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What do you all say about the horrendous loss by Kent (16 point favorite) today 41-14 to Buffalo who is arguably worse than Temple this year? Should Marten be let go? Speak up! Losses like this happen...period. Iowa (18 point favorite) lost to Northwestern at home today 21-7, Alabama(15 point favorite) lost to Mississippi State at home 24-16, Clemson (19 point favorite) lost at home to Maryland 13-12, should I go on? Ohio State and Michigan both had huge scares against brutal teams. (Ohio U won by a bigger margin than OSU did against Illinois) Shoot we over 300 yards against Wisconsin earlier this year and put up 14 points while Penn State could only manage a field goal and had just a little over 200 yards of total offense. Just some things to think about...sure our defense was not very good today but for a team as young as we are it probably hurt us a great deal that our leading tackler, Terrell White was out today. That didn't help any.

cowboyjoe wrote:sure our defense was not very good today but for a team as young as we are it probably hurt us a great deal that our leading tackler, Terrell White was out today. That didn't help any.

I completely agree with you on this point. Our younger LB's will be good with more game experience, but right now they're just too young. T White would have been a big help today.

As for Coach, I think the gameplan was good, but Akron's offense was just dominant today. I was happy that the guys went hard throughout and had not mailed in the season. We just got beat by a very small margin to a better team.

cowboyjoe wrote:What do you all say about the horrendous loss by Kent (16 point favorite) today 41-14 to Buffalo who is arguably worse than Temple this year?

The same simple idea answers this question everytime you bring it up. Kent has improved steadily over the last 3 years. BG has declined steadily. It's fine if you don't agree, but bringing this up every time a team gets upset is ridiculous. So is falling back on yardage totals as an argument. I don't think they give the MAC championship to the team with the most yardage at the end of the year, so why keep harping on it?

Wins and losses really didn't mean all that much to me this year. I'm really not surprised by our record. Sure, losing to Kent and Temple sucks, but it would've been OK if we had looked halfways decent. This team has shown ZERO improvement this year. If you look at our youth, we should be looking at an entirely different, and much better team right now than we saw early in the year. I don't see that -- do you? I see the same crap we've been forced to look at for the last couple years. The same bad gameplans, the same lack of adjustments, the same post-game excuses, the same mistakes, the same lack of leadership, etc.

Here's how I'm going to sum up our difference of opinion. I'm basing my opinion of Brandon and the direction of this program based on what I see on the field. You're basing your opinion of Brandon and the direction of this program on how many yards we had against Wisconsin and how badly Buffalo beat Kent. I'm going to stick with my way.

It's a little long if you care to read it. Count me in as one who supports the program but not the coach. Note: I think Greg Christopher needs to hear what the Falcon football fanbase thinks.

****
Thomas, thank you for your note and comments. I appreciate your
thoughtful remarks - and you're on target with some of your
analysis points. Of course, the coaches would agree with you as
well. Along with our players, they're working to move forward.
Last Saturday was disappointing on many levels. Our team now
needs to respond to the adversity and deal with the life
lesson, as they'll be competing again in five days. There will
be plenty of time to focus on constructive improvements - for
now, we appreciate your loyal support of BGSU's student-
athletes. Regards, Greg Christopher



