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I believe this has the potential to shape up as one of the most lopsided match-ups of the bowl season for several reasons.
First, Central Michigan is playing in this bowl for the 3rd straight season, and there is no question there is a regional advantage.
Second, I think a quick study of how the teams fared against "quality opponents", meaning teams from major conferences or other bowl-eligible opponents shows a striking contrast in quality.
FAU results against quality opponents:
LOST to Texas 52-10
LOST to Michigan St 17-0
LOST to Minnesota 37-3
LOST to Troy 30-17
LOST to Arkansas St 28-14
In other words, when they played a "quality opponent," they lost by double digits every time and scored an average of 8.8 points/game. While Texas and Michigan St are certainly very strong, the other 3 are hardly powerhouses.
C. Michigan's slate against quality opponents:
LOST to Georgia 56-17
LOST to Purdue 32-25
WON against Buffalo 27-25
WON against W Michigan 38-28
WON against Indiana 37-34
WON against N Illinois 33-30
LOST to Ball State 31-24
First of all, the margins here are much slimmer, and secondly, the Chippewas actually have some experience beating quality teams. Close losses to Purdue and Ball State also read much more impressively than FAU's sked.
Next, here is the list of teams that FAU actually beat:
UAB (4-8)
W Kentucky (2-10)
LA Monroe (4-8)
LA Lafayette (6-6)
FLa Intl (5-7)
N Texas (1-11)
It is not FAU's fault that there schedule was loaded with some of the nation's worst teams, but this HAS to BE the most pitiful set of wins of any bowl team. The combined record of the teams they beat was 22-48. When they played a team that was even mediocre, they lost EVERY time. This is not a bowl team, it is simply a fluke of scheduling. Their 90 year old coach may have a stellar bowl record dating back 46 years, but this is not a team that deserves a bowl appearance, and not a team that should come close to a C Michigan team that has shown for 3 straight seasons an ability to win games and to play tough ball against quality opponents. FAU is not one of the 7 best teams that C Michigan will have played this season, and they won a number of those other contests.
I think this could be a bloodbath, and I feel comfortable laying 7 in a game in which scoring should be plentiful (not sure about 69 points plentiful though....)
Good luck.
First, Central Michigan is playing in this bowl for the 3rd straight season, and there is no question there is a regional advantage.
Second, I think a quick study of how the teams fared against "quality opponents", meaning teams from major conferences or other bowl-eligible opponents shows a striking contrast in quality.
FAU results against quality opponents:
LOST to Texas 52-10
LOST to Michigan St 17-0
LOST to Minnesota 37-3
LOST to Troy 30-17
LOST to Arkansas St 28-14
In other words, when they played a "quality opponent," they lost by double digits every time and scored an average of 8.8 points/game. While Texas and Michigan St are certainly very strong, the other 3 are hardly powerhouses.
C. Michigan's slate against quality opponents:
LOST to Georgia 56-17
LOST to Purdue 32-25
WON against Buffalo 27-25
WON against W Michigan 38-28
WON against Indiana 37-34
WON against N Illinois 33-30
LOST to Ball State 31-24
First of all, the margins here are much slimmer, and secondly, the Chippewas actually have some experience beating quality teams. Close losses to Purdue and Ball State also read much more impressively than FAU's sked.
Next, here is the list of teams that FAU actually beat:
UAB (4-8)
W Kentucky (2-10)
LA Monroe (4-8)
LA Lafayette (6-6)
FLa Intl (5-7)
N Texas (1-11)
It is not FAU's fault that there schedule was loaded with some of the nation's worst teams, but this HAS to BE the most pitiful set of wins of any bowl team. The combined record of the teams they beat was 22-48. When they played a team that was even mediocre, they lost EVERY time. This is not a bowl team, it is simply a fluke of scheduling. Their 90 year old coach may have a stellar bowl record dating back 46 years, but this is not a team that deserves a bowl appearance, and not a team that should come close to a C Michigan team that has shown for 3 straight seasons an ability to win games and to play tough ball against quality opponents. FAU is not one of the 7 best teams that C Michigan will have played this season, and they won a number of those other contests.
I think this could be a bloodbath, and I feel comfortable laying 7 in a game in which scoring should be plentiful (not sure about 69 points plentiful though....)
Good luck.
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