There are 70 teams in bowl games out of 125. You really don't have to be all that good to get into the last 10 or so bowls. You earn good bowls. A bunch of mediocre teams will play in the others. Being a "bowl team" doesn't mean what it used to.

If Toledo had taken care of business against Akron (a team we beat 43-3) and had finished 8-4, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

(12-08-2013 06:53 PM)axeme Wrote:  There is no reason to assume it's not simply the St. Pete bowl's call. They had a choice of Ohio U, Toledo, or CMU, I presume. They took Ohio U for whatever reason. It's not a great date or time, but none of the MAC bowls have great dates.

I think this is it. I think there may have been some dealing to get the Poinsettia bid, but if the Beef Eaters bowl picked last, the MAC would have little leverage in talking them into which of the three left available they picked.

(12-08-2013 09:07 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  If Toledo had taken care of business against Akron (a team we beat 43-3) and had finished 8-4, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I'm sorry--and what were your scores against Buffalo & BG? And how'd you do in those cross-over games against Northern Illinois & Ball State?

Like I said--don't f@#k up this bowl game on the MAC's behalf.

(12-08-2013 09:18 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  

(12-08-2013 09:07 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  If Toledo had taken care of business against Akron (a team we beat 43-3) and had finished 8-4, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I'm sorry--and what were your scores against Buffalo & BG? And how'd you do in those cross-over games against Northern Illinois & Ball State?

Like I said--don't f@#k up this bowl game on the MAC's behalf.

and what will happen if we do "f@#k" it up? you gonna meet us after school and beat us up?! get over yourself!

Toledo got screwed....

(12-08-2013 08:52 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  

(12-08-2013 08:40 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  but but but but.... Toledo is in the MAC WEST!!

Oh, please. Neither OU or Toledo earned a bowl game this season. For whatever reason, you got one. Try not to f@#k it up.

actually they both earned a bowl game, they both won more than the 6 games required.

Why was Ohio picked or, conversely why wasn't Toledo picked? Who the hell knows. But Toledo not getting picked doesn't mean they didn't earn it or they didn't deserve it. They do. Its a bummer that they don't get to go.

If I had to guess at some of the off the field factors that played into it I would guess Ohio winning their bowl games the last two years was favorable for them, that cheesy CBS feature that announced Ohio as the "best under rated fanbase" probably helped, and don't under estimate the power of the Marching 110. They bring a lot of excitement and fun to the bowl festivities before the game.

If Ohio shows up mentally they're as good as any team in the MAC, but will they? I hope so.

the good news is the MAC has 5 teams bowling, the bad news it should be 7.

Oh great, now OU fans are gonna beat their chest because they made the B'o'B Bowl. Neither UT or OU REALLY deserved a bowl. Because, in reality, no 6-6, 7-5, or sometime 8-4 teams deserve a bowl. Bowls should really only be for 8 or 9+ win teams who finish top 3 or 4 in their conference.

Bragging about making a bowl in this situation is like bragging about making the CBI or CIT tournaments in MBB.

My only thought is whether the bowl had a strong reason to want Ohio. If the Bowl said Ohio or nobody and stuck to it then Ohio may have been the conference's best choice.

Granted I would have chosen Toledo myself.

Not sure why Ohio would be higher on the bowls list just putting it out there as a possibility. It isn't one of our normal bowls so our typical ability to choose the opponent may be more limited than usual.

(12-08-2013 10:39 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  My only thought is whether the bowl had a strong reason to want Ohio. If the Bowl said Ohio or nobody and stuck to it then Ohio may have been the conference's best choice.

Granted I would have chosen Toledo myself.

Not sure why Ohio would be higher on the bowls list just putting it out there as a possibility. It isn't one of our normal bowls so our typical ability to choose the opponent may be more limited than usual.

If the bowl wanted OU for whatever reasons that is fine with me---it is their bowl and they should be able to take anyone the want so long as they are able to get them. However, out of curiosity I would like to know their rationale and even more importantly I would to what exactly what role (if any) the MAC front office played in this whole selection process.

(12-08-2013 10:09 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  Oh great, now OU fans are gonna beat their chest because they made the B'o'B Bowl. Neither UT or OU REALLY deserved a bowl. Because, in reality, no 6-6, 7-5, or sometime 8-4 teams deserve a bowl. Bowls should really only be for 8 or 9+ win teams who finish top 3 or 4 in their conference.

