With speculation swirling about Ball State University's possible bowl destination, Ken Hoffman, executive director for two Mid-American Conference bowls, is one of the few people who can make an accurate prediction.
Hoffman, who will issue invitations to participants in the Motor City Bowl and International Bowl, said no decisions would be released until after the MAC Championship Game. The game kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday in Detroit and pits Central Michigan University against Miami University. However, Hoffman said a Miami loss would probably mean Ball State fans will travel north during winter break.
"In all likelihood I would think that Ball State could go to the International Bowl or Motor City Bowl," Hoffman said, adding that Central Michigan would go to the opposite bowl of Ball State and Bowling Green would earn a bid to the GMAC Bowl. "There are obviously several different moving parts involved, so it's very difficult at this juncture to predict where everybody will end up."
Hoffman's prediction came in the wake of the NCAA's official announcement Tuesday that Miami must win Saturday to receive an invitation to one of the three bowls with MAC ties - the Motor City Bowl, GMAC Bowl and International Bowl. The NCAA passed a waiver for the RedHawks to be bowl eligible even with a loss that would produce 6-7, but they can't be chosen before a conference opponent with seven wins or more.
Hoffman said he believed the NCAA's ruling was fair.
"I think the commissioner [Rick Chryst] did the right thing in requesting that Miami not be penalized for participating in the championship game," Hoffman said. "[Miami] would have been able to go to a bowl before any other six-win team but not before a seven-win team."
If Miami were to win the MAC crown Saturday, Hoffman said, the RedHawks and Central Michigan would be the first two teams chosen for the MAC tie-in bowls. In that scenario, there would be four seven-win MAC teams and three bowls, forcing the odd team out to search for a bid to an at-large bowl. Hoffman said Ball State or Bowling Green would be chosen for the final MAC-affiliate game.
Cardinals' coach Brady Hoke, who has been in contact with numerous bowls, said it doesn't matter to him where his team goes as long as it gets the opportunity to play another game this year.
"We're anxious, and we'd love to go play anywhere," Hoke said. "Which bowl doesn't matter to us right now."
If Miami loses, one aspect that will significantly affect Ball State's bowl placement is the MAC's opponent in the Motor City Bowl, Hoffman said. Traditionally, the first- or second-place MAC team is matched up with the seventh-place Big Ten program. Most predictions currently have Michigan State University representing the Big Ten, but Purdue is another possibility.
The Boilermakers have already played Central Michigan this season in a game that finished with a 45-22 Purdue victory in West Lafayette. Even though Ball State would be the third-place MAC team, Hoffman said, it could a better option to play in the Motor City Bowl if the other participant is Purdue.
"Central Michigan and Purdue would be a rematch, and that's usually not your best choice," Hoffman said. "It's not always bad to see a rematch, but bowls will usually avoid it."
Hoffman said one of his primary responsibilities during the past couple weeks has been answering telephone calls from coaches and athletics directors looking to make their pitch to play in either of his two bowls. One of the athletics directors who have been on the other end of a call is Ball State's Tom Collins.
Collins said he has called six various bowl representatives of both MAC-affiliate games and possible at-large events.
"We're trying to make sure all the bowls have an idea of what a terrific football team we have here," Collins said. "It's my job to make sure there's no stone left unturned and everybody knows we're out there."
Collins said the most promising sign he's seen is he doesn't have to tell any of the bowl representatives much about the Cardinals' football team. Hoffman said he already knew a great deal more about Ball State than what its record was. While he sees many positives, he also said there is one question mark that has yet to be answered.
"They certainly have some players that will be playing in the NFL on that team, particularly on the offensive side of the ball," Hoffman said. "The one question is nobody really knows what kind of a traveling school they would be. The students there were in elementary school when Ball State went to their last bowl. So that's kind of an unknown."
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