mscarn wrote:7 away games compared to 5 home games is unacceptable and doesn't put the program in the best chance to win.
Losing that opening home game is devastating. The weather is warm, the optimism is high, the crowd is usually the largest of the year and we almost always win. I hope $1.2 million is worth depriving the community and program of that experience.
You don't schedule that game when you're already playing two Big 10 teams on the road and the MAC slate is primed to be as difficult as it is.
I wouldn't say it is unacceptable to have only 5 home games. It just makes things more challenging.
2006 was the first year with a 12 game regular season. Number of home games starting in 2006:
2006: 4 (Wisconsin game was in Cleveland)
2007: 5
2008: 5
2009: 6
2010: 5
2011: 6
2012: 5 (Buffalo game was in Columbus)
2013: 6
2014: 6
Of the 9 seasons since 12 regular season games became the norm, we've only had 6 home games 4 times. The 2015 schedule would have also had 6 home games but an FCS team (South Carolina State maybe?) cancelled on us and Tennessee was scheduled thanks to UAB cancelling their program. Maryland is a home and home, so we'll get the Terps at home in 2018. Honestly, the schedule is rough and we'll have a lot of youngsters playing on defense for the first time, but I'm far less upset about this 5 game home schedule than the 2006 and 2007 schedules.
MarkL has spoken.
You may all now return to your daily lives.
mscarn wrote:7 away games compared to 5 home games is unacceptable and doesn't put the program in the best chance to win.
Losing that opening home game is devastating. The weather is warm, the optimism is high, the crowd is usually the largest of the year and we almost always win. I hope $1.2 million is worth depriving the community and program of that experience.
You don't schedule that game when you're already playing two Big 10 teams on the road and the MAC slate is primed to be as difficult as it is.
I wouldn't say it is unacceptable to have only 5 home games. It just makes things more challenging.
2006 was the first year with a 12 game regular season. Number of home games starting in 2006:
2006: 4 (Wisconsin game was in Cleveland)
2007: 5
2008: 5
2009: 6
2010: 5
2011: 6
2012: 5 (Buffalo game was in Columbus)
2013: 6
2014: 6
Of the 9 seasons since 12 regular season games became the norm, we've only had 6 home games 4 times. The 2015 schedule would have also had 6 home games but an FCS team (South Carolina State maybe?) cancelled on us and Tennessee was scheduled thanks to UAB cancelling their program. Maryland is a home and home, so we'll get the Terps at home in 2018. Honestly, the schedule is rough and we'll have a lot of youngsters playing on defense for the first time, but I'm far less upset about this 5 game home schedule than the 2006 and 2007 schedules.
That's exactly my feeling as well. Next year, we are back to 6 home games. This year, I will live with 5 because of the schedule flops that needed to be made. Plus, we got a payday out of the switch.
MarkL wrote:
I wouldn't say it is unacceptable to have only 5 home games. It just makes things more challenging.
2006 was the first year with a 12 game regular season. Number of home games starting in 2006:
2006: 4 (Wisconsin game was in Cleveland)
2007: 5
2008: 5
2009: 6
2010: 5
2011: 6
2012: 5 (Buffalo game was in Columbus)
2013: 6
2014: 6
Of the 9 seasons since 12 regular season games became the norm, we've only had 6 home games 4 times. The 2015 schedule would have also had 6 home games but an FCS team (South Carolina State maybe?) cancelled on us and Tennessee was scheduled thanks to UAB cancelling their program. Maryland is a home and home, so we'll get the Terps at home in 2018. Honestly, the schedule is rough and we'll have a lot of youngsters playing on defense for the first time, but I'm far less upset about this 5 game home schedule than the 2006 and 2007 schedules.
We'll have to see how it plays out, but I couldn't help but notice that the bowl years coincided with the 6 home game seasons (or at least when the games were in the state of Ohio if you count 2012).
Optimistically speaking, if we run the table there would be a legitimate case to put BG in the damn playoff.
Anything less than a trip back to Detroit with the team returning will be a disappointment. The MAC East is probably the worst division in all of FBS, right now. I would be happy with a 1-3 non conference, and ecstatic with anything 2-2 or better and not upset if they went 0-4 as long as they weren't 4 blowouts.
6-2 should be the bare minimum in conference next season. On paper this is the best returning offense in at least 10 years. Lewis, Rhodes, Gallon, Dieter, Moore, Greene, Coppet, Johnson, and all 5 starting offensive linemen.
BG will be lining up, 2, 4 star receivers (Rhodes & Lewis), 2, 3 star receivers (Dieter & Gallon), and 1, 2 star (Moore). A HB who set the all time single season rushing record (Greene) with a backup who rushed for over 600 yards this season (Coppet).
And returning the 2014 preseason player of the year at QB (Johnson).
All the defense **should** have to do is not give up 30+ PPG in conference.
