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 10:09 PM ^
just to be eligible to experience this:
A classy game. The Heart of Dallas Bowl was recently renamed the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl, courtesy of a new association with "the chicken fingers and wings restaurant chain."
Scheduled the day after Christmas.
Alt unis, unless those departed with Brandon.
And if they go, I'll still cheer them on.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:11 PM ^
Unsold tickets will the final epitaph for this downward spiral.
November 9th, 2014 at 10:15 PM ^
I live right by Ford Field, so I was kind of hoping for the Quick Lane bowl honestly. Sure, it's a shit bowl, but at least it's right across the way.
November 10th, 2014 at 3:09 AM ^
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November 9th, 2014 at 10:45 PM ^
But GA Tech runs the triple option, and the run defense is our strength. With 15 practices to prepare for it, I think we could adapt to its unusualness.
- Pinstripe - PSU v GA Tech (we dont want anything to do with this game, GA Tech can score a ton)
November 10th, 2014 at 1:49 PM ^
Michigan shut down a one dimensional rush offense by Minnesota?
November 9th, 2014 at 11:06 PM ^
No way Michigan's athletic department wants to go anywhere else but Detroit. How are they going to sell tickets to these other places?
November 10th, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^
Pair tickets with the purchase of two Coke products.
November 9th, 2014 at 11:39 PM ^
Homecoming, what makes you think they will sell their allotted seats for a crapfest bowl game in Texas?. Did you see the shit on the field Saturday night? This team is miserable and I can't see fans selling out 75-150 for a crappy bowl game where Michigan gets trounced like last year. Much less pay for airfasre and a hotel for that mess.
They have a much better chance of selling the tickets to the whatever bowl at Ford Field than in Texas.
Either way Hoke better be fired before any bowl game announcements come out. If that joker is retained they won't be able to give away tickets next year. This program is a shell of what it once was. This is a travesty.
November 10th, 2014 at 12:14 AM ^
If it's in Dallas, I'll be there. It'll be the only game within driving distance for me. I'm not saying the stadium will be full, but there will still be a better presence of fans than for most other schools in a similar situation.
November 10th, 2014 at 1:54 PM ^
The only way that happens is if a lot of local UM fans buy tickets. The bowl game in Dallas is Dec 26th. Other then parents of the players and people who maybe have relatives in the Dallas area, I don't think many people will be travelling over Xmas to see this team play.
November 9th, 2014 at 11:45 PM ^
I can't think anyone would want to see them play again this season. After watching what Ohio State did to MSU in EL Saturday night, they should absolutely destroy and embarass Michigan. If they scored on MSU they should get at least 55 on our secondary. And there is no way our pitiful offense musters 30 on the road.
That beatdown should be the final nail and send Hoke packing.
56-6
November 10th, 2014 at 12:07 AM ^
We are going to lose huge. It may get into the 70's, and that unfortunately is not a weather forecast.
November 10th, 2014 at 2:08 AM ^
I don't care if they put up 100 on us, they don't deserve a shot at the playoff. MSU is the only ranked team they've played all year(easily the worst schedule of any top 10 team). Hell, they needed overtime to beat Penn State.
November 10th, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^
...by bringing down your SOS.
(Trying to be unbiased from here on.) Basically, the Buckeyes need to have a one-loss spot open up for them from another league. And the results this weekend made that a lot less likely. TCU over KSU. Oregon over Utah. Baylor crushing Oklahoma.
I think the following get in before OSU:
• An SEC Champ from the West
• Even a two-loss Champ
• An SEC Champ from the East would cause chaos
• A one-loss-or-better FSU ACC Champ
• FSU: @Miami, BC, Fla, CCG Duke/GT
• A Duke/GT CCG winner would cause chaos
• A one-loss PAC12 team
• Oregon (Colo, @OregSt, Pac12 South Rep(ASU))
• ASU (@OregSt, WashSt, @Ariz, North Rep (ORE))
• A one-loss Big12 team
• TCU definitely
• Baylor maybe should TCU stumble
November 10th, 2014 at 2:57 AM ^
I don't think it'll come to a bowl, because I honestly don't think we will beat Maryland, who are already bowl eligible at 6-3, and could be headed to 8-4 and a much better bowl by overcoming us and Rutgers (they will lose to State).
I just re-read what I wrote and can only shake my head. Maryland actually didn't do much worse against OSU than MSU did.
In any case, our customary 2014 low output leads me to an OSU 66, Michigan 10 predicton, and that's being generous to Michigan because I think it could be worse.
Now, will we get Harbaugh? At this point, I sure hope he's tired of watching his Wolverines get their asses handed to them in game after game.
November 9th, 2014 at 11:49 PM ^
Now we're afraid to play Georgia Tech and UCLA because they could blow us out by 30 !
I know this program has sank, but I still don't think it has sunk so far that we'd be afraid to play these two schools. How the hell are we supposed to recruit against these teams, if we 're afraid to play them ? KLS I know that you are considering UCLA as well as us, unfortunately, at this time, we are afraid to play them for fear of getting blown out by 30 points, but someday we'll play them, but for right now, our phyche's are too fragile to take the field with them - horseshit.
That sound you hear is Bo rolling over in his grave.
