(12-04-2016 09:32 PM)axeme Wrote:  According to Darren Rovell, the resale value of $125 Cotton Bowl tickets has already dipped under $10 on the secondary market.

Both teams are regionally far away so that's to be expected... Especially because one of the regionally far team plays in the MAC and has a tiny fanbase for NY6 standards (not a dig on WMU).

The game will still draw well. Wisky has a huge fan base.

Great game for WMU and the MAC. Playing in the Jerry jones wet dream football palace in Arlington. Chicago or Detroit to Dallas is an easy flight. Wisconsin is a big name opponent who will travel well but isn't as dominant as some NY6 opponents could be. I think the indoor type conditions will help WMU. Wisconsin is the bigger rougher team and taking bad weather out the mix and putting the WMU receivers on that turf can only help. I'd say the keys will be

1) WMU offensive execution against a strong defense. If WMU is sharp they will move the ball and put up points, not as easily as the MAC but WMU has legit offensive talent and line play. They won't get away with sloppiness against Wisconsin, but they have been very precise this season.

2) Can WMU contain the badgers run game. Wisconsin has a strong line and good backs. WMU has been kinda bend but don;t break and get turnovers. The badgers will get yards on the ground but if they don't go nuts WMU should be OK as their pass d is pretty good and wisconsin is not a great passing team.

3) Momentum. Can WMU bring enough fans and convert the impartial observers. Wisconsin should travel well but maybe not great with the disappointment of the Big10 champ loss and not going to the Rose Bowl and ending up playing a MAC team. If WMU plays well and is in the game you might get the NCAA tourney effect where the crowd shifts to the underdog and the favorite plays tighter.

The G5 New year's bowl teams are 2-0 vs the G5. WM should not be intimidated at all. Wisconsin is the best team they will face this year, maybe a TD better than Northwestern. Play your game and take it to them. Western should not be the favorite, but they are a very lively underdog. Bowl games offer up all kinds of surprises every year.

(12-04-2016 10:40 PM)DICK Wrote:  The G5 New year's bowl teams are 2-0 vs the G5. WM should not be intimidated at all. Wisconsin is the best team they will face this year, maybe a TD better than Northwestern. Play your game and take it to them. Western should not be the favorite, but they are a very lively underdog. Bowl games offer up all kinds of surprises every year.

Well fellas it's gut check time. UCF,Boise, and Houston were basically p5 teams making g5 money. WMU is just a good g5 team on a Cinderella run. Please don't get blown out because a 2nd blow out could tarnish the mac beyond repair. Good luck and stay healthy :cheers:

Well, we'd need to include the BCS games though, too. So we'd have to include Hawaii & NIU losing. But yes, the G5s do win those games, mainly out of more hunger + them being Legit teams. But losing doesn't mean you're not legit (although Hawaii's blowout from start to finish kind of indicated it wasn't so much; although they did Earn it).

WMU just needs to treat this like any other team. They'll have plenty of time to prepare. Problem is, WMU won't be able to consistently stop Wisconsin's run. Maybe early on WMU may force some punts, but as the game goes on, look out. Wisc will adjust and get something going there.

WMU will for once have to play Behind -- as in by 2 possessions or more against a Worthy Opponent, or by 1 possession late in the game. I'm referring to the former rather than the latter on this one. Turnovers can win WMU this game, but it will require them to either bring their A-game thru and thru, or a decent/solid game with Wisconsin making too many mistakes on their own (not just turnovers).

western is good at ball control. if they have long drives, even if they only mean field goals, they can limit the wear and tear of wisconsin's power running game. if they mix up some blitzes and make themselves some breaks they can get enough stops or turnovers. it is not an impossible task. wisconsin is good enough to blow you out. it could happen, but if they don't go on a run and western's offense gives it's defense enough rest it will be interesting. western is a very good team. they play tight team football and will likely stay close or take a lead at some point. western also has a few game breaker types who can make individual plays and I think Davis will surprise the badgers on the field.

Does PJ Fleck leave Western Michigan before or after the Cotton Bowl?

(12-05-2016 01:04 PM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  Does PJ Fleck leave Western Michigan before or after the Cotton Bowl?

Yes.

I'm sure the Big 10 teams are complaining bitterly about their matchups playing directional schools. Wisc. has directional Michigan; Penn St. has directional California.

(12-05-2016 01:04 PM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  Does PJ Fleck leave Western Michigan before or after the Cotton Bowl?

