GoDaddy Bowl: Ball State (10-2) vs Arkansas State (7-5)
Potato Bowl: Buffalo (8-4) vs SDSU (7-5)
Beef O'Brady Bowl: Ohio (7-5) vs ECU (9-3)
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl: Bowling Greeen (10-3) vs Pitt (6-6)
Poinsettia Bowl: #24 Northern Illinois vs Utah State (8-5)

Good luck to MAC!

(12-09-2013 01:16 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  Potato Bowl: Buffalo (8-4) vs SDSU (7-5)

I know it's been around for ~15 years now, but it still blows my mind that Boise is the host-city of a bowl game.

Yes, to keep the three MAC bowls straight, I've long thought of them as the Pizza Eaters, Potato Eaters and .... uh, GoDaddy. Plus sometimes Beef Eaters in St Pete. I recall when the MAC only had one bowl tie in, so three primary bowls and two at large spots feels a bit odd.

(12-09-2013 01:43 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 01:16 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  Potato Bowl: Buffalo (8-4) vs SDSU (7-5)

I know it's been around for ~15 years now, but it still blows my mind that Boise is the host-city of a bowl game.

Boise State's success has made it a big college football town and that is why the bowl has survived all these years.

(12-09-2013 01:52 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  Yes, to keep the three MAC bowls straight, I've long thought of them as the Pizza Eaters, Potato Eaters and .... uh, GoDaddy. Plus sometimes Beef Eaters in St Pete. I recall when the MAC only had one bowl tie in, so three primary bowls and two at large spots feels a bit odd.

2004 was the first year of the MAC earning more than 2 bowl bids.

It was a shame that first year of multiple bowls happened after that fantastic 2003 season when NIU was left at home at 10-2.

The MAC has 5 guaranteed bowls for 2014 but only 1 backup with the Poinsettia Bowl. I think we'll see a lot of years for the MAC where a 7 win team is locked out of a bowl like Toledo was and then a few years where every 6-6 team the conference produces makes the post season like in 2012.

(12-09-2013 01:59 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 01:52 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  Yes, to keep the three MAC bowls straight, I've long thought of them as the Pizza Eaters, Potato Eaters and .... uh, GoDaddy. Plus sometimes Beef Eaters in St Pete. I recall when the MAC only had one bowl tie in, so three primary bowls and two at large spots feels a bit odd.

2004 was the first year of the MAC earning more than 2 bowl bids.

It was a shame that first year of multiple bowls happened after that fantastic 2003 season when NIU was left at home at 10-2.

The MAC has 5 guaranteed bowls for 2014 but only 1 backup with the Poinsettia Bowl. I think we'll see a lot of years for the MAC where a 7 win team is locked out of a bowl like Toledo was and then a few years where every 6-6 team the conference produces makes the post season like in 2012.

In 2003, Miami went to the GMAC Bowl and BG went to the Motor City Bowl.

(12-09-2013 01:16 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  GoDaddy Bowl: Ball State (10-2) vs Arkansas State (7-5)
Potato Bowl: Buffalo (8-4) vs SDSU (7-5)
Beef O'Brady Bowl: Ohio (7-5) vs ECU (9-3)
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl: Bowling Greeen (10-3) vs Pitt (6-6)
Poinsettia Bowl: #24 Northern Illinois vs Utah State (8-5)

Good luck to MAC!

Poinsetta: San Diego is great place to play the day after Christmas. If Toledo had not mailed in their last game vs Akron they'd have replaced Ohio in the Beef Bowl. BSU should handle Arkansas State, Buffalo will be very motivated to bowl again after having a few off years; will be interesting to see how motivated SDST will be as an outdoor December night game in Boise could be a snow bowl.

If BG plays will half the motivation they showed in the MAC Title game they will smoke Pitt. Poinsetta is going to be a shoot out, wonder how many of UT St's injured talent will return for the bowl?

(12-09-2013 01:53 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 01:43 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 01:16 AM)Tallgrass Wrote:  Potato Bowl: Buffalo (8-4) vs SDSU (7-5)

I know it's been around for ~15 years now, but it still blows my mind that Boise is the host-city of a bowl game.

