Looking back and moving on.....

[NWLB]

UT's(no jock straps needed)game played out exactly to form. They came out and got pushed around in the first quarter, got on their feet in the second, rallied in the third, and played even in the forth. They didn't do anything new.

BG came out strong. The offense, notably Omar's throwing, got skittish as it did against NIU when things got close. The defense got stale, sitting back waiting and reacting, not being pro-active and changing things up as they had in the first half. They got sucked into chasing UT's QB(needed training wheels on tricycle) , which is typically how their offense lends itself to beating teams. By the fourth quarter the game was over. BG blew its best chance to beat UT (bunch of soup kitchen patrons in training)on the road since 1994.

The coaching staff seems to have blinked at the wrong times too. They went for it in their own territory, but then didn't two other times where it might have been advisable. They tried a 50 yard field goal-and missed, when pinning the other team deep was more critical. They tried a shorter field goal, when still leading, and missed. They got conservative on defense when they couldn't afford too. There was the onside kick, and the use of a time-out on third and short after not stopping anybody the entire second half.

The upside to the game is that we have seen everything UT (Wiggles fan club charter members) can throw at us. There aren't going to be any new tricks next season. Most of the MAC has figured out how to defend UT (made fun of in more languages than any other MAC school.) None have been able to solve the third-quarter issue, or had the offensive success to establish and protect a lead. BGSU should not have had those problems, but by its own hand, it did.

We'll get them next year, and I already am looking forward to it.

Disappointing. We'll have to return the favor next year. Now we wait for a bowl and see where things play out. It was too good a season, which isn't even over yet, to worry about this.

The odd thing is how people keep saying "how close" the games are. There hasn't been a "close" BG-UT game in ten years. Whomever the winner is, typically wins by a wide margin, as was the case here. That winner is also typically at home.


In the end, we are still BGSU, which is more than they can ever say, which is why even after winning they'll still be bitter. They'll gloat, it comes with our not winning the game. But remember what galls them above all other things, is how little respect we give them off the field, and how any and all wins against us never changes that fact. Beating them is just a bonus on top of all that which we look down on them for. It is not the basis for why we do.

[orangeandbrown]

The upside to the game is that we have seen everything UT (Wiggles fan club charter members) can throw at us. There aren't going to be any new tricks next season. Most of the MAC has figured out how to defend UT (made fun of in more languages than any other MAC school.) None have been able to solve the third-quarter issue, or had the offensive success to establish and protect a lead. BGSU should not have had those problems, but by its own hand, it did.

I don't understand this "nothing new" argument. They don't need anything new--this works. They didn't have anything new THIS year--it works. We saw everything they had last year, it doesn't matter.

They have a good concept and it works. They can run, they can pass, they have a good QB and they are the premier football program in the Mac West. The road to the title still runs through Toledo.

Further, the Rockets averaged more than 33 points a game coming into the BG game, so I don't think most teams in the MAC have figured out how to stop them.

Bottom line--there's no upside, and no bright side to last night's game.

[NWLB]

Your simply wrong. I don't think they have the best program in the west, but obviously the other two programs in position to beat them choked in both cases. It happens. I find your willingness to dump on our own program unfortunate and unnecessary.

Go back and re-read everything I wrote more than a week before the game. The point to their not having done anything new, specifically in the second half, is that we stopped them just fine early. Stopping them isn't rocket science, but it requires being proactive and near perfect. I didn't say what they do doesn't work.

I don't stop considering how BG will beat them because this year is over. BG plays them every year, and every season I start looking at how that game will need to be dealt with. I've watched their offense get more predictable every single year. IF BG failed to stop them it is our own failure. The tools are there. I look forward to the next chance BG has to beat them.

[Warthog]

Your simply wrong. I don't think they have the best program in the west, but obviously the other two programs in position to beat them choked in both cases. It happens. I find your willingness to dump on our own program unfortunate and unnecessary.

