Ohio U Tuesday night...

[BGSU33]

And they aren’t just losses, they are ugly losses.

We're "close" in the MAC standings, but the reality is we're still miles apart from our peer. The losses to Ohio, Buffalo and Kent State were about as ugly as they could get.

[Schadenfreude]

Loeffler said tonight that McDonald was concussed. It took them a while to figure it out. He had all the right answers when they quizzed him on the sideline, but he was messing up plays out there pretty badly and that was a big clue, so they pulled him.

[Flipper]

And they aren’t just losses, they are ugly losses.

We're "close" in the MAC standings, but the reality is we're still miles apart from our peer. The losses to Ohio, Buffalo and Kent State were about as ugly as they could get.

The top three teams in the MAC east beat us by a combined 117-27. We played eight good teams this year (including EKU). We were 2-6.

Oof!

[mbenecke]

The thing I’m struggling with is the blowout losses and absolute inconsistency.

Our losses this year:
By 28 to UCLA
By 2 to FCS EKU (7 OT)
By 31 to Mississippi State
By 31 to Buffalo
By 34 to Kent State
By 24 to Ohio

It’s just that we’re such a roller coaster that it’s hard to enjoy this team from week to week. The highs are great, but the lows are unbearably awful. Like, why can’t we lose a game like a normal team? Why does it have to be a shellacking every time? Why can’t we be really competitive late and the other team makes one more play than us, rather than being down 3 scores in the 2nd quarter with zero chance of coming back?

I’m very happy we’re eligible for a bowl, and I’m very excited to watch that game. I just think we should expect a more consistent team from week to week.

[jpfalcon09]

Loeffler said tonight that McDonald was concussed. It took them a while to figure it out. He had all the right answers when they quizzed him on the sideline, but he was messing up plays out there pretty badly and that was a big clue, so they pulled him.

I'm sure it's true, but there always seems to be a baked in excuse from Loeffler for McDonald whenever he has a poor game.

Speaking of which, McDonald put on his IG last night that he will not be returning next season.

[jpfalcon09]

The thing I’m struggling with is the blowout losses and absolute inconsistency.

Our losses this year:
By 28 to UCLA
By 2 to FCS EKU (7 OT)
By 31 to Mississippi State
By 31 to Buffalo
By 34 to Kent State
By 24 to Ohio

It’s just that we’re such a roller coaster that it’s hard to enjoy this team from week to week. The highs are great, but the lows are unbearably awful. Like, why can’t we lose a game like a normal team? Why does it have to be a shellacking every time? Why can’t we be really competitive late and the other team makes one more play than us, rather than being down 3 scores in the 2nd quarter with zero chance of coming back?

I’m very happy we’re eligible for a bowl, and I’m very excited to watch that game. I just think we should expect a more consistent team from week to week.

Team struggles to emotionally and mentally engage for 60 minutes. Saw it last night. Decent first quarter. Defense got some stops after Ohio has a couple short fields. Then they start moving the ball and the wheels fall off. Almost as if the players expect something bad to happen once things don't go their way. Only a couple of times did we see some pushback to that, during the EKU game down two scores and the final drive against Toledo. Things look like 2019 and 2020 in those moments. These are college kids but still I think culturally as much as Loeffler and the player leadership group want to say things are better, there is a massive gap in where the team is at present and where it needs to be if it wants to win championships. It honestly makes me wonder how hard these guys are being pushed in practice some weeks and if there simply isn't enough left in the tank come gameday.

[Flipper]

Loeffler said tonight that McDonald was concussed. It took them a while to figure it out. He had all the right answers when they quizzed him on the sideline, but he was messing up plays out there pretty badly and that was a big clue, so they pulled him.

That's troubling to hear...evaluating the health of a player goes beyond answers to questions. He could have suffered an injury that impairs him for life.

[Flipper]

The thing I’m struggling with is the blowout losses and absolute inconsistency.

Our losses this year:
By 28 to UCLA
By 2 to FCS EKU (7 OT)
By 31 to Mississippi State
By 31 to Buffalo
By 34 to Kent State
By 24 to Ohio

It’s just that we’re such a roller coaster that it’s hard to enjoy this team from week to week. The highs are great, but the lows are unbearably awful. Like, why can’t we lose a game like a normal team? Why does it have to be a shellacking every time? Why can’t we be really competitive late and the other team makes one more play than us, rather than being down 3 scores in the 2nd quarter with zero chance of coming back?

I’m very happy we’re eligible for a bowl, and I’m very excited to watch that game. I just think we should expect a more consistent team from week to week.

Team struggles to emotionally and mentally engage for 60 minutes. Saw it last night. Decent first quarter. Defense got some stops after Ohio has a couple short fields. Then they start moving the ball and the wheels fall off. Almost as if the players expect something bad to happen once things don't go their way. Only a couple of times did we see some pushback to that, during the EKU game down two scores and the final drive against Toledo. Things look like 2019 and 2020 in those moments. These are college kids but still I think culturally as much as Loeffler and the player leadership group want to say things are better, there is a massive gap in where the team is at present and where it needs to be if it wants to win championships. It honestly makes me wonder how hard these guys are being pushed in practice some weeks and if there simply isn't enough left in the tank come gameday.

