By George B, Eichorn
What a college football bowl feast for the state of Michigan as five of our university teams compete from now through January 1 in the states of Michigan, New York, Florida, New Mexico and Texas.
The biggie is the University of Michigan Wolverines playing No. 9 Alabama on New Year’s Day in Orlando at Camping World Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN and WWJ-AM 950. Coach Jim Harbaugh versus coach Nick Saban. Be aware the Crimson Tide are not happy at missing the College Football Playoff for the first time since its inception in 2014.
U-M is ranked No. 17 and brings a 9-3 record against the 10-2 Tide. After a second consecutive blowout loss to Ohio State, Michigan will need to muster everything it can to stop Saban’s powerful team. Senior QB Shea Patterson better be ready for the Alabama defense while U-M’s defense will likely face long, grinding drives by Bama.
MSU settled on New York City and the Pinstripe Bowl facing the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, December 27, 3:20 p.m., ESPN & WJR-AM 760. Yankee Stadium is the site of this 6-6 Spartans and 8-4 Demon Deacons matchup. It’s coach Mark Dantonio’s 12th bowl in 13 seasons.
The Spartans should be grateful they went anywhere this season after surrendering game after game this Big Ten season. The fact that Michigan State has a traveling fanbase locked them in for the Big Apple. Dantonio and starting senior QB Brian Lewerke should be able to beat a Wake Forest team that has lost three in a row.
Detroit and Ford Field host the Quick Lane Bowl on December 26 as the Eastern Michigan Eagles take a bus trip on I-94 from Ypsilanti to play the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, 8:00 p.m., ESPN. The 6-6 Eagles were more than happy to fill the usual Big Ten slot in the annual game, their third bowl appearance in four seasons. The game marks a homecoming of sorts for Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, the former Michigan State assistant under Mark Dantonio.
While drawing MSU would have been a sure sellout at Ford Field, this matchup should bring in more fans than the usual 20-25,000 who attend. The Detroit Lions remain the only NFL team that sponsors and promotes its own college bowl game.
Central Michigan University lost at Ford Field December to Miami (Ohio) in the MAC Championship. But they still were awarded a western U.S. bowl, facing San Diego State (9-3) in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque, December 21, 2 p.m., ESPN.
The 8-5 Chippewas are one of college football’s Cinderella stories, winning just one game a season ago and playing for their conference title game this season. Coach Jim McElwain has attracted a lot of interest as spots open up for coaching changes nationally. Beating the Aztecs will not be easy for the Chips as SD State has a powerful defense.
The Western Michigan University Broncos (7-5) travel to Gerald R. Ford Stadium in Dallas to face Western Kentucky (8-4), December 30, 12:30 p.m., ESPN. WMU is led by LeVante Bellamy, the top MAC player and an offensive sparkplug. WMU has a terrible 1-8 all-time bowl record so a win would be most welcome for fans traveling to Texas.
Football fans nationally circled December 28 as a red-letter day as the four-team national playoffs begin. The top-seeded LSU Tigers (13-0), Southeastern Conference champs, face Big 12 champion Oklahoma Sooners (12-1), in the Peach Bowl, Atlanta, 4 p.m., ESPN. The other semi-final is the Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Arizona, 8 p.m., as Big Ten champion Ohio State (13-0) face Atlantic Coast Conference winners Clemson (13-0), also on ESPN. The winners of these games meet January 13, 8 p.m., at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans.
Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DSBA2.