---------Included Message----------
>Date: 30-Oct-2006 12:32:32 -0500
>From: ">
>To: <[email protected]>
>Subject: Constructive Feedback about BGSU Football
>
>Dear Mr. Christopher:
>
> My name is . I have been a life-long supporter
of BGSU as an academic institution and, of course, the
athletics program since I was a child. I was born and raised
in BG, and although I did not receive my degrees from the
university, I have stayed active with university in the form of
financial support, the academics and the athletics program as a
fan. My father is an emeritus professor of business
adminstration and still lives in BG so I have the occasion to
visit frequently.
>
> I am writing you this note because I care deeply about the
university and athletics program, and quite frankly, out of
extreme frustration watching the football game against Temple.
I would like to offer some observations and constructive
feedback about the direction of the program.
>
> Of course, it was no fun watching the Falcons lose to
Temple. More importantly, the one thing that really concerns me
the most is the lack of improvement in special teams. I am not
a football expert (just a fan) and certainly won't try to offer
a solution in terms of "X's and O's". But from my perspective
as a senior executive in the business world, I find the lack of
improvement in special teams most concerning since seems to be
a key factor in some our losses. The inability to make
improvements may also suggest bigger issues with the direction
of the program.
>
> Special teams have struggled for nearly 2 full seasons!
Blocked punts, missed XP's, kickoffs returned for touchdowns,
missed FG's, etc. Of course, these are 17-22 year old kids so
we should accept and expect miscues. But we should not expect
the same mistakes over and over again. The leader has
responsibility and accountability
> to make sure the organization doesn't continue to make
mistakes that "sink the ship".
>
> If the team makes the same mistakes consistently, the ship
is going to start sinking. In my opinion, we have serious
issues when we can't beat a team that hasn't won a game in the
past 20. We have more than enough talent in my humble
opinion. So what then is the problem? A blocked punt, missed
field goal, kickoff return for a touchdown, fumbling on the
Temple goal line. My professional business experience tells me
that this is a team that isn't doing little things right and
the little things are a function of discipline, which is solely
the responsibility of the coaches.
>
> We were 6-5 last year, clearly a disappointment given some
of the NFL-quality talent we had in some positions. We are 4-5
this year with 6-6 looking like a "stretch". I think the
program is headed for tough times.
>
> I think the attendance issue is related to the inability for
the program to sustain more than 5 years of success at a time.
I can only offer my observation based on nearly 30 years of
being fan and amateur historian. I have seen the attendance
ebb and flow over many eras of BGSU football and I think the
success of the program is one of the major factors with
attendance. Our attendance is inconsistent because our program
is inconsistent. Here is my layman's analysis:
>
> 1980's
> A kid named Brian McClure turned the program around after 5+
losing seasons. We had NCAA compliance issues so additional
seating was added, and a campaign to boost attendance was
implemented. Good seasons from 1982-1985. Attendance sets
record in 1985 with an 11-0 regular season. Coach Stolz leaves
for SDSU, Moe Ankney hired and 5 years of losing seasons.
Attendance dips significantly (don't know the numbers off hand,
but I'm sure the trend will be consistent with my statement)
>
> 1990's
> Gary Blackney era starts with 4 very successful seasons
including two bowl wins. Support is strong in 1994 (best
season average, I think) as the Falcons are 9-1 heading into
final game of the season at home versus Central Michigan. I
recall the season average was 22-24 K in attendance. We lost
36-33. Turning point in the program. 5-6 in 1995 and further
downhill from there in terms of wins and attendance.
>
> 2000's
> Urban Meyer turns the program around and with success
attendance grows, with 2003 average well over 20,000 per game
with a visit from ESPN's Game Day. 5 years of winning seasons
but a downward trend since 2004. Attendance and record have
steadily declined in unison. As much as I hope otherwise, I
hope our historical pattern does not repeat.
>
>
> Former coach Urban Meyer was onto something important as he
reached out to the student body and community to support the
program. He wanted to make football an important part of
student life and the BG community and as well as surrounding
area. Look at any top program and you'll find that football
isn't just a sporting event. The program and each event is an
important part of the institution's identity, as well as the
identity of the people associated with that institution. When
you read what Bob Sebo said about the reason for his generous
donation to fund the construction of the SAC, I think it echos
the point about identity. I believe that the marketing efforts
will only be successful if the people leading it understand
this concept.
>
> I'll speculate that student participation is probably
relatively low and this could be a reflection of the relative
importance of the footbal season in the psyche of the school
and community. Long-term, the effect of low participation will
negatively impact the ability to improve attendance, raise
necessary funds, etc. Use me as an example, I have been
fortunate to be in a position to have some money to donate to
the university and have enthusiastically done so because I care
about the place that has meant a lot to me and my family. I
have followed the program through good times and bad because it
is part of who I am. In order to build a foundation long term,
students and the community need to love the institution,
tradition, as well as the event itself. That is what sustains
support for the team over the long-haul. Winning games is
important, no question. But these are equally important.
>
> I hope the coaching staff leads the program in the right
direction and BGSU finds the success it deserves. That remains
to be seen. Whatever happens, I hope you find my comments and
perspective helpful and constructive. Let me know if I can do
anything to help.
>
> Good luck.
>
>
> Regards,

Yes, upsets happen. Sometimes teams lose games they shouldn't, and sometimes they do it by large margins. It happens.

