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2011 ESPNU BracketBusters Matchups:

Kent State at Drexel (ESPNU)
Creighton at Akron
Ball State at Wofford
Bowling Green at Youngstown State
UW-Milwaukee at Buffalo
Central Michigan at Niagara
Jacksonville State at Eastern Michigan
Miami at James Madison (ESPN3.com)
Seattle at Northern Illinois
Ohio at Winthrop
Eastern Illinois at Toledo
Illinois State at Western Michigan

Cool! Youngstown is a 45 min drive from Akron.

Kind of disappointing with BG leading the MAC. Youngstown is really struggling this year.

Personally the way the team is playing I would take a lesser quality opponent and a chance at a W over a tougher opponent and a possible loss. This team is building from game to game and personally I think W's build more confidence than anything. The only way we are making any post season play is to win the MAC regular season (guaranteed NIT bid) or win the MAC championship and go to the big dance. We could play Duke and lose by 50 or somehow beat them it is not going to help our resume. Let's just keep the confidence running high!

Go Falcons

gmartin wrote:Personally the way the team is playing I would take a lesser quality opponent and a chance at a W over a tougher opponent and a possible loss. This team is building from game to game and personally I think W's build more confidence than anything. The only way we are making any post season play is to win the MAC regular season (guaranteed NIT bid) or win the MAC championship and go to the big dance. We could play Duke and lose by 50 or somehow beat them it is not going to help our resume. Let's just keep the confidence running high!

Go Falcons

I agree...PUNCH THE PENGUINS!

[Side note: I would like to see BG men's team play George Mason someday, considering the Jim Larranaga tie - they are very, very good again this year]

I was really hoping we would open the Stroh with George Mason

gmartin wrote: We could play Duke and lose by 50 or somehow beat them it is not going to help our resume. Let's just keep the confidence running high!

Go Falcons

I understand what you're saying. Even though Duke isn't a possibility in the Bracket Buster. Personally a team like Wright State would have been a better game.

Playing at Youngstown State will not be easy and while people are counting it as a gimme, the exact opposite could happen. A loss there would be a tough pill to swallow.

gmartin wrote:Personally the way the team is playing I would take a lesser quality opponent and a chance at a W over a tougher opponent and a possible loss. This team is building from game to game and personally I think W's build more confidence than anything. The only way we are making any post season play is to win the MAC regular season (guaranteed NIT bid) or win the MAC championship and go to the big dance. We could play Duke and lose by 50 or somehow beat them it is not going to help our resume. Let's just keep the confidence running high!

Go Falcons

Yup. We're not on the bubble. Let's go beat these guys by 20, play our whole rotation, and keep the momentum.

Bottom line is that this is crap...a team that is 5-2 in conference is paired with a team that has 1 win in conference play. If they are going to do this then they need to do it right. I don't think the selection people care after they get the tv games picked.

I still would face a lower quality team on the road with a chance at a W than playing a team with a .600 winning percentage where we could lose by 20. This team is gaining confidence each week. Why play a tougher opponent and possibly take a step back and losing focus. A big loss could hurt the teams focus going into the last four HUGE Mac games and going into the MAC tournament. Personally I think this is the best thing to hope for.

Now if we were like 13-5 and need to bolster our resume as got selected to play YSU then I would be extremely upset but right now this team needs to stay focused and WINS are the best way.

BB matchups are done almost entirely with RPI. Even with the recent success, Bowling Green is still hovering near the 250 mark. If you're not playing on TV, priority falls to finding a close opponent in distance and RPI. The conference will usually help arrange the game.

Be happy you're not NIU, who has to make a trip to Seattle in the next two years.

gmartin wrote:I was really hoping we would open the Stroh with George Mason

Blame Larranaga. He agreed to come and open the place and then backed out when we wouldn't agree to his last minute stipulation about CAA officials at the Stroh.

transfer2BGSU wrote:

gmartin wrote:I was really hoping we would open the Stroh with George Mason

Blame Larranaga. He agreed to come and open the place and then backed out when we wouldn't agree to his last minute stipulation about CAA officials at the Stroh.

I had not heard that. Wow! That is surprising. Couldn't we get Big 10 refs or Horizon League. If that is true that really is a DB move.

Hdog wrote:
I agree...PUNCH THE PENGUINS!

[Side note: I would like to see BG men's team play George Mason someday, considering the Jim Larranaga tie - they are very, very good again this year]

Anyone else remember a game vs. Youngstown State in which Ed Colbert did just that and knocked a guys tooth out at mid court as the teams were going in at half time?


Also, missing on that list is Vermont at College of Charleston which I believe will be televised and I might attend. . .

Youngstown State just knocked off Butler tonight at YSU. I know Butler is down from last year, but still.