Bowl Game Projections

[mubaseballking]

It's time for everyone's favorite topic to groan and roll eyes at....College Football Bowl Projections!

SB Nation: No bowl game for Marshall
USA Today: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
Bleacher Report: New Mexico Bowl vs San Diego State
CBS Sports: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
Athlon Sports: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
Sports Illustrated: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
Orlando Sentinel: St. Pete Bowl vs Cincinnati
Sporting News: Bahamas Bowl vs Toledo
ESPN - Bonagura: First Repsonders Bowl vs BYU (formerly the Heart of Dallas Bowl)
ESPN - Sherman: Bahamas Bowl vs Toledo​

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Wow!!

 

[mlblack16.]

If we do become bowl eligible, we will be offered a team like Cincinnati, but decline and agree to play a MAC team instead. Just more of Doc Holliday's genius decisions.

 

[Marine03]

All L’s in those matchups

 

[RhinoD]

All L’s in those matchups

Then the next objective would be to pick the best destination... Eventually we are going to have to take our turn in the Bahamas. I would say do that this year and get it out of the way, so if we are better next year we won't have to worry about being stuck there.

 

[Dreh_Nagi_HC_IM]

Wait! Are you saying the Access Bowl is out of the question?

 

[The Real SamC]

The blunt facts:

- There is still a tiny group that cannot, and will never, get over the CORRECT decision to play a good MACer over a steaming bag of dog s*** 6-6 Big 10 loser. Sorry, but NO ONE is impressed that LTU beat Illinois, and, THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! is not a "power 5" league, nor does such a thing as the "power 6" actually exist. MU has beaten THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! teams in bowls, such as UConn. No one cares. Get over your envy.

- Beating the 5th place team in THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is no accomplishment.

- The pre-Christmas bowls are for the die hardest of die hards any way. I don't see how going to the Bahamas or Hawaii is getting "stuck". 99.9% of Herd fans will enjoy that game the same way we would the ones in Florida. On ESPN.

- Everything comes down to this weekend. A 4-2 Herd will easily get to 6 or more. A 3-3 Herd will quit and go through the motions.

- IF (huge if) we win Saturday, Hawaii is where we will end up.

- One of these is the same as the next. Unless you go 12-0 and no one from ESPN's pets THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!! or Boise State does as well, you go to some random named for some obscure product bowl in some random place before a couple of 100 people on ESPN before Christmas. Rah Rah Rah.

 

[mlblack16.]

The blunt facts:

- There is still a tiny group that cannot, and will never, get over the CORRECT decision to play a good MACer over a steaming bag of dog s*** 6-6 Big 10 loser. Sorry, but NO ONE is impressed that LTU beat Illinois, and, THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! is not a "power 5" league, nor does such a thing as the "power 6" actually exist. MU has beaten THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! teams in bowls, such as UConn. No one cares. Get over your envy.

- Beating the 5th place team in THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is no accomplishment.

- The pre-Christmas bowls are for the die hardest of die hards any way. I don't see how going to the Bahamas or Hawaii is getting "stuck". 99.9% of Herd fans will enjoy that game the same way we would the ones in Florida. On ESPN.

- Everything comes down to this weekend. A 4-2 Herd will easily get to 6 or more. A 3-3 Herd will quit and go through the motions.

- IF (huge if) we win Saturday, Hawaii is where we will end up.

- One of these is the same as the next. Unless you go 12-0 and no one from ESPN's pets THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!! or Boise State does as well, you go to some random named for some obscure product bowl in some random place before a couple of 100 people on ESPN before Christmas. Rah Rah Rah.

I'm sorry you just wasted all that time trying to convince others that Marshall will get respect playing MAC teams. I try not to pick on the absolutely moronic things you post, but today you made the bullshit!t meter go off and I had to respond.

Congrats Sam. Dumbest post of the year, until this bowl season (if we make it) when I'm sure you'll be in full support of playing Eastern Michigan over a bowl eligible team from a major conference.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

I'm sorry you just wasted all that time trying to convince others that Marshall will get respect playing MAC teams. I try not to pick on the absolutely moronic things you post, but today you made the bullshit!t meter go off and I had to respond.

Congrats Sam. Dumbest post of the year, until this bowl season (if we make it) when I'm sure you'll be in full support of playing Eastern Michigan over a bowl eligible team from a major conference.

