in total offense and three touchdowns in leading the Chips to a come-from-behind 34-31 win over Western Michigan. WR Bryan Anderson has recorded over 200 yards receiving over the past two weeks for an offense that is averaging 44 points per game in conference play. The Chips have been winning with their offense all season as their defense continues to give up massive amounts of yardage and is last in the MAC, allowing 478.3 yards per game. The Chips secondary continues to be banged up and will be missing Curtis Cutts and Josh Gordy. Eastern Michigan always gives CMU a battle and this game should be no different but the Chips likely have a little too much firepower for the Eagles this season.
Prediction: Central Michigan 42, Eastern Michigan 34.
Saturday, November 17
Kent State (3-7,1-5 MAC) at Temple (3-7, 3-3 MAC), Noon ET
Site: Lincoln Financial Field
Series: Kent State leads 1-0 (Last meeting: Kent State 28, Temple 17 in 2006).
Outlook: Kent State limps into its contest at Temple on a five-game losing streak and is now down to its third-string quarterback after Giorgio Morgan, who replaced Julian Edelman earlier due to injury, went down with an injury in the Golden Flashes' 27-20 loss at Northern Illinois last week. Jon Brown will get the start at quarterback this week for Kent State. Brown was 16-34 for 132 yards and one touchdown against the Huskies. The Flashes' Eugene Jarvis continues to top the MAC by averaging 142.9 yards rushing per game and is likely to see a lot of action this week in Philadelphia but will be facing an Owls defense that tops the MAC in total defense, allowing only 380 yards per game. The Owls though have their own offensive issues and are also starting a backup quarterback. Vaughn Charlton will be starting his third game after starting QB Adam DiMichele went down with a broken leg against Miami earlier this season. Charlton and the Owls were shutout last week by Penn State, 31-0 and have scored only seven points over their past two games. Temple is averaging only 308.9 yards on offense, worst in the MAC, and will be facing the MAC's second-ranked (right behind Temple) defense. The Owls also possess the MAC's lowest ranked rushing offense, averaging 88.1 yards per game and will have a tough time matching up against Kent State's top-ranked rushing defense. Both teams are struggling to move the football and are dealing with significant injuries. The Golden Flashes seem to be in a tailspin and even a trip to Temple won't be enough to pull them out of it. Expect a low-scoring affair with a slight home edge to the Owls.
Prediction: Temple 17, Kent State 14.
Bowling Green (6-4, 4-2 MAC) at Buffalo (4-6, 4-2 MAC), 1:00 pm ET
Site: UB Stadium
Series: Bowling Green leads 3-1 (Last meeting: Bowling Green 48, Buffalo 40 (OT) in 2006).
Outlook: A key MAC East matchup in Buffalo with both teams needing a victory to keep their hopes of a MAC East title alive. Bowling Green will be looking for its third straight victory following a 39-32 triumph over Eastern Michigan last week. The Falcons possess the conference's top rated passing offense and are led by QB Tyler Sheehan who ranks second in the MAC averaging 265 yards passing per game. Sheehan's 18 touchdown passes rank third in the conference behind only Ball State's Nate Davis and Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour. But the Falcons have also been tough at times on defense and are second in the MAC in red-zone defense and also own the MAC's top ranked passing defense, giving up only 202.3 yards per game but teams continue to find plenty of running room against the Falcons, averaging 224 yards per game which means the Bulls will be looking for RB James Starks to provide a boost on offense against BG. Starks is averaging 92 yards rushing per game and ranks fifth in the MAC. Bulls' QB Drew Willy hasn't been spectacular but has been a sound decision maker for the Bulls this season, with 12 touchdowns and only six interceptions. The Bulls have been susceptible to the pass, allowing 231.4 yards per game (12th MAC) but rank second in rushing defense. Buffalo has played tough at home this season and if they can get their running game working against the Falcons, have the potential to chalk up another win in what has already been a record-setting season for the Bulls but the Falcons passing attack may be just a bit too potent for the Bulls.
Prediction: Bowling Green 27, Buffalo 26.
Western Michigan (3-7, 2-4 MAC) at Iowa (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten), 3:35 pm ET
Site: Kinnick Stadium
Series: Western Michigan leads 1-0 (Last meeting: Western Michigan 27, Iowa 21 in 2000).
Television: Big Ten Network
Outlook: The Broncos are reeling and have lost three straight games and four of their last five following last week's heartbreaking, last-minute 34-31 setback against Central Michigan. For the Broncos it was the third game in which they have suffered defeat in the last minute of play. The Broncos have also not fared well this season against BCS competition having been outscored 151-75 in their three losses to West Virginia, Indiana and Missouri. A bright spot for the Broncos has been the play this season of WR Jamarko Simmons who tops the MAC in receptions per game while RB Brandon West is third in the MAC in all-purpose yards with 1,774 yards on the season. Iowa is looking to move up in the Big Ten bowl pecking order with a win. Hawkeyes' QB Jake Christensen has thrown 10 of his 14 TD passes this season at home and has been extremely efficient, averaging an interception once out of every 83 attempts. The Hawkeyes though will probably look to do damage on the ground against Western Michigan's 94th ranked rushing defense which is allowing 194.7 yards per game. The Hawkeyes are led on the ground by senior tailback Albert Young who has rushed for five touchdowns in the last three games and needs only 127 yards to reach 1,000 yards for the season. It could be a long day for the Broncos.
Prediction: Iowa 38, Western Michigan 10.
Northern Illinois (2-8, 1-5 MAC) at Navy (5-4), 3:30 pm ET
Site: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Television: CSTV
Outlook: The Huskies brought an end to a five-game losing streak by defeating Kent State last week 27-20. It was the Huskies' first conference win of the season. The Huskies' Justin Anderson became the latest in a long line of Huskies' tailbacks to top 1,000 yards rushing in a season when he rushed for 96 yards against Kent State to bring his season total to 1,096 but Anderson' status is uncertain after hurting his knee and leaving the game early. Likewise QB Dan Nicholson is also a question mark after suffering a concussion and being replaced by Ryan Morris. Northern Illinois' rushing defense, which is allowing 211.8 yards per game will get a severe workout against the option offense of Navy. The Middies lead the nation in rushing, averaging 357 yards per game and last week rushed for 572 yards and eight touchdowns in a 74-62 win over North Texas. Navy has already secured a postseason destination, and is heading to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, the same bowl that hosted Northern Illinois last season. Unfortunately there will be no bowls for NIU this season and the Middies could roll to another lopsided victory.
Prediction: Navy 48, Northern Illinois 21.
On Tap
The schedule for the week ahead:
Friday, November 23
Central Michigan at Akron, 11:00 am ET
Toledo at Bowling Green, 2:30 pm ET
Saturday, November 24
Buffalo at Kent State, 1:00 pm ET
Temple at Western Michigan, 2:00 pm ET
Miami at Ohio, 2:00 pm ET
Ball State at Northern Illinois, 3:00 pm ET
|
