BG vs OSU 2003 - Four Years Fown the Road

[MACMAN]

2003: 11-3
2004: 9-3
2005: 6-5
2006: 4-8

That's a downfall, Freak.

I know you're a Brandon fan, and I can respect that, but this guy has flat out not gotten it done as head coach. I am still holding out hope that the AD will be able to can him after this season if things don't turn around drastically, but you're probably right that he'll get the '08 season to prove himself as well.


I have no doubt the guy will work his tail off, but my doubt lies in his ability. I could work my butt off to become a PGA golfer, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen; the natural ability is just not there. I wish Brandon the best, and I hope I'm wrong. I hope we come out and win 8-9 games this year and rebound as a program. I'm just not convinced that Brandon knows how to fix the problems this team has.

GB has the ability to get it done, but right now hes just lost it. He does deserve one more season after this (even though I have made no attempt to hide my great disappointment in his judgments regraurding many things from players with no character to punt formations and play calling.) He just wound way to tight...maybe he needs to run the show from up in the stadium club this year cause if he stays this tight ........lets just say ive said it all all ready.

[Falconfreak90]

For all you guys that think Coach B is a buffoon and doesn't have a clue...what makes you qualified to be a coach? Anyone? Some people here think it is so easy to coach a team...well, step up to the plate. People say Brandon hasn't gotten it done. What is that? Win a division title? Win a bowl game? He hasn't won the MAC, I'll grant you that and that needs to happen, IMO, for him to get a contract extension. Let's look at Joe Novak at NIU. Has he gotten it done? He's been there, what, 10 years now? NIU has not won the MAC under his leadership. Brandon's had 4 years...3 winning seasons, 1 losing season.

Coach B has over 25 years of experience. Don't write the dude off for one bad season when the odds were stacked against us from the start of the 2006 season. 8 road games, the FEWEST # of returning starters in the MAC, injuries that caused a lot of Freshman to get thrown into the fire. People seem to forget we lost, oh, about 97% of our offensive firepower from the 2005 team. And, we got spoiled. I know I just assumed BG would reload and had too high expectations going into last year.

What did Urban get done here? A top 25 ranking...Brandon also had ranked teams.

I'm saying all this cuz I've grown pretty tired of the potshots taken at this coach. Yes, it's all about winning and ya gotta produce. Everyone knows that. But how does an "idiot, buffoon or moron", whatever you call him, last this long in the coaching profession? GB will never be the greatest HC ever...that's Doyt Perry. But if you think he's an idiot, let me tell you some stories about Moe Ankney. Please. That was a downfall.

Give Brandon his due...his contract runs out in 2009. The only other thing besides a MAC title he needs to do is BEAT TOLEDO> I will be a very unhappy camper if BG loses that game again this year. I do hope I see more focus from our team in that game. We MUST win this year.

Ok...I'm done. I guess the last hours before kickoff bring out the worst in me. LOL. We're all Falcon fans and want the team to win it all. It's cool we can discuss and agree to disagree. Time will prove some of us wrong and some of us right.

GO FALCONS!!

[Warthog]

For all you guys that think Coach B is a buffoon and doesn't have a clue...what makes you qualified to be a coach? Anyone? Some people here think it is so easy to coach a team...well, step up to the plate.

I coach junior high CYO football. I'll give it a shot if GC will hire me!

People say Brandon hasn't gotten it done. What is that? Win a division title? Win a bowl game? He hasn't won the MAC, I'll grant you that and that needs to happen, IMO, for him to get a contract extension. Let's look at Joe Novak at NIU. Has he gotten it done? He's been there, what, 10 years now? NIU has not won the MAC under his leadership. Brandon's had 4 years...3 winning seasons, 1 losing season.

Freak I love your enthusiasm, but I have issues with some of this. Joe Novak took over a program that was in shambles. They had bounced from being an Independent, to the Big West, to independent and back to the MAC over the course of six seasons. Novak took over the one season they were independent after leaving the Big West and before re-joining the MAC. One win the first season, then zero the next. But after that it was a steady climb up, 5, 6, 6, 8, 10 wins followed by 9, 7, and 7. Once he brought the team to a championship level, they have been able to maintain it and have been a contender every year.

Brandon, on the other hand, just rode the wave of Urban's success the first season. Those players were still filled with the 'drug' that Meyer fed them to be successful. Yes, we won 11 games, but then only 9, and then 6 and then 4. Steady trend downward. At no time has a Brandon-led team improved from the previous season.

Those are the facts as I see them. I hope as much as you do that we have a great season. But, I have much lower expectations given my views of the head coach.

[1987alum]

For all you guys that think Coach B is a buffoon and doesn't have a clue...what makes you qualified to be a coach? Anyone? Some people here think it is so easy to coach a team...well, step up to the plate.

I coach junior high CYO football. I'll give it a shot if GC will hire me!

I hope my years with Pop Warner Football qualify me for a spot on your staff!

[hammb]

I have no experience coaching football, and haven't played since Jr. High. I'm 100% not qualified to be a coach, nor am I qualified to tell Gregg Brandon what he's doing wrong on a specific basis. I have no idea how to reach athletes and get them to perform to their maximum potential. From watching tons of football I have an idea on some of the Xs & Os, but that's about it.

That said, I don't think you need any of that stuff to question a coach. Gregg Brandon took over one of the best teams in the MAC at a time when the MAC was probably the best it's ever been. In the 4 years since he got here the conference has gotten worse and we've gotten worse in comparison to the conference. In other words he was handed a Ferrari and has steadily parted it out until we're left with a Yugo.

I certainly don't think Brandon is an idiot, buffoon, or moron. I just think he's a sub-par head football coach. How does he last this long in coaching? Because I think he's damn good at other coaching positions. He was a wonderful offensive coordinator here, and I'm sure he was a great position coach elsewhere. I think what we see in coach Brandon is a perfect example of the Peter Principle at work. If they fired him tomorrow from the head job, I wouldn't have any reservations whatsoever about rehiring him as the offensive coordinator...I just don't think the head job really suits his personality or coaching style. He's better behind the scenes developing the playbook.

I'd love to be wrong, but I just don't see it like you do. Judging his success based on winning seasons just doesn't cut it to me. The quality of competition we play is just too low for that to be an accurate benchmark of success. Every year we play 5 of the bottom 10 teams in all of college football. It's going to take more than just beating those teams to make me think highly of him as a coach. I want to see improvement and growth in the program...we've done nothing but go backwards since he got here. He's not Urban, nor will he ever be, but that's who he's following. Urban may not have gotten us to a bowl game, but I think he accomplished far more here than Brandon has.

[Falconfreak90]

Good post, hammb. Yes, we play some of the worst teams in the nation...but we also are playing 2 BiG Ten schools again this year. Purdue and OSU in 03, Oklahoma in 04, Wisky in 05 and Wisky and OSU in 06. We have MN, MSU and BC this year. I think we make up for the Buffalos and EMUs there. And don't forget that Boise State squad as well. BG can't help it that some of the worst teams in the nation are in the MAC. BG plays the sked handed to them.

Like I said, we can agree to disagree and that's a cool thing. It would get very boring here if we all agreed all the time...like that stuff on Bucknuts.com.

I still hope you're wrong. Looking forward to some deep fried oreos and pizza rolls!

[Warthog]

For all you guys that think Coach B is a buffoon and doesn't have a clue...what makes you qualified to be a coach? Anyone? Some people here think it is so easy to coach a team...well, step up to the plate.

I coach junior high CYO football. I'll give it a shot if GC will hire me!

I hope my years with Pop Warner Football qualify me for a spot on your staff!

You're overqualified.