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This was said in an earlier quote. However, I do believe there is some
validity to his quote. He asserted that when Omar Jacobs went down, so
did our program. It seems like that. We went from scoring points by the
bunches to looking like a program on the decline. Was Omar's injury
the beginning of our demise as a program? I do feel that this year we
are going to surprise some people. Any thoughts?

Pretty much. This offense can dominate with quality quarterback play, and early 2005 was the last time we had consistently excellent performance from that position.

Of course, it also helps when you're stocked with NFL-caliber players across the board like we were offensively. We simply didn't have the personnel in place to adequately replace players of that caliber, and it remains to be seen whether the cupboard has been re-stocked to that point again.

The new media guide lists the program's biggest wins since 2001, and not surprisingly, none have come over the last two years. If the QB's can give us anything against Minnesota, we'll have a chance early. They're installing a spread offense with new coaches and a new quarterback, and word was it was an absolute mess in their spring game.

Mark my words...BG will beat either Minnesota or MSU...and I hope it's MSU since we'll be at that game. MSU has a brand new staff as well and nothing about MSU worries me like Wisky and OSU last year.

In fact, with my orange glasses on at this time, I feel the only game we may really struggle is Boston College. They also have a new coach but seem to be solidified with what they're doing. For Minny to go from the power ground game to spread within 6 months is gonna take some time to gel. Good thing we get them right out of the gate.

Of course beating either or both means we'll have solid, consistent QB play and improved ST's...that remains to be seen.

Just tee the flippin ball up.

I think the beginning of the decline in '05 was when PJ went down at Wisconsin. Even with Omar in the early part of the season, we weren't playing all that well - barely got by Ball State, waxed by Boise, and marginal at best at Buffalo. PJ's injury really hurt us that year. Of the really good players that we had from 2002 - 2005, PJ Pope was the most underappreciated star on those teams. He was one helluva football player for us.

This discussion has taken place at various points over the last couple years. Hopefully we can have a thread about the point when BG rose again very soon.

I think this is true, grad, and it is something people forget. You could see signs of trouble in that team before Omar went down. Obviously, the injury to Omar hurt, but the team was not playing well prior to that. I don't think it is surpising that they didn't react better to Omar going down.

Falconfreak90 wrote:Mark my words...BG will beat either Minnesota or MSU...and I hope it's MSU since we'll be at that game. MSU has a brand new staff as well and nothing about MSU worries me like Wisky and OSU last year.

In fact, with my orange glasses on at this time, I feel the only game we may really struggle is Boston College. They also have a new coach but seem to be solidified with what they're doing. For Minny to go from the power ground game to spread within 6 months is gonna take some time to gel. Good thing we get them right out of the gate.

Of course beating either or both means we'll have solid, consistent QB play and improved ST's...that remains to be seen.

Just tee the flippin ball up.

I agree. I think they could knock off either Big Ten school. I have posted on a local Indy site, that the first Big Ten team to lose on the Big Ten Newtwork will be Minnesota.

I am always upbeat at this time of year, but this year even more. With average ST and more consistency from the QB 8 wins is possible.

Falconfreak90 wrote:Mark my words...BG will beat either Minnesota or MSU...and I hope it's MSU

As a Cincy native and UC fan, I also hope its MSU of the two. I would love to see our Falcons stick it to Mark Dantonio

To be blunt, that 2005 team was a tad soft. They played down to the level of the poorer teams and other than the Whisky game, never managed to play up to the level of the better teams.

They play that sticks out to me was that 4th ad 3 play late against Akron. The call was dead perfect. Akron blitzed fmo the right side and we threw a swing pass over it. We had our (dinged up) SR TB running with the ball with a SR OT and a couple of SR WR's out there to block. Do we get the first down? No, we do not...nobody bothered to seal off the backside pursuit and none of the lead blockers managed to get a body on the ILB trailing the play. That was a sorry display of ....

Even though last year's team had a worse record, I thnik they played a bit tougher. The Kent game was brutal and the Temple game wasn't much better, but they toughed it out at FIU and did not quit when trailing at Akroin or Toledo.