My problem wth coach Brandon is we lose a LOT of games we shouldn't, and we lose a lot of games by larger margins than we should, and even the games we win are generally by smaller margins than they should be. That's called underachieving, and is a sign of bad coaching.

I judge a coaching staff by how I see the game being played on the field. Generally if you play the game the right way with the right attitude wins will follow. Sometimes severe talent differentials can sway that one way or the other, but in the end the best teams play the right way and the poor teams play the wrong way.

We have played the wrong way since 2004. Sure in the '04 season we had a huge talent advantage on most teams and rode that to wins, but we didn't play the game correctly. As that talent differential has faded we see the win total steadily decrease...very disappointing.

You know what, after having been in (cr)Akron today, I honestly don't know what the hell you people are talking about. I realize that I have been a bit manic in my support of the current coaching staff this season, but, in terms of what happened today, you guys are seeing only what you want to see. Period.

What I saw today was a team that didn't quit. I saw a defense that has suffered a LOT of injuries (which no one seems to care to talk about) and was playing mostly freshmen and sophomores. Yeah, they looked like crap a lot of times, but given the injury experience situation, I don't see how you can legitimately lay their performance on the coaches shoulders. I also saw an offense that was opened up in response to a heartbreaking loss - a signal from the coaches to the players that this team is NOT going to give up on ANYTHING. I also saw a quarterback who made some significant strides to getting to where we all expected him to be. AT was certainly not perfect, but he was much better in this game than he has been in the past. Yeah, we're all pissed as hell that he took a sack to basically end the game, but all that is masking is the fact that he ran two pretty damned good drives under pressure to give us a chance to win this damned ballgame. I also saw special teams that were pretty consisitent and didn't allow any huge mistakes when, after a year of allowing a LOT of huge mistakes, it would be easy for them to make excuses. They didn't. They executed.

And overall, I saw a team that was unwilling to give up. I saw a team that was full of heart and was inspired. I saw a team that was not going to get all of the bullsh*t that was talked about them over the past week down. I saw a team that was motivated by its coaches. I saw a team that was PROUD of themselves, despite a humiliating loss. I am proud of this team, and I am even more proud of this coaching staff for getting things turned around after a heartbreaker - not only for us, but even moreso for them - last week. I am proud of the effort, and I will give credit where credit is due even if no one else will.

Yes, there are changes that need to be made before next year, but after watching what this team did today, I don't think they are nearly as drastic as people seem to think they should be around here. After all of the crap that this coaching staff has taken this year, someone has to stand up for them when they perform. I'm willing to be that guy, and I embrace any ridicule that I may recieve with open arms. Bring it, because you are going to lose the argument, especially if you weren't there today to witness what this team actually accomplished today.

I am always proud to be a Falcon, but I am even more proud to be one today.

cowboyjoe wrote:What do you all say about the horrendous loss by Kent (16 point favorite) today 41-14 to Buffalo who is arguably worse than Temple this year? Should Marten be let go? Speak up! Losses like this happen...period.

Sure, a single loss like this can happen. But look at games we have lost in the last year and a half. Western, Akron, Kent, Temple. That's four games in a rather short span in which we were BIG favorites and lost big. You seriously think that has nothing to do with coaching?

If I wanted to be a real dick about it, I'd list all the close games we did win but were BIG favorites and should have won by a lot more.

One more thing, bringing up the fact that a team we lost to by 35 points just lost to Buffalo by 27 points doesn't seem the best way to try to defend the coach.

Didn't see the game today Bleeding, and I have made very few comments specific to today's game. I'm in no position to say much because I only listened on the radio, and only the 2nd half at that.

My problem is that the games where we play hard are few & far between. Perhaps today they bounced back a little, but was it anymore than they did at OU a few weeks back only to fall back into their ways?

