Reviving our yearly tradition

Mark Schlabach (ESPN) Camellia Bowl Louisiana-Monroe
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl San Jose State
Jerry Palm (CBS) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Colorado State
Patrick Andres (SI) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl San Jose State
Bill Bender (TSN) Detroit Bowl Michigan State
Brett McMurphy (Action) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Fresno State
Brad Crawford (247) Camellia Bowl James Madison
Oliver Hodgkinson (CFNet) Arizona Bowl Fresno State
Steve Lassen (Athlon) Bahamas Bowl Jacksonville State
Pete Fiutak(CFNew) 68 Ventures Bowl Old Dominion
Erick Smith (USAT) Frisco Bowl Louisiana-Monroe

Mark Schlabach (ESPN) Camellia Bowl Arkansas State
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl San Jose State
Jerry Palm (CBS) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl San Jose State
Patrick Andres (SI) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl San Jose State
Bill Bender (TSN) Camellia Bowl James Madison
Brett McMurphy (Action) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl James Madison
Brad Crawford (247) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Fresno State
Oliver Hodgkinson (CFNet) Arizona Bowl UNLV
Steve Lassen (Athlon) Bahamas Bowl Jacksonville State
Pete Fiutak(CFNew) 68 Ventures Bowl Marshall
Erick Smith (USAT) Cure Bowl UConn

SI is not yet updated for this week

The real question is, are these guys just plugging in holes at random to fill in a bracket or do they have some smidgen of inside info? The reason I ask is because the bulk of the predictions had us at the Salute to Veterans Bowl for several weeks but now that we are officially bowl eligible, most of the prognosticators are sending us back to Boise.

No, I don't think that they have any inside info. They just project out the remaining games and look at things, I think to varying degrees, like who has been to what bowl recently.

Mark Schlabach (ESPN) Camellia Bowl Arkansas State
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN) GameAbove Sports Bowl Michigan State
Jerry Palm (CBS) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl San Jose State
Patrick Andres (SI) Arizona Bowl Colorado State
Bill Bender (TSN) GameAbove Sports Bowl Rutgers
Brett McMurphy (Action) Arizona Bowl San Jose State
Brad Crawford (247) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl James Madison
Oliver Hodgkinson (CFNet) Arizona Bowl UNLV
Steve Lassen (Athlon) Bahamas Bowl Jacksonville State
Pete Fiutak (CFNews) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl San Jose State
Erick Smith (USAT) Camellia Bowl Georgia Southern

*Supposedly* Ohio gets bigger bowl ratings and sells more tickets than most other MAC programs, so inviting them back doesn't actually surprise me. I say supposedly because I don't think any MAC teams really do that well in the $$$$ sense in these bowls but I understand that the AB was very happy with the numbers from OU's visit two years ago and now it's a bigger deal and I, for one, would be very cool with OU being on a game that is actually nationally broadcast on over-the-air network tv. Believe it or not, but the CW has 100% coverage in the US because it has so many smaller stations in smaller markets along with the stations in the large markets.

Every mid-major will have to market themselves differently. This could be a great selling point as you stated. Even a nice presentation of transfers who went on to have success would work wonders (Rourke, Wiglusz, Sears, etc). Really proud of OU and its response to the "NIL/portal era" and the changing sports landscape of realignment.

Totally agree, I have been wanting this for years. Would love to play a 6-6 Wisconsin or something to that degree. Have we ever played a P5 team in a bowl? Just seems like we always get the same type of opponents.

After week 13: 11/13
Eligible (77): Tulane, Army, Navy, E Carolina, Memphis, S Florida, UTSA, S Methodist, Clemson, Miami, Louisville, GA Tech, Duke, Syracuse, N Carolina, Boston Col, Pittsburgh, California, BYU, Colorado, Arizona St, Iowa St, Kansas St, TX Christian, Texas Tech, W Virginia, Baylor, Oregon, Indiana, Penn St, Ohio St, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, Michigan, USC, Rutgers, Nebraska, Jksnville St, W Kentucky, Liberty, Sam Hous St, Connecticut, Notre Dame, Ohio, Bowling Grn, Miami (OH), Buffalo, Toledo, N Illinois, Boise St, UNLV, Colorado St, Fresno St, San Jose St, Wash State, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, S Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Marshall, GA Southern, James Mad, Louisiana, S Alabama, Arkansas St, Texas St

Ineligible (41): Charlotte, UAB, Rice, Temple, Tulsa, Fla Atlantic, Wake Forest, Stanford, Florida St, Houston, UCF, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma St, UCLA, Northwestern, Maryland, Purdue, LA Tech, Florida Intl, N Mex State, TX El Paso, Middle Tenn, Kennesaw St, U Mass, Akron, Central Mich, Ball St, Kent St, Utah St, Hawaii, San Diego St, Air Force, Wyoming, Nevada, Kentucky, Miss State, Old Dominion, Georgia St, Troy, S Mississippi

Teamrankings sum is 83.64. There are postseason 82 spots. There will be exactly 7 MAC teams as the winner of EMU/WMU is eligible. Every year I have done this that sum stays very consistent all year but then ends up 1 or 2 above the sum it as been predicting all year at the end of the regular season. I think that the model is fitted to all week predictions but it certainly does seem that more 5-6 teams beat 7-4 type of teams that are in a bowl but out of the conference race than you'd expect with the same performance gap in other weeks. I'd bet 2-4 eligible teams will be sitting home and the winner of MAC game will be one of them. With 8 wins we only have getting to the MAC Championship to worry about.

VA Tech 83.90%
North Texas 78.50%
W Michigan 67.50%
Coastal Car 53.10%
Kansas 51.40%
Wisconsin 50.60%
Cincinnati 46.00%
Michigan St 45.40%
New Mexico 36.40%
App State 35.30%
NC State 33.80%
E Michigan 32.50%
UL Monroe 16.80%
Virginia 16.10%
Auburn 9.80%
Oregon St 6.60%

I wonder if there will be a team or 2 which qualifies that will sit out the postseason. It has happened a few times (ND did it once as I remember)and I wonder if a team with a coaching search ( like NC)!would sit it out. Some fans at Toledo are calling for no bowl, but that’s after game frustration.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Toledo declines. It might depend on what happens with the Portal.

Call me crazy but if LSU loses to Oklahoma this weekend and/or does not get what they consider an upper tier bowl game invitation, I could see them passing on any bowl invite. Suffice it to say that fans in Baton Rouge and all over Louisiana are not happy with Coach Kelly. The problem is who has the money to payout $70,000,000.00 to Coach Kelly and pay BIG $$$$ to bring in a good new HC?

MAC Teams can't afford to sit out. We all need that bowl money since it's equally paid out. Highly doubt Toledo will decline a bowl invite and extra practices.