Boise State's success has made it a big college football town and that is why the bowl has survived all these years.

The uncola! The good folks of Boise turn out for this bowl and is has been well attended......this is a beautiful area and winter activities associated with the bowl make it a great experience.

I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

(12-09-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

MAC bowl tie-ins weren’t always so great. As a member of the MAC Temple finished 8-4 in 2010 with an OOC win against 8-4 UConn and got passed over for a bowl.

(12-09-2013 12:31 PM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

MAC bowl tie-ins weren’t always so great. As a member of the MAC Temple finished 8-4 in 2010 with an OOC win against 8-4 UConn and got passed over for a bowl.

My guess Temple brings few fans.

(12-09-2013 12:32 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 12:31 PM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

MAC bowl tie-ins weren’t always so great. As a member of the MAC Temple finished 8-4 in 2010 with an OOC win against 8-4 UConn and got passed over for a bowl.

My guess Temple brings few fans.

Maybe, but the guess really doesn't matter. At the end of the day a MAC team at 8-4 with a OOC win over a Big East 8-4 team got passed over.

In 2009 Temple (9-3) played UCLA in DC for the Eagle Bank Bowl and there were over 23,000 at the game, they couldn’t have all been from LA.

(12-09-2013 12:39 PM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 12:32 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 12:31 PM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

MAC bowl tie-ins weren’t always so great. As a member of the MAC Temple finished 8-4 in 2010 with an OOC win against 8-4 UConn and got passed over for a bowl.

My guess Temple brings few fans.

Maybe, but the guess really doesn't matter. At the end of the day a MAC team at 8-4 with a OOC win over a Big East 8-4 team got passed over.

In 2009 Temple (9-3) played UCLA in DC for the Eagle Bank Bowl and there were over 23,000 at the game, they couldn’t have all been from LA.

Washington, DC is a very, very strong sports town....my guess is most were locals. But it does help to go to a driveable bowl, that is for sure. The Military Bowl in Annapolis works well for an AAC school like Temple.

Many posters on this board have complained there are too many bowls. But I would cite Temple's experience in 2009 as an example of not having a sufficient number of bowls. For a year in which a bowl has a 6-6 team, there will be a team like Temple or another college team that goes 9-3 and sits home. That is the greatest killer of all for a NonBCS school trying to push itself into the public in a larger way.

(12-09-2013 12:42 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 12:39 PM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 12:32 PM)Tallgrass Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 12:31 PM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

MAC bowl tie-ins weren’t always so great. As a member of the MAC Temple finished 8-4 in 2010 with an OOC win against 8-4 UConn and got passed over for a bowl.

My guess Temple brings few fans.

Maybe, but the guess really doesn't matter. At the end of the day a MAC team at 8-4 with a OOC win over a Big East 8-4 team got passed over.

In 2009 Temple (9-3) played UCLA in DC for the Eagle Bank Bowl and there were over 23,000 at the game, they couldn’t have all been from LA.

Washington, DC is a very, very strong sports town....my guess is most were locals. But it does help to go to a driveable bowl, that is for sure. The Military Bowl in Annapolis works well for an AAC school like Temple.

Many posters on this board have complained there are too many bowls. But I would cite Temple's experience in 2009 as an example of not having a sufficient number of bowls. For a year in which a bowl has a 6-6 team, there will be a team like Temple or another college team that goes 9-3 and sits home. That is the greatest killer of all for a NonBCS school trying to push itself into the public in a larger way.

I agree 100%.

Not many fans will follow Buffalo to Boise. It's a two stop flight and starts at $1200 round trip. Way too far to drive and across the northern plains in a car in December could be an adventure to say the least.

The Bulls walloped Ohio and the Bobcats get the better, more accessible bowl.

(12-09-2013 01:29 PM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  Not many fans will follow Buffalo to Boise. It's a two stop flight and starts at $1200 round trip. Way too far to drive and across the northern plains in a car in December could be an adventure to say the least.

The Bulls walloped Ohio and the Bobcats get the better, more accessible bowl.

