Photo: Jim Klapthor

Now in its eleventh year, the Motor City Bowl attracted 60,624 to Detroit's Ford Field for the annual postseason contest which this year featured two-time, and defending, Mid-American Conference champion Central Michigan against Purdue out of the Big Ten Conference that resulted in a thrilling 51-48 Boilermakers victory as time expired.

The game's second-half comeback by Central Michigan and record-setting offensive output also apparently made for good television viewing.

The game, which was televised on ESPN, drew 2.6 million households, scoring its highest television rating since the 2001 game when Toledo defeated Cincinnati 23-16. When combined with the MAC's other two bowl games, the International Bowl and the GMAC Bowl, a total of 5.2 million households tuned in to watch MAC teams in postseason play.

The International Bowl, in only its second year, reached 1.5 million households on ESPN2 for the game between Ball State and Rutgers while the GMAC Bowl, featuring Tulsa and Bowling Green, drew 1.1 million households on ESPN.

Overall bowl ratings increased and The Allstate BCS National Championship Game came in second overall in the Nielsen Ratings, A total of 129 million households tuned in to watch bowl games on television this past season and the total payout among all the bowls was estimated at $225 million.