FOOTBALL: MAC Roundup

Throughout the 2008 college football season, Co-Sports Editors Vinnie Lopes, Kyle Shaner and a guest will pick the winners of games involving MAC teams and select other games. This week's guest for the bowl games is Daniel Human, the managing editor of The Ball State Daily News.

GMAC Bowl

Two teams that lost in their conference championship games will play in the GMAC Bowl. Ball State lost to Buffalo in the MAC title game after entering the game 12-0 while Tulsa lost to East Carolina after starting the season 8-0. Although Ball State failed to win the MAC championship, it will look for its first bowl win in program history. The Cardinals played five teams that made bowl games this year, recording four wins and one loss. The Golden Hurricane only played three bowl teams this season, beating Rice and losing to Houston and East Carolina. Tulsa's athletics director, Bubba Cunningham, preceded Tom Collins as Ball State's athletics director.

Lopes: TulsaShaner: Ball StateHuman: Ball State

International Bowl

Fifty years after declining an invitation to the Tangerine Bowl because the Orlando High School Athletic Association would not allow Buffalo's two black players to compete against white players, the Bulls are heading to their first bowl game. Coming off a win against then-No. 12 Ball State, Buffalo will play a Connecticut team that has lost two in a row and three of its last four games. The Huskies are 2-5 since the beginning of October, with wins against Cincinnati and Syracuse. Buffalo on the other hand has won six of its last seven after starting 2-4.

Lopes: ConnecticutShaner: BuffaloHuman: Connecticut

Eaglebank Bowl

Wake Forest will get a chance to avenge its loss to Navy this bowl season. The Midshipmen beat then-No. 16 Wake Forest 24-17 Sept. 27. After starting the season 3-0, with a win at then-No. 24 Florida State, and being nationally ranked, the Demon Deacons finished the season 4-4 after the loss to the Midshipmen. Navy, after starting the season 2-2 with losses to Ball State and Duke, followed up the win against Wake Forest with six wins compared to two losses. Three of Navy's losses this year have come against bowl teams - Ball State, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame.

Lopes: Wake ForestShaner: NavyHuman: Navy

Hawaii Bowl

Of Hawaii's seven wins this season, only two came when it went to the continental United States. The Warriors will get to keep their comfortable island surroundings for their bowl game when they play Notre Dame in the Hawaii Bowl. It is the fifth appearance in the bowl game for Hawaii since 2002. The Irish return to the postseason after failing to make a bowl game last year with their 3-9 record. Notre Dame has not won a bowl game since the 1994 season. Notre Dame and Hawaii previously met twice in Honolulu, with the Irish winning 48-42 in 1991 and 23-22 in 1997.

Lopes: Notre DameShaner: HawaiiHuman: Hawaii

Motor City Bowl

For the third-consecutive year Central Michigan will play in the Motor City Bowl. The Chippewas lost to the Boiler makes last year after defeating Middle Tennessee State in 2006. Florida Atlantic will play in its second bowl game in program history, which began in 2001. The Owls beat Memphis 44-27 last year in the New Orleans Bowl. Florida Atlantic's coach, Howard Schnellenberger, built the Owls' program from scratch and is 5-0 all-time in bowl games, including leading the 1983 Miami Hurricanes to a win in the Orange Bowl and a national championship.

Lopes: Central MichiganShaner: Florida AtlanticHuman: Central Michigan

Texas Bowl

All three of Western Michigan's and all three of Rice's losses this season came to teams that made bowl games. The Broncos lost to Ball State, Central Michigan and Nebraska while the Owls lost to Texas, Tulsa and Vanderbilt. Rice is coming off six consecutive wins and has the fifth-best passing attack in the nation. Western Michigan is 10th nationally in passing. Rice has not had 10 wins in a season since 1949 and has not won a bowl game since the 1954 Cotton Bowl. Western Michigan is looking for its first bowl win and its first 10-win season ever.

Lopes: RiceShaner: RiceHuman: Rice

Independence Bowl

At 6-6, Northern Illinois avoided being one of the five bowl-eligible teams to not make the postseason, which included fellow MAC team Bowling Green. San Jose State of the WAC, which Louisiana Tech is also a member of, was also left out of a bowl along with three Sun Belt teams. Northern Illinois, which finished 2-10 last year, and Louisiana Tech, which finished 5-7 last year, will meet in the game which is held in Louisiana. Playing in their home state, Bulldog fans bought more than 2,000 tickets for the game even before Louisiana Tech was officially announced as accepting a bid to the game.

Lopes: Northern IllinoisShaner: Louisiana TechHuman: Louisiana Tech

StandingsVinnie Lopes: 67-19Kyle Shaner: 65-21Guest: 58-28

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