BG-Toledo live blog and game updates

[NWLB]

F**k UT.....

No need, they did a pretty good job of doing that to themselves.

[60yearsofsicsic]

As far the Bowl Talk is concerned I think playing UCONN in the IBowl would be a great game... I am a little afraid of the Tulsa factor because our D gives up huge chunks of yardage game after game.

Also I think Clawson and the offense had an opporunity today to put UT away very early and went to a conservative/bland offense can't say I like that approach; I think when it comes to putting teams away when they are down I liked the Brandon/Urban approach of going full-go until they stop you.... it seems Clawson would prefer to start running the clock out in the 2Q if he could.

I think Clawson has had a good first season I am interested to see the approach without Tyler and Freddie who make up 90% of our effective offensive plays... I think next year will tell us a lot more about how Clawson will coach and the sucess he will have while at BG.... It will also be interesting to see a recruiting class given a full year to hit the recruiting trail. Lastly, even if we get killed in a bowl game I think the 15 extra practices are the most important thing for the development of the younger players

[NWLB]

As far the Bowl Talk is concerned I think playing UCONN in the IBowl would be a great game... I am a little afraid of the Tulsa factor because our D gives up huge chunks of yardage game after game.

Also I think Clawson and the offense had an opporunity today to put UT away very early and went to a conservative/bland offense can't say I like that approach; I think when it comes to putting teams away when they are down I liked the Brandon/Urban approach of going full-go until they stop you.... it seems Clawson would prefer to start running the clock out in the 2Q if he could.

I think Clawson has had a good first season I am interested to see the approach without Tyler and Freddie who make up 90% of our effective offensive plays... I think next year will tell us a lot more about how Clawson will coach and the sucess he will have while at BG.... It will also be interesting to see a recruiting class given a full year to hit the recruiting trail. Lastly, even if we get killed in a bowl game I think the 15 extra practices are the most important thing for the development of the younger players

I agree that the coaches have to play a big more wide-open. UT did that and caught-up.

I'm not sure I like any prospective bowl match so far. And I would strongly disagree that being some sacrificial goat for a distinctly better team is NOT worth 15 practices. Those practices take place with a lot of departing talent, and are too far removed from next year to be a serious gain. I'd like a game BGSU can realistically win. I'd like my Alma Mater to not be publicly embarrassed like the last time Greg Brandon coached in the post-season. Being a total goat in some of these bowl games doesn't fool anybody. There is no grand glory or meaningful achievement to be utterly wasted against a team that is a poor qualitative match.

I love bowls, I'd love to see BGSU win one, if only to see how it makes Cowboyjoe p*** and moan more about how somehow it is a sign we shouldn't have axed Brandon. But some kind of slanted dance card isn't worth it.

[Bleeding Orange]

As far the Bowl Talk is concerned I think playing UCONN in the IBowl would be a great game... I am a little afraid of the Tulsa factor because our D gives up huge chunks of yardage game after game.

Also I think Clawson and the offense had an opporunity today to put UT away very early and went to a conservative/bland offense can't say I like that approach; I think when it comes to putting teams away when they are down I liked the Brandon/Urban approach of going full-go until they stop you.... it seems Clawson would prefer to start running the clock out in the 2Q if he could.

I think Clawson has had a good first season I am interested to see the approach without Tyler and Freddie who make up 90% of our effective offensive plays... I think next year will tell us a lot more about how Clawson will coach and the sucess he will have while at BG.... It will also be interesting to see a recruiting class given a full year to hit the recruiting trail. Lastly, even if we get killed in a bowl game I think the 15 extra practices are the most important thing for the development of the younger players

I agree that the coaches have to play a big more wide-open. UT did that and caught-up.

I'm not sure I like any prospective bowl match so far. And I would strongly disagree that being some sacrificial goat for a distinctly better team is NOT worth 15 practices. Those practices take place with a lot of departing talent, and are too far removed from next year to be a serious gain. I'd like a game BGSU can realistically win. I'd like my Alma Mater to not be publicly embarrassed like the last time Greg Brandon coached in the post-season. Being a total goat in some of these bowl games doesn't fool anybody. There is no grand glory or meaningful achievement to be utterly wasted against a team that is a poor qualitative match.

