With one more victory, Michigan is likely headed to the Gator Bowl (Jan. 1 in Jacksonville, Fla.) or the Insight Bowl (Dec. 28 in Tempe, Ariz.)
Receiver Darryl Stonum said that's fine with him "as long as it's warm."
The Wolverines are bowl-eligible for the first time in Rich Rodriguez's three seasons as coach. A victory Saturday at Purdue would assure them of at least a 7-5 record. U-M is a 13-point favorite.
The Big Ten's pecking order for bowl bids has been broken into three groups with three weeks remaining:
* Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa are competing for probably two BCS bowls (Rose and Orange/Sugar), the Capital One (Orlando, Fla.) and Outback (Tampa, Fla.)
* Then there's Michigan (6-3), Penn State (6-3), Northwestern (6-3) and Illinois (5-4) in the middle of the pack. The bowls those teams are vying for select their guaranteed Big Ten entry in this order: Gator, followed by Insight, Texas (Dec. 29 in Houston) and then TicketCity (Jan. 1 in Dallas).
* And, finally, there's Indiana and Purdue, both 4-5 and needing to win two of their final three games to qualify. If one becomes eligible, it will likely go to the Little Caesar's Bowl (Dec. 26, Detroit).
One of the key pieces to determine Michigan's bowl destination hinges on whether the Big Ten gets a second BCS bid. The conference usually does receive two, and probably will again.
If so, it moves everybody up a notch.
The Wolverines, for instance, could jump all the way to the Gator, provided the Big Ten gets that at-large BCS spot.
On flip side, they also could fall to the Little Caesar's Bowl, but only if the conference fails to get the second BCS bid and, presumably, Michigan loses its last three games to finish 6-6.
The second-tier bowls don't have to follow the conference standings in making their selections. They can take any eligible team that's available. The bowl committees favor schools with large fan bases that travel well and generate high TV ratings.
Those factors, along with a marquee player like quarterback Denard Robinson, will work strongly in Michigan's favor. Given similar resumes, U-M almost always will be picked ahead of Illinois and Northwestern based on brand name alone.
A choice between Michigan and Penn State, with similar records, would be a tough call. Both have strong appeal nationally.
A bowl would probably opt for Michigan this year because of its high-scoring offense, which would lend itself to an exciting game. The trump card that turns everything in Penn State's favor is if Joe Paterno announces this is going to be his final season as coach. That would become a no-brainer for any bowl, making the Nittany Lions the more attractive option.
For Michigan, much depends on how Penn State, Illinois and Northwestern finish their seasons. Penn State should end up 7-5 or 8-4, depending on whether it beats Michigan State; Illinois also should be 7-5 or 8-4, depending on whether it beats Northwestern; and Northwestern should be 6-6 or 7-5, depending on the Illinois outcome.
More than likely, here's how it sets up for Michigan, assuming the Big Ten gets those two BCS bids as expected:
* Lose all three and finish 6-6: Texas (Houston) or TicketCity (Dallas).
* Win one and finish 7-5: Gator (Jacksonville) or Insight (Tempe).
* Win two and finish 8-4: Gator, unless Paterno is retiring.
* Win three and finish 9-3: First of all, pinch yourself to make sure you're still awake. The Wolverines, who play Wisconsin at home and Ohio State on the road in their final two games, actually could steal a bid to the Outback (Tampa) in this unlikely turn of events.
For a young team such as Michigan, which will lose considerable workout time over the next year following NCAA rule violations, the bowl bid is of extra importance with the additional practices allowed.
"We have a lot of young players that are going to have to develop and get ready to help us (next season), especially on defense," Rodriguez said. "That month of December, being able to work and have some practices, is going to be invaluable for them."
Hoops update
Michigan's basketball team, which opens Saturday against South Carolina-Upstate at Crisler Arena (7 p.m., BigTenNetwork.com), is likely to start two freshmen, 6-foot-5 guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and 6-9 forward Evan Smotrycz, and a redshirt freshman, 6-8, 240-pound center Jordan Morgan.
... Point guard Trey Burke (Columbus, Ohio) signed a letter of intent Thursday, shooting guard Carlton Brundidge (Southfield) is expected to make it official Friday and the Wolverines are still waiting on word from 6-10 Amir Williams (Detroit Country Day). Williams, ranked as the No. 2 center nationally by Scout.com, could announce his plans next week.
Nov. 12, 2010
