With zero non-conference games and a limited MAC schedule is it even possible for our champ to get the G5 New Year's bid? Like if someone ran the table and beat everyone by 3 TDs or more. I don't see anyone being that dominant this year, but it'd be a shame if one of us were as strong as WMU a few years ago but couldn't build enough of a resume based on COVID scheduling.

Don’t be shocked if the only bowl games are the playoff games this season.

(10-15-2020 04:23 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  With zero non-conference games and a limited MAC schedule is it even possible for our champ to get the G5 New Year's bid? Like if someone ran the table and beat everyone by 3 TDs or more. I don't see anyone being that dominant this year, but it'd be a shame if one of us were as strong as WMU a few years ago but couldn't build enough of a resume based on COVID scheduling.

Yeah because in college FB to make a wave in the polls you have to knock off someone big and that opportunity is not there.

The MAC hardly picks up preseason votes anymore.

It is going to be tough for MAC teams to even afford bowl games this year. Most seasons, our schools lose money on bowl games because depending on where they go they can never sell the ticket allotment they are given.

It will be interesting to see what teams are able to make that commitment.

OT, but on the topic of G5 rankings...

Am I the only the one finding it strange that Coastal Carolina is in the Top 15? In the COVID shortened season they played 1 P5 in Kansas, which is 0-7 and wouldn’t be .500 in the MAC.

I mean who knows, maybe they are that good. But #15 for an FBS newbie on a purely Sun Belt slate feels pretty generous.

Yah it's weird. So many G5 teams getting ranked this year. The start of the year I could understand, but now the Big 10 & PAC have some games in, not so much. At this rate a 7-0 MAC team is going to get ranked. Buffalo's already receiving votes.

The Big Ten and PAC are both a mess to start their seasons. You have Penn State 0-5, Michigan 1-3, Iowa 3-2. PAC hasn't played enough games but only a handful are still undefeated. Which makes it hard to rank them. Usually by now they padded their standings with OOC wins which makes the conference losses bearable. Without that they are falling hard.

(11-21-2020 08:15 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  OT, but on the topic of G5 rankings...

Am I the only the one finding it strange that Coastal Carolina is in the Top 15? In the COVID shortened season they played 1 P5 in Kansas, which is 0-7 and wouldn’t be .500 in the MAC.

I mean who knows, maybe they are that good. But #15 for an FBS newbie on a purely Sun Belt slate feels pretty generous.

Well, ULL beat the sole first place BIG12 team... And coastal beat them. StAte also beat Kansas State. Apps losses are to Marshall (also ranked) and to Coastal. I think it's pretty warranted. The SBC is good. The well coached tight knit teams are surviving covid 2020. I'd bet they have the spirit to beat almost all CFB teams right now.

Toledo Fans posted exactly what I wanted to say. Sunbelt went 3-0 vs the Big 12 ( all on the road), including Louisana's win at Iowa State, the first place Big 12 team. Coastal gave Louisiana their only loss, plus is still undefeated. It is deserved. Plus, watch them play. They also have the advantage of being 8-0 campared to Big Ten or Pac 10 teams which are 4-1 or 3-0.

I know its frustrating not to be part of the rankings crash party if you are the MAC but I'm rooting for all these teams to go undefeated because that will show the G5 is ready to support more access bowls.

Different possibilities I could see selected in the next few years:

-A second access bowl for the 2nd highest rated G5 team. That would make the G5 conference championship games more of a play-in for the access bowl. If the AAC, MWC and MAC all have 11 win teams going against 9 win teams and the AAC or MWC team with 11 were to lose that title game, MAC could back into a CFP bowl.

-A rule which guarantees Top 20 conference champs/independents a CFP bowl. This would be on the back of expanding the CFP to an NY8 (16 slots). It would ensure that so long your champ is Top 20 you couldn't get bumped by the AAC if they are sitting at Top 10 or whatever. It would also get the AAC into a CFP bowl 80% of the years.

-Give all the G5 conferences an access bowl for their champion. This I see making sense if all the bowls were sold together as part of a master TV contract. Traditional NYD bowls like the Citrus, Gator, Alamo, Holiday, Sun, Liberty ect. wanting the CFP label to avoid being pushed down further into the second tier of games.

The current setup of one CFP access bowl for 5 conferences is just too disproportionate when you consider that isn't even a playoff spot, just a major bowl.

No, not for the MAC only playing 6 games this year.

If the MAC did the opposite and not bow out early causing others to (thanks Huskies!) -- then WMU would have played Cinci + Notre Dame. Oh, then we would totally control our own destiny for the NY6, and partial control to even make the top 2 of the NY6 "playoff" bowls.

But going 7-0 (assuming no games cancelled) end of season, then beating an undefeated KSU for the MACC -- and winning in a Bowl where we'd be pitted against a high-level G5 (Marshall, anyone?), then WMU would be virtually guaranteed to be Ranked. Same would go for KSU or Buffalo.

So for the MAC, it's about getting someone Ranked (Buffalo, KSU, or WMU) -- which will require being undefeated, as there's no OOC (tough) games haven been played by anyone + a limited conference season.

The only way anyone in the MAC playing no OOC games could make a "NY" level bowl would be if they not only voted to have an 8-team playoff for this wacky year (they turned that down), but did so & expanded it to 16. Given a lack of games played by everyone, some by a Lot, they'd essentially probably allow:

All P5 Conference Champs
+ AUTOBID: All G5 Conference Champs within Top 16
+ AUTOBID-CONDITIONAL: Undefeated G5 Champs in Top 25 or Independents within Top 20; combined with above, to max out at 4 G5/IND teams.
+ AUTOBID-CONDITIONAL: If Less than 2 G5s from both above, fill-in up to 2 with Undefeated Independent within Top 25, and/or top G5 Champ(s)
+ Rest, by CFP Ranking to fill up to 16
- No More than 4 from same conference overall, unless all in Top 4
- No More than 3 from the same conference, unless 3rd best is in Top 8 OR (other details about my breakdown of the past for 12-team playoff, exceptions if the next-best also would be 3rd-best, etc)

Right now in realistic-but-too-predictable-that'll-be-just-like-this results:
AUTOBIDS:
- Alabama [SEC]
- Notre Dame [ACC]
- Ohio State [B1G]
- Oklahoma [B12]
- USC [P12]

AUTOBID G5:
- Cincinnati [AAC]

AUTOBID-CONDITIONAL G5/IND:
- BYU [IND]
- Coastal Carolina [Sun Belt]
- Marshall [CUSA]

So no, an undefeated WMU/KSU/Buffalo wouldn't be over Marshall, undefeated. They played more games + beat a good OOC team like App-State. BYU won't drop anywhere, and Cinci at #7 isn't going to fall to the bottom of the rankings.

The only way I'd see it most realistically is if Marshall or Coastal Carolina flops -- while WMU/KSU/Buffalo doesn't miss a game & goes undefeated IF they even had a 16-team playoff, which would allow us to even go to a "HIGH BOWL".

So even in fantasy-land, it'd be REAL Tough -- but yes, possible.

(11-28-2020 04:34 AM)toddjnsn Wrote:  No, not for the MAC only playing 6 games this year.

If the MAC did the opposite and not bow out early causing others to (thanks Huskies!) -- then WMU would have played Cinci + Notre Dame. Oh, then we would totally control our own destiny for the NY6, and partial control to even make the top 2 of the NY6 "playoff" bowls.

ND and Cindy would’ve probably pounded us.

But I bet would’ve finally beat Syracuse at home, perhaps by a decisive margin.