Northern Illinois's loss helps BC

Northern Illinois lost in the MAC Championship Friday night. Prior to the game, everyone had them penciled into a BCS game. With the loss neither Norther Illinois or the team that beat them -- Bowling Green -- will be in one of the elite bowls. That's good news for BC but not in the obvious way. We're not suddenly going to a BCS bowl in their place. But another team from a major conference will and that will open yet another lower level bowl.

Right now BC is still in the mix for Shreveport and obviously Dallas. But the TV folks would rather have BC in one of the random bowls instead of Dallas. The Heart of Dallas Bowl is carried on ESPN U and on New Year's Day. For someone like me, that's no big deal. But ESPN the best ratings and audience numbers. Relegating a team from a big market with a decent regional following to a bowl on a channel without great national reach like ESPN U doesn't make sense for ESPN. They would rather have us in a pre New Year's Bowl on one of their main networks. Then the casual BC fans are more likely to watch.

We will know all the bowl news Sunday night. Right now it is a game of Musical Chairs. Odds say we are still going to Dallas, but if that is not where ESPN wants us, things can change.