Memphis in MCB?!

San Diego Falcon · Post by **San Diego Falcon** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:38 pm

In overall general terms, I do not believe that the MAC "deserves" more than 2 bowl bids this year. However, a 3rd MAC team is more "deserving" of a bowl bid than a 6th C-USA team!

Why would the MCB invite 6-5 Memphis over 7-4 WMU? The standard answer to that is they don't want 2 teams from the same conference in the same bowl game. However, that seems to be the much lesser of 2 evils in this situation. Doesn't it seem obvious that WMU would bring many more fans to Detroit than Memphis?

BGSUFootballFan · Post by **BGSUFootballFan** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:59 pm

yeah that sucks man. we should join conference USA so that we still play crappy teams and we think 6-5 is a good year.

San Diego Falcon · Post by **San Diego Falcon** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:22 pm

From a quick glance, here's the breakdown by conference of bowl-eligible teams left sitting at home:

MWC - 1
WAC - 1
Sunbelt - 1
MAC - 5!!!!!

Out of 7 MAC bowl-eligible teams, only 2 are bowling.

Out of 6 C-USA bowl-eligible teams, all 6 are bowling!?!?!?!

BGGrad01 · Post by **BGGrad01** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:32 pm

It is certainly not right that 6 CUSA teams are bowling, but they had contracts set in place prior to this season. Bowls have to honor the contracts, whether the teams are truly deserving or not. I would say that NIU should have received a bid over the 6th CUSA team (Memphis), but not if it was for the Motor City Bowl against another MAC team. I think there is a rule somewhere that two teams from the same conference can't play each other. I could easily be wrong there, though. WMU would have a difficult sales job to a bowl game given their limited exposure throughout the year and a star QB with a broken leg.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:39 pm

If the MAC had a third bid, NIU deserved it.

cbjhack · Post by **cbjhack** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:41 pm

Simply put, if the MAC had the contracts, then they would have the teams going bowling!

Perhaps with what has taken place over the last few years in CUSA, the bowl committees will realize that CUSA isn't much different then the MAC with the exception of a few high profile hoops programs (i.e. Louisville).

Of course, we all mocked Marshall and Central Florida for leaving the MAC, but when you can make a bowl going 6-5 versus sitting at home when going 7-4, do you blame them much?

BGGrad01 · Post by **BGGrad01** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:55 pm

cbjhack wrote:Perhaps with what has taken place over the last few years in CUSA, the bowl committees will realize that CUSA isn't much different then the MAC with the exception of a few high profile hoops programs (i.e. Louisville).

Just to clarify, Cincinnati and Louisville are now members of the Big East in football and men's basketball. The only "high profile" program in either sport in CUSA is Memphis basketball. CUSA is virtually the same conference as the MAC, except for the pre-existing bowl contracts from when they had Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida.

Redwingtom · Post by **Redwingtom** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:12 am

Say what you want, but C-USA puts a lot more butts in the seats and probably a lot more players in the show.

Until that changes, we will always be the odd-man out on bowl games.

San Diego Falcon · Post by **San Diego Falcon** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:07 pm

Say what you want, but C-USA puts a lot more butts in the seats and probably a lot more players in the show.

Until that changes, we will always be the odd-man out on bowl games.

Do you really think that Memphis will bring more fans to Detroit than Western Michigan would? Perhaps that's a moot point if there is a rule that states 2 teams from the same conference cannot play in the same bowl game.

I'm just steamed that C-USA got that 6th bid. IMO, LA Tech at 7-4 and fresh off a convincing win at Fresno State would have been a better choice than Memphis.