Competing with Rutgers for Heart of Dallas Bowl w/ Win
Looking at Jerry Palm's predicted bowl outcomes, it would appear with a win Saturday UM could avoid the Quick Lane Bowl and get a trip to Dallas.
We'd be competing with Rutgers for said bowl. Rutgers is 5-4 with a very hobbled Gary Nova and just got decimated by Wisconsin 37-0.
Rutgers remaining opponents are Indiana, @MSU, @Maryland. While Indiana is horrid so is Rutgers right now. Nova went 5/15 vs Wiscy and his replacement went 2/12. Vegas has this line as only 6; at least Indiana has Coleman. Lose that and Rutgers is not bowling at 0-3 the rest of the way. But even if they win, chalk up Maryland and MSU as losses and Rutgers is 6-6.
That should send us to Dallas in place of Rutgers w/ a win for UM v Maryland - due to the fergodsakes this is Michigan factor. (Rutgers goes to Detroit in that case if bowl eligible) I think a 6-6 Michigan gets invited to Dallas even over a 7-5 Rutgers.
Palm has the opposing team in Heart of Dallas bowl as Rice who if you recall lost to ND the week before us 48-17. So it sounds like an even matchup. But if not Rice it would be some mid tier Conference USA foe which (sigh) we could be competitive with - the likes of Middle Tennesee, UAB, LA Tech, or UTEP. But I think its better for the psyche of this program at this moment to beat one of these teams than see GA Tech or UCLA roll us by 30.
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Aside from UM - with the Big 10 looking outside the playoffs it sets up the conference for an attractive bowl schedule, with some fun games that are winnable; conference could actually have a winning bowl record with this slate.
- Cotton - OSU vs TCU or Baylor
- Fiesta - Nebraska v Arizona State
- Taxslayer - Minnesota v Missouri
- Outback - Wisconsin v A&M
- Capital - MSU v Auburn
- San Fran - Iowa v USC
- Holiday - Maryland v UCLA
- Pinstripe - PSU v GA Tech (we dont want anything to do with this game, GA Tech can score a ton)
November 9th, 2014 at 9:21 PM ^
would that make it the Rice Bowl ?
November 9th, 2014 at 9:27 PM ^
Holy crap! Just saw your point total. Reward for your investigative work?
November 9th, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^
and is the frequent recipient of the posbangs from the ladies.
November 9th, 2014 at 11:51 PM ^
Well he did pretty much fire the athletic director. He has to get compensated somehow...
November 10th, 2014 at 12:00 AM ^
November 10th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^
Said the guy who piled up 26,000 points in about nine months.
November 10th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
It doesn't make what he said unrue.
November 10th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^
No, he didn't.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:22 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 9:29 PM ^
Yep. When your goal is to finish ahead of Rutgers in the division so you can not convulse when looking at the Big 10 standings, plus beat them out for a bowl game - it's one of those very low points.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:39 PM ^
I think I'm getting too accustomed to low points.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^
I won't lie here because I agree - when limping into bowl eligibility with a flat tire, a broken strut or two and on fumes becomes something that is about a 50/50 shot (plus or minus a few percentage points depending on the site you employ) and you can term that a goal of some kind, you are officially in a weird place as a Michigan fan.
November 10th, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^
but it would be soooooooo much better to limp into the bowl
than to come up short
November 9th, 2014 at 9:22 PM ^
I think they should have named it THE QUICKIE BOWL. So even if you are a Michigan fan, you can get screwed twice.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:50 PM ^
I have to admit, part of me was glad before the play that Pat Fitzgerald was going for two to get that thing over one way or another. I don't think I could have taken a 4OT Loss.
November 10th, 2014 at 1:08 PM ^
or Illinois. Illinois, upholding B1G honor since . . . .
November 9th, 2014 at 9:25 PM ^
This is like a $5.00 hooker feeling superior to a $4.00 hooker.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:38 PM ^
4 thoughts
- Financial - having Hoke coach thru Dec 26th makes it a lot more convenient to fire him Jan 2 and save $2M which can be rolled to Harbaugh's err... the next coach's first year contract. I know we don't even consider $2M a rounding error but with the salaries of Mattison, Nuss, et al we are going to be eating this helps. If no bowl, then Hoke would be hanging out there in no man's land for a month if he was going to be fired, and they want to save $2M.
- Practice - while some will debate if any practice time with this staff is helpful, I would have to think an extra month of practice, even with a HS staff would be better than none.
- Reward players - while a shit bowl, its still fun to get out of town and build some camaraderie.