I lean towards his point. Everyone that got mad about us picking NIU (which we didn't CUSA did) were convinced we lost this big opportunity to prove ourselves against a P5. It did absolutely nothing for LaTech. Nada. Zilch. Not recruiting. Not national respect. Maryland was a more respected them than Illinois was and it didn't vault us into the next stratosphere of college football.

We ended up in Boca because most of our team hails from that area and we have a large contingent of fans in that area.

Truth of the matter is unless you are playing in a New Year's Day Bowl all the other bowl games are about the same for us. That HoD bowl was a horrific bowl, in terrible weather, against a bad team, the day before Christmas. It wasn't a reward for anyone involved.

Downplaying NIU is no different than when we slam people for downplaying us during that same span of seasons. NIU had been one of the better teams in the country over a three year time span that included a ranking and nearly beating FSU the year before.

 

[mlblack16.]

Downplaying NIU is no different than when we slam people for downplaying us during that same span of seasons. NIU had been one of the better teams in the country over a three year time span that included a ranking and nearly beating FSU the year before.

And how many recruits came to Marshall because of that one single game they watched?

Neither team was going to turn heads and cause ESPN to run a special program about our win, but, to the average college football fan, 1) s/he would ask who the hell NIU was and 2) would find a victory over a B1G as far more impressive.

I get your point, but we were good enough that year that we should have played the bigger name opponent, regardless of who it was.

 

[mubaseballking]

And how many recruits came to Marshall because of that one single game they watched?

Neither team was going to turn heads and cause ESPN to run a special program about our win, but, to the average college football fan, 1) s/he would ask who the hell NIU was and 2) would find a victory over a B1G as far more impressive.

I get your point, but we were good enough that year that we should have played the bigger name opponent, regardless of who it was.

I agree. Marshall plays enough MAC teams during the regular season that, when given the opportunity, you pick the bowl game that gives you a chance to beat a team from the B10, ACC, Big 12, etc. It's not just about which B10 school you beat for example, it's about adding to the total number of victories over a "power" school.

I also say we put off the Bahamas trip as long as possible because you never know how long that game will remain in Nassau. What if this is the last year the game is played in Nassau because ESPN finds a sponsor that wants to move the game?

 

[The Real SamC]

Like I said, some people will NEVER get over the correct decision to play a good MAC team over a crap Big10 bottom feeder years ago. But, really, the idea that anyone, especially a recruit, was impressed that LTU beat Illinois in a crud bowl in on Christmas eve before 1000 people is stupid beyond comment.

And I think most college football fans would know that Northern Illinois was, umm, in the northern part of Illinois.

 

[ohio herd]

Perception is always a big deal. For that reason, I would always play a team from the Big 10 over the MAC in a bowl game. Just for fun, which game five years from now will sound like a better win- Maryland or NIU? If we ever hope to get to an Access bowl spot we have to play and beat P5 schools on a regular basis. I fully understand that we wanted to play the best team available that year (2014) but when you recruit and can say we beat a Big ten school in a bowl game, that IMO carries more weight than saying we beat our third MAC school this year.

 

[mlblack16.]

And I think most college football fans would know that Northern Illinois was, umm, in the northern part of Illinois

Umm...they would say they've never heard of it or assume it was I-AA. You apparently don't get outside of the Tri-State area much, do you?

The average college football fan is in abundance, even just in central OH. I can tell you they are as ignorant about teams outside of major conferences as anyone can be. Almost as ignorant as you.

 

[The Real SamC]

Sooooooooo, these super dedicated fans, and especially these recruits so bored on CHRISTMAS EVE, that they make their signing decisions based on watching a bowl played before 80000 empty (and rotten) seats, are so dumb that they don't know I-AAs don't play in bowls at all.

Got it.

I got an idea. The lowest P5 team in the current USA Today re-rank is WVU's former whipping boy, Rutgers.

We have an open slot. Lets play Rutgers

In fact, lets just leave CUSA and play Rutgers 12 times next year.

I'm sure lots of these recruits you know so well will be really impressed.

 

[mlblack16.]

I'm sure lots of these recruits you know so well will be really impressed

Just another indicator of your ignorance and lack of ability to communicate clearly and effectively with others. In which response to you ITT have I indicated the average college football fan as being a potential recruit from high school? Clearly we are talking about 2 entirely different things.

 

[Tim Hensley]

Are we being considered for the Peach Bowl?!!!!!!!

 

[mubaseballking]

Perception is always a big deal. For that reason, I would always play a team from the Big 10 over the MAC in a bowl game. Just for fun, which game five years from now will sound like a better win- Maryland or NIU? If we ever hope to get to an Access bowl spot we have to play and beat P5 schools on a regular basis. I fully understand that we wanted to play the best team available that year (2014) but when you recruit and can say we beat a Big ten school in a bowl game, that IMO carries more weight than saying we beat our third MAC school this year.