Next we''ll be opening the season against App. St. - oh shit hmmmm well.
Lastly, the only place we should be playing Middle Tennessee St., UAB, or LA Tech is Columbus Ohio so we could call it the Toilet Bowl.
/s. But only a little.
November 10th, 2014 at 2:36 AM ^
Am I scared playing GA Tech over 10 years ? No.
Do I want this squad playing GA Tech and potentially losing by 30? No.
GA Tech plays Clemson and Georgia the next 2 week so let's see how it shakes out. But they have a wacky offense that is run based and while the theory here is we have a good run defense that seems to work out mostly against crap teams. Minnesota (who has a decent offense) jammed their run game down our throats all day.
This team needs to play a relatively low scoring team so our 14-17 pts we score is enough to win and/or make it competitive. Or we can play a crappier team more like Indiana (which are difficult to find) and hell score 24+. Northwestern is a very pedestrian defense that gave up nearly 50 to Iowa and we scored 10 on them. We can't score. So teams that can score are a major issue for this team. And GA Tech has a wacky as hell offense more like something Navy or Air Force run with better athletes.
Here are their offensive outputs vs conference opponents: 27, 28, 25, 43, 56, 35, 56.
That 27 came against VA Tech which is the 3rd ranked D in the country based on FEI, and 8th best based on S&P+.
We have a middle of the pack Big 10 defense. We are not holding them to 14 or 17 to give us a chance to make it competitive. PSU's defense is better than ours on nearly every advanced metric you can look at. And the offenses for both PSU and UM are identical crap so let them go deal with that offense and besmirch their program further.
November 10th, 2014 at 12:02 AM ^
November 10th, 2014 at 12:53 AM ^
If you reject the bid you're basically saying no thanks we don't want these 15 practices. That's incredibly stupid for a young team with Utah coming up. I don't care about pride or whatever or that we don't deserve it. That's the bowl system's fault not Michigan's. It's free so why not take it. What's the worst that could happen? We lose? I want guys like Mason Cole working alongside other college Olinemen for 15 more days.
November 10th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
that the coaching staff they'll be practicing under sucks out loud and will not be the same coaching staff that will be leading this team against Utah next year, anyway.
If anything, giving them additional time under the current staff gives them more time to learn and practice the wrong way to do things in the way that has defined the 2014 season; all this does is make the next coaching staff's job just that much harder.
Spring practice under the tutelage of a competent coaching staff will be infinitely more effective in preparation for next year's season opener than sleepwalking/sludgefarting through extra practice for a game that no one cares about...not the players who are as ready for the season to be over as we are, nor the coaches, who have shown plenty of times to be unworthy of the task with which they've been entrusted.
November 10th, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^
We're playing Utah again?
November 10th, 2014 at 12:25 AM ^
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November 10th, 2014 at 1:19 AM ^
November 10th, 2014 at 8:41 AM ^
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November 10th, 2014 at 9:35 AM ^
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November 10th, 2014 at 11:14 AM ^
This team has no place in a bowl game.
November 10th, 2014 at 11:24 AM ^
I upvoted the OP for the effort, not the thought of Michigan playing against Rice.
November 10th, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^
The thought of Nebraska going to a higher quality bowl than them makes me laugh a little. I hope we can at least say "We won our last game of the year, how about you?"
November 10th, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^
Does anyone look at that list and see more than two bowl wins for the Big Ten? If you do, please send over what you are drinking.
November 10th, 2014 at 1:59 PM ^
I think the top 4 games could be interesting.
OSU against TCU/Baylor would be total shootout. I think OSU woud definitely score points against either of those teas.
Nebraska/ASU: I probably give the edge to the Sun Devils.
Minny/Missou: I don't think Missouri is that good. This might be a decent game.
A&M/Wisky. A&M has no defense. I think this is also a shootout.
The botom four games I think are losses although I don't think Auburn has a defense either. That might be a decent ge with MSU.
November 10th, 2014 at 5:04 PM ^
Yes I made my comments based on the top teams in that bowl lineup.
Missouri lost to Indiana... and lost to georgia 34-0. Minnesota has enough offense to go at them and I think the line would be be 6 or so.
OSU and Baylor/TCU can go play a 48-45 type of game.
MSU will give Auburn some fight - I think another very high scoring game
Wisconsin I think would beat A&M. A&M plays no defense and people underestimate Wisconsin's defense. Their DC is someone I would like to steal - they lost 8 starters and lost 2 of their DTs for almost the entire year (just got them back) and are destroying people now. A&M's offense is not the old offense - its so hit or miss.
The bottom part of the bowl schedule of course sucks as the middle class of the Big 10 sucks. But the top 4 teams are not playing Miss State, Alabama, FSU, Oregon or stuff like that.
I do think ASU would beat Nebraska but it wont be a blowout or anything.
November 10th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^
Apparently the Heart of Dallas Bowl will be co-sponsored by a chain restaurant called Zaxby's - never heard of it - but on the upside, their signature Chicken Finger plate has (I kid you not) nearly 2K calories, 114g of fat, and over 4500mg of sodium. That puts even the Carl's Junior Mile High Burger to shame.
November 10th, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
I want.