If it can't get out of the east, it's time to push the reset button.
There’s one way to describe our schedule for next year: NO ROOM FOR ERROR. We way overscheduled in the non-conference with 3 games against Power Five teams - all on the road - and have just one home game against a conference champ in Memphis. An 0-4 start is very possible and could haunt us come the end of the year as we’ll still have Toledo - who went can’t beat anymore, so there’s another loss - and also road trips to WMU and BSU who both beat our ass at home last year. I don’t see us running the table against the East next year either. We could be in a fight to finish .500.
WEST DIVISION
Ball State
Home: Central Michigan, Toledo, UMass, Bowling Green
Away: NIU, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ohio
Central Michigan
Home: Toledo, Eastern Michigan, NIU, Buffalo
Away: Ball State, Western Michigan, Kent State, Akron
Eastern Michigan
Home: Ball State, Western Michigan, Akron, UMass
Away: Central Michigan, NIU, Toledo, Miami
Northern Illinois
Home: Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Ohio
Away: Central Michigan, Toledo, Buffalo, Miami
Toledo
Home: Eastern Michigan, NIU, Western Michigan, Kent State
Away: Ball State, Central Michigan, UMass, Bowling Green
Western Michigan
Home: Central Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green, Miami
Away: Eastern Michigan, NIU, Toledo, Ohio
A few observations:
- We must have royally pissed off the conference office. Just like in 2011 when we missed the east's worst (Akron) and played perhaps the best three from the west.
- Our biggest rivals to getting back to Detroit are Akron, Ohio, and UMass in my opinion. Ohio also has a rough slate. UMass also plays UT but their other west opponent is EMU. Akron only has CMU (losing lots of seniors and still hasn't fired Enos) and EMU from the west, but they have to go to both BG and UMass. Two of our top rivals get EMU. We get WMU, UT, and BSU.
---- We get Akron, Ohio, and UMass all at home, plus UT. If we can go 4-0 at home in conference play, we'll return to Detroit. Write it down.
- Don't sleep on Buffalo. New coach, new system, some new players. But their schedule is tailor-made for a conference title run. Besides NIU, there's not a game on the schedule that UB cannot win if they have it together.
- Also don't sleep on CMU. I personally think they are held back by their coach, who can recruit pretty well but doesn't win with his talent. If there's a surprise west winner, CMU's schedule is made for it.
---- But it won't happen. Cooper Rush (average QB) is back, but what made CMU work were the offensive playmakers, specifically Titus Davis and Thomas Rawls, both of which are seniors.
- If BSU didn't have to go to both NIU and WMU, I'd say they are a surprise west contender. BSU loses Edwards, but they should have a bounceback year and I think they have one of the best few head coaches in the conference.
- Way early in the game but a few possible upsets to watch ...
---- UMass over UT
---- Ohio over WMU
---- MU over NIU (it almost happened this past year and MU returns basically everyone)
---- MU over Akron
---- BSU over UT
---- EMU over anyone
MarkL has spoken.
You may all now return to your daily lives.
WEST DIVISION
Ball State
Home: Central Michigan, Toledo, UMass, Bowling Green
Away: NIU, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ohio
Central Michigan
Home: Toledo, Eastern Michigan, NIU, Buffalo
Away: Ball State, Western Michigan, Kent State, Akron
Eastern Michigan
Home: Ball State, Western Michigan, Akron, UMass
Away: Central Michigan, NIU, Toledo, Miami
Northern Illinois
Home: Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Ohio
Away: Central Michigan, Toledo, Buffalo, Miami
Toledo
Home: Eastern Michigan, NIU, Western Michigan, Kent State
Away: Ball State, Central Michigan, UMass, Bowling Green
Western Michigan
Home: Central Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green, Miami
Away: Eastern Michigan, NIU, Toledo, Ohio
A few observations:
- We must have royally pissed off the conference office. Just like in 2011 when we missed the east's worst (Akron) and played perhaps the best three from the west.
- Our biggest rivals to getting back to Detroit are Akron, Ohio, and UMass in my opinion. Ohio also has a rough slate. UMass also plays UT but their other west opponent is EMU. Akron only has CMU (losing lots of seniors and still hasn't fired Enos) and EMU from the west, but they have to go to both BG and UMass. Two of our top rivals get EMU. We get WMU, UT, and BSU.
---- We get Akron, Ohio, and UMass all at home, plus UT. If we can go 4-0 at home in conference play, we'll return to Detroit. Write it down.
- Don't sleep on Buffalo. New coach, new system, some new players. But their schedule is tailor-made for a conference title run. Besides NIU, there's not a game on the schedule that UB cannot win if they have it together.
- Also don't sleep on CMU. I personally think they are held back by their coach, who can recruit pretty well but doesn't win with his talent. If there's a surprise west winner, CMU's schedule is made for it.