I love bowls, I'd love to see BGSU win one, if only to see how it makes Cowboyjoe p*** and moan more about how somehow it is a sign we shouldn't have axed Brandon. But some kind of slanted dance card isn't worth it.

Man, with that kind of attitude, why do we even bother coming out of the locker room when we're the underdog?

The bottom line is, you can't win a game if you don't play a game. I don't care if they announce that we are going to play Florida in the Hooters.com/boobies Bowl next Friday - you take the bid, work like hell in 15 practices to keep your starters fresh and get guys like Pankratz and Pettigrew as many reps as possible, and you show up and do the best you can under the circumstances. Plus, I would imagine that the players would get some awesome swag from the good folks at the Hooters.com/boobies Bowl.

Don't let the fact that Gregg Brandon forgot to tell his team what the game time was in Mobile a few years ago turn you into a total pu**y.

[NWLB]

As far the Bowl Talk is concerned I think playing UCONN in the IBowl would be a great game... I am a little afraid of the Tulsa factor because our D gives up huge chunks of yardage game after game.

Also I think Clawson and the offense had an opporunity today to put UT away very early and went to a conservative/bland offense can't say I like that approach; I think when it comes to putting teams away when they are down I liked the Brandon/Urban approach of going full-go until they stop you.... it seems Clawson would prefer to start running the clock out in the 2Q if he could.

I think Clawson has had a good first season I am interested to see the approach without Tyler and Freddie who make up 90% of our effective offensive plays... I think next year will tell us a lot more about how Clawson will coach and the sucess he will have while at BG.... It will also be interesting to see a recruiting class given a full year to hit the recruiting trail. Lastly, even if we get killed in a bowl game I think the 15 extra practices are the most important thing for the development of the younger players

I agree that the coaches have to play a big more wide-open. UT did that and caught-up.

I'm not sure I like any prospective bowl match so far. And I would strongly disagree that being some sacrificial goat for a distinctly better team is NOT worth 15 practices. Those practices take place with a lot of departing talent, and are too far removed from next year to be a serious gain. I'd like a game BGSU can realistically win. I'd like my Alma Mater to not be publicly embarrassed like the last time Greg Brandon coached in the post-season. Being a total goat in some of these bowl games doesn't fool anybody. There is no grand glory or meaningful achievement to be utterly wasted against a team that is a poor qualitative match.

I love bowls, I'd love to see BGSU win one, if only to see how it makes Cowboyjoe p*** and moan more about how somehow it is a sign we shouldn't have axed Brandon. But some kind of slanted dance card isn't worth it.

Man, with that kind of attitude, why do we even bother coming out of the locker room when we're the underdog?

The bottom line is, you can't win a game if you don't play a game. I don't care if they announce that we are going to play Florida in the Hooters.com/boobies Bowl next Friday - you take the bid, work like hell in 15 practices to keep your starters fresh and get guys like Pankratz and Pettigrew as many reps as possible, and you show up and do the best you can under the circumstances. Plus, I would imagine that the players would get some awesome swag from the good folks at the Hooters.com/boobies Bowl.

Don't let the fact that Gregg Brandon forgot to tell his team what the game time was in Mobile a few years ago turn you into a total pu**y.

Greg Brandon is thankfully gone, but that loss itself isn't something that makes me gunshy about wanting my team to be in a bowl. Rather it is the fact that the MAC is not playing as well as it was years ago, and hasn't really for a long time. The MAC finally got more bowl bids, but now there are so many others, we are stuck with increasingly poor matches. Clawson is better, the team is better coached, yet against the wrong team, could get whipped as badly......OK, maybe not AS badly, Brandon's defining game might be a loss so epic it might not ever be matched by any league.

