NIU down, where do we stand now?

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:12 pm

I've heard so much speculation about how the MAC will shake out with an NIU loss to Toodledoo that I'm admittedly extremely confused about what is going to happen now.

As I THINK I understand it, if we beat Marshall and Toledo and NIU losses to the EMUs, we win the west. Please correct me if I am horribly mistaken.

And, if the above scenario is the case, please tell me what you think the EMUs' chances are against the puppies. I can't tell you how much I think this Falcon team deserves the title...

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:14 pm

That is correct, BG needs to beat both Marshall and Toledo, and EMU needs to beat NIU, for BG to go to the MACC.

kdog27 · Post by **kdog27** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:16 pm

You are right with that. Personally i think EMU has a 50/50 chance. Crappier teams (BSU, UCF, and SIU) have fallen just short. Luck doesn't last forever. EMU can beat this team. No doubt

BGSU99 · Post by **BGSU99** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 12:10 am

Should NIU beat Eastern and get to the MAC Title Game, I am hoping Akron is the East representative, or even Miami. With the records of either of those East Division teams, combined with us winning out, we would have to be considered the second best team in the MAC. One of the bowls has to take the MAC Champion, but the other bowl is not necessarily obligated to take the loser of the MAC Title Game. That's why it is imperative that we take care of business in these last two, and if Northern ends up in the MAC Title Game, we need them to win it. The MCB took us last year because we had beaten NIU and UT, so we were clearly the second best team in the league. The worst thing that could happen would be for us to drop a game, or for Northern to get to the MAC Title Game and get upset by Miami or Akron. If we take care of business and go 9-2, I have to believe we end up in a bowl somewhere, although that may be wishful thinking on my part. As of now, though, we are still alive. Sure was weird rooting for the Rockets tonight. Now we need to root for Eastern to pull off the upset against Northern, and we must win out. We also need to put people in the seats because there may be bowl scouts at the game this Saturday. We can't afford to only have 18,000 this weekend.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:10 am

Let me say this on all these scenarios.

We are glossing over the fact that we have to win out. This will be no small feat. We should beat Marshall, but its not a push-over, and they are always dangerous. And that Toledo team that played last night is not the team that lost to Kansas and Minnesota early in the year. They were sharp and dangerous, with strong run and pass, even going downfield. On their home field with a championship on the line, they are going to be very tough to beat. Not saying we won't win, just saying that I thought Toledo looked much improved last night.

Mr. Frieda · Post by **Mr. Frieda** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 7:55 am

I was told last season by the Motor City Bowl chairman that once the MACC teams are set, the GMAC bowl gets to basically pick one of them, since their game is so early in the year. MAYBE, they will have the option of taking "any" MAC team (Bowling Green) but I do know that they're "supposed" to take one of the two championship teams, whereby the Motor City Bowl is left with the other team, i.e. BG last year.

Personally I dont want to go to GMAC Bowl. It's during Finals week and no one cares about a bowl game at that time of year, plus we'd have horrid attendance due to school still being in session. I am hopeful for a game over break!

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:30 am

Well you folks wanting UT to win got what you wanted.

There a few times I thought last nights game looked like a photo-negative version of how we lost to them. Not an exact comparison of course. But NIU came out, was supposed to have a better offense, but struggled, let UT stay close, and got too far down to come back. UT staid true to form. They had issues early. Rallied in the third quarter, and hung onto the lead to win.

I wasn't overly impressed with UT, they didn't do anything new or different. NIU didn't really change their defense much, and all but invited UT to run the ball all night long. Not only did that eat clock, it let UT get into a flow. NIU also got beat much as they did against us last year. They couldn't run the ball, and like a house of cards, they collapsed. Their QB is really that exceptional when the entire offense isn't clicking. Some of those passes were utterly bone-headed. UT wasn't able to must any deep passing game last night, not that the rockets try much. The zone defense NIU ran might have had something to do with that. But they couldn't mount pressure on the QB and never adjusted to the dump-off option he always has.

I'm left watching NIU and feeling burned. I wonder how the heck we lost to those guys. I know they didn't have their flashy new RB, but their old starter was back and you'd expect them to do better. Maybe UT has the Whammy on NIU.

UT has several glaring points of weakness. The biggest mistake anybody could make is looking at them as unbeatable. It remains very much the same team that was ripped apart earlier this year. They just need to be reminded of it.

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:34 am

orangeandbrown wrote:Let me say this on all these scenarios.

We are glossing over the fact that we have to win out. This will be no small feat. We should beat Marshall, but its not a push-over, and they are always dangerous. And that Toledo team that played last night is not the team that lost to Kansas and Minnesota early in the year. They were sharp and dangerous, with strong run and pass, even going downfield. On their home field with a championship on the line, they are going to be very tough to beat. Not saying we won't win, just saying that I thought Toledo looked much improved last night.

If we had beaten anyone this year, I'd feel more comfortable. If we hadn't fell apart when faced with a physical team (ok, some cheap shots also) I'd predict two wins.

