Siap, interesting bowl projections with connections to Michigan.
November 5th, 2017 at 7:44 PM ^
in my projection system because my system gives very heavy weight to my wife's vacation requests.
November 5th, 2017 at 7:44 PM ^
a New Year's Day bowl unless it completely tanks the final two games because of its ratings and attendance draws. If Michigan goes 10-2, it isn't going to the Foster Farms whatever bowl. I mean I get the appeal to play a school with a former Michigan and Harbaugh coach narrative attached to it. But you only seek that as a marketing scheme when Michigan is only available because of a less than sterling record.
November 5th, 2017 at 7:52 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 8:39 PM ^
November 6th, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
The non-CFP New Year's Six Bowls this season are the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange and Peach Bowls. If the Big Ten champion doesn't qualify for the Orange Bowl this season, then it would become one of the at-large participants in the Cotton, Fiesta or Peach Bowls. So, an 8-4 Michigan could wind up in the TaxSlayer Bowl or Music City Bowl before it would be relegated to the Pinstripe Bowl or Foster Farms Bowl, unless 9-3 Northwestern were to jump Michigan into one of those bowls.
For attendance sake and publicity sake, either the Music City Bowl in Nashville or the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, both of which would have an SEC team as the opponent probably would prefer an 8-4 Michigan over a 9-3 Northwestern.
Still, (1) a trip to NYC for the Pinstripe Bowl would give promoters and sponsors the "Don-Brown-Reunion Bowl" if Boston College were the opponent AND it most likely would boost attendance in an area where there are many current and former Michigan students, and (2) the Foster Farms Bowl would give promoters and sponsors the "Harbaugh-Back-in-49ers-Country Bowl" AND possibly boost attendance in an area where there are many current and former Michigan students. Also, in either of those locations, Michigan's coaches would be able to connect with recruiting targets in New Jersey and California.
November 6th, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^
You say "If the Big Ten champion doesn't qualify for the Orange Bowl this season..."
Actually, the Big Ten champion can not qualify for the Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl must pick the highest ranked available non-champion from the B1G or SEC, or Notre Dame...and they have the option of not scheduling a regular-season rematch. If not in the top 4, the Big Ten Champion must go to an "access bowl." The access bowls are Peach, Cotton, and Fiesta.
Personally, I think the most likely outcome is: (1) Big Ten champion plays Central Florida in the Peach Bowl, and (2) Because Miami will be the top-ranked ACC team, the Orange Bowl will choose to pass on Notre Dame (to avoid the rematch) and take a Big Ten team as well.
I think that with 2 Big Ten teams in the NY6, Michigan ends up in San Diego.
November 6th, 2017 at 1:44 PM ^
Big Ten picks teams in "tiers." If there is only 1 Big Ten team in the NY6, or 2 teams with 1 in the Orange Bowl, it's distributed this way:
#1 goes to the NY6.
#2 goes to the Orange or the Citrus bowl.
#3 and #4 go to the Outback or Holiday bowls.
#5, #6 and #7 go to the Taxslayer/Music City, Foster Farms, or Pinstripe Bowls.
#8 and #9 go to the Quick Lane or the Armed Forces/Heart of Dallas Bowls.
Michigan at 8-4 would be a 5/6/7 pick, along with Iowa and Northwestern. Figure guaranteed Foster Farms IF Stanford is the Pac 12 team there. Pinstripe is most likely otherwise (although nobody cares about the Don Brown/Boston College angle outside of Michigan and Boston College). Hopefully the Foster Farms comes through, but that's just personal preference. I would have no desire to see Michigan in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Michigan at 9-3 would likely be a 3/4 pick.
Michigan at 10-2 could possibly sneak into the NY6.
November 6th, 2017 at 4:11 PM ^
Agree that the Foster Farms Bowl in the home of the 49ers would be preferable to the Pinstripe Bowl, if Michigan finishes 8-4 with no marquee wins and on a two-game losing streak. Jim Harbaugh and Michigan in the Bay Area would generate publicity for the game, regardless of the opponent, but a Michigan-Stanford bowl game would be very appealing.
As for having Michigan play in the Pinstripe Bowl, it would be within driving distance and reasonably accessible by public transportation from my home, so, for selfish reasons, I wouldn't mind it. Of course, it would be subject to being played in what could be terrible weather conditions.
If the Pinstripe Bowl opponent were Boston College, I think that the Don Brown angle would help at least a little from a publicity standpoint for a game that probably would be considered a terrible consolation for Michigan, but there also might be another angle. What other college football team would be able to say that they visited the Colosseum in Rome and played a game at Yankee Stadium in the same year?
November 5th, 2017 at 7:57 PM ^
Not really the bowls we were hoping for obviously. Maybe we can get a free bag of foster farms chicken wings, though. I wouldn't complain about that.
November 5th, 2017 at 8:02 PM ^
That’s a game where RichRod would sleep maybe 5-10 hours the whole month of December game planning for us. Not to say that I don’t think we could beat them, but that game would have the makings of RichRod’s whole team rallying around him and playing above their heads in a “let’s win one for coach and get revenge on his former school.”
Nothing to gain by playing it.
November 5th, 2017 at 8:15 PM ^
So yes, I agree. Nothing to gain by playing it.
November 5th, 2017 at 8:16 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 9:01 PM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 10:46 PM ^
Not to be totally cynical, but no doubt!
November 5th, 2017 at 9:30 PM ^
Let's see....a bowl thread involving Michigan versus a team coached by Rich Rodriguez? Nope, not doin' it, guys. That thread is on its own. I know better.
Then again, there is the Foster Farms Bowl, formerly the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, where I am sad to say there apparently was no macaroni and cheese to be had.
November 6th, 2017 at 9:51 AM ^
November 5th, 2017 at 9:35 PM ^
I think if two teams from the same conference are selected, they have to not have played each other. Otherwise, what's the point? They've already settled it on the field. If Georgia and Bama play each other already, then one of them should not be in the CFP. If they are both in the playoff then make them face off the first round. Worst title game ever was two SEC teams.
November 5th, 2017 at 11:18 PM ^
could turnout to bite WI. Even if WI wins the B1G undefeated they most likely will not get into the playoffs. Probably OU, Clemson, GA and AL in the playoffs.
November 5th, 2017 at 11:26 PM ^
was struggling us to a 7-5 record. We got the BWW bowl and Hoke got our ass kicked by KSU. I would not mind playing KSU for some pay back.
November 6th, 2017 at 5:22 AM ^
November 6th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
Take each of these projections and you'll see that there are five different bowls being picked as Michigan's destination and seven different schools are being projected as Michigan's bowl game opponent.
CBS Sports projects Michigan vs. Boston College n the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City on December 27.
Bleacher Report projects Michigan vs. Texas A & M in the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville on December 30.
Sports Illustrated projects Michigan vs. Mississippi State in the Outback Bowl in Tampa on January 1.
ESPN projects either Michigan vs. Stanford in the Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara on December 27 or Michigan vs. Arizona in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on December 28.
SB Nation projects Michigan vs. LSU in the Outback Bowl in Tampa on January 1.
The Sporting News projects Michigan vs. USC in the Holiday Bowl on December 28.
November 6th, 2017 at 11:38 AM ^
There are literally a million variable trees between the 100 or so teams still fighting for bowl contention from now until the end of the season.