Way to early Bowl Predictions....

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:39 pm

bobio wrote: I'm looking for Michigan - BG in the Motor City Bowl.

So that's when we finally get to play Michigan!

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:50 am

bobio wrote: I'm looking for Michigan - BG in the Motor City Bowl.

I would not hold your breath. At some point in the pecking order, bowls get to pick the school they want rather than have it forced on them by the standings.

Even if Michigan finished seventh in the bowl standings, I think another bowl would pull rank and take them over another Big Ten school.

Bottom line: I don't ever expect Michigan or Ohio State to play in Detroit.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:39 am

Schadenfreude wrote:
bobio wrote: I'm looking for Michigan - BG in the Motor City Bowl.
I would not hold your breath. At some point in the pecking order, bowls get to pick the school they want rather than have it forced on them by the standings.

Even if Michigan finished seventh in the bowl standings, I think another bowl would pull rank and take them over another Big Ten school.

Bottom line: I don't ever expect Michigan or Ohio State to play in Detroit.

They would NEVER, EVER, in a 100 years get passed over in the Big 10 selection process long enough to get to Detroit. The Big 10 champ gets to go to a BCS bowl bid, but after that I don't think any of the Big 10 tie ins are required to take a specific place in the standings. If OSU & UM have down years, but are still bowl eligible, one of those 3rd or 4th tier bowls would take them because they'll bring in far more fans than most of the other Big 10 teams who may be a better team on the field.

If it got to the point where either of those schools DID make it all the way down to the Motor City Bowl, I'm almost inclined to believe that they would turn it down to just stay home for bowl season.

kdog27 · Post by **kdog27** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:27 pm

hammb wrote:
They would NEVER, EVER, in a 100 years get passed over in the Big 10 selection process long enough to get to Detroit. The Big 10 champ gets to go to a BCS bowl bid, but after that I don't think any of the Big 10 tie ins are required to take a specific place in the standings. If OSU & UM have down years, but are still bowl eligible, one of those 3rd or 4th tier bowls would take them because they'll bring in far more fans than most of the other Big 10 teams who may be a better team on the field.

I agree that it would never happen now because there are so many bowl games, but in the 80s and early 90's OSU and Michigan were playing in bowl games like the Liberty, Holiday, and Hall of Fame some what regularly. Not much better than the Motor City Bowl really. Those were all played prior to January 1st if memory serves me right.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:02 pm

kdog27 wrote:
hammb wrote:
They would NEVER, EVER, in a 100 years get passed over in the Big 10 selection process long enough to get to Detroit. The Big 10 champ gets to go to a BCS bowl bid, but after that I don't think any of the Big 10 tie ins are required to take a specific place in the standings. If OSU & UM have down years, but are still bowl eligible, one of those 3rd or 4th tier bowls would take them because they'll bring in far more fans than most of the other Big 10 teams who may be a better team on the field.
I agree that it would never happen now because there are so many bowl games, but in the 80s and early 90's OSU and Michigan were playing in bowl games like the Liberty, Holiday, and Hall of Fame some what regularly. Not much better than the Motor City Bowl really. Those were all played prior to January 1st if memory serves me right.

Yeah, but nowadays I just don't see it happening. The Bowls that get the #3 or #4 Big 10 team will usually take OSU/UM rather than the team that actually finishes in that slot. That's just the reality, due to the fact that they bring so many people.

It's a shame too, I'd LOVE to see us play against this year's UM team, I think we could win.

JohnnySwoop '85 · Post by **JohnnySwoop '85** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:20 pm

But don't Bowls have specific conference affiliations first....so, Motor City has the ability to invite the 7th (yeah, Big 10 gets that many) ranked team in that conference.
So if Michigan is that, it could be them. They, or for that matter, any other Big 10 team that falls in that slot might not have much if any other choice. This assumes 2 things, no other Big 10 team makes the BCS Championship game and the Big 10 has 7 Bowl Eligible teams. I am not sure whether that means they have to be 7-5 or because of them being in a BCS conference just getting to 6-6.

