WMU on Cotton Bowl: No debate, ‘We’re in’
Detroit — Debate? What debate?
Western Michigan players and coaches have gone out of their way in recent weeks to shrug off all the Cotton Bowl talk, and the Mid-American Conference disrespect, and all that outside noise.
Well, not late Friday night, following a thrilling, 29-23 victory over Ohio in the MAC championship game at Ford Field.
The Broncos said Friday’s game was a slam-shut statement, as they finished the season 13-0.
“I don’t think there’s really much to sit there and study,” coach P.J. Fleck said. “We deserve the Cotton Bowl, period. It’s not that hard.”
The College Football Playoff committee will determine the four playoff opponents and the New Year’s Six competitors.
The final CFP rankings come out Sunday, and if the committee deems WMU far enough ahead of two-loss Navy — which plays in its conference championship game Saturday, then against Army on Dec. 10 — then it’ll be the Broncos as the “Group of Five” representative in the Jan. 2 Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. The opponent likely would be from the Big Ten.
“Thirteen-and-0,” MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said. “Can’t get much better than that. They find a way to win.
“The Broncos deserve the Cotton Bowl.”
The argument against WMU is the strength of schedule. It beat two Big Ten teams to start the season, but beat just two Football Bowl Subdivision teams with a winning record. The CFP definitely likes Navy’s quality victories better than WMU’s, despite the two losses.
But how can you tell the MAC its undefeated team doesn’t get the New Year’s Six slot? That would be an awfully dicey precedent.
“We belong,” WMU athletic director Kathy Beauregard said.
It’s been a remarkable two-year run for WMU, which last year won the first bowl game in program history, and this year reached the national rankings for the first time before finishing the season perfect — one of two undefeated teams left, joining top-ranked Alabama.
Hard to imagine now this team was 1-11 in Fleck’s first season in 2013.
So, state your case to the Cotton Bowl, Corey Davis.
“We’re in there, we’re there,” the star receiver said, rather nonchalantly, after directing the marching band in the playing of the school’s fight song. “Of course.”
Representatives from the Cotton Bowl were scheduled to be in attendance Friday night, but were not in their assigned seats if they showed up. Again, it’s the CFP committee that will fill out the slate.
If the CFP decides that WMU and Navy are too close, then that final New Year’s Six slot will be delayed until after the Army-Navy game next week. Navy (9-2) first plays Temple in the American Athletic Conference championship game Saturday.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
Twitter.com: @tonypaul1984