GAME ON

[BGSU33]

We didn't practice yesterday. What did they do. Go see Dumb & Dumber too

Dino proclaims to be the movie expert.......... It might have been Dumb and Dumber 2!

I'm now betting it was Brokeback Mountain.

[Falcon Commander]

Tonight was the biggest blowout in MAC Championship history.

we've set records all year - - for the other teams!!

[BGSU33]

I don't see how this team picks itself up off the floor after this to win a bowl game. We've lost three games in a row for the first time in several years and our offense has basically been stuck in neutral for the last half of the season. And if Baber's declares he still has confidence in Knapke after yet another bad performance, I call bullshit - we all can read between those lines.

[factman]

I have more confidence in Knapke than Babers at this point!

[MarkL]

Lots to work on. I definitely underestimated the NIU o line. They physically dominated and wore out our D. Combine that with offensive ineffectiveness and this got ugly.

I can't help but wonder what Matt Johnson and his superior reads and athleticism would have done. With all the play makers returning next year, if Johnson resumes his high level of play there is reason for optimism.

It is early to talk 2015 but I say our 2015 record will be determined by offensive progression. If the offense does not progress, pencil in UMass to win the east.

[Schadenfreude]

And if Baber's declares he still has confidence in Knapke after yet another bad performance, I call bullshit - we all can read between those lines.

Of course we can read between those lines. But he can't throw his players under the bus, either. Leaders don't do that. So here we are.

[Schadenfreude]

It is early to talk 2015 but I say our 2015 record will be determined by offensive progression. If the offense does not progress, pencil in UMass to win the east.

I'll say it tonight: I think we win the East again.

[kdog27]

I don't care if we win the east. Can we beat anyone from the west?

[BGSU33]

It is early to talk 2015 but I say our 2015 record will be determined by offensive progression. If the offense does not progress, pencil in UMass to win the east.

I'll say it tonight: I think we win the East again.

We lose a bunch on defense next year and Johnson missed this entire season which was expected to be key for next year as Baber said it takes a QB two years to learn his system. Toss that out - Johnson is still on crutches and who knows if he will even be able to play next spring. Everything was lined up for is this year to repeat and it's slowly fell apart all season long. Tonight the bottom fell out. Badly. I think we'll see a new team from the East next year. BG will be left to pick up the pieces and with the style of play and inconsistency across the board, I just don't see us overcoming it.

[BGSU33]

And if Baber's declares he still has confidence in Knapke after yet another bad performance, I call bullshit - we all can read between those lines.

Of course we can read between those lines. But he can't throw his players under the bus, either. Leaders don't do that. So here we are.

I don't expect him to throw anyone under the bus. But he should answer the question by saying "James is our quarterback" without piling on BS about being confident in him when we know that's not the case. He has no problem giving politician-type answers to other questions he doesn't want to answer directly. But I think right now Baders is getting a healthy dose of humble pie after the way he boasted about some things in the preseason and early on.

[BGSU33]

I have more confidence in Knapke than Babers at this point!

I have confidence in Tate and Davidson and that's about it at this point.

[BGSU33]

Tonight was the biggest blowout in MAC Championship history.

we've set records all year - - for the other teams!!

Well, we still own the worst loss in a bowl game record. We could break it all over again and go out with a real thud that way.

[Schadenfreude]

I don't expect him to throw anyone under the bus. But he should answer the question by saying "James is our quarterback" without piling on BS about being confident in him when we know that's not the case. He has no problem giving politician-type answers to other questions he doesn't want to answer directly. But I think right now Baders is getting a healthy dose of humble pie after the way he boasted about some things in the preseason and early on.

I see plenty of room for improvement in the way Babers has managed expectations and media situations. (And I disagree with something said earlier in the thread. In my mind, managing these stuff is very much part of the job of the head coach.)

Think about it: We repeated as East champions with a clearly limited backup quarterback and people are ready to jump out of windows right now. Even if Babers was certain we would repeat as MAC champion last July, he could have tried to do more to lower expectations a bit.

Part of Babers' charm is that he doesn't do coach speak. He often seems to say what he's thinking. He probably needs to cut that out and learn a bit more coach speak. And I expect he will.

Learning these kind of lessons is part of what coaching in the MAC is about, right?

[jpfalcon09]

Finally made it home, left midway through the third quarter. Was hoping Babers would apologize to the great fans who turned out tonight to watch arguably the worst game of the year, doesn't seem that way though.

Lots of fans are very concerned with where this program may be headed, me included. The players quit on this coaching staff late in the season and it tells me what they think about the staff. Had some nice conversations tonight with some parents of players who felt the same way. The change in culture from Clawson to Babers really manifested itself late in the season with the country club atmosphere. Lack of structure and attention to detail really did this team in and that's on the coaches.

As Gibby said on radio, it's going to be difficult next year to replace the remaining key cogs on defense who are graduating and that should be a big concern to the staff, how are you going to recruit given the results of the past month?

This team began and ended the season breaking records for terrible defense. That's all you need to know.

[BGSU33]

NIU hadn't beaten a single FBS opponent that badly this entire season. To come out in the championship game, attempting to defend our title and play like that, it was pathetic and embarrassing!