Looks Like No Game with Northwestern

[Salsa]

Northwestern and Eastern Michigan have signed a 2 and 1 contract for 2006, 2007, and 2009. The 2007 matchup will be a "home game" for Eastern Michigan at Ford Field.

So, this may mean that the new Big 10-MAC agreement for additional games from 2006-2009 will not involve a BG-Northwestern matchup.

Assuming, then, that Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan are out for a "home game", that leaves the following Big 10 teams:

Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, and Penn State.

Of these teams, I'm thinking that the most likely to play BG would be Minnesota and Iowa.

I think Purdue and Michigan State might be hesitant. I hope it's not Illinois or Indiana.

What I think would make the most sense would be Michigan State with a "home" game at Ford Field or Penn State with a "home game" at Cleveland.

Of course, I'd love to see a Big 10 team at the Doyt.

I will be very disappointed if BG does not get at least a 2-1 or 1-1 with this new agreement.

[Schadenfreude]

I will be very disappointed if BG does not get at least a 2-1 or 1-1 with this new agreement.

Me too. Problem is, as has been discussed, we scare the Big Ten.

Everyone is talking about this MAC-Big Ten scheduling deal. Some Ohio State season ticket holders I knew even knew the general idea -- with the 12th game, the MAC pushed hard to get as many of them as possible with the Big Ten, and the games will be scheduled later in the year to work around the holes in the Big Ten conference schedule.

But I haven't seen this reported anywhere.

Another hunch, I guess, is that when the MAC does get to have these games at a neutral site, that site may often turn out to be Ford Field.

I get the feeling the Cleveland Browns may resist having too many games at Browns Stadium in order to protect the grass -- much as BGSU has never really taken to hosting high school games at Perry Stadium.

Also part of me wonders if the MAC and the Big Ten will start branding the game(s) held at Ford Field. It could turn out to be an annual thing, after all. Maybe a "Big Ten-MAC challenge" or something?

Problem is, if the Big Ten is going to resist playing our best teams, than it isn't much of a challenge, is it?

[Dayons_Den]

I don't see why this puts a Northwestern-BG matchup out of the question?

In recent years Iowa has played two MAC teams in one season- Miami and Akron.