Looking over everything, it seems that NIU, Ohio and Toledo will get the MAC's three tie-ins. Temple and Western Michigan should then have no problems getting a bowl game. But, Unless a few more pieces fall, it's hard to see Ball State getting a game at 6-6.

This whole article assumes that NIU wins on Friday. If the Huskies lose, then Ohio would probably go to the GoDaddy and NIU likely ends up in Detroit.

http://themacdaily.com/index.php?news&nid=786

NIU vs. Arkansas State =

The MAC and the Pizza Bowl will do anything they can from going to that bowl game unfortunately even though a matchup with Northwestern or U of I would be intriguing. It was a sin they passed over us last year. They may as well just rename it the Toledo Bowl because anytime they have a decent team they get to go there even thought we beat them on their home turf. Just ridiculous.

We need to complain to the conference commissioner or just find a new conference affiliation.

My ideal bowls would be:

Pizza - NIU vs. Illinois
GoDaddy - Ohio vs Arkansas St.
Potato - Toledo vs. Utah st.

This would give the teams the opportunity to go to a different bowl game they didn't last year and would enhance the student athlete experience.

(11-29-2011 10:21 AM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  NIU vs. Arkansas State =

I would take it.
It is a good matchup and we are not ready for a Big Ten team.

(11-29-2011 10:56 AM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  

(11-29-2011 10:21 AM)Who You Crappin? Wrote:  NIU vs. Arkansas State =

I would take it.
It is a good matchup and we are not ready for a Big Ten team.

I have to imagine that Arkansas State is like, "Northern Illinois?! "

Funny that we have played in five bowl games since 2004, and never once have we played in the MAC's two primary bowls in Detroit and Mobile.

(11-29-2011 07:14 AM)psc2009 Wrote:  Looking over everything, it seems that NIU, Ohio and Toledo will get the MAC's three tie-ins. Temple and Western Michigan should then have no problems getting a bowl game. But, Unless a few more pieces fall, it's hard to see Ball State getting a game at 6-6.

This whole article assumes that NIU wins on Friday. If the Huskies lose, then Ohio would probably go to the GoDaddy and NIU likely ends up in Detroit.

http://themacdaily.com/index.php?news&nid=786

There are two scenarios of Ball St getting a bowl invite...

Hawaii must be defeated by BYU. (opening up the Kraft bowl Army/ACC/WAC slot to the MAC)
&
The SEC must get at least 2 BCS slots (opening up the BBVA SEC slot to the MAC)
&
P12 gets 2 BCS slots or UCLA does not go to a bowl (opening up the NM bowl to the MAC)
&
The NM bowl must not have language in the MAC secondary agreement where they can pass up a 6-6 MAC team for an at-large team.

OR
Hawaii must be defeated by BYU. (opening up the Kraft bowl Army/ACC/WAC slot to the MAC)
&
IF the SEC gets 3 BCS slots & USF/UCONN both lose. This would opening up the BOB St Pete bowl because the BE will send their rep to the bigger money of the Liberty bowl since the SEC will not have a team.
&
The BOB bowl must not have language in the MAC secondary agreement where they can pass up a 6-6 MAC team for an at-large team.

Good matchup? Probably. Good game for the #1 team in the conference (potentially)? No. No offense to Arkansas State. I'm sure they are a great team, but I would rather us play a bottom feeder B1G, PAC-12, MWC, SEC, Big East, Big 12, Conference USA, etc. than any Sunbelt team. There is just no prestige to it at all. I would hate to come all this way and not get a big conference matchup. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure those big conference teams are saying the same about us, but they are in the bottom half of their conferences, so beggers can't be choosers. If Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, UCLA, Utah State, and San Diego State are the other potential opponents, I see no reason why the best team in the MAC should be forced to settle on a Sun Belt team while the #2-4 teams get matchups against the big schools. Just sayin... Nobody is going to watch a game against Arkansas State other than NIU fans and Arkansas State fans. Another point...could we get our butts whooped? Absolutely. But, a loss against an Arkansas State team looks much worse in the eyes of the world than a loss to a BCS school. And on the contrary, a win against a BCS school looks better in the eyes of the world than a win against Arkansas State. Am I the only one that feels this way?