In the real world BGSU doesn't get invited to play Florida, since obviously that will never happen. If this were a better BGSU team, I'd take the bet against better teams. It isn't. And I don't see value to the program or University of 15 practices, or TV ads at halftime, which nobody watches. Maybe there isn't much choice in who the MAC gets. But I honestly think the conference has allowed itself to get played. Much like the pathetic scramble of mid-week games, etc. The MAC, and BGSU by extension, pretty much tells the world they'll whore out and take a whipping from anybody willing to do it in the post season, and anybody with a checkbook large enough during the regular season.

It is what it is.

[BGFootball]

The extra practices do help actually and the younger guys get more reps then you would think in those practices. The team has fought all season and could easily be 8-4 or 9-3. They have showed a lot of heart this season after losing many close games and have a QB/WR duo that is one of the best in the nation and you are saying you dont want to see your team go bowling? I question your fanhood...it is what it is...

[It's the Journey...]

They have showed a lot of heart this season after losing many close games and have a QB/WR duo that is one of the best in the nation and you are saying you dont want to see your team go bowling? I question your fanhood...it is what it is...

No, that isn't what was said at all. What was said, as I understood it, was we should expect to get as close to an even match up as possible. No one is arguing the team has shown they are totally different than last year, thank goodness. But what is the overall gain of going to a bowl when that opponent is far above where we are playing right now? That is the question being asked.

And do we REALLY need to get into a pissing match about who's fanhood is bigger?? We just beat Toledo for the third year in a row. We are ALL falcon fans, let's celebrate a little and have some good debate, not question others loyalties because their opinion is different.

GO BG!!!

38-24 How sweet it is!!!!!

[RobbyFalcon]

How can there be any gnashing of teeth regarding an opponent? As has been pointed out, we won't play Florida. Heck we won't play anyone in the Top 25. There's a good chance the team we'll face will have received not one single vote for the Top 25. Come on Falcons! How can we quiver at the prospect of play a team ranked #32? (Even though rankings don't go that low). UConn, Notre Dame, East Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Nevada and teams of that stature should not frighten the Falcon faithful.

Bring 'em on! Bring 'em all on!

And yes I was there to witness the Mobile Massacre.

Go BG!

[NWLB]

The extra practices do help actually and the younger guys get more reps then you would think in those practices. The team has fought all season and could easily be 8-4 or 9-3. They have showed a lot of heart this season after losing many close games and have a QB/WR duo that is one of the best in the nation and you are saying you dont want to see your team go bowling? I question your fanhood...it is what it is...

I'd question your wisdom, not fanhood. Sad thing when a point of view a person doesn't like, or somebody not wishing to delve endlessly into mindless rah rah crap makes them "not a fan."

I've long ago done all I need to in order to establish my credentials. I don't have to prove anything to you.

I'd also question your reading skills. I haven't said I don't want them bowling, simply that I have concern about the matches we may well be given. One complaint some have about having so many bowl games, stems from so many match-ups being dogs. I'd rather not have the team I follow jammed into a showcase game for somebody else.

And being a fan doesn't mean you check your brain at the door when it comes to knowing how good or bad the team is. 15 practices are dandy. But then you still have seniors chewing up spots for underclassmen, it is a year removed from the next season, and if a team's quality is going to swing on exactly 15 extra sessions, it has more problems than those few days can solve. I think a lot of people write too much into them.

In any case, they'll take whatever bowl comes along, so the debate, for now, is moot. I again am simply hoping we don't wind up against some marquee team pissed off about not going to a better game, and waste time on national TV.

[cw08]

Extra practices mean a ton.
And the MAC is probably one of the three worst conferences in Division I. Being the fourth-place team in that conference, how likely are we going to be a favorite? BG would be a dog against almost any bowl-eligible team. Not wanting to be a dog in a bowl game is almost an impossible situation.

[dstubb]

Nathan, I've been following your posts since your AOL days. You have NEVER been a fan of bowl games.

I, on the other hand, think that national exposure is one of the best ways to keep BGSU in the mind of potential recruits and to build our success as a team. How would any of us know anything about Utah or Boise State or any of the non-BCS teams if it weren't for their bowl success? We seem to recruit a lot of players from Florida - what's to keep them from going to FIU or FAU or even USF than going to BGSU?