But I really don't think Toledo looked that good. NIU changed their gameplan, forgot to seal the ends again and again, and forgot to cover the receivers. I wish they would have played that way with us.

CapitalFalcon · Post by **CapitalFalcon** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:53 am

My personal opinion, I don't think we will be in for a repeat in the MACC. I don't see NIU dropping their last two games. However, I do like our chances this year of going to a bowl game even without a MACC appearance. So I guess I am a glass half empty and half full kinda guy!

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:02 am

The odd truth is, I feel better about our going into UT and beating them now, than I did before the game. I feel pretty good about how we match up against everything the rockets tried. I have the slightest feeling EMU could actually beat NIU in Yipsi. I am starting to feel that NIU struggled at times this year, not because they were a great team playing down, but because they were at their limits trying to stay at that level.

So long as we win this week we should be ranked by the UT game.

Now we just have ignore UT for a week and focus on putting the Herd down.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 11:02 am

Well, we will see. I never would have marked them as unbeatable, but I thought they looked very solid. They did do anything new, but what they do they do well. You can't ignore the fact that they have done what we have failed to do twice, and that's win @NIU.

Just saying, on their home field with a title on the line, they're going to be tough.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 1:27 pm

I can see NIU losing @EMU. If EMU can win at Kent this weekend, they will be playing for a 6-5 Overall season and 6-2 MAC. NIU might be reeling after last night and EMU can put up points.

EMU is a team to keep an eye on in the next few seasons...

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 1:31 pm

orangeandbrown wrote:Well, we will see. I never would have marked them as unbeatable, but I thought they looked very solid. They did do anything new, but what they do they do well. You can't ignore the fact that they have done what we have failed to do twice, and that's win @NIU.

Just saying, on their home field with a title on the line, they're going to be tough.

Yes they will be....but there is something about this BG team that oozes confidence. Ever since that 2nd half at NIU...I know we haven't played the best teams but we get outta the gate and take care of biz. We all play the same opponents in the West division.

But, we need to thump the Herd first....then talk UT. One at a time...One at a time....

Falcon30 · Post by **Falcon30** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 6:19 pm

Falconfreak90 wrote:I can see NIU losing @EMU. If EMU can win at Kent this weekend, they will be playing for a 6-5 Overall season and 6-2 MAC. NIU might be reeling after last night and EMU can put up points.

EMU is a team to keep an eye on in the next few seasons...

well, since EMU is playing to become Bowl Eligible, that seals it!

EMU 24 NIU-12

GO HUR-EAGLES

HuskieDan · Post by **HuskieDan** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 11:26 pm

NWLB wrote:Well you folks wanting UT to win got what you wanted.

There a few times I thought last nights game looked like a photo-negative version of how we lost to them. Not an exact comparison of course. But NIU came out, was supposed to have a better offense, but struggled, let UT stay close, and got too far down to come back. UT staid true to form. They had issues early. Rallied in the third quarter, and hung onto the lead to win.

I wasn't overly impressed with UT, they didn't do anything new or different. NIU didn't really change their defense much, and all but invited UT to run the ball all night long. Not only did that eat clock, it let UT get into a flow. NIU also got beat much as they did against us last year. They couldn't run the ball, and like a house of cards, they collapsed. Their QB is really that exceptional when the entire offense isn't clicking. Some of those passes were utterly bone-headed. UT wasn't able to must any deep passing game last night, not that the rockets try much. The zone defense NIU ran might have had something to do with that. But they couldn't mount pressure on the QB and never adjusted to the dump-off option he always has.

I'm left watching NIU and feeling burned. I wonder how the heck we lost to those guys. I know they didn't have their flashy new RB, but their old starter was back and you'd expect them to do better. Maybe UT has the Whammy on NIU.

UT has several glaring points of weakness. The biggest mistake anybody could make is looking at them as unbeatable. It remains very much the same team that was ripped apart earlier this year. They just need to be reminded of it.

I think you're pretty right on here. But we were able to do about whatever we wanted early in the game - our first three drives ended in scores, and the first play of the second half should have put us up 24-14. But from that point we just fell apart and it did look a bit like the NIU/BG game - their OL just took it at us and the play action bootleg passes worked constantly.

UT was the better team last night. NIU was the better team back in September. Our O has been rolling up the points, so there's no reason to believe that they'd fall apart like that except to take into consideration the way we lost our best offensive threat this year - Wolfe. We could have won without him, much like we won without Haldi, but the way it happened really appeared to take away our edge and swagger - two days beforehand involved in a fight (helping break it up - was not arrested) at a supposedly "off-limits" bar.

We can certainly lose to a resurgent EMU considering the state of mind our guys must be in. But we can also beat them - our team didn't get horrible overnight. That said, BG will play UT after knowing whether beating UT will give them the West title or not. If we do win, we all have to hope that BG accepts the possibility of a bowl game and beating an archrival as motivation.