Bragging about making a bowl in this situation is like bragging about making the CBI or CIT tournaments in MBB.

I think most Ohio fans were as surprised as anyone to get a bowl bid. However, Outside of one or maybe two people, I don't think anyone is really arguing which team is better. I know I'm not, and I'm not thumping my chest that Ohio was selected. Now if Ohio beats ECU, that would be different, especially given the MAC's bowl record the last few years.

I don't know much about Toledos attendance or how well your fan base travels, so I won't comment. Maybe it's as simple as Ohio offered to buy more tickets than would normally be required? I doubt we'll (the general public) ever really know the real reason the Bowl picked One over the other.

And, as a side note, while I understand the frustration, please don't make blanket stereotypical statements lumping all "OU fans" together. We're not all the same person. (Well a few may be)

Edit: wanted to add that if the roles were reversed (and I hadn't written off a bowl game this year) I'd be pretty ticked too.

All this controversy about OU vs. UT makes me thankful that the MAC's bowl position is so much better than it was a decade ago. We were getting only two teams in back then, only one in the nineties. Granted, the general inflation of college bowls across college football has devalued a bowl somewhat, but it's still good for the conference that we're getting a good number of teams into postseason play. I'd rather be arguing over which team should've gotten our 5th bowl bid instead of our 2nd.

Toledo is better than Ohio, but Ohio has proven that they have a good fan base that travels. I wouldn't be surprised if the Beef o' Brady Bowl looked at Alumni profiles and took the team they thought would draw better.

Don't schools do a little campaigning? Maybe Ohio put on a better presentation.

(12-08-2013 10:39 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  My only thought is whether the bowl had a strong reason to want Ohio. If the Bowl said Ohio or nobody and stuck to it then Ohio may have been the conference's best choice.

Though its not really the conference's choice, its the bowl's, though the bowls that are going to have an ongoing relationship with a conference are going to want to stay on good terms. If the Beef Eaters picked last ~ likely, because two of the three primary tie-in bowls seem to have deferred to the higher money Poinsettia bowl ~ they were picking between OhioU, Toledo & CMU.

I don't see any particular reason to doubt the reasons they basically gave in their presser ~ between OhioU alumni in Central Florida and the way that the OhioU fan base has traveled to bowls previously, they figured among those three, inviting OhioU would put on a better show.

Indeed, they would have been thinking about in what order they would want those three before the MAC CCG, when they might have been left with their choice out of two.

(12-08-2013 11:17 PM)BullBoy Wrote:  Toledo is better than Ohio, but Ohio has proven that they have a good fan base that travels. I wouldn't be surprised if the Beef o' Brady Bowl looked at Alumni profiles and took the team they thought would draw better.

They don't even publicize the game down here...locals don't support it. I was bitching to a buddy about the snub and he had never even heard of the game....he lives 10 Mins from it. What's the difference between a few hundred fans of either team? You really think they looked at OU and their traveling fan base? Non of us have a traveling fan base. We blew the last two games, but how can you justify OU going over a team that beat the top 2 in the east?

Looking over your bowl line up, I can't believe NIU would be all that excited about playing an 8-5 Utah State team or 7-5 San Diego State as the other options. ECU was 9-3 this year with a couple of ACC wins, including North Carolina who is in a bowl. I got to think we'd be the most attractive match up of the options available. I know as an ECU fan that's was the team I wanted if we ended up in this bowl. I think it's a match up that would have sold a lot better with the QB's and better records.

I don't think any Ohio fans were expecting a bowl bid or feel that this somehow means they deserve it more than Toledo. I wish Toledo could go too. But Toledo fans are not doing themselves any favors by trashing Ohio as if its their fault. Its not. Sorry.

I think they saw two mediocre football teams and decided to flip a coin. Maybe they decided to market this game as Ohio vs Carolina and will make elderly fans think they bought tickets for the Buckeyes and either South Carolina or North Carolina.....They likely sell a few hundred more because they can put "Ohio in ads" Elderly Buckeye fans.....rush to buy tickets then will start thinking their vision is going when they see Ohio State's uniforms are a little green at kickoff and that Brutus is looking a bit strange.

According to Toledo's math, they also won the MAC this year. Not only do they count division titles as championships, but they also count coulda-woulda-shoulda division titles. Hard to believe Toledo would be left out after winning the MAC this year. Maybe they can go to a make believe bowl and claim victory as well? Go to wal-mart and get a little trophy for their trophy case? Probably what they'll do.

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