Better question does he return his booster provided vehicle back to the dealership on his way out or does he just leave it abandoned at the airport?

http://larrybrownsports.com/college-foot...man/336644

It's a give and take, I suppose.

Him staying through the MACC and then the Cotton Bowl will keep current players' spirits up. But then you're cutting deep into the recruiting clock if we're looking for a coach in mid-January.

(12-04-2016 09:32 PM)axeme Wrote:  According to Darren Rovell, the resale value of $125 Cotton Bowl tickets has already dipped under $10 on the secondary market.

The more the media makes of this, the more they'll create a loophole to pull the G5 Access bid from under us in future years.

Those bowls should've known they weren't always going to get a local team, or a Navy or Boise. Sometimes they'll get a de facto "P5-ish" brand name to make the organizers happy, but sometimes they'll get an Old Dominion in the Fiesta Bowl. It is what it is.

The Detroit Bowl got two P5 teams and unless they give tons of tickets away they'll be lucky to get 20k in attendance. Will they beg the MAC to come back as a tie-in?

Quote:I'm sure the Big 10 teams are complaining bitterly about their matchups playing directional schools. Wisc. has directional Michigan; Penn St. has directional California.

Both opened at 7.5pt spread. One in favor of the B1G team (Wisc) and one against (PSU).

Quote:The more the media makes of this, the more they'll create a loophole to pull the G5 Access bid from under us in future years.

But, if they sell Well -- and I'm probably thinking too optimistically -- that'll help make up for it some? If I'm head of it all -- I'd rather see a packed crowd to a NY6 bowl with a G5 playing, than a sparse crowd due to high ticket $$ that was Never lowered. I know I'm going to want last-minute tickets. :)

Quote:The Detroit Bowl got two P5 teams and unless they give tons of tickets away they'll be lucky to get 20k in attendance. Will they beg the MAC to come back as a tie-in?

I think they should. For a WMU, CMU, EMU, BGSU, and Toledo -- they're going to get a nice crowd. I think it should be one of those bowls where They get to choose. So that way they could have chosen Toledo, EMU, or even CMU to fill the stands better over one of the teams (namely ACC). It'd be better than just a "If one of the conferences is short on teams, we'll pick one from the MAC." The bowl will get more people in the seats than many ACC/B1G matchups, with a handful of MAC teams to make it a MAC/B1G matchup.

Detroit really messed up dropping the MAC for the ACC

(12-05-2016 02:04 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

(12-04-2016 09:32 PM)axeme Wrote:  According to Darren Rovell, the resale value of $125 Cotton Bowl tickets has already dipped under $10 on the secondary market.

The more the media makes of this, the more they'll create a loophole to pull the G5 Access bid from under us in future years.

Those bowls should've known they weren't always going to get a local team, or a Navy or Boise. Sometimes they'll get a de facto "P5-ish" brand name to make the organizers happy, but sometimes they'll get an Old Dominion in the Fiesta Bowl. It is what it is.

This is part of what I meant about tarnishing the mac brand for future access bowl bids, and whatever you do, don't get blown out and ruin the ratings also. Good luck WMU

(12-05-2016 03:25 PM)Tigersmoke3 Wrote:  

(12-05-2016 02:04 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

(12-04-2016 09:32 PM)axeme Wrote:  According to Darren Rovell, the resale value of $125 Cotton Bowl tickets has already dipped under $10 on the secondary market.

The more the media makes of this, the more they'll create a loophole to pull the G5 Access bid from under us in future years.

Those bowls should've known they weren't always going to get a local team, or a Navy or Boise. Sometimes they'll get a de facto "P5-ish" brand name to make the organizers happy, but sometimes they'll get an Old Dominion in the Fiesta Bowl. It is what it is.

This is part of what I meant about tarnishing the mac brand for future access bowl bids, and whatever you do, don't get blown out and ruin the ratings also. Good luck WMU

Let's just look at last year's New Year's Six games excluding last years Access Bowl (Houston vs Florida State in the Peach Bowl).

Orange Bowl
Clemson 37*
Oklahoma 17

20-point margin
*OU was up 17-16 at half time, but Clemson responded with 21 unanswered points in the 2nd half

Cotton Bowl
Alabama 38
Michigan State 0

38-point margin

Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State 44*
Notre Dame 28

16-point margin
*OSU was up by two scores at half, never looked back

Sugar Bowl
Ole Miss 48*
Oklahoma State 20

28-point margin
*Ole Miss was up 34-6 at half

Rose Bowl
Stanford 45*
Iowa 16

29-point margin
*Stanford up 35-0 at half

Looking exclusively at the 5 New Years Six games featuring only P5 schools, we end up with an average margin of victory of 24.2 points. P5 schools get blown out in marquee bowl games, too! Heck, even NIU's 31-10 Orange Bowl loss in 2013 still falls shy of this.

