Bowl game

Submitted by jrt336 on

Let's say we beat Purdue and go 6-6. And MSU goes 6-6. I assume one would be taken for the Little Caesars Bowl and the other not going to a bowl. I'd have to think Michigan would get it, but does MSU beating us matter? Who'd get it? If we go 6-6, is there any way we don't make a bowl?

mbee1

October 31st, 2009 at 11:51 PM ^

Both teams will need to beat Purdue to make it to a bowl. Ironic given the expectations for both these teams at some points during the season.

Brodie

October 31st, 2009 at 11:52 PM ^

The Pizza Pizza Bowl gets to choose from any remaining Big Ten team after the top 6. They'd most likely pick us since we have the larger local and national fanbase... if we're 6-6, we will make a bowl.

fatbastard

October 31st, 2009 at 11:57 PM ^

We're going to soundly beat Purdue Saturday.

And, Drob is going to ignite for OSU and show Terrelle Pryor what speed really is. Michigan ends 7-5. Goes to the Poulan Weed Eater Bowl.

Do they still have that one?

Brodie

November 1st, 2009 at 12:03 AM ^

We could actually make any of the bottom three Big Ten bowls at 6-6 as they all are free to choose any remaining bowl eligible team from the conference. But even if all three passed on us, the name recognition would probably be enough to get us into a bowl with no cachet.

BBGoBlue

November 1st, 2009 at 12:10 AM ^

game and performed well, it would be a huge positive lift for the football team. Just finishing out on a positive note would be incredibly beneficial in so many ways.

fatbastard

November 1st, 2009 at 12:13 AM ^

D'ton has 4 wins now. They've got Western which should be a lock. But, honestly, you never know. They already lost to Central at home. But, I'll give 'em Western.

Then State's at Purdue. That game could go either way. If I had even money, I'd choose Purdue at home, though.

Then State's home vs. Penn State. My money has Penn State as the best team in the big 10. State could beat them, but frankly, I'd be shocked if they did. PSU will be favored by more than a touchdown, and will be playing for a BCS bowl berth. Joe Pa and Jay Pa won't can't possibly lose that game.

I like our chances at winning 2 of 3 more than theirs winning 2 of 3. We get two wins and we go somewhere other than Detroit, I think. Of course, if State doesn't win 2 they're not bowl eligible.

Muttley

November 1st, 2009 at 1:09 AM ^

MSU 51
Mich 67 (behind Duke, uggh)
WMU 112 (behind Buffalo)
EMU 177 (behind Brown but just ahead of 186 Delaware State)

Comparing CMU to WMU underappreciates a good CMU team. (For disclosure, I get annoyed at a similar discounting of #44 2007 Appalachian State. Mich finished #21 in 2007 and a loss by a #21 team to a #44 team is fairly common.)

Double uggh, so we've beaten

# 21 ND
# 95 Ind
#112 WMU
#177 EMU
#186 DSU

and have lost to #102 Illinois

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt09.htm

BlueinLansing

November 1st, 2009 at 12:17 AM ^

the Pizza Pizza Bowl would shy away from a CMU/MSU rematch.....seems like CMu should win the MAC.

So yes you would think Michigan would be in a better position.

The fact that we're even discussing this prospect bothers me in places of my soul I didn't know existed.

jcgold

November 1st, 2009 at 12:30 AM ^

A 6-6 MSU would have 3 conference wins on a 6-6 M. Thus, any bowl with a big ten tie in has to pick them first. Assuming the big ten sends 2 to the BCS, MSU will go to the insight bowl and M would go to the Pizza Pizza. If we only get one in, M could go anywhere, probably somewhere strange.

Muttley

November 1st, 2009 at 1:38 AM ^

a 6-6 team, according to Wikipedia*

Also, bowls picking at-large may not pass over an at-large 7-5 team to grab an at-large 6-6 team.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_eligibility

http://espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=130

A win over Purdue knocks the Boilers out of bowl elgibility (eight left), MSU may not make it to 6-6 from 4-6 (pizza-pizza, here we come), and it's unlikely for NW will make it to 7-5 from 5-4 @Iowa, @Ill, Wiscy (hello, Insight).

So if we win this Sat, we should at least get to the Insight Bowl in Tempe.

*Reader beware--do your own checking if it's really important.

Bando Calrissian

November 1st, 2009 at 12:46 AM ^

If it's between us and MSU, which seems to be a pretty likely scenario, two immediate and contradictory issues come to mind:

1. They beat us. I don't know how they could pick us over MSU based on the head-to-head matchup.

on the other hand...

2. MSU has had issues selling out their own stadium all year. They're a notoriously fickle fanbase when it comes to underachieving football teams ("When does basketball season start? Now? OK. Who wants to buy my 8 football tickets? I'm done with them."), so I don't see them being as big of a draw as Michigan would be if we're looking at ticket sales.

The Motor City Bowl/Pizza Pizza Whatever has been clamoring for a matchup with local ties that would actually make them a hot ticket. Michigan/random MAC team, even as bad as we are and as unenthusiastic as our fanbase will be if we manage to get soundly torched by both Wisconsin and OSU, is more attractive than MSU playing someone they've already played.

It's late. I hope that made sense.

FGB

November 1st, 2009 at 1:07 AM ^

That was a BCS situation, as opposed to Big 10, so it's a little different because they can generally choose whoever the hell they want as long as they meet the various ranking/conference limit requirements. but the point is still valid: head to head doesn't mean anything and the B10 bowls can choose who they want as long as the team records are within 1 game (as mentioned earlier).

Bryan

November 1st, 2009 at 1:00 AM ^

Just beat Purdue next week and then we can talk of a bowl. I hate that I have to feel this way on November 1st, especially after September.

Irish

November 1st, 2009 at 1:11 AM ^

Even if MSU was selected for the pizza pizza bowl, UM is going to be an attractive at-large bid. The Pizza Pizza might be the least attractive of the other possibilities anyway, maybe you guys will go to Hawaii this year.

Heston_The_Great

November 1st, 2009 at 12:34 PM ^

Similarly, back in 1993, I had the same decision as the Pizza Man may have:

MSU or Michigan

This decision should be just as easy for the Pizza Man as it was me. MSU is a good plan B at best.

a2bluefan

November 1st, 2009 at 12:56 PM ^

BOWL GAME??????!?!?!??? We need to get ELLIGIBLE for a fucking bowl game before I can even begin to think about which one we might or might not go to. And with the 3 games we have left, there is hardly a foregone conclusion here.

Brodie

November 1st, 2009 at 5:27 PM ^

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Central would decline the bid to their third straight Pizza Bowl if it was against us. For one, they've been there three years in a row... I'm willing to bet they'd rather go to the Poinsettia Bowl or something as an at large. And the major appeal of the Detroit bowl to them has been the home team feel... if we're in the Pizza Bowl, it will be sold out with Michigan fans.