Staudt on Sunday
Local bowl would lead to festive evening

Tim Staudt
Staudt on Sunday


"If Michigan State indeed plays in the Motor City Bowl many more fans will buy tickets and head to Detroit on Dec. 26 who would otherwise be unable to attend a bowl elsewhere in the country. If the opponent ends up being Central Michigan, why do I get the feeling the Spartans might score every single time they get the ball? Central's defense is beyond porous. If the matchup ends up being MSU/CMU, I make Michigan State a 25-point favorite, but it would still be a festive evening in Ford Field.

Open up the MCB

Motor City Bowl recommendation: In the next contract, make it a Big Ten team vs. an at-large team. Then the matchup could lure any bowl-eligible team from around the country, including the Mid-American Conference. But the MAC has no standout teams this season and being locked into a MAC/Big Ten matchup could provide for a one-sided game.

Are midweek games worth it?

And does the MAC really benefit from all the mid-week ESPN games in November? It's one thing to have television exposure, but how many are really watching and does it really lure recruits to see high school-sized crowds at these games because of the cold weather and mid-week playing times? And does it cheat the loyal fans and students of MAC schools who might far better enjoy Saturday afternoon games like other schools play?"

Can't say I disagree.

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"Motor City Bowl recommendation: In the next contract, make it a Big Ten team vs. an at-large team. Then the matchup could lure any bowl-eligible team from around the country, including the Mid-American Conference. But the MAC has no standout teams this season and being locked into a MAC/Big Ten matchup could provide for a one-sided game."

The MCB is the 7th bowl for the Big 10...outside of this year a Big 10 7th team against the MAC best is far from a one-sided game. I have my doubts that MSU against one of the other top MAC teams with a better defense than ours is really a one-sided game. I think BSU could give MSU all they want...

BG held their own against the Spartans. Ringer worries me a bit, however Feve and the O would keep us in the game.

How many Big Ten teams have gone to the MCB? I can only think of Northwestern. Maybe they should concentrate on actually qualifying a team for the MCB on a regular basis first.

We had this discussion on CI, and Staudt is a Sparty splurping idiot.

His logic is: The Big 10 has only placed 1 team (Norhtwestern) in the MCB, and the Big 10 team lost, therefore the MAC should lose the Bowl tie-in because of lopsideness towards the Big 10. It's pretty hard to make an agrument based on something that never happened.

The MAC has a winning record in the MCB and most of it's losses are competitive. It is one of the best attended of the low payout bowls. Therefore, the MAC should forfit the MCB because of the Big 10 dominating it by losing the one time they appeared.

Date Winning Team Losing Team
December 26, 1997 Mississippi 34 Marshall 31
December 23, 1998 Marshall 48 Louisville 29
December 27, 1999 Marshall 21 BYU 3
December 27, 2000 Marshall 25 Cincinnati 14
December 29, 2001 Toledo 23 Cincinnati 16
December 26, 2002 Boston College 51 Toledo 25
December 26, 2003 Bowling Green 28 Northwestern 24
December 27, 2004 Connecticut 39 Toledo 10
December 26, 2005 Memphis 38 Akron 31
December 26, 2006 Central Michigan 31 Middle Tennessee 14

Staudt's comments underscore the myopic bias of most of the press in Michigan. Let me see if I understand correctly. For the second time in the history of the MCB, a Big Ten team is eligible. Therefore they now are too good to play in it? Especially because that team might be Michigan State? And, this year anyway, the MAC representive isn't perceived to be able to hang with them? If you don't want to play, either DO BETTER in your conference or STAY HOME!!!

Nevermind the bowl was CREATED for the MAC and has been a success and has grown in spite of the Big Ten. I say JETTISON the Big Tweleven in favor of an at-large team. That's basically what it's been anyway.

Remember the CAKE in Animal House? It's for you, Staudt!

Bring on MSU! They'll fold up like a cheap tent sometime in the 2nd quarter!