- Wins are better than losses - while we'd have beaten 2 horrid teams in Indiana and NW, finishing the seasons with 3 out of 4 wins would at least be a tiny white flag. Hell win the bowl and it's 4 out of 5 and some may say bring back Hoke! Oops wait, that's not a positive.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:14 PM ^
if he is fired before the end of the year is $1M. He still gets $2M if he makes it through the end of 2014. The difference could probably be reduced by a settlement if we're not playing in a Jan. 1 bowl in Dallas. I don't really care unless the coaching search is affected. If it is, then worrying about that amount of money would be counterproductive.
November 10th, 2014 at 7:40 AM ^
I hear we are fantastic at it.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:42 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 9:50 PM ^
Double FML: the Quick Lane Bowl isn't the Pizza Bowl anymore.
I was at the Pizza Bowl last year watching BGSU and they had a pregame pizza party. 10 cents a slice and you got a free can of pop with each slice.
At least I could've looked forward to the Pizza raid if we were headed to Ford Field.
Edit: Michigan should play their bowl game at the Silverdome.
Did you guys know that Spartan Stadium is NOT the second largest open-air stadium in Michigan? Why, the second largest is none other than the Pontiac Silverdome as of a month ago.
November 9th, 2014 at 11:05 PM ^
Looks like the stadium got the t.p. treatment by Pontiac Northern seniors. How freaking depressing, although it arguably looks better without the dome.
November 10th, 2014 at 5:18 AM ^
Well the Lions took a dump in that place for a long time. It takes a lot of t.p. to clean up that much shit.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:29 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 9:43 PM ^
I doubt many would travel but I am sure there are a lot of alumni in the Dallas area. Convenient for them. And this time we'd do better than the 2012 visit to the area!
I think?
The real question is - would Hackett invite the band??
November 9th, 2014 at 9:45 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 10:01 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 9:31 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 10:15 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 10:46 PM ^
November 10th, 2014 at 1:58 AM ^
I would love to see Gardner, Ryan and Clark playing in their final game for Michigan.
November 10th, 2014 at 10:24 AM ^
I'm'a be there anyway. I won tickets at the Lions game a few weeks ago. I'd sure as hell rather see Michigan than Rutgers.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:39 PM ^
Nova was shit against everyone but Michigan.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:49 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 9:56 PM ^
Yeah Seth looked at it like a month ago and at the time Nova was like the 3rd or 4th best statistical QB in the conference. Which says a lot more about the state of offenses in the conference than Gary Nova. He is now hobbled with a knee injury but like UM there is really no other option it seems for Rutgers.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:41 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 9th, 2014 at 9:48 PM ^
Based on the advanced stats (FEI, S&P+) Northwestern, UM, PSU, Rutgers*, and Maryland are all quite similar actually (with slightly different strengths and weaknesses). Which is why when they play each other the games are general shit shows that bore you to death. But close shit shows. Being at home, I'd put it at 50/50 odds. I bet UM will be favored by maybe 1 pt or so by Vegas; if it was in Maryland probably we'd be dogs by 4. Maryland is good at winning close ones vs craptastic teams and then getting blown out by 30 to 50 to Wisconsin and OSU.
*Rutgers with a healthy Gary Nova
November 9th, 2014 at 10:05 PM ^
Maryland has a decent quarterback who is able to put points on the board when his team is down. We have a weak secondary. That will probably be the difference, I don't see us making a bowl this year.
November 10th, 2014 at 2:02 AM ^
I hope Gardner plays great in his final game at Michigan Stadium.
November 9th, 2014 at 9:43 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 9:52 PM ^
No they will pick from a pod of teams. Dont quote me as I dont recall exactly but something like the bowls seeded 2-4 will select from one group of teams and then bowls seeded 5-7 will pick from another group etc. It's a lot more complicated than the old system because we are going to actually be rotating some bowls with other conferences - some years they will get a Big 10 team and others an ACC for example. I have not studied all the nuances but the one thing UM has going for it is brand. It will almost always go to a bowl over its head - Dallas has to assume they will never get another chance at UM. (not that they'd necessarily be correct - derp)
November 9th, 2014 at 9:52 PM ^
I just hope Michigan wins in two weeks. I was in Columbus in 2009, they took a great deal of pleasure in denying Michigan their sixth win and bowl eligibility. As unexcited as we may be about a trip to some bowl named for some Southern regional corporate sponsor no one up here has heard of, I'd still prefer the berth already be sewn up so the 56-3 beating in the Horseshoe at least doesn't include that bonus for the Buckeyes again.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:10 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 11:42 PM ^
Ah, so you're planning on Ohio State fumbling a few more punts and kickoffs like last night.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:03 PM ^
November 9th, 2014 at 10:09 PM ^