MAC Secures 3rd Bowl; 6-6 Teams Bowl Eligible

BGDrew · Post by **BGDrew** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:44 pm

The GMAC bowl will select what it considers to be the best team because it's game is so soon. The MCB will get 2nd pick because of how early it is, and that would probably leave the IB with the MACC runner-up/3rd place team.

San Diego Falcon · Post by **San Diego Falcon** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:14 pm

There's some question as to whether we are the official back-up conference for the Birmingham Bowl if the Big East or C-USA can't provide a bowl-eligible team.

Actually, it looks like we are the unofficial back-up conference for ALL bowl games now. I didn't run any statistical probabilities, but it seems that the MAC and Sun Belt could be the only conferences with teams with winning records that aren't automatically slotted into a bowl game by contract. How likely is it that a BCS conference, the 6-bid C-USA, the 5-bid MWC, and the 4-bid WAC will have teams with at least a 7-5 record left over after meeting their bowl quota? (those numbers may not be exact, especially with the Houston Bowl pending)

If a conference can't produce enough bowl-eligible teams, then they may "have" to pick between the MAC #4 and the Sun Belt #2.

That all being said, it will be easier for conferences to meet their bowl tie-ins given they can use 6-6 teams to meet their quota. So maybe this situation won't present itself for 5 years, by which time the conferences and bowls may be realigned anyway, so why did I bother typing all this crap?

cbjhack · Post by **cbjhack** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:26 pm

Its great to see this, but we neglect to realize that there have been 6-6 teams in BCS conferences shut out from bowls in the past. Schools that travel well. Wisconsin a couple of years ago comes to mind. If it comes down to a 6-6 Big Ten team and a 6-6 MAC team, my bet is that the Big Ten team gets the nod. Simply because they travel well. The lone exception is if its is a traditional bottom 3-4 BT team like Northwestern, Illinois of late, or Indiana.

But a game in Toronto should play to BG's favor. After all how many American Universities have a Canadian Studies program?

rocketfootball · Post by **rocketfootball** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:04 pm

Motor City Bowl = MAC #1
GMAC Bowl = MAC #2 or #3
International Bowl = MAC #2 or #3

MAC Champion is going to go to the MCB. The GMAC gets to pick early, so unless the MCB releases the potential MAC Champion the GMAC will probably end up with the #3 team in reality. Then the International Bowl will get the loser of the MACC.

Ideally the International Bowl would probably love Buffalo (not gonna happen), UT, BG, or one of the three Michigan schools.

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:51 pm

WOW thats great the NCAA awarding teams that fail...lets face it if you got a 50 in school that was an F you failed the class, if you got a 60 by some standards you failed or just barely did not
Bowls should be used to reward winers and teams that excelled.
This is not good but an extension of the bad.

rocketfootball · Post by **rocketfootball** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:17 pm

A C-USA fan is reporting that the company he works for is working with the Birmingham Bowl on some sort of sponsorship and the release they gave them says that the Big East and MAC will alternate years against a C-USA school. The Big East gets the bid in 2006 and the MAC gets it in 2007 and so forth. So, in 2007 we will have four bowl tie-ins!

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:50 am

W L Pct. W L Pct.
West Virginia 7 0 1.000 11 1 0.917
Louisville 5 2 0.714 9 3 0.750
Rutgers 4 3 0.571 7 5 0.583
USF 4 3 0.571 6 6 0.500
Pittsburgh 4 3 0.571 5 6 0.455
Connecticut 2 5 0.286 5 6 0.455
Cincinnati 2 5 0.286 4 7 0.364
Syracuse 0 7 0.000 1 10 0.091

now lets not forget the MCb was to have the MAC vs big 10, it has not happend much.
and if the 5th place big east team can not win occ games they wont be able to field a team
Now if it was #3 that would at least be exciting. i love bgsu and the MAC but my god find a conferce that will comit to something that can be honestly kept or just call it what it is ...at large.

Way to many bowl games...way to many...but as always were the falcons go i will follow with bells on...

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 10:58 am

MACMAN wrote:now lets not forget the MCb was to have the MAC vs big 10, it has not happend much.

The new rules make it more likely that it will happen. Going .500 in a 12-game schedule is much easier and more likely than going 6-5 in an 11-game schedule.

and if the 5th place big east team can not win occ games they wont be able to field a team

If the Houston Bowl folds (and I personally think it will; it's future will be determined in June), then the International Bowl would be eligible for the Big East's fourth team.

Also, from what I understand, bowls with contracts to the Big East may also choose Notre Dame. (I'll stand corrected if this isn't the case).

So, in reality, the International Bowl could be getting the third team in the Big East standings.

In more doubt, ti seems, is whether the Big East would be able to fill the Birmingham Bowl, which is behind Toronto in the pecking order. If not, what would happen? Could the bowl look around for some 6-6 team in another league? Or would a fourth MAC team be picked?

I don't know if anyone knows the answer to that right now.

I think the MAC has played all this superbly. MAC fans are going to be feeling very warm and fuzzy come bowl season, I think.

San Diego Falcon · Post by **San Diego Falcon** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 11:45 am

In more doubt, ti seems, is whether the Big East would be able to fill the Birmingham Bowl, which is behind Toronto in the pecking order. If not, what would happen? Could the bowl look around for some 6-6 team in another league? Or would a fourth MAC team be picked?

According to the new rules as reported, if the Big East couldn't supply a bowl-eligible team, the Birmingham Bowl would be required to select a team with a winning record instead of a team with a 6-6 record from another conference. That's good for the MAC.

However, that scenario is doubtful, especially, as you mention, if Notre Dame can fill a Big East bowl slot. It's hard to imagine the Big East not being able to provide at least 4 or 5 teams with at least a 6-6 record.

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 2:58 pm

Hey, more bowl games, good stuff. Beats a playoff!

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 7:36 pm

In the fantasy land of football bowl matchups, the picking should start at the top and work its way, pitting best avail against best avail. this biz of locking spots from 8 team conferences for team 4 and 5 is well in a word stupid.
As for The Irish, I believe that they are now BCS eleigable if they finish in the top12 and I doubt the Irish would accept a bid to the International Bowl and would hold out and get a bid to a Good more prominate bowl.