You show up, you compete, you show that BGSU is a viable destination for an up-and-coming Freddie Barnes, instead of one of the hundreds of other mid-majors or Junior College options out there.

Damn, people, do you think Urban Meyer would have turned down a bowl bid, or poo-pooed its importance when he was here?

We get shellacked once and suddenly we're afraid to play with the big boys? I am the only one who remembers our victory over Pitt in their house, or our good showing vs. Boise on the blue turf? We went down into Big 12 country this year and damn near beat - should have beat - Missouri.

As I recall, BG's bowl record is pretty good.

[BGFootball]

Ok, I appologize if I took your post the wrong way. I am not trying to take a shot at your credibility. Anyone that has followed my posts knows that I have been closely involved with the program for the past 4 years. It has always bugged me that no matter the success the team has, there are always doubters. We get our asses handed to us one bowl game (under a completely different staff) and now we would rather play some weak bowl game(or no bowl game), instead of gettin in there with a top program. I disagree with that mentality...I love being an under dog and feel like BG has always thrived in those kind of games. We can agree to disagree, but how are we supposed to prove anything without challenging our program and going up against the best that we can when we get the chance. I can promise you, that is what the players would want...

As far as the extra practices go, they are typically designed more for the younger guys and focus on getting them more reps. The seniors play a smaller role in the extra practices. A lot of times the whole team will practice and then the seniors will be free to go and watch film, while the underclassmen stay out and get reps. So the bottom line is, these practices are huge when it comes to developing a program, especially under a first year head coach. It allows the coach to spend time with guys he typically wouldn't of had the chance to work as much with throughout the year.

But, as was said, we just beat the team up north, and we are ALL Falcons today...

WE'RE GOING BOWLING! GO FALCONS!

[Flipper]

I'll be succinct...anyone who thinks the extra practices that come with a bowl bid aren't important...trumping every other consideration important..is an idiot.

[Rightupinthere]

Bowl games are HUGE because of the extra practices.

Period.

End of story.

[NWLB]

Nathan, I've been following your posts since your AOL days. You have NEVER been a fan of bowl games.

We get shellacked once and suddenly we're afraid to play with the big boys? I am the only one who remembers our victory over Pitt in their house, or our good showing vs. Boise on the blue turf? We went down into Big 12 country this year and damn near beat - should have beat - Missouri.

As I recall, BG's bowl record is pretty good.

Stubb, I respect the points, but I very respectfully must say your wrong on the point about my being a non-fan of bowls. Simply review any of the thrice annual debates over a playoff, and when the debates over too many bowls come along. You'll also recall that the founding event that began my love of BGSU athletics was the 1991 Cal Bowl. In all those cases I am a massive fan of the bowl games, period. Yet there are lines I draw.

The sole and standing issue I have with bowls that the MAC gets into, has mainly to do with how the teams used to get competitive match-ups, and more often are now fodder for a marquee team. I think many conferences have taken to hate the idea of playing MAC teams for fear of losing, which they did often during the season, and to teams like BGSU in bowl games. This fear and heavy lobbying power, combined with the mathematical requirements of having so many bowls, are leaving the MAC saying yes to really lousy setups.

I'll just say again, the last hose-down we got is not my issue. It was a freak event, fittingly part of the thankfully departed Brandon regime. So no, I personally am not scared of them. BGSU should have had a chance at that game, and instead they wet their pants. It was utterly pathetic, emblematic of Brandon's waning years, and a sign of things to come were we to have kept him around.

Speaking to practices again, sure they help. You'll never have a coach refuse more time working with his team, obviously, but that thus removes any objective view you'll hear from them. Ask them if they will blame a losing season on not being able to practice an extra two weeks and if they don't say no, they are lying.

And national exposure? Assuming you don't have a total blowout being matched against a team you simply don't have business playing, then it isn't bad. But likewise, I don't think it is worth as much as people say, period.

Those are all basic personal points of view. I present them as such. I'm not calling anybody an idiot for thinking otherwise or questioning or asking to have my own support of my alma mater called into question.