The Bowl Projection Mele has begun

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:48 am

The release of the first round of the BCS electorls has the Bowl Projectors speculating.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2194032

I must say however as much as I despise the BCS system, this first round of projections, assuming of course teams play as they have been (which we all know can change any saturday) seems prety dead on to me.

Sad to see the MAC is looking like two this year.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:50 am

I hope Pat Forde is right.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:53 am

While I believe the MAC will be a two-bowl conference this year, there is still a chance that some conferences (hello, C-DOA?) will not be able to fill all their slots. In short, some MAC schools could be scoreboard-watching in the next few weeks to see if their bowl hopes are alive, even if their MACC hopes are not.

I posted this on the MAC board, but it's relevant to this discussion:

A few games of interest, in regard to bowl eligibilitiy...

Friday - SoMiss (4-2) @ UAB (3-3); where does UAB get the three wins it needs to become bowl-eligible?

Saturday
Louisville (4-2) @ Cincy (3-3); the Carebearcats can probably pencil in a win against Syracuse, but where do the other two wins come from - @ S. Fla., @ Rutgers, host West Virginia?

Michigan (4-3) @ Iowa (5-2); I'm sure Big Blue fans are ecstatic about Saturday's win (and they should be), but the Wolverines still need two wins to get eligible. A loss to Iowa means two wins are needed out of these games - @ N'western, home vs. Indiana, home vs. Ohio State. Not automatic by any means.

Oklahoma State (3-3) @ Iowa State (3-3); two bubble teams.

Wyoming (4-3) @ Colorado State (3-3); Rams could be done with a loss.

East Carolina (3-3) @ Memphis (3-3); the C-DOA parity party continues.

Vandy (4-3) @ SoCar (3-3); Vandy looked like a shoo-in early in the year, but this is almost a must-win. They can pencil in a victory over Kentucky, but need to beat the Gamecocks or be faced with needing a win against Florida or Tennessee. Gamecocks have those two powerhouses to contend with, as well as Clemson & Arkansas.

Arizona State (3-3) @ Stanford (3-2); two bubble teams

Tulane (2-3) @ UCF (3-3); the C-DOA parity party continues.

Kansas (3-3) @ Colorado (4-2); Jayhawk loss may drop them from bowl race.

Baylor (4-2) @ Oklahoma (3-3); Baylor has a tough road after this game and so do the Sooners. A loss for Oklahoma may start the "wait 'til next year" discussions in earnest.

New Mexico (4-3) @ San Diego State (3-4); not a must-win for New Mexico, but sure would make things a lot easier.

Wazzu (3-3) @ Cal (5-2); in addition to #25 Cal, Cougars have two other ranked teams ahead (USC & Oregon), in addition to Arizona State (at home).

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 12:08 pm

Now lets assume that say 3 bowls have vacant slots to fill when all the game play is done. I can see NIU getting a shot if they play out well and esp if they beat Toledo and fall short of the West.
That would leave two slots Hanging out there...who do you like. i could see a MWC or soem WAC schools keying in on the two left.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 12:27 pm

MACMAN:

Someone did the math and said that, right now, there are 55 teams with records above .500; there are 58 bowl slots. Hence, if the season ended today, there would be a shortage of bowl-eligible teams. That being said, with all the conference games on tap over the next few weeks, I'm speculating that we'll see an increase in the number of .500-plus teams.

I wouldn't hazard a guess as to who might be able to finagle open bowl slots, but the MAC should be in a good position. I'll be doing some caculating after Saturday's game when the picture clarifies a bit more.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 12:51 pm

Bleeding Orange wrote:I hope Pat Forde is right.

I'm curious what others think, but this is what I think:

If Bowling Green has a chance to play a Big Ten team in Detroit, I'd prefer that to another GMAC Bowl trip.

Granted, a rematch with Northwestern isn't *that* exciting.

So I guess I'm hoping neither are right.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 1:07 pm

Schadenfreude wrote:If Bowling Green has a chance to play a Big Ten team in Detroit, I'd prefer that to another GMAC Bowl trip.

Granted, a rematch with Northwestern isn't *that* exciting.

Agreed. But I also don't want to see Minnesota in the MCB either. They would run all over us. Maybe Indiana can pick upa few wins and make thier first bowl appearance in years. A matchup with Terry Hoeppner would be nice.

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 1:36 pm

Just to toss in my two bits on the MCB. I can see Con, or Pit steping in.

ffejfalcon · Post by **ffejfalcon** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 1:37 pm

Beat Western!!!!

I'm like an alcholic...One day or game at a time......

Rollo83 · Post by **Rollo83** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 3:44 pm

The thought of facing the Northwestern or Minnesota offense in the MCB just turned my stomach.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 4:03 pm

MACMAN wrote:Just to toss in my two bits on the MCB. I can see Con, or Pit steping in.

I think the Big Ten will easily have a team available.

For one thing, the BCS probably isn't going to take two Big Ten teams.

Jham · Post by **Jham** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 6:29 pm

For you northerners, I udnerstand a GMAC trip wouldn't be ideal...

But for us southerners, and those of you who made the GMAC trip last year (forget the trip back to Ohio), the GMAC Bowl was nothing short of effing awesome.

I'd love to seem em in Mobile again.

tekekini · Post by **tekekini** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:12 am

MACMAN wrote:Just to toss in my two bits on the MCB. I can see Con, or Pit steping in.

Pitt? they are horrible.

shave the mustache Waenstadt however the hell you spell your name

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:40 am

tekekini wrote:
MACMAN wrote:Just to toss in my two bits on the MCB. I can see Con, or Pit steping in.
Pitt? they are horrible.

shave the mustache Waenstadt however the hell you spell your name

But Pitt is not out of the bowl picture, believe it or not. Remember, if you're in a BCS conference, you don't have to be good to get a bowl bid, just above .500.

tekekini · Post by **tekekini** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:34 am

i know..i just hate Dave Waendstat. I am a Dolphins fan. Dave sucks