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Sure, it’s been the Year of the Bronco in the Mid-American Conference, but if you’ve followed the Belt long enough you know that we celebrate the MAC’s entire catalog. And Saturday at 5:30pm we’ll all get a chance to kick off bowl season with the first day of action and the first example of MACtion! (See what I did there?)
For Toledo, it was a 9-3 season that basically came down to one game, their season closer against the aforementioned Western Michigan Broncos. That matchup became a de facto MAC West Championship game that catapulted WMU into the Cotton Bowl and the New Years 6 and for all intents and purposes took some of the shine off an otherwise outstanding Rocket 2016.
In their bowl opponent, Appalachian State, Toledo can put a statement win on their resume over a “name” mid major opponent from the Sun Belt, or the MAC of the South as James so eloquently put it in his Camellia Bowl preview piece available here. App State took the college football world by storm right out of the gate this season with their near upset at Tennessee, and followed through with their own 9-3 record and share of the conference crown. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic opening salvo to the MAC slate and the bowl slate in general.
Current betting interests out in the desert have App State as one point favorites after an open that saw Toledo as a 2.5 point favorite. The over/under has moved up as well from a 56.5 open to 60.5, and knowing these two squads even that might not be enough.
All your bowl goings on for this the opening weekend of the bowl season:
2016 College Football Bowl Opening Weekend TV Schedule
| Bowl | Team | Location | Time (ET) / TV | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowl | Team | Location | Time (ET) / TV | Streaming |
| Gildan New Mexico Bowl | New Mexico vs. UTSA | Albuquerque, NM | 2 p.m. / ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Las Vegas Bowl | Houston vs. San Diego State | Las Vegas, NV | 3:30 p.m. / ABC | ESPN3 |
| Raycom Media Camellia Bowl | Appalachian State vs. Toledo | Montgomery, AL | 5:30 p.m. / ESPN | WatchESPN |
| AutoNation Cure Bowl | UCF vs. Arkansas State | Orlando, FL | 5:30 p.m. / CBSSN | CBSSports.com |
| R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl | Southern Miss vs. UL Lafayette | New Orleans, LA | 9 p.m. / ESPN | WatchESPN |
It’s bowl season, you guys! YOU GUYS, IT’S BOWL SEASON! AND WE HAVE MACTION ON DAY ONE!! Plan ahead. This is not a drill.