Alarming trend in the 6-game losing streak to UT

[Schadenfreude]

I think this idea that the players and coaches don't care about this game is a little off.

It's way off. I don't know where people are coming up with this.

[Falconfreak90]

[quote="Beaker] I love the burnt orange and seal brown and I'm always going to be greedy when it comes to wanting success for this program. Losing to Toledo is NEVER ok or insignificant to me. NOT EVER.[/quote]

Word. I feel the same way, 110%.

[factman]

I think this idea that the players and coaches don't care about this game is a little off.

It's way off. I don't know where people are coming up with this.

I do not think "don't care" is quite the right terminology, but maybe that they don't understand the depth (not sure that is the right word either) of the rivalry. I had this exact conversation with a former BG coach last night and he completely agreed. I can still remember Doyt Perry saying, "I don't care what your record is, but you still better beat Toledo."
For those of you that don't know, Doyt was 10-0 against the scuds!

[Schadenfreude]

I think this idea that the players and coaches don't care about this game is a little off.

It's way off. I don't know where people are coming up with this.

I do not think "don't care" is quite the right terminology, but maybe that they don't understand the depth (not sure that is the right word either) of the rivalry. I had this exact conversation with a former BG coach last night and he completely agreed. I can still remember Doyt Perry saying, "I don't care what your record is, but you still better beat Toledo."
For those of you that don't know, Doyt was 10-0 against the scuds!

From what I understand, Dino Babers made a point to not utter the word "Toledo" through his entire press conference in the week leading up to this game. That tells me he takes it seriously. Also, his decision seems seems part of a broader marketing effort on the part of the athletic department that also includes referring to the pesky ones from up north as "TSUN" on schedules.

Is this part of the problem? Are fans unhappy because they need Dino to say, very specifically: "I really *&^*^# hate the University of Toledo and, also, Matt Campbell can eat my shorts"?

Bowling Green got beat. I'd rather not look for voodoo solutions as to why. Let's focus on what we actually all saw: The Falcons got a few bad breaks (for example, the first interception, and the phantom holding call that cost Johnson a touchdown), they had some key injuries, they couldn't figure out a way to get their deep passing gaming going, and they struggled to contain Kareem Hunt during the first quarter.

Toledo is one of the best teams (if not the best team) we played all year. I don't see the point of trying to make this about a lack of "intensity" or "desire," or whatever.

[Flipper]

but Schad...that line of thinking doesn't fit the narrative that Dino is soft and too focused on being flashy

[BG71]

I think this idea that the players and coaches don't care about this game is a little off.

It's way off. I don't know where people are coming up with this.

Bowling Green got beat. I'd rather not look for voodoo solutions as to why. Let's focus on what we actually all saw: The Falcons got a few bad breaks e.g., the first interception, and the phantom holding call that cost Johnson a touchdown), they had some key injuries, they couldn't figure out a way to get their deep passing gaming going, and they struggled to contain Kareem Hunt during the first quarter.

Toledo is one of the best teams (if not the best team) we played all year. I don't see the point of trying to make this about a lack of this about "intensity" or "desire," or whatever.

Agreed. Although Toledo is a good team, many of the negative things that happened had nothing to do with intensity, desire, or Toledo's perceived greatness. It's unexplainable why these things happen during Toledo games. You cannot underestimate momentum and to me, the phantom holding call was the biggest negative of them all. Instead of a 20-0 Toledo lead, it would have been 17-14 after the next score with all the momentum on BG's side. The game certainly would have been played differently. Under the circumstances, this was difficult to overcome.

[Falcon Commander]

Someone who considers themselves a Bowling Green fan and says they don't give an expletive about the Toledo game makes no sense to me. I guess too many players and coaches in recent years have shared that same opinion and that's why they keep kicking our assess, year after year.

Of course I want to win the conference championship --- every year. But if we do that without ever beating those blue and gold dildos, then it'll always leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. I want to beat them on the way to a title. Yeah, maybe that's being a little too greedy to want to have it all, but I love the burnt orange and seal brown and I'm always going to be greedy when it comes to wanting success for this program. Losing to Toledo is NEVER ok or insignificant to me. NOT EVER.

150% with ya Brother Beaker!!!!

[Falcon137]

The rivalry was better when BG was in the West.

Before, 2013, 2014, & 2015. For any stat junkies...had BG or Toledo ever won the MAC (or division) and lost the Peace Pipe?

[Schadenfreude]

Before, 2013, 2014, & 2015. For any stat junkies...had BG or Toledo ever won the MAC (or division) and lost the Peace Pipe?

Toledo won the MAC in 1981 and 2001, despite losses to Bowling Green.

Bowling Green won the MAC in 1982, despite a loss to Toledo.

I don't think there are any other cases.

[Siborg]

Has BG won since the PC police got rid of the peace pipe?

[jpfalcon09]

Has BG won since the PC police got rid of the peace pipe?

Toledo won the last game played with the Peace Pipe in 2010, maybe BG is cursed or something and that thing had some funky voodoo magic in it.

[cameron]

The rivalry was better when BG was in the West.

Before, 2013, 2014, & 2015. For any stat junkies...had BG or Toledo ever won the MAC (or division) and lost the Peace Pipe?

I agree 100%. I still remember the 2003 game that BG won 31-23 (West Division). It was a tight game, and the winner was moving on to face Miami. (We all know how that ended). I love what the Big Ten has done with their divisions, keeping all the main rivalries within the division. It makes no sense to play Toledo every year and not have them as a divisional opponent. With Massachusetts leaving and the MAC going back to 12 teams, it seems like the perfect time to have a conference realignment.

This is what I would like to see:

East

Kent
Akron
Buffalo
Central
Eastern
Western

West

Bowling Green
Toledo
Northern Illinois
Ball State
Ohio
Miami

Maybe they could get creative and give the divisions real names (but not leaders and legends...that was lame), since this doesn't really fit the geography for East and West. I feel like something needs to be done to pump some excitement into this conference. I think realignment every ten years or so is a good idea just to keep things fresh.

[edjwolfe]

You can not split up the Michigan teams and Ohio is possibly the fairest east. In the big ten Indiana and Purdue are in separate divisions and a couple of teams have manufactured rivalries

[footballguy51]

A lot of people feel that the proper level of importance isn't being placed on this game. I honestly think if you wanted to lay blame somewhere, I would say this game is being elevated TOO much. The players come out tense. When the build-up for the game is "We will not lose again," that's how it ends up.

[Schadenfreude]

The divisions are fine the way they are. If Bowling Green wanted to be in the West, we would have been, since Massachusetts made that possible the past couple of years. I think most BG fans would rather play the East schools every year than the West schools, just based on name recognition. Plus, we get Toledo guaranteed as a crossover every year. The situation is fine as it is.