NIU/MAC Bowl Projections Roundup: Week 12
by Mike Breese on Nov 22, 2009 6:18 PM CST
in Football
6 comments
Basically, nobody has any clue who is going where in terms of MAC-affiliated Bowl games. We could be going to DC, New Mexico or even Detroit against Notre Dame! Would the Golden Domers ever accept an invitation to the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl? Bruce Feldman seems to think so, and he doesn't even have the Ohio Bobcats going bowling. One ESPN pundit even has us in Boise against our old friends Idaho *shudders*.
Friday is a very important day for Bowl jockeying for position:
Temple Owls (9-2, 7-0) @ Ohio Bobcats (8-3, 6-1) - 10 AM CST on ESPNU
Northern Illinois Huskies (7-4, 5-2) @ Central Michigan Chippewas (9-2, 7-0) - 12 PM on ESPN 360
Toledo Rockets (5-6, 3-4) @ Bowling Green Falcons (6-5, 5-2) - 1 PM on ESPNU
Temple vs Ohio will be for the MAC East spot in the MAC Championship. The ideal situation would for Temple to win that, so Ohio stays at only 8 wins.
Toledo takes on Bowling Green in the most significant game of the day to NIU fans. If Toledo manages to beat Bowling Green, then the Falcons stay at only 6 wins and can't leapfrog the Huskies in bowl selection. There would be four 7+ win MAC teams going bowling in 3 MAC-affiliated bowl games and one fighting for an at-large.
The most important thing for Northern Illinois to do this weekend is just beat a CMU team that doesn't have anything to play for. That all but guarantees a bowl spot and puts us ahead of Bowling Green in terms of attractiveness. 8-wins will also match Ohio if they lose to Temple on Friday.
Here is the order of selection for the four three games associated with the MAC:
1. GMAC Bowl (Mobile)
2. Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl (Detroit)
3. International Bowl (Toronto)
4. EagleBank Bowl (DC, Backup)
[Note by Mike Breese, 11/23/09 12:12 AM CST ] John Sahly confirmed that the MAC has ZERO affiliation with the EagleBank Bowl this year.
HOWEVER, the team that wins the MAC may opt out of their bowl game if they so may choose. Buffalo did this last year as they went to the International Bowl. CMU may choose to stay in Detroit to cut costs and to face a bigger opponent than they would in Mobile.
IF Bowling Green beats Toledo AND NIU loses to CMU then both 7-win teams will be fighting for an at-large spot at bowl games that couldn't be filled by another conference (ie New Mexico, Boise). I believe that our marquee win over Purdue will turn a lot of heads in the selection process.
Click through to see all the predictions.
CFN:
EagleBank Bowl
December 30th, Washington DC, 4:30 pm ESPN
ACC No. 8 vs. Army or C-USA
Projection: Northern Illinois* vs. East Carolina
*No ACC team projected available
GMAC Bowl
January 6, Mobile AL 7 pm ESPN
ACC vs. MAC
Projection: Middle Tennessee* vs. Temple
*No ACC team projected availableLittle Caesars Pizza Bowl
December 26th, Detroit MI, 5 pm, ESPN
Big Ten No. 7 vs. MAC
Projection: Notre Dame* vs. Central Michigan
*No Big Ten team projected availableInternational Bowl
January 2, Toronto, Canada, Noon, ESPN2
Big East vs. MAC No. 4 or 5
Projection: Rutgers vs. Ohio
CBS:
New Mexico Bowl: Northern Illinois* vs. Nevada
*No MWC team projected available
GMAC Bowl: Temple vs. MTSU*
Pizza Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Notre Dame*
International Bowl: UConn vs. Ohio
EagleBank Bowl: UCF* vs. Bowling Green*
Roady's Humanitarian: Northern Illinois vs. Idaho
GMAC: Notre Dame* vs. Central Michigan
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl: Temple vs. Middle Tennessee State*
International: Rutgers vs. Ohio
EagleBank Bowl: Bowling Green* vs. Southern Miss
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Notre Dame*
GMAC: Southern Methodist* vs. Central Michigan
International: West Virginia vs. Temple
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Northern Illinois vs.
Big TenGMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs.
ACC
International Bowl: Temple vs. Big East
EagleBank Bowl: Ohio vs. C-USA
EagleBank Bowl: Northern Illinois* vs. Marshall*
GMAC Bowl: Temple vs. Middle Tennessee State*
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Notre Dame*
International Bowl: Rutgers vs. Ohio
Eagle Bank: Northern Illinois (ACC*) vs. Marshall (C-USA)
GMAC: Temple (MAC) vs. Middle Tennessee (ACC*)
Little Caesars: Central Michigan (MAC) vs. Notre Dame (Big Ten No. 7*)
International: Rutgers (Big East) vs. Ohio (MAC)
Humanitarian: Bowling Green (MWC*) vs. Idaho (WAC)
EagleBank: Marshall vs. Northern Illinois*
GMAC: Middle Tenn* vs. Ohio
Pizza: Notre Dame* vs. Central Michigan
International: UConn vs. Temple
Humanitarian Bowl: Northern Illinois** vs. Idaho
GMAC Bowl: Boise State** vs. Central Michigan
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Louisiana-Monroe** vs. Temple
International Bowl: Rutgers vs. Bowling Green
Eagle Bank Bowl: Ohio** vs. Marshall**
What bowl do you want to go to?
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Pizza! Pizza!
Notre Dame! Notre Dame!
Beat CMU!
by teejay73 on Nov 23, 2009 6:37 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
6 at large spots likely
Looks like there will be six at large spots available — the ACC, Big 10 and Mountain West (assuming Boise gets a BCS game) each will come up 2 teams short. Right now, NIU and Middle Tennessee are the only 7-win at large teams, likely to be joined by Bowling Green (as much as I hate rooting for Toledo – go Rockets). Seems like a lock for an NIU bowl appearance, and that Eagle Bank Bowl doesn’t look too bad.
by marksstc on Nov 23, 2009 3:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
TCU, that is
Meant to say “assuming TCU gets a BCS game” in the previous post.
by marksstc on Nov 23, 2009 4:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
i would say the eaglebank bowl since it was sponsored by yuengling brewery last year.
but i’d have to say it would be sweet to drive to detroit to see niu put the final nail in the charlie weis coffin.
"This one means 'Kill Kirk!!!!'... And also, 'hallelujah'... Depending on the context."
by trippingandy on Nov 23, 2009 7:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I’ve also seen us projected to play vs East Carolina in the Eagle Bank (Fox Sports). The only problem with that bowl is Army – Navy isn’t until Dec. 12. Either way, it is only 2 weeks before the game is set.
by lekkas41 on Nov 25, 2009 9:42 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I think it is Rivals that has us vs. Middle Tennessee in the GMAC. I don’t see them picking us before Central Michigan or Temple, since they get 1st pick. We’ll see this weekend, things should get much clearer.
by lekkas41 on Nov 25, 2009 9:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
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