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The season did not start out looking good for the MAC- in week 1, the league went 3-10 out of conference, including Temple’s loss to 1-AA Villanova and several beatings at the hands of mid-level BCS conference schools. But things turned around for the league- Central Michigan beat Michigan State and Toledo beat Colorado in week 2, and the league race turned out to be very compelling down the stretch.
It wasn’t all glory, of course, the league’s bottom four teams had abysmal years, several of them with a chance to go winless, and ultimately one of them did. Last year’s league finalist fell hard too, and new coaches found the going tough this season.
So here are, once again, the reversed power rankings with a look at the 2009 season.
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Just a quick note to mention that the rest of the week will remain pretty quiet out here. Enjoy your week away, or check out Army-Navy on Saturday if you need a fix to get you through to Bowl Season. Personal matters are pulling me away from the desk through the end of the week or [...]
Well, that was quite an afternoon and evening. I got to spend the day tracking and hunting bowl matchups, and somewhere around 5 PM word got out that Boise State and TCU would be relegated to playing each other. We also found out that for no reason whatsoever, Cincinnati had jumped TCU in the rankings, Florida stayed above Boise despite getting stomped, and that at least six voters in the two polls still think Texas is the best team in America.
The BCS is, of course, patting themselves on the back because they always think they’re doing great. But they’ve missed out on chances to set up much more interesting and competitive bowls, but eschewed them in order to protect their big brands.
So, lets set the BCS games aside and look at what should be some of the best bowls this season that won’t get as much hype, and a couple I’m not so enthusiastic about. This isn’t going to be an in-depth breakdown, just a first reaction…
Quality Matchups
Wyoming vs. Fresno State, New Mexico Bowl, December 19- Wyoming is only 6-6, but they’ve played tough against some really good teams, while Fresno wrapped up at 8-4. Fresno should be a favorite, but I think the game could be pretty even.
Temple vs. UCLA, EagleBank Bowl, December 29- Temple could play Army if they beat Navy, but I think this is a great game for the Owls. UCLA is not that great and they’re coming across the country to play in Temple’s back yard. Looking forward to this one.
Bowling Green vs. Idaho, Humanitarian Bowl, December 30- This one could total in the 100s. Bowling Green has an insane passing attack, and Idaho has shown the pass defense of a tire hanging from a tree. A still one. But the flipside has been true- Idaho can move the ball, while BGSU’s D has been suspect too.
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Assuming that voters don’t revolt and put TCU ahead of Texas, here’s how the BCS picks are going to be played out, along with my predictions. I’ve also thrown in a couple of C-USA predictions too, since they’re the only league who’s champion has changed from my last batch.
First pick: Sugar, replacing Alabama: Florida.
Second: Fiesta, replacing [...]
That was quite a night of football. The refs gifted Texas the Big 12 victory, with what I think was in inaccurate ruling of a horse-collar tackle (last I knew, you had to drag the guy down by the horse collar, not just touch it and let go), and a pair of bogus pass interference calls [...]
It wasn’t quite the shootout I expected, but Central Michigan won a defensive battle over Ohio to claim the 2009 MAC Championship last night. An early turnover from Dan LeFevour in the red zone kept the game scoreless for much of the first quarter, but their offense got on track and eventually led into halftime 17-7. [...]
I haven’t made this weekly, since things haven’t changed that fast in the conference landscapes, but now I think we’re ready to have another look. Bowls are listed in the approximate order of selection again, but in some conferences this is not a specific pick. I’m also making guesses as to the reps from the big leagues, but those are harder since I don’t know as much about the politics involved in each of the big 6.
BCS Bowls
The BCS picture still isn’t great for Boise State. With TCU and the SEC runner up basically locked in, they’re still competing for one of two remaining spots. It’s looking like the leading candidates for those spots are either Iowa or Penn State, the Broncos, and now Oklahoma State, if they overcome Oklahoma in Norman this weekend. Two spots for three teams is better than what BSU was looking at before, but if it all comes down to a business decision, they could the third team on the list of two.
Sugar- TCU vs. SEC runner up
Fiesta- Boise State vs. Iowa or Penn State. Boise fans have to be hoping/praying/begging for the Sooners to step up this weekend.
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Our very compressed week continues on the Fringe today, where I’ll update the coaching watch and have a brand new bowl projections, with some new and corrected information from last time I tried it. Then tomorrow, the Pub column will run and I’ll have potentially abbreviated weekend previews for you. After that, the action moves to [...]
Both of our Western conferences were shuffling around, primarily waiting for a big week 13 slate. The WAC did see a near upset and one overtime game, while in the MWC, New Mexico escaped from a winless season before they head over to Fort Worth for this weekend’s finale. Also, TCU has locked up the Mountain West Championship.
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Our last wrapup stop in the east before swinging west, and Conference USA is the least-decided league so far. Four teams are still alive in the title chase, although the SMU Mustangs chances are greatly diminished compared to the other three. Houston only needs to beat Rice, while the winner of ECU vs. Southern Miss will settle the eastern division. Championship scenarios down below. Read Post
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