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

 

[Dreh_Nagi_HC_IM]

@The Real SamC

Pay no attention to mlblack16

He's been bitter ever since @ARandomHerdFan gave him a period.

 

[Sash19]

Unless something crazy happens, no damn way unbeaten and top 25 ranked UC is playing Marshall in any bowl game.....

 

[ARandomHerdFan]

@The Real SamC

Pay no attention to mlblack16

He's been bitter ever since @ARandomHerdFan gave him a period.

Some people can’t handle it when they finally blossom into a young woman.

 

[oldeherd]

Are we being considered for the Peach Bowl?!!!!!!!

Ummmm, not the way we are performing currently. However, word has it that our current performance still gives us an edge for one of the coveted spots in the Peach "Pit" Bowl!!!!!!

 

[mubaseballking]

Bowl Projections for November 19th:

SB Nation: New Mexico Bowl vs Boise State
USA Today: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
Bleacher Report: New Orleans Bowl vs Troy
CBS Sports: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
College Football News: Hawai’I Bowl vs Hawai’i
Athlon Sports: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
Sports Illustrated: Boca Raton Bowl vs Tulane
Orlando Sentinel: Bahamas Bowl vs Toledo
Sporting News: First Responders Bowl vs Louisiana-Monroe
ESPN - Bonagura: New Orleans Bowl vs Georgia Southern
ESPN - Sherman: Bahamas Bowl vs Toledo

 

[W-S HerdFan]

I could get somewhat excited about a game vs Appy State. They have been a factor in the Sunbelt race every year since moving up from FCS. GREAT history, we play hem a home & home in a couple of years - why can't we get a natural rival?

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Anywhere but Bahamas and Hawaii. jmho

 

[MarshallManiac]

Bowl Projections for November 19th:

SB Nation: New Mexico Bowl vs Boise State
USA Today: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
Bleacher Report: New Orleans Bowl vs Troy
CBS Sports: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
College Football News: Hawai’I Bowl vs Hawai’i
Athlon Sports: Hawai'i Bowl vs Hawai'i
Sports Illustrated: Boca Raton Bowl vs Tulane
Orlando Sentinel: Bahamas Bowl vs Toledo
Sporting News: First Responders Bowl vs Louisiana-Monroe
ESPN - Bonagura: New Orleans Bowl vs Georgia Southern
ESPN - Sherman: Bahamas Bowl vs Toledo

I would love either of those New Orleans Bowl matchups.

We should avoid the Bahamas until we absolutely have no other choice.

 

[The Real SamC]

If we play on the 1st, playing on the 15th would not seem like a bowl at all. I would rather be in the next week.

 

[jete2]

We will either be in the New Orleans Bowl or the Boca Raton Bowl. You can bank on it. The school farthest west in the conference will head to Hawaii. I believe that is North Texas. FAU, assuming they win on Saturday, will be in the Bahamas because they had the home bowl game last year.

 

[goherd44]

The players would enjoy going to Hawai'i. The only opponent that I would truly look forward to would be Boise St in New Mexico.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Anywhere but Bahamas and Hawaii. jmho

At some point we're going to have to bite the bullet on the Bahamas. Let's just get it over with. We already assume that our bowl cred for this year is low and we're getting a low level interest opponent anyways.

 

[RhinoD]

At some point we're going to have to bite the bullet on the Bahamas. Let's just get it over with. We already assume that our bowl cred for this year is low and we're getting a low level interest opponent anyways.

THIS... I said it after we lost to So. Miss and were eliminated from CUSA title contention.

Eventually everyone is going to be sent to the Bahamas to "take their turn" so we might as well get it out of the way this season. I can't imagine Herd fans are clamoring to suck up thousands of tickets in Boca or New Orleans (they aren't) following a 7-4 or 8-3 season, so we might as well let the kids go to Nassau, enjoy a great vacation, and hopefully beat the breath out of a 7 win Toledo or EMU.

Do it this year and then be assured that if Marshall were to have a great year in the next 3-5 seasons that we wouldn't get stuck "taking our turn" after, for example, losing a CUSA title game and finishing 11-2 or 10-3.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Do it this year and then be assured that if Marshall were to have a great year in the next 3-5 seasons that we wouldn't get stuck "taking our turn" after, for example, losing a CUSA title game and finishing 11-2 or 10-3.