Who knows, but at this point Brandon is going to have to do a LOT to change my opinion of him, and a narrow loss to Akron isn't gonna cut it. I've watched lousy coaching take a great team into the crapper in a 3 year span...3 years of improving is what he'll need just to break even, in my book.

cowboyjoe wrote:What do you all say about the horrendous loss by Kent (16 point favorite) today 41-14 to Buffalo who is arguably worse than Temple this year? Should Marten be let go? Speak up! Losses like this happen...period. Iowa (18 point favorite) lost to Northwestern at home today 21-7, Alabama(15 point favorite) lost to Mississippi State at home 24-16, Clemson (19 point favorite) lost at home to Maryland 13-12, should I go on? Ohio State and Michigan both had huge scares against brutal teams. (Ohio U won by a bigger margin than OSU did against Illinois) Shoot we over 300 yards against Wisconsin earlier this year and put up 14 points while Penn State could only manage a field goal and had just a little over 200 yards of total offense. Just some things to think about...sure our defense was not very good today but for a team as young as we are it probably hurt us a great deal that our leading tackler, Terrell White was out today. That didn't help any.

Playing the they beat this team who lost to this team but beat that team then they almost beat the one team but it was on the road game is pretty much not really very indicitave of much of anything. Maybe.

I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to be so abrasive, I was just really, really proud of what I saw today. Going down to (cr)Akron, I was fully expecting to watch a team mailing it in. I expected to see a team fold under the pressure of a loss to one of the worst teams in all of college football. I saw none of that. I saw heart, passion, and drive, and that made me proud, even though we fell a little bit short.

And I agree - this "we lost to them, but look who they lost to!" crap is pretty damned pointless, and really, it is pretty juvenile, too. I don't care who beats who or who loses to who. What determines how good our footbally team is how OUR football team plays. They played well today, even under excruciating circumstances, and they showed me that not only should I have faith in their abilities in the last two games of the season and in the coming years, but, more importantly, that they should, too. Folks, this team is going places. As I said before, there are changes that I think need to be made, and I will elaborate on them later should the play on the field warrant such a course of action, but I saw nothing but positives today - and I am one who is hard pressed to say that after a loss. I'm too competative.

That's encouraging that they played well today. I didn't see the game so I'll take your word for it.

Like Hammb said though, it takes more than a loss to a team with a worse record than us to come anywhere near changing my mind.

Jacobs4Heisman wrote: Like Hammb said though, it takes more than a loss to a team with a worse record than us to come anywhere near changing my mind.

I can definately respect that. I took heart in our performance today, though, for what that's worth. I've got a lot of thoughts, though. I'm going to save them for after the season is over. Right now, no matter what any of us thinks, we still have two football games to play and two ugly teams to humiliate. GO FALCONS!!!

Glad to hear they played more inspired ball today. Todd was very candid actually calling our defense Terrible today, which is disappointing. Still, if the team actually played with some intensity, that is an improvement. We have 2 very winnable games remaining, I hope we finish 2-0 with a real reason to be optimistic for the future.

hammb wrote:

My problem wth coach Brandon is we lose a LOT of games we shouldn't, and we lose a lot of games by larger margins than we should, and even the games we win are generally by smaller margins than they should be. That's called underachieving, and is a sign of bad coaching.

This is so true. We also used to lose games we shouldn't have lost when we were "good" a couple of years back. We'd be rocking at halftime and come out dead flat and blow a huge lead, or give in to an equally matched team. Brandon seems to have any ability to keep the guys focused and consistent for 60 minutes.

I'm tired of watching us underperform because I know we're better than this and the program never should have come to this point. I don't see Boise State going through "rebuilding" like we supposedly are. And it wasn't that long ago that we were one of those teams that could run the table in our conference and get some national press. Now all i get to see is us being the team that gave glory to Temple.

Let's not the excuses off and look at the situation for what it is. The program is slipping and we better fix it fast. Having this young of a team usually signifies a change in coaching...we haven't had that change...so why are we so young?

As has been mentioned it is all about the direction of our program. I took some heat when I didn't jump on board the Paul Krebs lovefest last spring because while he did some good things he wasn't leaving the program, specifically the men's key programs (football, hockey and basketball) in good shape.

I'm not here to turn this into a debate about that, only to reference that if you look at the direction this football program is going, to steal a scene from Planes, Trains and Automobiles: 'It's going the wrong way! We're going in the wrong direction!' Some of you still sound like Del Griffith: "How do you know which way we're going?!?"
Well, just look at the facts folks. I love BG as much as any of you, but I'm not going to support a coach who has let this program slide from national prominence to loser to Temple and a losing record.