Four games are nice but... MAC could go 1 - 3.

1). MCB - vs. probably MTSU - winnable game

2). Poinsettia - very tough match up

3). GMAC - tough match up

4). International - very tough match up.

but to paraphrase, "it is better to have played and lost then to never have played at all."

I don't know.

I would think CMU would be a double digit favorite over MTSU.

I would think TCU would be a double digit favorite over NIU.

I think the other games would be close to pick 'ems the way it looks right now.

I think 3-1 would be an optimistic, yet realistic expectation.

If Pitt goes to the International Bowl, WMU will have their hands full. They wiped the field with UT's jock. Sure, we weren't as good this year, but they literally buried us. Perhaps it was a little payback for beating them in 2003 though, because I remember them throwing the ball and running reverses on us in the 4th quarter with a 30 point lead.

rocketfootball Wrote:If Pitt goes to the International Bowl, WMU will have their hands full. They wiped the field with UT's jock. Sure, we weren't as good this year, but they literally buried us. Perhaps it was a little payback for beating them in 2003 though, because I remember them throwing the ball and running reverses on us in the 4th quarter with a 30 point lead.

Pitt is not going bowling this year.

It will likely be Cincinnati that WMU will play. I like their chances in that game, especially against a lame duck coach.

I believe former Miami Def Coordinator (and now UC's Def Co) Pat Narduzzi will coach the Bearcats in their bowl game. Normally I would also like WMU's chances, but UC has been playing well of as late.

rocketfootball Wrote:I remember them throwing the ball and running reverses on us in the 4th quarter with a 30 point lead.

You mean Coach Wannie was running up the score on you???? Maybe he was taking out the previous year's loss to Ohio out on you guys. We are all big fans of Wannie up here ;-)

niubrad00 Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:If Pitt goes to the International Bowl, WMU will have their hands full. They wiped the field with UT's jock. Sure, we weren't as good this year, but they literally buried us. Perhaps it was a little payback for beating them in 2003 though, because I remember them throwing the ball and running reverses on us in the 4th quarter with a 30 point lead.

Pitt is not going bowling this year.

It will likely be Cincinnati that WMU will play. I like their chances in that game, especially against a lame duck coach.

Pitt is 6-6 and eligible if there is a tie-in.

That said, I thought this was what they have:

BCS Bowl - Rutgers/Louisville (Rutgers gets it if they beat WVU)
BCS Bowl - Notre Dame
Gator/Sun Bowl - BE #2
Car Care Bowl - BE #3
Texas Bowl - BE #4
Papa John's Bowl (Birmingham Bowl) - BE #5
International Bowl - BE #6

Pitt is the sixth bowl eligible team from the BE, assuming that Notre Dame gets a BCS bid. They are 10-2 and ranked 10th in the BCS Standings and I believe with their contract with the BCS that gets them into a BCS bowl game.......they need to be ranked in the Top 14 in the BCS Standings to get a BCS invite. So Pitt should be available for either the Papa John's Bowl or the International Bowl. There has been some confusion on which bowl gets to pick first though.

rocketfootball Wrote:

niubrad00 Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:If Pitt goes to the International Bowl, WMU will have their hands full. They wiped the field with UT's jock. Sure, we weren't as good this year, but they literally buried us. Perhaps it was a little payback for beating them in 2003 though, because I remember them throwing the ball and running reverses on us in the 4th quarter with a 30 point lead.

Pitt is not going bowling this year.

It will likely be Cincinnati that WMU will play. I like their chances in that game, especially against a lame duck coach.

Pitt is 6-6 and eligible if there is a tie-in.

That said, I thought this was what they have:

BCS Bowl - Rutgers/Louisville (Rutgers gets it if they beat WVU)
BCS Bowl - Notre Dame
Gator/Sun Bowl - BE #2
Car Care Bowl - BE #3
Texas Bowl - BE #4
Papa John's Bowl (Birmingham Bowl) - BE #5
International Bowl - BE #6

Pitt is the sixth bowl eligible team from the BE, assuming that Notre Dame gets a BCS bid. They are 10-2 and ranked 10th in the BCS Standings and I believe with their contract with the BCS that gets them into a BCS bowl game.......they need to be ranked in the Top 14 in the BCS Standings to get a BCS invite. So Pitt should be available for either the Papa John's Bowl or the International Bowl. There has been some confusion on which bowl gets to pick first though.

Navy is going to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in place of a Big East team. They have 5 bowl spots because of that, unless of course they get 2 BCS teams, which no one expects.

There can be 2 BE BCS teams plus Notre Dame, but it won't happen.

exCincy Kid1 Wrote:I believe former Miami Def Coordinator (and now UC's Def Co) Pat Narduzzi will coach the Bearcats in their bowl game. Normally I would also like WMU's chances, but UC has been playing well of as late.

