Friend of Blog/Frequent Commenter/Degenerate Gambler Jamie Mac, in between laying parlays on Champion’s League Soccer and seekings the most authoritative website on NCAA Women’s Basketball point-spreads, took some time to lay some odds of his own on the race for the Motor-City Bowl. To read more of Jamie Mac, check out his awesome diaries at MGoBlog. To scream at him to finally get his own blog, because he’s a better writer than 99% of the blogosphere, yell at him in the comments.

Attention Comrades! Due to the harsh economic conditions of the day, new solutions are required to raise money for the Revolution. We have received word that state sanctioned gambling has now been legalized and encouraged. With the upcoming football season right around the corner, the WLA proudly releases its future odds on the Big 10 invite to the Motor City Bowl. Every fall its an exciting chase to see who gets to spend Christmas in Detroit. If you’re going to be forced to celebrate this garishly watered down by runaway Capitalism soiree, it might as well be in the greatest of American cities, Detroit, where our proud union card carrying comrades have helped spur an amazing urban renaissance with their own gambling houses. We look to join them with our Motor City Bowl odds. It is expected that we can raise up enough rubles where we can finally stop the turnip rationing and allow the people to put a third and fourth wheel on their tractors. 

THE LONGSHOTS 

Ohio State,  50-1 

If you bite on this line, here’s what you’re basically banking on happening: Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announces another round of state budget cuts. With less money to spread around, OSU receives less dough to pass around to its football players. In protest of the pay cuts, the Buckeye players take a few dives along the way. Despite trying to flip the switch on for Michigan, the Bucks fall to a fired up Wolverine team in Ann Arbor, dropping them to a 6-6 record. A Motor City Bowl official walks into the lockerroom to invite them to the bowl, but Justin Boren mistakes him for a pizza and eats him. Unless, a lingering Alex Boone out in the halls mistakes him for a six pack and drinks him first. In other words, if you bite on this line, then you are a sucker. In related news, Tateriffic  and half of the Scout Michigan message board have left messages on our ‘for amusement purposes’ phone line already. 

Swing Game: USC, 9/13. Another whipping at the hands of the Trojans could send this team on a spiral. The pay cuts only make things worse. 

Penn State, 30-1 

A juicy longshot. Maybe the departure of the famed 2005 recruiting class that helped revitalize Penn State is enough to put the Lions over the edge and into legit Motor City Bowl contention. Stranger things have happened. If this comes through, we’ll have to make some heavy payouts, but no worries. We hear the Penn State program has a drinking and fighting problem, which is just the right combination for Detroit. We plan on making plenty of money back by running square, over/under and lottery pools on the various arrests and shenanigans PSU players will be involved in while prowling the Motor City Casino or the clubs across the river. A Penn State appearance in Detroit means profit for the Revolution. Seriously, if Navarro Bowman’s crew bumps into Rasheed Wallace’s crew at any point during the bowl stay we’ll rake in enough cash to build Tate Forcier a gold walled harem for all the tail he’s collecting around town. 

Swing Game:  at Michigan, 10/24. The loser here will be sitting pretty for Detroit. Penn State could come in with a sparkling record, but a loss could set them up for a rough November with road trips to Northwestern and Michigan State and a home game with OSU. A loss in Ann Arbor might net us a surprising candidate for Christmas in Detroit. 

THE DARKHORSES 

Iowa,  12-1 

These odds might seem a little short given the bullish feeling some have for the Hawkeyes. If Jewel Hampton can run strong, the club shouldn’t miss too many beats in the post Shon Green era. They’re a sleeper in the Big 10 race, so why are their odds closer to IU than Penn State in the critical chase for a Detroit Christmas? It’s the schedule. They might have the nastiest road slate in all of the Big 10. All their tough games are on the road, which is a perfect recipe for qualifying for Detroit. With Ken O’Keefe, the Hawkeyes will have the perfect offensive strategy to take advantage of such a lucky schedule. One thing is for sure. If the Hawks make it to Detroit, the parties will have an epic time on their field trip to Windsor. I’ll take the Over on quasi sexual assaults. And parlay it with the Over on how many days the staff can cover it up. Winner winner, chicken dinner.  