I'll take any Bowl invite though. GMAC, vs. a Conf USA; International vs. a Big east and at this point that could mean Louisville; or a Motor City vs. a Big 10 and right now that could mean Mich state or Penn state.

But way too soon, too many games and we need to get to 7 wins, contest a close MAC east, and then displace a Mac West from the invite's.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:32 pm

JohnnySwoop '85 wrote:But don't Bowls have specific conference affiliations first....so, Motor City has the ability to invite the 7th (yeah, Big 10 gets that many) ranked team in that conference.
So if Michigan is that, it could be them. They, or for that matter, any other Big 10 team that falls in that slot might not have much if any other choice. This assumes 2 things, no other Big 10 team makes the BCS Championship game and the Big 10 has 7 Bowl Eligible teams. I am not sure whether that means they have to be 7-5 or because of them being in a BCS conference just getting to 6-6.

I'll take any Bowl invite though. GMAC, vs. a Conf USA; International vs. a Big east and at this point that could mean Louisville; or a Motor City vs. a Big 10 and right now that could mean Mich state or Penn state.

But way too soon, too many games and we need to get to 7 wins, contest a close MAC east, and then displace a Mac West from the invite's.

Unfortunately, it doesn't really work that way with bowl slotting in the big conferences.

The way it works is that the champion of the Big 10 gets an invite into a BCS bowl. The following bowls then pick their participant in the following order:

Capital One
Outback
Alamo
Champs Sports
Insight
Motor City

Those bowls, are NOT forced to invite the teams in the order they are ranked, though. If the Capital One Bowl (picking #2, after the BCS) decides that a 7-5 UM team is the most desirable option they can choose them instead of whoever may finish 2nd in the conference.

This is typically what happens. If UM or OSU have a down year and finish 6th or 7th in the Big 10, they will not end up going to those bowls. Typically the 3rd or 4th bowl will veer off the standings and take one of those two schools, knowing that they have a larger following (regardless of record) than say a good year for Illinois or Indiana.

That's why, no matter what happens, you'll never see OSU or UM in the Motor City Bowl. Regardless of where they finish in the Big 10 standings one of the higher bowls will always pick them to guarantee a sell out.

bobio · Post by **bobio** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:21 pm

I don't really expect Michigan in the Motor City Bowl. However, the sponsors of the bowl would love it. Quite frankly, the way michigan is playing, that bowl is too good for 'em anyway!

SicSic80 · Post by **SicSic80** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 6:07 am

bobio wrote:I don't really expect Michigan in the Motor City Bowl. However, the sponsors of the bowl would love it. Quite frankly, the way michigan is playing, that bowl is too good for 'em anyway!

There is no way on God's green earth you would expect me to let that one go by!!! Hopefully I will be able to venture south this year and enjoy the game with you and be able to witness you eating each and every one of those words.

bobio · Post by **bobio** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:40 pm

SicSic80: Are you talking about the Motor City Bowl?? I'm thinking BGSU vs. Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Who would you root for?

ZuluWarrior · Post by **ZuluWarrior** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 12:03 am

"If Purdue ends up the the Motor City Bowl after a 5-0 start, they will fire the coach and disband the team. I'm looking for Michigan - BG in the Motor City Bowl."

Holy cripes, that could happen. The Michigan jokes here would drive some AZZ'rs batty.

SicSic80 · Post by **SicSic80** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 7:08 am

bobio wrote:SicSic80: Are you talking about the Motor City Bowl?? I'm thinking BGSU vs. Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Who would you root for?

Motor City Bowl - No! Your secondary scenario - rather intriguing and as to whom I would root for.......Tek"whatever" I am NOT!!!!!!!! I will forever bleed burnt orange and seal brown and because I was born in the great state of Michigan - the Wolverines will be forever my SECOND favorite team.