Narduzzi is from the NIU cradle of Novak coaches, after getting his start as a LB coach under coach Novak, when he worked for now WMU DC Scott Schafer.

niubrad00 Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:

niubrad00 Wrote:

rocketfootball Wrote:If Pitt goes to the International Bowl, WMU will have their hands full. They wiped the field with UT's jock. Sure, we weren't as good this year, but they literally buried us. Perhaps it was a little payback for beating them in 2003 though, because I remember them throwing the ball and running reverses on us in the 4th quarter with a 30 point lead.

Pitt is not going bowling this year.

It will likely be Cincinnati that WMU will play. I like their chances in that game, especially against a lame duck coach.

Pitt is 6-6 and eligible if there is a tie-in.

That said, I thought this was what they have:

BCS Bowl - Rutgers/Louisville (Rutgers gets it if they beat WVU)
BCS Bowl - Notre Dame
Gator/Sun Bowl - BE #2
Car Care Bowl - BE #3
Texas Bowl - BE #4
Papa John's Bowl (Birmingham Bowl) - BE #5
International Bowl - BE #6

Pitt is the sixth bowl eligible team from the BE, assuming that Notre Dame gets a BCS bid. They are 10-2 and ranked 10th in the BCS Standings and I believe with their contract with the BCS that gets them into a BCS bowl game.......they need to be ranked in the Top 14 in the BCS Standings to get a BCS invite. So Pitt should be available for either the Papa John's Bowl or the International Bowl. There has been some confusion on which bowl gets to pick first though.

Navy is going to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in place of a Big East team. They have 5 bowl spots because of that, unless of course they get 2 BCS teams, which no one expects.

There can be 2 BE BCS teams plus Notre Dame, but it won't happen.

Ahh, the Navy thing is what I was missing here. Thanks!

Right now, it looks like S. Florida or Cincinnati will be WMU's opponent in the International Bowl. Tough matchup either way.

TCU will be a tough opponent for NIU. I've seen them several times this year.

I'm going to be optomistic and say the MAC can go 2-2, which would be an accomplishment, as at least two of our teams will be underdogs.

Likely Spreads Using Sagarin

Southern Miss 6 pts over Ohio (Including 3pts for being almost a home game for So Miss)

or Houston 4.5 pts over Ohio

CMU 6 pts over MTSU (3pts added for CMU almost having a home game)

Cincy/USF 6.5 pts over WMU

TCU 13 pts over NIU

Bobcat110 Wrote:Likely Spreads Using Sagarin

Southern Miss 6 pts over Ohio (Including 3pts for being almost a home game for So Miss)

or Houston 4.5 pts over Ohio

CMU 6 pts over MTSU (3pts added for CMU almost having a home game)

Cincy/USF 6.5 pts over WMU

TCU 13 pts over NIU

Didn't USF beat West Virginia and Pitt? USF and Cincy are different categories.

Cincy beat Rutgers, finished ahead of Pitt in the conference and led OSU for most of a half. Either will be stiff challenges. But Birmingham came out last week and said they wanted USF, so you can expect Cincy if the Big East does not miraculously get two BCS teams. If that would happen, Pitt would be the opponent.

LakelandRocket Wrote:Didn't USF beat West Virginia and Pitt? USF and Cincy are different categories.

Cincy beat USF and Rutgers...

Anyway, their Sagarin ratings are basically the same:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc06.htm

Based upon the point spreads, it looks like the MAC has little to lose and much to gain this Bowl season.

Bobcat110 Wrote:Likely Spreads Using Sagarin

Southern Miss 6 pts over Ohio (Including 3pts for being almost a home game for So Miss)

CMU 6 pts over MTSU (3pts added for CMU almost having a home game)

Cincy 6.5 pts over WMU

TCU 13 pts over NIU

Other than CMU/MTSU, pretty close to actual spreads:

Southern Miss 6.5 points over Ohio

CMU 11 points over MTSU

Cincy 8.5 pts over WMU

TCU 13 points over NIU

http://wesleyvaclav.blogspot.com/2006/12...tball.html

There are some very solid matchups - I like us to go at least 2-2, possibly 3-1. I find the TCU/NIU game most entertaining - on paper.

Bobcat110 Wrote:

LakelandRocket Wrote:Didn't USF beat West Virginia and Pitt? USF and Cincy are different categories.

Cincy beat USF and Rutgers...

Anyway, their Sagarin ratings are basically the same:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc06.htm

Beat both badly, by the way. Last-minute, prevent defense TDs allowed for each, or else the finals would have been 23-0 and 30-3.

George Kaplan Wrote:

Bobcat110 Wrote:

LakelandRocket Wrote:Didn't USF beat West Virginia and Pitt? USF and Cincy are different categories.

Cincy beat USF and Rutgers...

Anyway, their Sagarin ratings are basically the same:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbc06.htm

Beat both badly, by the way. Last-minute, prevent defense TDs allowed for each, or else the finals would have been 23-0 and 30-3.

And Akron was up on Cincy 14-0 for most of the first half and only lost 20-14. So what's your point? Any team is beatable at any given time is mine!

Western Michigan looked like a much stronger team then Cincy after watching both in person.