I'm not alluding that Western Michigan will get blown out by Wisconsin. I'm just saying even if the Broncos lose by three touchdowns, they'll be in good company.

Why is the onus on the G5 to produce a competitive Access Bowl contender, when most the P5 match ups end up being less than entertaining?

(12-05-2016 02:56 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:The Detroit Bowl got two P5 teams and unless they give tons of tickets away they'll be lucky to get 20k in attendance. Will they beg the MAC to come back as a tie-in?

I think they should. For a WMU, CMU, EMU, BGSU, and Toledo -- they're going to get a nice crowd. I think it should be one of those bowls where They get to choose. So that way they could have chosen Toledo, EMU, or even CMU to fill the stands better over one of the teams (namely ACC). It'd be better than just a "If one of the conferences is short on teams, we'll pick one from the MAC." The bowl will get more people in the seats than many ACC/B1G matchups, with a handful of MAC teams to make it a MAC/B1G matchup.

Have to admit, its awfully nice to be able to attend a bowl game that's less than an hour or two drive away for a lot of MAC Alumni. The bowl at Ford Field should always have a MAC tie in each year.

It just makes too much sense so they will probably never end up doing it again.

(12-05-2016 04:06 PM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  

(12-05-2016 03:25 PM)Tigersmoke3 Wrote:  

(12-05-2016 02:04 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

(12-04-2016 09:32 PM)axeme Wrote:  According to Darren Rovell, the resale value of $125 Cotton Bowl tickets has already dipped under $10 on the secondary market.

The more the media makes of this, the more they'll create a loophole to pull the G5 Access bid from under us in future years.

Those bowls should've known they weren't always going to get a local team, or a Navy or Boise. Sometimes they'll get a de facto "P5-ish" brand name to make the organizers happy, but sometimes they'll get an Old Dominion in the Fiesta Bowl. It is what it is.

This is part of what I meant about tarnishing the mac brand for future access bowl bids, and whatever you do, don't get blown out and ruin the ratings also. Good luck WMU

Let's just look at last year's New Year's Six games excluding last years Access Bowl (Houston vs Florida State in the Peach Bowl).

Orange Bowl
Clemson 37*
Oklahoma 17

20-point margin
*OU was up 17-16 at half time, but Clemson responded with 21 unanswered points in the 2nd half

Cotton Bowl
Alabama 38
Michigan State 0

38-point margin

Fiesta Bowl
Ohio State 44*
Notre Dame 28

16-point margin
*OSU was up by two scores at half, never looked back

Sugar Bowl
Ole Miss 48*
Oklahoma State 20

28-point margin
*Ole Miss was up 34-6 at half

Rose Bowl
Stanford 45*
Iowa 16

29-point margin
*Stanford up 35-0 at half

Looking exclusively at the 5 New Years Six games featuring only P5 schools, we end up with an average margin of victory of 24.2 points. P5 schools get blown out in marquee bowl games, too! Heck, even NIU's 31-10 Orange Bowl loss in 2013 still falls shy of this.

I'm not alluding that Western Michigan will get blown out by Wisconsin. I'm just saying even if the Broncos lose by three touchdowns, they'll be in good company.

Why is the onus on the G5 to produce a competitive Access Bowl contender, when most the P5 match ups end up being less than entertaining?

Nice post.

(12-05-2016 04:06 PM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  The more the media makes of this, the more they'll create a loophole to pull the G5

Let's just look at last year's New Year's Six games excluding last years Access Bowl

Looking exclusively at the 5 New Years Six games featuring only P5 schools, we end up with an average margin of victory of 24.2 points. P5 schools get blown out in marquee bowl games, too! Heck, even NIU's 31-10 Orange Bowl loss in 2013 still falls shy of this.

I'm not alluding that Western Michigan will get blown out by Wisconsin. I'm just saying even if the Broncos lose by three touchdowns, they'll be in good company.

Why is the onus on the G5 to produce a competitive Access Bowl contender, when most the P5 match ups end up being less than entertaining?

Because of the Golden Rule. The P5 has the gold. They make the rules.