2010 GMAC Bowl
The 2010 GMAC Bowl will be the eleventh edition of the college football bowl game, and will be played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM US EST on Wednesday, January 6, 2010. The game will be telecast on ESPN and will match the Central Michigan Chippewas, champions of the Mid American Conference, against the Troy Trojans, champions of the Sun Belt Conference.
The opponent for the MAC team was scheduled to be the ninth selection of a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, the ACC only produced seven bowl-eligible teams in 2009. Therefore, the GMAC Bowl was able to select an at-large team that was bowl eligible and did not have a prior conference tie-in. Many had felt that the invitation would go to Notre Dame, who finished the season at 6-6. After lengthy meetings the Notre Dame administration made the decision that they will not go to a bowl game following the 2009 season. Also, Notre Dame would only have been eligible to fill the slot after all available teams with 7 or more wins had been accommodated. Several sportswriters pointed to the comparatively low payout of the bowl and the potential humiliation if Central Michigan (then the likely opponent) defeated the Irish.[1][2]
Troy ultimately filled the slot after Southern Miss claimed Conference USA's slot in the 2009 New Orleans Bowl. Although that game has a guaranteed berth for the Sun Belt champion, the organizers used their prerogative to invite the conference's second-place team, Middle Tennessee, not wishing to repeat its Troy–Southern Miss matchup from 2008. As a 9-win team, Troy had priority over any 6–6 teams not already tied to specific bowl games.
Game Facts
-Neither team has appeared in the GMAC Bowl prior to this matchup.
-The game will be the only non-BCS game to match two conference champions.
-MAC representatives are 5-3 in the game but have lost three straight.
-The Chippewas are ranked for the first time in 35 seasons as a Division I, or FBS, team.
-The game will mark the first ever meeting between the two teams.
References
- ^ Sharp, Drew (December 5, 2009). "Notre Dame avoids MAC, takes easy way out of disappointing year". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ VanOchten, Brian (December 5, 2009). "Central Michigan has reason to be proud while Big Ten neighbors continue to struggle". Grand Rapids Press. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
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