Man...I've seen all sorts of comments on here...so this is more like my $0.74 instead of my $0.02..but here goes...
First...props to the MAC teams who came out and pulled the upsets. Bottom line is that the MAC teams wanted 'em more than the victims. I will admit the Marshall and NIU wins were a bit of a surprise, but I thought Pitt was overrated anyways and I thought Toledo would beat 'em. Toledo's been beating Big 10 teams year in and year out; it wasn't a surprise to me.
Now...the question is should the MAC get more bowl bids. I say they should. The MAC should get 3 bids at least...cause I think Toledo, NIU, and Marshall all deserve a bowl right now...Bowling Green prolly should be added in there as well. However, and this sucks...bowls are political. A bowl committee is going to take a 7-5 BCS team over a 10-2 MAC team most of the time because of the fan base they can attract to the game. This even happens among the BCS conferences. Ask Ole Miss fans about 2 years ago, when Alabama, a 6-5 team, got into a bowl game over Ole Miss, who was 7-4 and BEAT Alabama. Hell, ask Arkansas, who won their own division and watched Auburn and LSU...teams we beat...go to NYD bowl games and we ended up in Nashville. That's a HUGE letdown. That's where the MAC gets screwed a lot of times. It's not like basketball, where the attendance plays no role because teams get sent all over.
On rankings... My Top 25 had 2 MAC teams... NIU and Toledo. As good a win as Marshall had...they are still 2-2 and I wouldn't put them in just yet. For fairness sake though, Kansas State was not in my Top 25 ballot either. Haven't beaten anyone good, and lost at home...that's enough for me to eliminate 'em. NIU though at #12...that's going a bit too far. I think more than 11 teams in this country can beat NIU head-to-head. I think #20 is a good spot for them...Toledo right on their heels at #21.
As for DrTorch.... as of today, the SEC is 1-1 against the MAC this year... NIU beat Alabama, Tennessee beat Marshall. In '02, the SEC was 2-0 vs. the MAC. If ya need the link...
http://www.secsports.com . I don't think the SEC has been getting 'thumped' by the MAC recently, though Alabama has fallen to UCF and NIU...they're gonna be a little concerned now. Arkansas, FYI, is 2-0 lifetime against MAC teams.
The top part of the MAC, on any given day, can play with the big boys. Could they have 10-2 seasons with an SEC or Big 12 or Big 10 schedule? Prolly not. They can pull upsets, but on a weekly basis, you're gonna get tired playing big game after big game. That happens with every team. Our guys had a letdown last Sat. in beating UNT 31-7. Should've been worse, but after the thumping of Texas in Austin...our guys were emotionally drained. To play tons of big games...you guys would prolly struggle a few years until the recruiting and depth improved. Bottom of the MAC sucks though. Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, Central Michigan.....yawwwwwwnnn. No offense to em, but they'd be smoked week in and week out.
On Ole Miss.... they play Florida in the Swamp...not easy...props by the way to Tennessee for that win. They got #7 LSU, and #9 ARKANSAS in that schedule too. They don't have the toughest schedule in the SEC by any means... Tennessee's is prolly the toughest, and we certainly didn't back down by playing (and beating) Texas, but an SEC schedule is never easy unless your name is Vanderbilt...and yes, Toledo, NIU, Bowling Green, Marshall, prolly Akron too, would all beat Vandy.
Personally, UA is never one to back down from a good challenge. We took on a powerful mid-major in Boise State last year...gave em their only loss. We got Texas here in 04, Southern Cal in 05-06, and Texas A&M and Michigan in the later years. We'll be happy to take on MAC schools again, and I'd expect a good, hard-faught game...with us winning though, no offense. I wish you guys the best...you have my respect in that you deserve more bowl games and more TV coverage while we're at it...but don't get TOO big a head... you're not a super conference just yet.
WPS
PS - Coaches poll sucks. How is Texas STILL ahead of us? That's BS. At least the AP puts us over Texas, and Oregon over Michigan.....too many Big 12 coaches in the coaches poll.