The looked completely unprepared to defend an option attack

[BillyLP]

Loeffler said tonight that McDonald was concussed. It took them a while to figure it out. He had all the right answers when they quizzed him on the sideline, but he was messing up plays out there pretty badly and that was a big clue, so they pulled him.

That's troubling to hear...evaluating the health of a player goes beyond answers to questions. He could have suffered an injury that impairs him for life.

Agreed. If Loeffler felt that McDonald needed to be questioned at all, there should have been a more extensive evaluation. Could explain his horrible decision making. Generally, I have felt that McDonald makes decent decisions, he just doesn't have the talent to execute them properly. Last night he was terrible in both of those.

[Schadenfreude]

Loeffler said tonight that McDonald was concussed. It took them a while to figure it out. He had all the right answers when they quizzed him on the sideline, but he was messing up plays out there pretty badly and that was a big clue, so they pulled him.

I'm sure it's true, but there always seems to be a baked in excuse from Loeffler for McDonald whenever he has a poor game.

I don't know that this was an excuse. I think he was stating the fact as to why he pulled McDonald from the game. I think we can see McDonald wasn't playing particularly well after that first touchdown.

Obviously, the other huge issue was our sudden inability to defend the run after the first couple of drives. I wonder if another year of growth (in the weight room) and maturity would help with some of that. What should have been three-yard interior runs were too often turning into seven-yard runs.

I'm also open to the idea that the players weren't prepared for the option. It seemed like our guy on the end was taking the quarterback, as he should, but then there was no support to cover the pitchman. Whether we simply weren't prepared or whether the schemes just weren't set up to cover the pitchman for fear of giving up something else, I don't know.

I don't think Bowling Green is that far away from having won this game, despite the score. Incremental improvement among our defensive front seven and better quarterback play would have made this a very tight game.

I was also intrigued by what little we saw of Camden Orth. He showed (as the Bobcats showed all night) the power of a true running threat at quarterback. It seems like many are dismissing his chances of starting next year. Are we sure about this?

[Falcon Commander]

If it is so…”plain and simple” Coach…why is it so complicated and difficult for us?
And
If we “ran outta gas”, perhaps we need to find out what Octane OU, Kent, Buffalo run on?

[Schadenfreude]

And they aren’t just losses, they are ugly losses.

We're "close" in the MAC standings, but the reality is we're still miles apart from our peer. The losses to Ohio, Buffalo and Kent State were about as ugly as they could get.

This is true if you set aside Bowling Green's wins over Toledo and Marshall.

[Flipper]

No..it's true. Marshall and UT wins don't outweigh getting trucked by MAC east rivals...two of those losses at home.

[Bgsu2016]

The thing I’m struggling with is the blowout losses and absolute inconsistency.

Our losses this year:
By 28 to UCLA
By 2 to FCS EKU (7 OT)
By 31 to Mississippi State
By 31 to Buffalo
By 34 to Kent State
By 24 to Ohio

It’s just that we’re such a roller coaster that it’s hard to enjoy this team from week to week. The highs are great, but the lows are unbearably awful. Like, why can’t we lose a game like a normal team? Why does it have to be a shellacking every time? Why can’t we be really competitive late and the other team makes one more play than us, rather than being down 3 scores in the 2nd quarter with zero chance of coming back?

I’m very happy we’re eligible for a bowl, and I’m very excited to watch that game. I just think we should expect a more consistent team from week to week.

Well said sir. I agree, the inconsistency has been very frustrating. With the exception of the Eastern Kentucky game I turned all of those off. 5 total no shows

[roguewarrior]

Loeffler said tonight that McDonald was concussed. It took them a while to figure it out. He had all the right answers when they quizzed him on the sideline, but he was messing up plays out there pretty badly and that was a big clue, so they pulled him.

I'm sure it's true, but there always seems to be a baked in excuse from Loeffler for McDonald whenever he has a poor game.

I don't know that this was an excuse. I think he was stating the fact as to why he pulled McDonald from the game. I think we can see McDonald wasn't playing particularly well after that first touchdown.

Obviously, the other huge issue was our sudden inability to defend the run after the first couple of drives. I wonder if another year of growth (in the weight room) and maturity would help with some of that. What should have been three-yard interior runs were too often turning into seven-yard runs.

I'm also open to the idea that the players weren't prepared for the option. It seemed like our guy on the end was taking the quarterback, as he should, but then there was no support to cover the pitchman. Whether we simply weren't prepared or whether the schemes just weren't set up to cover the pitchman for fear of giving up something else, I don't know.

I don't think Bowling Green is that far away from having won this game, despite the score. Incremental improvement among our defensive front seven and better quarterback play would have made this a very tight game.

I was also intrigued by what little we saw of Camden Orth. He showed (as the Bobcats showed all night) the power of a true running threat at quarterback. It seems like many are dismissing his chances of starting next year. Are we sure about this?

“We” are not dismissing him, they are. He and lots of guys out there can be a good to great RPO guy. As you know, that’s not what we run. Hard to find anyone that can run this scheme.