Ohio preview

[bg1984]

Not much confidence from the Bobcat faithful on "Bobcat Attack."

http://www.bobcatattack.com/messageboar ... 1#FirstNew" target="_blank

The stadium will be full, so it's important for the Falcons to strike early and not let Ohio get any energy or momentum from the crowd.

I bought my tickets at the Stroh yesterday and I'm hoping for a good BG crowd. I was there 2 years ago and we represented well.

If you remember, the offense ran a great trick play, and special teams blocked a number of OU kicks to secure that win.

I'm hoping that this offense just keeps clicking. I look for Lewis to have a big day. - He visited OU, but they let him get away. Based on some comments on "Bobcat Attack" they are lamenting that mistake.

I feel that after last week's performance by Moore the OU defense will be keying on him which opens things up for Lewis and company.

Any word on Deiter? I'd REALLY like to get him back in the lineup.

[Falconwriter]

I see us gaining momentum and becoming an unstoppable band of rage cannons leveling stadiums across the Midwest....

Not sure what they're putting in your morning cereal, but it's obviously working for you.

[BGSU33]

I'd also like to see us get off to a fast start. In fact, I think it could be imperative for us to in order to get a win. In almost every game this year but VMI we have fallen behind and had to battle back. Even the last two weeks in MAC games both UMass and UB struck first putting us down 7 (UB had us down 11 at one point). We need to keep the pressure on Ohio to keep up with us. If it's the other way around again this week we could be in trouble as they have a better defense than our previous two MAC foes.

This game is going to tell me a lot about who we are as a team, what we're made of and also what to expect for the rest of the season. This is our "Show Me" game. A win here would be huge and would really set things up well for us at another run to Detroit. But a loss would throw us back into the pack and could likely cost us a return trip to Detroit because I do think we're gonna be dealt a MAC loss down the road. This game is pivotal to our season. If we lose this game it will be the one that we look back at that cost us. I hope this is the one where we finally come out firing on all cylinders and take care of business and roll.

[BGSU33]

The line on this game is flip-flopping all around too. Ohio opened almost a 3-point favorite, then it swayed over to BG at 1 or 2, then went to a pick and now OU is favored again.

[bgsufalcon24]

I'd also like to see us get off to a fast start. In fact, I think it could be imperative for us to in order to get a win. In almost every game this year but VMI we have fallen behind and had to battle back. Even the last two weeks in MAC games both UMass and UB struck first putting us down 7 (UB had us down 11 at one point). We need to keep the pressure on Ohio to keep up with us. If it's the other way around again this week we could be in trouble as they have a better defense than our previous two MAC foes.

This game is going to tell me a lot about who we are as a team, what we're made of and also what to expect for the rest of the season. This is our "Show Me" game. A win here would be huge and would really set things up well for us at another run to Detroit. But a loss would throw us back into the pack and could likely cost us a return trip to Detroit because I do think we're gonna be dealt a MAC loss down the road. This game is pivotal to our season. If we lose this game it will be the one that we look back at that cost us. I hope this is the one where we finally come out firing on all cylinders and take care of business and roll.

Here's my feeling as far as the MAC East race is concerned.

33, I agree that a loss here would be a definite short term setback. At the beginning of the season, I highlighted the games against Buffalo, Ohio, and Akron as being our most important of the year. We had to win at least 2 of those to have a shot at the division title, with 3-0 basically guaranteeing a trip to Detroit. With Western Michigan still bad and Ball State looking much worse than anticipated, I think that's even more true now. UB, OU, and Akron were the only teams I could conceivably see beating us out for the division title, and they would probably need a tiebreaker to do it.

That all being said, I'm not convinced that anybody in the division, not even BG, is going 8-0 or 7-1 in conference this year. I'm thinking we have at least 2 defeats coming our way, with the most likely ones being Akron and Toledo. Losing to Toledo, as maddening as that would be, wouldn't impact our division title hopes unless we dropped another game somewhere. The greater point is that if Ohio beats us, given their body of work so far, there's no way in hell they are running the table in conference to go 7-1 to lock us out of a trip to Detroit. The same would've been true for Buffalo had we lost there. Akron does concern me a little because they drew EMU and Ball State out of the West Division, so it's conceivable they could get on a roll, but at the end of the day, I have a hard time believing that they won't drop any games against BSU, UB, OU, or even Kent seeing as that is a rivalry game.

This could potentially still be a year in which the division winner is 6-2, or even 5-3. The only teams capable of getting above that are BG and Akron, the latter mostly because of how easy their remaining schedule is. Ohio won't do that.

