Sat, Dec. 15, 5:30 pm ET
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (ESPN)
(7-6) Eastern Michigan 21, (10-3) Georgia Southern 23

Tue., Dec. 18, 7:00 p.m. ET
Boca Raton Bowl (ESPN)
(8-6) Northern Illinois 13, (11-3) UAB 37

Wed., Dec. 19, 8:00 pm ET
Frisco Bowl (ESPN)
(9-4) Ohio 27, (7-6) San Diego State 0

Fri., Dec. 21, 12:30 pm ET
Bahamas Bowl (ESPN)
(7-6) Toledo 32 vs. (9-4) Florida International 35

Fri., Dec. 21, 4:00 pm ET
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (ESPN)
(7-6) Western Michigan 18, (7-6) BYU 49

Sat., Dec. 22, 7:00 pm ET
Dollar General Bowl (ESPN)
(10-4) Buffalo 32, (10-3) Troy 42

Eastern Michigan currently leading Georgia Southern 21-20 with 1:45 remaining...

Go Eagles!

Bummer. EMU loses it on a last second field goal 23-21

Somebody could write a painful novel about all the crushing defeats the MAC has had in bowls in the last decade-plus. When EMU was one 4th-and-long stop from victory, I thought, here we go again.

Off the top of my head (blowout losses suck too, but I’m talking about defeats pulled from the jaws of victory):

FIU over Toledo in Detroit
Ball State loss to Arkansas State
Bowling Green vs Idaho
CMU near-miracle in Bahamas
Miami FG block vs Miss State
EMU last year
CMU-Purdue shootout in Detroit


Ugh. These still hurt my head to think about.

Yeesh, EMU had that game but gave up a huge QB run on 4th & 10 that allowed the other team in FG range.

(12-15-2018 11:27 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeesh, EMU had that game but gave up a huge QB run on 4th & 10 that allowed the other team in FG range.

Coach C should have punted on 4th down.

And probably shouldn't have tried throwing a bomb on 3rd down when they only needed 2 yards for a 1st down.

Dear MAC,
It doesn't matter what play was called at those times as described by above posters. If, they worked, everything would have have been called genius. It's easy to be a Monday quarterback, and not call plays from the sidelines
Be all of that, what killed us was allowing a thirty yard run, on fourth and ten.

(12-16-2018 03:21 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear MAC,
It doesn't matter what play was called at those times as described by above posters. If, they worked, everything would have have been called genius. It's easy to be a Monday quarterback, and not call plays from the sidelines
Be all of that, what killed us was allowing a thirty yard run, on fourth and ten.

No s*** Sherlock. You play the percentages in that kind of situation, the upside weighted against the probability of throwing a long pass is way different than a run to get those two yards. It doesn't take Lombardi to see that. Disappointing loss..

Dear Love and Honor,
Coaches gamble all of the time. Everyone has an opinion on what should have been called, as the game played out, those plays were no longer of any consequence. Maybe they could have, but talking about them is moot in the end.

W vs L for a conference during a collection of bowls doesn't tell the whole story.

Instead, I put wins & losses in different categories:
- Won by Stomping Margin (+3)
- Won by Solid Margin throughout game (+2)
- Won by Narrow Margin in close game (+1)
- Loss by Narrow Margin in close game (-1)
- Loss by Solid Margin throughout game (-2)
- Loss by Stomping Margin (-3)

So IMO: Mac is -1 right now.

(12-16-2018 04:14 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Love and Honor,
Coaches gamble all of the time. Everyone has an opinion on what should have been called, as the game played out, those plays were no longer of any consequence. Maybe they could have, but talking about them is moot in the end.

So people should just watch the games and not talk about them or think about the strategies used.

If you actually believed that, you wouldn’t be here. The whole purpose of this board is to discuss all things MAC. Sorry you can’t handle some mild criticism of your team’s boneheaded play calling. Yeah, it’s boneheaded in hindsight—that’s the only time you can evaluate what the coaches do: after they do it. Sheesh.

Dear axeme,
Go jump in the lake. Anyone can talk about whatever suits them, but to criticize play calling is ridiculous. If, that is the criteria for discussion here, then I will be calling out every team that loses a game for their stupid play calling.

You are certainly welcome to believe that there is no such thing as good and bad play calling. (Although THAT is ridiculous.)

Sometimes teams that win do dumb things and get away with them, and teams that lose play smart and well but lose anyway. But sometimes teams that lose blow it with bad decisions. And fans will criticize the whole lot, good and bad, whether you like it or not. COACHES DO MAKE BAD DECISIONS THAT COST THEIR TEAMS GAMES. And sometimes the players just don't execute a good idea.

Dear axeme,
Your last statement is correct, and therefore to criticize play calling is stupid. You do realize that coaches design plays to go for touchdowns. Therefore, the concept of calling plays bad or good, lies in execution. How many games have you coached?

Obviously, this discussion is pointless. You don’t believe that coaches make mistakes in play calling, it’s all on the players. Enjoy the point of view. I happen to believe coaches can fail to read the opposition and therefore don’t put their players in the best position to succeed. And sometimes it is the players who fail. Fans reserve the right to comment on which they see.

And your last comment is beyond absurd. I don’t need to be a surgeon to recognize a botched operation. Or fill in your own analogy. There are about a hundred that fit. Enjoy your evening!

It was painful to watch EMU blow that game. I'm with Axeme. Coach decides to call a long ball two times in a row with 2 yards to go for the first? The first throw was pretty bad, the second one even worse. I had a feeling Georgia Southern was going to convert on that 4th and long considering how unlucky the MAC can be.

Anyone is certainly welcome to criticize NIU's coach's bonehead decisions too, if that makes you feel better

EMU has had a lot of tough losses the last few years. Snake bit it seems


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I want to first say EMU was being held all game! Including on GSU's 2nd touchdown run. Take an option team like that back 10 yards with a penalty and it becomes a whole different ball game.

Secondly, this seems like the 4th year in a row the Sun Belt has gotten away with an abundance of holds on both sides of the ball. The close Troy - Ohio, App State - Ohio, and App State - Toledo games come to mind. Last year was just a disaster, UT had no shot, and clearly did not want to be there.

Is it me, or does the MAC have everything to lose in these Alabama bowl games? Playing in a de facto away game, against a conference that is year in and year out listed 2nd to last, or last in terms of strength does not really make the most intriguing match-ups for MAC teams and MAC fans. Much less, who really wants to go to Montgomery, AL? Cheers to the EMU fans that made that trip, but the conference needs to do better with these bowl tie-ins.