(11-29-2011 10:26 AM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  The MAC and the Pizza Bowl will do anything they can from going to that bowl game unfortunately even though a matchup with Northwestern or U of I would be intriguing. It was a sin they passed over us last year. They may as well just rename it the Toledo Bowl because anytime they have a decent team they get to go there even thought we beat them on their home turf. Just ridiculous.

We need to complain to the conference commissioner or just find a new conference affiliation.

My ideal bowls would be:

Pizza - NIU vs. Illinois
GoDaddy - Ohio vs Arkansas St.
Potato - Toledo vs. Utah st.

This would give the teams the opportunity to go to a different bowl game they didn't last year and would enhance the student athlete experience.

To have to make the trip to Detroit twice within a few weeks is not the ideal situation. You got the best opponent Bowl matchup last season just like when you played TCU. I personally would rather play a better opponent with a national rep in any Bowl.

I am not hung up on what defines prestige and a bowl opponent.

I frankly find little or no prestige attached to playing a 6-6 Illini team in (back to back games in Detroit )again minus its head coach...and the possibility of playing poorly there again and losing which is the bowl and location likely for the MACC game loser.

After all the wheeling and dealing is done sat nite/sun am among committees and conferences we will learn our fate. How much of a say the MAC or NIU has to shape our options is not clearly known nor easily understood despite whatever complex contracts are in place.

I am mosly interested in a pleasant destination vrs a like opponent, playing a good game and winning - little matter what may the prestige perception. What we and all other teams do in their bowl games will highly determine our final ranking.

After winning the MACC...

NIU losing to a 6-6 coach-less Illinois team would be worse than the benefit would be from defeating them this year. Especially since this game is on a non holiday weekday and will have a low number of TV viewers outside of MAC and Illinois fans.

NIU losing to a 9-3 Arkansas St SB champion team would be of little consequence other than to our Southern recruiting. However NIU playing in Alabama would help spread our name and brand recognition in the South. This is on Sunday night 7pm and is football prime time with no other college or NFL games on at that time.

(11-29-2011 12:19 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  After winning the MACC...

NIU losing to a 6-6 coach-less Illinois team would be worse than the benefit would be from defeating them this year. Especially since this game is on a non holiday weekday and will have a low number of TV viewers outside of MAC and Illinois fans.

NIU losing to a 9-3 Arkansas St SB champion team would be of little consequence other than to our Southern recruiting. However NIU playing in Alabama would help spread our name and brand recognition in the South. This is on Sunday night 7pm and is football prime time with no other college or NFL games on at that time.

Are there contact emails on the godaddy.com website. If so, should we start a write-in campaign to please not select NIU!? That is just so unfortunate the conference's best team could be playing in a bowl game that noone from Illinois can go to, against a team that will not excite anyone. I do understand though that Arkansas State is a better team than any Big 10 team NIU would play in Detroit.

(11-29-2011 12:24 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(11-29-2011 12:19 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  After winning the MACC...

NIU losing to a 6-6 coach-less Illinois team would be worse than the benefit would be from defeating them this year. Especially since this game is on a non holiday weekday and will have a low number of TV viewers outside of MAC and Illinois fans.

NIU losing to a 9-3 Arkansas St SB champion team would be of little consequence other than to our Southern recruiting. However NIU playing in Alabama would help spread our name and brand recognition in the South. This is on Sunday night 7pm and is football prime time with no other college or NFL games on at that time.

Are there contact emails on the godaddy.com website. If so, should we start a write-in campaign to please not select NIU!? That is just so unfortunate the conference's best team could be playing in a bowl game that noone from Illinois can go to, against a team that will not excite anyone. I do understand though that Arkansas State is a better team than any Big 10 team NIU would play in Detroit.

