Which opens up the Poinsettia Bowl to the MAC (we are backups).

Yay, great location and solid bowl for whichever MAC team gets to go there.

could be the mac champ if no bcs bowl. it might be our most attractive option and niu at 13-0 or ball st at 12-1 might prefer the location and opposition over anything else that's available.

the winner of the Indiana-Illinois game today could squeeze into the pizza bowl if they finish strong, but it's a long shot. otherwise mac bowl options don't seem to give us any strong name or strong opponents.

I hope this means Ohio will get picked for a bowl again this year. I don't take anything for granted after seeing bowl eligible teams get left out in recent years.

List of AQ Bowls that are projecting to be open.

Poinsettia: This one is a done deal and the MAC will be sending a school to San Diego.

Beef O'Brady: The AAC is all but certain to have only 5 bowl eligible teams. The MAC placed Ball State here last year and has a secondary agreement.

Independence: This game is contracted to be SEC #10 vs. ACC #7. However the SEC is only projecting 9 bowl eligible schools at this time. The MAC has placed schools here in the past and a matchup vs. ACC #7 would be desirable.

BBVA: Projected to be SEC #9 vs. AAC #4. Again the SEC isn't projected to fill this placing 2 teams in the BCS. The AAC would be a decent opponent though for an 8-4/9-3 type MAC team.

Potato: MAC #3 vs. MWC #6. The MWC is projecting only 6 teams with 6 wins at this time. If Fresno heads to a BCS bowl this game could very well be open, filled by a team like Texas State from the SBC. It will impact the MAC positively if open taking an SBC school of the table for other at-large openings.

LCPB: MAC vs. B1G #8. The B1G is currently projecting 7 bowl eligible teams. This sounds like a potential opening for Western Kentucky from the SBC to play BG or Toledo.

Based on where the bowl eligible projections are going there should be 4 at-large openings for the MAC with only WKU and TXST to compete for those openings from the SBC. WKU per secondary agreement would head to Detroit. It very much looks like all bowl eligible MAC teams will be going including CMU if they hit 6 wins.

(11-09-2013 07:45 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  I hope this means Ohio will get picked for a bowl again this year. I don't take anything for granted after seeing bowl eligible teams get left out in recent years.

This is the way I see it shaking out from where we are sitting now:

Independence (NIU/BSU winner vs. ACC #7)
Poinsettia (NIU/BSU loser vs. MWC #3)
GoDaddy (Buffalo vs. SBC)
LCPB (Toledo vs. WKU)
BBVA (Ohio vs. AAC #4)
St. Pete (BGSU vs. CUSA #6)
Potato (CMU vs. TXST)

I know that the Potato Bowl is scheduled to have the #3 MAC pick but if the MWC isn't filling its side in the tie-in I think they'll let themselves slide down the pecking order.

Ohio will probably show up in the St. Pete or maybe BBVA depending on opponent. I give the nod to BBVA because its not an official secondary agreement should the school lose to BG and it has a January 4th start date which would help the team on the preparation side to use the new Indoor Practice Facility.

Why would WKU go to Detroit two years in a row? With Texas State there it's an easy switch.

Other than that, good analysis.

(11-09-2013 09:06 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Why would WKU go to Detroit two years in a row? With Texas State there it's an easy switch.

Other than that, good analysis.

Its a contracted SBC secondary, its close for WKU fans, and they lost last year so its time to get some revenge.

Those factors I believe outweigh the need to play somewhere different than last year.

GoDaddy Bowl (MAC #1/2 vs. SBC #1) -- $750,000
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (MAC #2/3 vs. BIG #8) -- $750,000 payout
Famous Idaho Potato (MAC #3/4 vs. MWC #6/7) -- $325,000

*Bowls tie-ins that could go unfilled
AdvoCare V100 Bowl (ACC #7/8 vs. SEC #10/11*) -- $1,150,000
Beef O Brady Bowl (CUSA #4 vs. American #6*) -- $537,500
Poinsettia (Army* vs. MWC #2/3) -- $500,000

(11-10-2013 12:22 AM)IceJus10 Wrote:  GoDaddy Bowl (MAC #1/2 vs. SBC #1) -- $750,000
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (MAC #2/3 vs. BIG #8) -- $750,000 payout
Famous Idaho Potato (MAC #3/4 vs. MWC #6/7) -- $325,000

*Bowls tie-ins that could go unfilled
AdvoCare V100 Bowl (ACC #7/8 vs. SEC #10/11*) -- $1,150,000
Beef O Brady Bowl (CUSA #4 vs. American #6*) -- $537,500
Poinsettia (Army* vs. MWC #2/3) -- $500,000

Those numbers don't mean anything because bowls are often requiring ticket guarantees in those figures.