Hmmm, UT played the top two teams in the West and beat them both, oh not wait they both choked. Ever think that good teams might make other teams choke? Toledo has won the West three of the last four years, and we have won it once. Call a spade a spade. They are better then us right now.

[orangeandbrown]

I'm not dumping on our team. By no objective standard is our program stronger on the field than Toledo's. Until we accept that, we won't fix it.

We'll just have to disagree on their offense. They move the ball on lots and lots of teams, and its hard to defend against it for a whole game. Its not complicated, but they execute it well with good players.

As for two teams "choking" against them, the same two teams "choked" against them two years ago.

[NWLB]

We are recruiting better, getting more national respect on a consistent basis. We've blown a few games, which is about all I see wrong right now.

I'm not defending the loss as such. I look at where things stand, and whose program would I rather have. I wouldn't trade what we have going for us at BG for what they have.

NIU was a house of cards on offense, and they got beat. We shouldn't have gotten pushed around like we did. Call it whatever kind of failure you want, but I don't see it as a sign we are somehow worse than they are. We lost that game, they have lost a few games. Taking how many west title they have won is like saying the annual game is always close. It hasn't been for years. If they have won a bunch of titles, it has been when we lost on the road, or lost non-divisional games and came in behind them.

I do not, nor should we measure our program against winning or losing that game.

Chokes happen, last night was one of them. After that first half, nobody can call the third quarter anything else. As fo the past, they simply beat NIU two years ago. We got clubbed while still building to where we are now. A loss is a loss. We lost the game, we'll chew them up next year. That is the cycle the series has gotten into. Somebody will win on the road at some point, and that should have been us this year.

In any case, move on. Our program is doing more and better things than their program is. If anything sucks, it is the possibility our failure lets them get another title. I'll let them worry about their little world, I like ours much better. Nobody should be canceling plans for next year.

[orangeandbrown]

I think they're recruiting just fine, based on the players they are putting on the field. They have tons of very good players. They have a strong back up to Bruce. They are loaded, and they are consistent, not one-time, West Champs.

National respect and $2 will get you a cup of coffee.

All your examples are examples where they won and we lost, which I think is the whole point. I don't see how you can't find that an example of "how they are better than we are."

As I said, on no objective measure is our program stronger than theirs.

As for moving on, that's obviously what has to happen. But if we move on with the idea that we're secretly better on the field than they are, then we won't fix the problems that we obviously having moving from good to best.

[NWLB]

I think you focus too much on "us" vs. "them." If there was a failure last night, it was in that BG lost, less whom BG lost too. I see everything BG is doing as better than what they are doing. What happens on the field, with that game in particular, is being overstated in terms of how it reflects on BG's program.

I know we have a lot of Ohio State fans, so I'm mindful of people who tend to dump on a program for problems beating once single school. Not that I want to compare BG to Cooper's OSU program, its not a perfect comparison.

Being objective also means you can not simply dwell on one game. Take the season as a whole and there are things BG must improve on. The road to the MAC title game ran through BG, and it got run over pretty hard.

In the last four years the improvement at BG has been rapid and radical. Rating program against program, if you use nothing by head to head, or win-loss records, fine. I don't, because I did not, and do not consider BG a finished product. I think last year was the final act in salvaging what was left to BG after Blackney. This year was the opening act of new show. The show isn't over yet.

Lets try to remember who the other team played this year, how they did, etc. If I had to pick and choose which program I'd want, I would still pick BG. If BG blew it this year, that is the Falcon's fault. To be objective you also have to keep it in perspective.

[Flipper]

You could argue easily that presently the only difference between us and UT is that they can beat NIU at NIU. Other than that, we can't win there, they can't win here. Our w/l records are pretty close, I think our talent levels are close.

We have one hurdle to climb, beat a good MAC school at their place

[Schadenfreude]

You could argue easily that presently the only difference between us and UT is that they can beat NIU at NIU. Other than that, we can't win there, they can't win here. Our w/l records are pretty close, I think our talent levels are close.

We have one hurdle to climb, beat a good MAC school at their place

I agree with this.