[BGSU33]

I'd also like to see us get off to a fast start. In fact, I think it could be imperative for us to in order to get a win. In almost every game this year but VMI we have fallen behind and had to battle back. Even the last two weeks in MAC games both UMass and UB struck first putting us down 7 (UB had us down 11 at one point). We need to keep the pressure on Ohio to keep up with us. If it's the other way around again this week we could be in trouble as they have a better defense than our previous two MAC foes.

This game is going to tell me a lot about who we are as a team, what we're made of and also what to expect for the rest of the season. This is our "Show Me" game. A win here would be huge and would really set things up well for us at another run to Detroit. But a loss would throw us back into the pack and could likely cost us a return trip to Detroit because I do think we're gonna be dealt a MAC loss down the road. This game is pivotal to our season. If we lose this game it will be the one that we look back at that cost us. I hope this is the one where we finally come out firing on all cylinders and take care of business and roll.

Here's my feeling as far as the MAC East race is concerned.

33, I agree that a loss here would be a definite short term setback. At the beginning of the season, I highlighted the games against Buffalo, Ohio, and Akron as being our most important of the year. We had to win at least 2 of those to have a shot at the division title, with 3-0 basically guaranteeing a trip to Detroit. With Western Michigan still bad and Ball State looking much worse than anticipated, I think that's even more true now. UB, OU, and Akron were the only teams I could conceivably see beating us out for the division title, and they would probably need a tiebreaker to do it.

That all being said, I'm not convinced that anybody in the division, not even BG, is going 8-0 or 7-1 in conference this year. I'm thinking we have at least 2 defeats coming our way, with the most likely ones being Akron and Toledo. Losing to Toledo, as maddening as that would be, wouldn't impact our division title hopes unless we dropped another game somewhere. The greater point is that if Ohio beats us, given their body of work so far, there's no way in hell they are running the table in conference to go 7-1 to lock us out of a trip to Detroit. The same would've been true for Buffalo had we lost there. Akron does concern me a little because they drew EMU and Ball State out of the West Division, so it's conceivable they could get on a roll, but at the end of the day, I have a hard time believing that they won't drop any games against BSU, UB, OU, or even Kent seeing as that is a rivalry game.

This could potentially still be a year in which the division winner is 6-2, or even 5-3. The only teams capable of getting above that are BG and Akron, the latter mostly because of how easy their remaining schedule is. Ohio won't do that.

I agree, I think the East winner could likely have at least two losses which makes this game critical. This is our swing game IMO. Yes all MAC games against East and West teams "count the same" in the MAC standings, but when determining a division winner, if it comes to a tie-break scenario, you had better taken care of business against your own division or it will come back and cost you. It's why our loss last year to Toledo didn't phase us because we went undefeated against East teams.

[Beaker]

Here's how I see it possibly shaping up. It makes me want to puke by saying it, but I don't see us winning at Toledo. Looking at their weak schedule, I think Akron will be favored in every conference game they play the rest of the way, aside from possibly us if we don't lose between now and when we meet them on 11/4. Taking our head to head game with them out of the mix and looking at the rest of their games, it's possible they could trip up and lose more than one, but they could also run the table. Realistically, I think the most likely outcome is they probably lose one and no more than that. That means we need to beat them head to head. If we beat them, then we hold the tiebreaker and they have to finish a game ahead of us to win the East (assuming a 2 team race). Worst case scenario for us at that point is that Akron doesn't lose any other conference games, which is a possibility. If that happens, and a loss to Turdledo being likely for us, we wouldn't be able to afford a second loss, so this one could really sink us if we drop the game in Athens.

Of course there are infinite scenarios that could have us winning the East with 2 losses, but I don't think we can bank on Akron winding up with more than 2 conference losses, given their schedule. I said before the season started that the East would be won by either us or Akron and I didn't think anyone else would be in contention. I don't see anything yet that changes that opinion. One game at a time. Beat Ohio on Saturday!

[Falconfreak90]

I'm looking at one game right now...tomorrow in Athens. ROLL THE CATS.

[kdog27]

+1 Freak. Just keep taking care of business and we'll be in a better spot every week.

[jpfalcon09]

Officially a sellout in Athens today.

[gmartin]

NICE OPENING DRIVE!!!!

Nice catch and run by Greene

[gmartin]

OU fumble. Now let's punch it in and go up 14 early

[gmartin]

Touchdown Falcons!!!! 14-0 not even 3 minutes into the game. Awesome start!!!

[bgsufalcon24]

I can't remember the time we started a game off that well...maybe the MAC title game against NIU? Way to go!

[Globetrotter]

This is fun and interesting.