Sort of reminds me of CUSA's situation with the Hawaii Bowl. There were/are reasons to love this bowl and reasons to hate it. Still, better than having the home team sit home because no bowl is available. At least the football team can do a bit of celebration and perhaps win some more glory. In the meantime, don't spend $1,200 for airfare and more money on hotel....but use that money to buy a nice big movie screen like HD tv.

(12-09-2013 01:29 PM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  Not many fans will follow Buffalo to Boise. It's a two stop flight and starts at $1200 round trip. Way too far to drive and across the northern plains in a car in December could be an adventure to say the least.

The Bulls walloped Ohio and the Bobcats get the better, more accessible bowl.

That would be part of the reason that the Potato Eaters bowl made a primary tie-in with the MAC, to get some preference in terms of the MAC team it wanted, after the Pizza Eaters and .... uh (NSFW) GoDaddy took their picks. They, together with GoDaddy, already seem to have made a concession to the MAC, agreeing not to pick NIU so that the Poinettia Bowl would take a MAC team ~ but that was to allow five schools to go bowling instead of four, which is a serious reason to be asking.

IMV, "We'd like you to drop from third pick to last pick because its hard for our fans to get to the location of our third of three primary tie-in bowls" isn't really how the MAC rolls.

So in the end, the Beef Eaters bowl got to pick from Toledo, OhioU and CMU because they are offering that same security to Conference USA and the American, not to the MAC.

(12-09-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

Yup and a bunch of underachieving P5 6-6 teams go bowling instead. I would rather see UTSA or WKU play their hearts out instead of Miss St or Washington State.

(12-09-2013 02:00 PM)HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

Yup and a bunch of underachieving P5 6-6 teams go bowling instead. I would rather see UTSA or WKU play their hearts out instead of Miss St or Washington State.

Though in many of the bowl projections, Washington State was the beneficiary of NIU losing the MAC CCG, when an NIU win would likely have seen six rather than five MAC schools go bowling.

I don't feel all that bad about the four 6-6 Sunbelt schools that are staying home, any more than I feel all that bad about CMU staying home at 6-6 ... I kind of think if you schedule an FCS school, you should post a 7-5 record at least to go bowling. So what's a sadder sight to me is seeing Washington State, 5-6 against FBS competition, going bowling.

But applying a "winning record against FBS competition" rule would make Go5 schools less inclined to be the body bag for a P5 body bag game, with the away game balanced by taking a portion of that money and buying an FCS opponent home game. And since encouraging G05 schools to do that is good for both big stadium P5 school budgets and small stadium FCS school budgets, its not a rule that is likely to change.

The Hilltoppers seem to be at least partly getting revenge for leaving the conference.

(12-09-2013 02:16 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 02:00 PM)HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I kinda feel bad for the Sunbelt guys. Seven schools got the 6 wins needed to be bowl qualified----and 5 of those 7 are sitting at home. That kinda sucks for those fans.

Yup and a bunch of underachieving P5 6-6 teams go bowling instead. I would rather see UTSA or WKU play their hearts out instead of Miss St or Washington State.

Though in many of the bowl projections, Washington State was the beneficiary of NIU losing the MAC CCG, when an NIU win would likely have seen six rather than five MAC schools go bowling.

I don't feel all that bad about the four 6-6 Sunbelt schools that are staying home, any more than I feel all that bad about CMU staying home at 6-6 ... I kind of think if you schedule an FCS school, you should post a 7-5 record at least to go bowling. So what's a sadder sight to me is seeing Washington State, 5-6 against FBS competition, going bowling.

But applying a "winning record against FBS competition" rule would make Go5 schools less inclined to be the body bag for a P5 body bag game, with the away game balanced by taking a portion of that money and buying an FCS opponent home game. And since encouraging G05 schools to do that is good for both big stadium P5 school budgets and small stadium FCS school budgets, its not a rule that is likely to change.

The Hilltoppers seem to be at least partly getting revenge for leaving the conference.

It won't be long until the pressure is there to go to a 13th game. 10 conference games and 3 non-conference.

That will force the bowl rule committee to require that all teams have a winning record again.