Exactly this. You think our fans would be disappointed in the Bahamas bowl now. Imagine this scenario.


I don't even think winning the CUSA title game guarantees a bowl berth to any particular bowl. I could be wrong.

Even saying all of this. Pretty much every CUSA bowl is six in one hand and half a dozen in the other. There's no more Liberty Bowl deal. Since CUSA lost the Liberty Bowl tie-in the CUSA Champ has went to Boca vs NIU(MU '14), Miami Beach Bowl vs USF (WKU '15), Boca vs Memphis (WKU '16), and Boca vs Akron (FAU '17).

Here are CUSA's Bowls

– Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla vs. American Athletic
– Bahamas Bowl vs. MAC
– Cheribundi Tart Cherry Bowl vs. American Athletic
– Gildan New Mexico Bowl vs. Mountain West
– Hawai’i Bowl vs. Mountain West
– R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl vs. Sun Belt
– SERVPRO First Responders Bowl vs. Big Ten

Secondary Agreements
– Walk-On’s Independence Bowl
Conditional if ACC or SEC can’t fill a spot.
– DXL Frisco Bowl
Conditional if American Athletic or MAC can’t fill a spot.

We have one bowl that is tied to a P5 opponent. There is a high probability that we more often than not will play a G5 team and in many years could end up being a team we've played 50 times. People that allow themselves to be let down at the thought of playing a MAC team in a bowl just need to recognize that's the reality. Marshall has no control over it. At least not a lot. Then we'll more often than not play in the same bowls. A lot of selection is based on which team is going to draw the best in a particular bowl. It's why we go to FL a lot and I assume we'll be placed in the new Myrtle Beach Bowl a lot.

Unless we are in the top25 and getting shafted we should just accept our bowl situation for what it is.

 

[johns_1124]

Wait on Bahama, it may not be around for long. Seems like no one wants to go. In the current lineup, BSU would be great. If it's any sort of a good competitive game, it will setup nicely for next years match up. If the Bowl this year is good, then next years game in Boise is ESPN material. Maybe even Gameday since it's early in the season.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Wait on Bahama, it may not be around for long. Seems like no one wants to go. In the current lineup, BSU would be great. If it's any sort of a good competitive game, it will setup nicely for next years match up. If the Bowl this year is good, then next years game in Boise is ESPN material. Maybe even Gameday since it's early in the season.

Nah. It wouldn't bring Gameday. Boise is not what they were just a few years ago and we haven't been anything to write about since Cato left. I think we'd both have to be ranked in the top20 for ESPN to pretend to care. The are begrudgingly going to UCF. You know that it's killing ESPN that UCF keeps winning because it creates protest to their P5 utopia.

 

[mubaseballking]

I agree that we wait as long as possible on the Bahamas trip. My gut feeling is that the Myrtle Beach Bowl will replace the Bahamas Bowl. No need to volunteer to go the island unless MH and Doc want to give the players a beach trip.

I don't know if CUSA will allow this or if it would be an option but it looks like the Big 12 and the ACC won't fulfill their bowl bids this year. Why not see if we can get into one of those bowl bids?

 

[The Real SamC]

Gameday. The closest ESPN ever got to bringing Gameday here was during the 14 season, but we were hampered by having no ESPN contract at that time. ESPN grossly undercovers leagues it does not have game rights to. ESPN had advance people scouting out sites and story lines.

Most years ESPN has one out of the way place, but did not do that this year, unless you count UCF. They usually do that at mid year, when there is no big game. Remember that ESPN has a special deal with BSU apart from the MWC. They have had Gameday in Boise before. They will again, but not for us. They have to let the season mature and play the "this is the G5 upsetter" angle.

My guess for the best shot of Gameday ever coming to MU is either the Pitt or Boise State games in 2020. It would be insane and inappropriate to do in on Nov 14, but those two game slots, particularly Pitt which is about the time the big teams take a week off and play a cupcake, and there might not be a really huge game, would allow for a nice event.

BTW, P5 places that have never had Gameday? Cal, Duke, Illinois, Iowa State, Maryland, Minnesota, Rutgers, Syracuse (surprising), Virginia, and Wake Forest. G5 places that have had it? Air Force twice, Penn, Army, Bowling Green, Boise State, Houston, Troy (sort of, actually did the show from a USN ship Troy was playing Navy), Navy (twice), Temple, Western Michigan, and Central Florida. Lower divisions? James Madison (twice), North Dakota State (twice), Grambling, Florida A&M, Williams, and Harvard.