---- But it won't happen. Cooper Rush (average QB) is back, but what made CMU work were the offensive playmakers, specifically Titus Davis and Thomas Rawls, both of which are seniors.
- If BSU didn't have to go to both NIU and WMU, I'd say they are a surprise west contender. BSU loses Edwards, but they should have a bounceback year and I think they have one of the best few head coaches in the conference.
- Way early in the game but a few possible upsets to watch ...
---- UMass over UT
---- Ohio over WMU
---- MU over NIU (it almost happened this past year and MU returns basically everyone)
---- MU over Akron
---- BSU over UT
---- EMU over anyone
At first glance it appears the MAC gave most of the conference the near exact same opponents as last year. I don't like how we have the exact same three MAC West foes as last year. I know we were getting Toledo but I was hoping to see a new face in there like CMU. And a little birdie told me UMass will likely be the favorite to win the MAC East in its last year in the MAC.
At first glance it appears the MAC gave most of the conference the near exact same opponents as last year. I don't like how we have the exact same three MAC West foes as last year. I know we were getting Toledo but I was hoping to see a new face in there like CMU. And a little birdie told me UMass will likely be the favorite to win the MAC East in its last year in the MAC.
Was this the bird?
Did you see UMass without Frohnapfel? A 3 win team who loses it's best player isn't going to be picked to win the East.
At first glance it appears the MAC gave most of the conference the near exact same opponents as last year. I don't like how we have the exact same three MAC West foes as last year. I know we were getting Toledo but I was hoping to see a new face in there like CMU. And a little birdie told me UMass will likely be the favorite to win the MAC East in its last year in the MAC.
Was this the bird?
Did you see UMass without Frohnapfel? A 3 win team who loses it's best player isn't going to be picked to win the East.
Yes I did, but if you did a little research you'll see he WILL be returning next season (he had two years of eligibility remaining once he got to UMass and the school announced he's coming back) so they won't be losing him, and to add to that, UMass looks to be returning either 19 or 20 starters (Sifrin expected to leave for NFL) which either way would be the most of any team in the country next season. So go ahead and laugh all you want but don't be surprised to see UMass ranked near or at the top of the East when the preseason mags start coming out.
UMass with Frohnapfel has a dangerous, dangerous offense. Tajae Sharpe looks like an NFL receiver. Their defense definitely is not their strength but they won some shootouts and they return basically the entire offense next year. In my opinion, if our offense clicks next year we are in great position to return to Detroit with all four key MAC games at home. If the offense does not click and we lose some games, UMass is next in line (as long as Frohnapfel does not get hurt again).
MarkL has spoken.
You may all now return to your daily lives.
I think the MAC East will come down to BG, UMass or Ohio. The good thing is we play both UMass and Ohio at home. The bad thing is we've lost 2 of our last 3 MAC games at home. That "home field" advantage we finally built over the last few years seemed to have crumbled at the end of last season the way WMU and Ball State beat us, and the games Buffalo (we shoulda really lost to UB, they blew that game) Kent State even gave us too.
I don't really think we've built some great home field advantage. In 2012 and 2013, we lost one home game each season, both of which were crucial conference games and both happened to be against the beat team we played at home that year. I'd need to look at the records to see, but I suspect that the two teams that beat us at the Doyt were the only two FBS teams we hosted who finished the regular season with winning records (11-1, 7-5). Is WMU the only team with a winning record we hosted in 2014? BSU would probably have come up with a winning record were it not for injuries.
So I guess I'm saying that Babers did no worse at home than Clawson when you look at wins and losses. In fact, Babers beat a major conference team at home in his first year where Clawson never beat a major conference team anywhere in five years (though he never hosted a major conference team unless you consider 2009 undefeated Boise State).
MarkL has spoken.
You may all now return to your daily lives.
BGSU33 wrote:There’s one way to describe our schedule for next year: NO ROOM FOR ERROR. We way overscheduled in the non-conference with 3 games against Power Five teams - all on the road - and have just one home game against a conference champ in Memphis. An 0-4 start is very possible and could haunt us come the end of the year as we’ll still have Toledo - who went can’t beat anymore, so there’s another loss - and also road trips to WMU and BSU who both beat our ass at home last year. I don’t see us running the table against the East next year either. We could be in a fight to finish .500.
I nominate 33 to be in charge of morale around here.
Going to Tennessee, Maryland, and Purdue is far from ideal. But after this past season haven't we all learned that pre season projections mean absolutely nothing? That's not meant to be rhetorical. Honestly, the offense should be closer to 2013's level than 2014's. The defense loses a lot from a unit that was pretty bad most of the year. And the special teams has a chance to be phenominal. What does it all mean? I don't know and anyone who tells me that that they have the answer is fooling themselves.
And this Toledo carping is nauseating. Since the 2 win season in 2010, they've lost four games by an average of 1 touchdown. If you flip a coin it's possible to end up tails four times in a row. That's basically what's happened.
