InSight Bowl Opponent

Submitted by m83econ on

Between ESPN & CBS, there are 3 possibilities for the opponent (yes, this assumes nothing strange happens and Michigan goes to the Gator Bowl):

Missouri

Nebraska

Oklahoma State

http://espn.go.com/college-football/bowls/projections?season=2010&week=…

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/bowls/predictions

Not much hope for an easy opponent among those 3, but certainly 3 different styles.

Wolv1984

November 28th, 2010 at 11:27 PM ^

I prefer a challenge.  We've proven we can beat people like UConn (who won the Big East) but we haven't really hung in there against any of the top tier talent we've played.  I'd feel a lot better about a close loss to a talented program than us merely smacking around some other unranked 7-5 team.  A win over a talented program would be even better of course.

4 quarters of the offense and defense firing on all cylinders would really make me feel better about next year.  

skunk bear

November 28th, 2010 at 11:38 PM ^

If I had confidence that our defense could fire on all cylinders, I might agree. But, when I hear names like Nebraska, Oklahoma and Florida bandied about, I cringe. I am afraid I've reached the point where I expect our defense to be pathetic. Not that  I want to.

The last thing I want in a nationally televised bowl game is for us to be embarrassed again.

Missouri we might be able to handle. But the big boys? I would like to believe we could, but there is so little reason except hope to do so.

WolvinLA2

November 28th, 2010 at 11:49 PM ^

Skunk Bear, you have obviously not watched a lot of Florida football games this fall.  They average just over 350 yards of total offense per game, and only 190 of that is through the air, the part we have the hardest time with.  Florida racked up big time stats against teams like App St, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, so they aren't even as good as they look.

Against Miami (NTM), they managed 212 yards of total offense, even though Miami had 4 turnovers, and had a 9 point lead in the 4th quarter.  Miami (NTM) and South Florida are the only teams UF beat who are over .500, and they are both from mid major or almost mid major conferences.  I know the Florida name is big, but I wouldn't be scared playing UF this year.

Side note: We won't play Oklahoma, Nebraska has an injured QB, and Mizzou really isn't a "big boy." 

WolvinLA2

November 29th, 2010 at 1:28 AM ^

Look, I'm not saying they'll be an easy win, just that they aren't the Florida they've been since Urban got there, this is his worst team in 8 years or so (Utah included).  Now, I bet any of those teams could beat us this year, so I wouldn't call this a gimme, but we have as good of a chance against them as we do for any other prospective opponent.

Tater

November 29th, 2010 at 12:01 AM ^

I hate putting it this way, but Florida is the only team mentioned that I would feel the least bit confident that Michigan could beat.  Florida's offense is a mess right now.  Their defense is only OK this year.  Florida is having a very disappointing and unexpected year, while Michigan has had its best year in the last three; that could sway the intangibles in Michigan's favor. 

Jax is practically home for them, but Michigan could sell enough tix to make it not quite as bad of a de facto road game.  Florida looked like a very confused team against FSU.  Gator fans are bitching about all three of their QB's right now because of their performance against FSU.  I'm pretty sure they won't gain much confidence in the next few weeks. 

Michigan could temporarily turn the Urban Legend into an Urban Blight in severe need of Urban Renewal.  That would be a great way to end the season.

skunk bear

November 29th, 2010 at 12:14 AM ^

Michigan could temporarily turn the Urban Legend into an Urban Blight in severe need of Urban Renewal.  That would be a great way to end the season.

 

I  needed that.

WolvinLA2

November 29th, 2010 at 1:42 AM ^

It's almost certainly a 50-50 shot whether we end up in the Insight or Gator Bowl  For those who don't know how this will play out:

Wisconsin will get the Rose Bowl, and Ohio State (likely) will get an at-large BCS bowl.  MSU is guaranteed the Cap One Bowl.  Then there's the Outback Bowl.  Since every Big Ten team left will finish 7-5, they can pick anyone.  We could be in the Outback Bowl.  Likely, they'll pick Iowa, but they could pick Penn State.  Then the Gator Bowl and Insight share the 5th and 6th picks.  If they pick different teams, they get the team they picked and we move to the next bowl.  If they pick the same team, there is a coin flip, the bowl that wins the flip gets the team they picked, and the other bowl takes their next choice.  The most likely scenario here is that the two teams in the Gator and Insight are whichever team the Outback doesn't pick (PSU and Iowa) and us.  If both pick PSU, we (likely) get the loser of the coin flip.  If they both pick us, we get the winner of the coin flip.  If one of them picks us and the other picks PSU, then we get whichever one picks us, but again, it's 50-50. 

Basically, that's a long way to say it's literally a coin flip whether we're in the Gator Bowl against the SEC or the Insight Bowl against the Big 12.  The only caveats are if the Outback Bowl gifts us a spot in their game or if one of Gator and Insight is dumb enough to pick Illinois over Michigan.  I don't think either caveat happens, but you never know.

VinnieMac25

November 29th, 2010 at 11:13 AM ^

has us right now in the Gator Bowl vs Florida,  I would like to see us play Texas Tech, just not Missouri.

TicketCity Bowl - Northwestern vs Baylor

Outback Bowl - South Carolina vs Penn State

Capital One - Alabama vs MSU

Texas Bowl - Illinois vs Texas Tech

Insight Bowl - Iowa vs Nebraska

Sugar Bowl - Arkansas vs tOsu

Skunkeye

November 29th, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^

I've also seen us playing Texas A & M in the Insight Bowl.  When will this coin flip between the Insight and Gator Bowls happen anyway?  It would be good if we could start planning travel sooner rather than later.