We are about even with Toledo right now. No way they beat us at our place.

What we all want is to get over the hump and improve to the point where we can beat Toledo no matter what.

For as many MAC titles as Bowling Green has won, Bowling Green has even more second place finishes. This is sort of a usual place for us -- and I wonder if analogies can be drawn to the Nehlen era.

[TJRocket]

We'll get them next year, and I already am looking forward to it.

In the end, we are still BGSU, which is more than they can ever say, which is why even after winning they'll still be bitter. They'll gloat, it comes with our not winning the game. But remember what galls them above all other things, is how little respect we give them off the field, and how any and all wins against us never changes that fact. Beating them is just a bonus on top of all that which we look down on them for. It is not the basis for why we do.

Nate, what a sad miserable little man you must be. How are we (Toledo fans) bitter? Go ahead and talk down to me, because I really want to know. If anyone is bitter, its you little dude, your entire post reeks of bitterness.

Fans like you, made last nights win that much sweeter .
49 - 41
I smell a sweep in mens roundball coming too!

Go Rockets!

[NWLB]

For those that placed bets on the thread in "Free-For-All," it took them until after the game plus about 8 hours to finally post what TJ just did.

Thanks again TJ, you just proved another thing I knew you or somebody from that scum bag school of yours would do.

Try to be more original, I stopped caring about what UT people think a long time ago.

Good night and happy turkey day everybody else!

[Photodan]

The odd thing is how people keep saying "how close" the games are. There hasn't been a "close" BG-UT game in ten years. Whomever the winner is, typically wins by a wide margin, as was the case here. That winner is also typically at home.


In the end, we are still BGSU, which is more than they can ever say, which is why even after winning they'll still be bitter. They'll gloat, it comes with our not winning the game. But remember what galls them above all other things, is how little respect we give them off the field, and how any and all wins against us never changes that fact. Beating them is just a bonus on top of all that which we look down on them for. It is not the basis for why we do.

You didn't think that game was close? You're a tough one to please.

I'm not sure I understand why you feel bitterness befalls those who are not able to be BGSU. In fact I can guarantee I feel no bitterness after last night's game. As to you looking down on anyone... whatever makes you happy, man.

All I can say is I'm glad the majority of the BG fans I've talked to, both on our board and after the game, don't share your attitude. Most were understandably disappointed but were good sports who enjoyed a great game between two very talented teams. Next year's game ought to be just as good, with the relative youth of our teams.

Happy Thanksgiving to you too.

-Dan

[orangeandbrown]

Being objective also means you can not simply dwell on one game. Take the season as a whole and there are things BG must improve on. The road to the MAC title game ran through BG, and it got run over pretty hard.

In the last four years the improvement at BG has been rapid and radical. Rating program against program, if you use nothing by head to head, or win-loss records, fine. I don't, because I did not, and do not consider BG a finished product. I think last year was the final act in salvaging what was left to BG after Blackney. This year was the opening act of new show. The show isn't over yet.

Lets try to remember who the other team played this year, how they did, etc. If I had to pick and choose which program I'd want, I would still pick BG. If BG blew it this year, that is the Falcon's fault. To be objective you also have to keep it in perspective.

That's exactly my point. I AM looking at more than one game. I am looking at a trend where a good team doesn't get to be the best. And a trend where UT can go on the road and win when they have to, and we can't.

I'm not sure how many years Gary Blackney has to be gone before he stops being an excuse (is there a number?), but we're a finished product right now. We were a finished product two years ago.

[NWLB]

I think the mistake being made here is the assumption I'm bitter.

I dislike that school in the same way I dislike stupid drivers on the road. I can't avoid them no matter how hard I try. In passing, I do what I can to spoil their game. I slow to get tailgaters off my proverbial arse knowing it will get on their nerves. When they move on, I cease caring. In the same way, I don't care about that school. However I know how easy it is to push their buttons, and the almost clockwork way they respond. In the end, I don't care about them any more than the drivers I compare them too, and don't expend any more effort in pushing their buttons.