I for one live in Illinois and would attend the game in Mobile.

Secondly not so sure ASU is better than Purdue or NU or Illinois which beat ASU.

(11-29-2011 12:24 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(11-29-2011 12:19 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  After winning the MACC...

NIU losing to a 6-6 coach-less Illinois team would be worse than the benefit would be from defeating them this year. Especially since this game is on a non holiday weekday and will have a low number of TV viewers outside of MAC and Illinois fans.

NIU losing to a 9-3 Arkansas St SB champion team would be of little consequence other than to our Southern recruiting. However NIU playing in Alabama would help spread our name and brand recognition in the South. This is on Sunday night 7pm and is football prime time with no other college or NFL games on at that time.

Are there contact emails on the godaddy.com website. If so, should we start a write-in campaign to please not select NIU!? That is just so unfortunate the conference's best team could be playing in a bowl game that noone from Illinois can go to, against a team that will not excite anyone. I do understand though that Arkansas State is a better team than any Big 10 team NIU would play in Detroit.

The best bowl a MAC team could play in is the BBVA bowl.
-Biggest payout for any MAC tie in game.
-Vs an AQ team (Big East)
-Game is on Saturday & is the only college football game on that day (NFL wild card playoff game at the same time)
-Game is in Alabama for Southern recruiting and exposure.

(11-29-2011 12:44 PM)niucyberdawg Wrote:  

(11-29-2011 12:24 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(11-29-2011 12:19 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  After winning the MACC...

NIU losing to a 6-6 coach-less Illinois team would be worse than the benefit would be from defeating them this year. Especially since this game is on a non holiday weekday and will have a low number of TV viewers outside of MAC and Illinois fans.

NIU losing to a 9-3 Arkansas St SB champion team would be of little consequence other than to our Southern recruiting. However NIU playing in Alabama would help spread our name and brand recognition in the South. This is on Sunday night 7pm and is football prime time with no other college or NFL games on at that time.

Are there contact emails on the godaddy.com website. If so, should we start a write-in campaign to please not select NIU!? That is just so unfortunate the conference's best team could be playing in a bowl game that noone from Illinois can go to, against a team that will not excite anyone. I do understand though that Arkansas State is a better team than any Big 10 team NIU would play in Detroit.

I for one live in Illinois and would attend the game in Mobile.

Secondly not so sure ASU is better than Purdue or NU or Illinois which beat ASU.

At this point in time Arkansas State would easily handle half the Big 10.

(11-29-2011 01:09 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(11-29-2011 12:44 PM)niucyberdawg Wrote:  

(11-29-2011 12:24 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(11-29-2011 12:19 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  After winning the MACC...

NIU losing to a 6-6 coach-less Illinois team would be worse than the benefit would be from defeating them this year. Especially since this game is on a non holiday weekday and will have a low number of TV viewers outside of MAC and Illinois fans.

NIU losing to a 9-3 Arkansas St SB champion team would be of little consequence other than to our Southern recruiting. However NIU playing in Alabama would help spread our name and brand recognition in the South. This is on Sunday night 7pm and is football prime time with no other college or NFL games on at that time.

Are there contact emails on the godaddy.com website. If so, should we start a write-in campaign to please not select NIU!? That is just so unfortunate the conference's best team could be playing in a bowl game that noone from Illinois can go to, against a team that will not excite anyone. I do understand though that Arkansas State is a better team than any Big 10 team NIU would play in Detroit.

I for one live in Illinois and would attend the game in Mobile.

Secondly not so sure ASU is better than Purdue or NU or Illinois which beat ASU.

At this point in time Arkansas State would easily handle half the Big 10.

Results from many MAC and games played in other conferences proves nothing is handled easy.

Just ask Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Oregon and others.
NIU is fortunate to have escaped buffalo, ball state and emu --three teams NIU was highly favored to beat.

Doeren and team have a motto about nothing comes easy and doing things the hard way..