Bahamas. The only issue I have with the game is that it is at noon on the Friday before Christmas, which is not a day off for most people.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Gameday. The closest ESPN ever got to bringing Gameday here was during the 14 season, but we were hampered by having no ESPN contract at that time. ESPN grossly undercovers leagues it does not have game rights to. ESPN had advance people scouting out sites and story lines.

Most years ESPN has one out of the way place, but did not do that this year, unless you count UCF. They usually do that at mid year, when there is no big game. Remember that ESPN has a special deal with BSU apart from the MWC. They have had Gameday in Boise before. They will again, but not for us. They have to let the season mature and play the "this is the G5 upsetter" angle.

My guess for the best shot of Gameday ever coming to MU is either the Pitt or Boise State games in 2020. It would be insane and inappropriate to do in on Nov 14, but those two game slots, particularly Pitt which is about the time the big teams take a week off and play a cupcake, and there might not be a really huge game, would allow for a nice event.

BTW, P5 places that have never had Gameday? Cal, Duke, Illinois, Iowa State, Maryland, Minnesota, Rutgers, Syracuse (surprising), Virginia, and Wake Forest. G5 places that have had it? Air Force twice, Penn, Army, Bowling Green, Boise State, Houston, Troy (sort of, actually did the show from a USN ship Troy was playing Navy), Navy (twice), Temple, Western Michigan, and Central Florida. Lower divisions? James Madison (twice), North Dakota State (twice), Grambling, Florida A&M, Williams, and Harvard.

Bahamas. The only issue I have with the game is that it is at noon on the Friday before Christmas, which is not a day off for most people.

Why would you expect ESPN to promote leagues it has no formal television contact with? Back in the CSTV days we were the only league not to go with ESPN I think.

That would be like Ford promoting Chevy or Mercedes promoting BMW.

 

[RhinoD]

Based on our tie-ins and what makes common sense this year... The CUSA bowl lineup should look something like this (I am assuming UAB to win the CUSA title and choose the Big10 opponent in Dallas).

First Responders (formerly Heart of Dallas) - UAB
Charibundi Tart (whatever the hell that is in Boca) - FIU
Gasparilla (formerly St. Petersburg Bowl) - MTSU
New Orleans - FAU or Marshall
New Mexico Bowl - Louisiana Tech
Hawaii - North Texas
Bahamas - Marshall or FAU (Because neither team has been sent to the Bahamas previously).

 

[mubaseballking]

FAU beating Charlotte this weekend is no guarantee given the way both teams have played up and down all season.

The ACC may not have enough bowl eligible teams to fill the Independence or Quick Lane Bowls. I believe CUSA has an agreement with the Independence Bowl to fill the slot if the ACC doesn't have enough teams. If they don't, who should get this slot from CUSA? LT? Southern Miss? UAB? It could provide a match-up against a SEC school (most likely one of the following: Missouri, Miss St., Auburn, Tennessee/Vandy winner) but it's also a trip to lowly Shreveport.

The Big 12 may only have 6 bowl eligible teams for 7 contracted slots. It looks like CUSA, SunBelt and the MAC could have more eligible teams than contracted slots. I'm sure MH has been working the phones in case this happens so we can maybe fill a different bowl game.

 

[RhinoD]

FAU beating Charlotte this weekend is no guarantee given the way both teams have played up and down all season.

The ACC may not have enough bowl eligible teams to fill the Independence or Quick Lane Bowls. I believe CUSA has an agreement with the Independence Bowl to fill the slot if the ACC doesn't have enough teams. If they don't, who should get this slot from CUSA? LT? Southern Miss? UAB? It could provide a match-up against a SEC school (most likely one of the following: Missouri, Miss St., Auburn, Tennessee/Vandy winner) but it's also a trip to lowly Shreveport.

The Big 12 may only have 6 bowl eligible teams for 7 contracted slots. It looks like CUSA, SunBelt and the MAC could have more eligible teams than contracted slots. I'm sure MH has been working the phones in case this happens so we can maybe fill a different bowl game.

CUSA has 7 contractual bowl tie ins and is likely to have 7 bowl eligible teams, so there is no reason to worry about filling any other conference's slots... If by chance, CUSA ends up with 8 bowl eligible teams (if FAU wins) then the Independence Bowl slot would be CUSA's first filler priority. There is no possible way that CUSA can have more than 8 eligible teams.

Bowl eligible (6) –
MTSU
FIU
Marshall
UAB
La. Tech
North Texas

Possible (2) -
Southern Miss 5-5
FAU 5-6