Swing game:  Arizona,  9/19. This home game wedged between road games against Iowa State and Penn State defines the term sandwich game. The Hawks always have trouble with the Cyclones. And, you know the Nittany Lions will be focused just a wee bit on the Hawks after last season’s upset. With their road slate, the Hawks need to win this Arizona game. If not, this club could be the early October leader for Destination Detroit. 
 

Northwestern, 12/1 

These odds seem pretty long for a program that needs to claw its way to bowl eligibility, even when it has a good club. Not only has this team been to a Motor City Bowl before, but its lost one. Could this be the best bet on the board? I dont know. Northwestern actually is a January bowl game sleeper. They might have the league’s top returning QB, outside of Happy Valley and Columbus. With a lot of the core returning that nearly toppled Missouri in last year’s Alamo Bowl, Northwestern has a lot of different postgame dreams. Detroit is just one possible destination. 

Swing Game: at Purdue, 10/3. The Wildcats have a tissue paper soft first half schedule. If they manage a road win against the Boilers, this club could start 6-0 with a home game against Indiana still on the slate. Seven win teams usually get snubbed by the Motor City Bowl, so the Cats could be out of contention before the World Series begins. 

Wisconsin, 10-1 

The mere presence of Brett Bielema on the sidelines for Wisconsin should make you consider taking a flier on this one. The Badgers have some of the best skill players in the league, a budding quarterback prospect every bit as good as Tate Forcier to lead it and, of course, its usual set of Hogs up front to block. The offense should be explosive. It should be enough to overcome a defense in transition. It should keep the Badgers in good stead all season. Key word, however: Should. Things don’t always go according to plan with Mr. Bielema calling the shots. Every time you’re thinking of betting Wisco this season, do not, I repeat do not, forget to add in the Bielema Factor into your handicapping equation. We’re talking about a coach who time and time again last season saw momentum shift away from his team after ill fated option calls blew up on him in short down and distance situations. Its one thing to completely ignore the fact that Jonothan Clay was your best tailback last season, but its a whole different ballgame running a pitch option with P.J. Hill. By all accounts, he should start Curt Phillips at QB, but probably won’t get around to it until a three-game losing streak threatens to destroy the season.  

Swing Game:  Iowa, 10/17. Thanks to four September home games, the Badgers might look threatening with a fast start. This grudge match against the Hawkeyes in mid October will tell us what kind of stakes the Badgers will be playing for in November.  

Illinois, 10-1 

A team with as much offensive firepower and individual defensive talent should not go anywhere near the Motor City Bowl. Yet, the Illini were so painfully close to nabbing this bid last season. Had they topped Northwestern in the season finale, we would have been treated to Illinois/CMU in Detroit last season instead of the CMU/FAU match we actually received. By all accounts, Illinois should win nine games, but when the Zooker is at the helm, you almost have to expect a win total a few shy of expectations. 

Swing Game: Penn State, 10/3. With a September slate that includes a neutral site game against Missouri and a trip to Columbus, it’s conceivable that the Illini could still be looking for their first FBS victory of the season when the Nittany Lions come to town. If that’s still the case when the Lions leave town, Illinois would have three losses and eight games left. Folks with 10/1 tickets in their pockets would have to feel good about their chances at that point. 

MICHIGAN STATE, 10-1 

The goal of equaling their basketball brethren of making it to Detroit for the postseason will drive MSU all season long. Sparty probably feels like they’re beneath a trip to the Motor City Bowl, but everyone knows they have just the right mixture of talent and underachieving tradition to be the perfect local partner for this prestigious bowl game. Expected to receive even worse QB play with Brian Hoyer off to an NFL Scout Team, don’t sleep on the Spartans in this chase. It might be worth a nickel play. 

Swing Game: The week after any loss. Sparty has chiseled out a well known reputation for skidding into a tailspin once they lose a game. This decade alone, MSU is 19-30 following a loss. You cant have an October without Halloween and a series of Oh No Sparty moments. From Perles to Williams to Johnellesmith this tradition has been upheld by all who’ve blown the coaching whistle for MSU. Without a quarterback he trusts, nor the ability to just call Ringer’s number every play and hope for the best, look for Mark Dantonio to step up this season and leave his own mark on this proud aspect of Green and White tradition. Would anybody be surprised if a string of these moments puts MSU on Detroit’s radar? Come to think of it, maybe we should reduce these odds.