Erstwhile MCB opponent Minnesota handled SEC West Champs (BIG ASTERISK) Arkansas easily this afternoon in the other MCB.

Can the Gophers do it? Ya, you betcha!

(And a tip of the Miami cap to former Miami AD Joel Maturi, who must have enjoyed today's game.)

<a href='http://www.startribune.com/stories/512/3563110.html' target='_blank'>http://www.startribune.com/stories/512/3563110.html</a>

And, of interest to Huskie fans, Wake is up 14-3 on Oregon.

Ha!

Local scribe Dan Barrierro was not impressed by the Gophers' post-season destination:

Quote:(T)he college football bowl season has become one big, mediocre blur. It's the NIT in cleats, and even that meaningless basketball tournament at least works toward the goal of naming a "champion."

<a href='http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/3561939.html' target='_blank'>http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/3561939.html</a>

Whatever.

It's easy to be cranky. He just doesn't want to write about the lesser bowls -- because, frankly, it isn't as easy writing about a lesser bowl as it is a national championship game (mythical or otherwise.)

So that's why he's cranky.

Obviously, a ton of fans think it's ludicrious that college football can't figure out a way to have a playoff system.

All the excuses -- except for the one about how "A Lot Of Very Important Powerful People Like Everything Just The Way It Is" -- are bullpucky, and fans are smart enough to see through them.

But most of those same fans are not at all irritated with bowl creep. They watch a bowl if they care about one of the teams. If they don't care, they don't watch.

But they don't cry about lame bowls -- which is why that column isn't going to ring true with a whole lot of people.

I give him credit for calling out the Gophers in a Twin Cities newspaper. He hates lame bowls. He's sticking to his guns on that.

But, sheesh, the game was certainly fun for Gopher and Hog fans -- and if it was fun for them, who is this writer -- really -- to try to convince them it wasn't fun?

Spoilsport.

I think the games are a hell of a lot of fun. Watching Wake wax Oregon -- I'm into that.

I don't really want a playoff. I just want the MAC to get the bowl games it deserves. Five years ago, that would have been two bowl games. Now, I guess fairness means three.

That's bowl creep -- but whatever. The bowls are fun.



<!--EDIT|RochesterFalcon|Dec 30 2002, 07:09 PM-->

Wisconsin and Wake Forest- 2 NIU opponents win bowls.

Minnesoata and Pitt- 2 UT opponents win bowls.

Maybe the MAC was playing reasonably well.

Toledo lost 5 games this year. 4 of those teams played in and one a Bowl game:

Marshall
Pittsburgh
Minnesota
Boston College

Miami was the only one that did not. That makes me feel a lot better about our 9-5 season.

"Those who love sausage and the law should never watch either being made." --- Otto von Bismarck :D

DrTorch Wrote:Wisconsin and Wake Forest- 2 NIU opponents win bowls.

Minnesoata and Pitt- 2 UT opponents win bowls.

Maybe the MAC was playing reasonably well.

And more frightening, one of our home OOC opponents next year, Maryland, absolutely destroyed Tennessee in the Peach Bowl. Not that I'm against the destruction of the Vols, but UM will be a top 10 team coming in next year after losing only 10 seniors. Yikes! :eek:

rocketfootball Wrote:Toledo lost 5 games this year. 4 of those teams played in and one a Bowl game:

Marshall
Pittsburgh
Minnesota
Boston College

Miami was the only one that did not. That makes me feel a lot better about our 9-5 season.

Well, if we are going to compare losses--the great MAC tradition which seems to be far more prevalent than comparing wins--we lost to OHIO STATE--THE HIGHEST RANKED OPPONENT ANYONE IN THE MAC LOST TO!
So we should feel a lot better about our season, too.

:D

axeme Wrote:Well, if we are going to compare losses--the great MAC tradition which seems to be far more prevalent than comparing wins--we lost to OHIO STATE--THE HIGHEST RANKED OPPONENT ANYONE IN THE MAC LOST TO!
So we should feel a lot better about our season, too.

:D

That would be true if that was your only loss, but we know that isn't quite the case.

axeme Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:Toledo lost 5 games this year. &nbsp;4 of those teams played in and one a Bowl game:

Marshall
Pittsburgh
Minnesota
Boston College

Miami was the only one that did not. &nbsp;That makes me feel a lot better about our 9-5 season.

Well, if we are going to compare losses--the great MAC tradition which seems to be far more prevalent than comparing wins--we lost to OHIO STATE--THE HIGHEST RANKED OPPONENT ANYONE IN THE MAC LOST TO!
So we should feel a lot better about our season, too.

:D

Well, just think how good we will feel when BG beats Ohio State and Purdue next yr!