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I'm guessing BG will probably be on TV several times during the 2005 regular season again next year. I wouldn't be surprised to see our TV games being the ones at Wisconsin, at Boise State and vs. Toledo. Wisconsin's been on ESPN or ESPN2 a few times in the last couple years against early non-conference opponents like UNLV and Fresno State in what I remember being noon starts. I also think our game at Boise State will be on TV because we're both two good (mid-major - their words not mine) programs that can score a lot of points. I think the BG/Toledo game is starting to be recognized by more than just the folks in NW Ohio as a rivalry game and it's been getting on TV the last several years, even if it's on Tuesday night. Of course, you always have the MAC Championship and a Bowl Game on TV too. I really hope we stay healthy and play well because as good as the last two years have been, next year could be even better!

I think the BG/UT game gets picked up by ESPN especially because it's on a Tuesday night. I thought they moved the game to accomodate the national TV schedules.

My guestimate of 2005 televised games:

at Wisconsin - ESPN+
at Boise St. - ESPN2
NIU - Fox Sports Net
at E. Michigan - Fox Sports Net
Toledo - ESPN2
MACC - ESPN2
Rose Bowl - ABC

The NIU game might get picked up nationally, but I have a feeling it won't happen next season.

Hey -- anyone think ABC might pick up our game with Michigan next year?[/i]

I'd say there's a good chance those games get on like that too...."IF"....we're even in the MAC West next year.

rollalongFF0304 wrote:Hey -- anyone think ABC might pick up our game with Michigan next year?[/i]

You're joking, right?

Miami vs. Michigan was on, so I bet BG vs. Michigan would be on TV.

And the joke shall fly over everyone's head without missing a beat.

Boise State versus Bowling Green is a lock for one of the ESPNs, isn't it? I thought it was the point of scheduling the game...

Two Points:
I like the sound of the BG game on national TV, the one from the Rose Bowl. Question: Do they make Brown Roses to trim our float???

Secondly: I'm still miffed that BG gave up the game in the Big House. If Wisconsin was coming to The Doyt I'd say maybe, but to have to play in a stadium we never have played in (Cleveland)...it's just not a big wow for me. Especially since I think BG could give Michigan a game they've never received from the MAC. It would have been the fitting start to the season. Beating the Big Ten Champs to open and the Pac-10 Champs to close.

Oh well, closing the season against USC will be pretty fun.

ZuluWarrior wrote: I like the sound of the BG game on national TV, the one from the Rose Bowl.

That's the Fiesta Bowl, right?

The BCS webpage says we'll be playing for the national championship in the Rose Bowl in January 2006...[sarcasm]that is, if we can get past the Wolverines up in the Big House this September.[/sarcasm]

BGSU33 wrote:I'd say there's a good chance those games get on like that too...."IF"....we're even in the MAC West next year.

Good point. If we're in the east, substitute Miami for NIU and Ohio for Eastern Michigan. Miami/BG might be good ESPN fodder instead of Fox Sports Net, but I think those two games would be the most likely to be televised.

ZuluWarrior wrote:Two Points:
I like the sound of the BG game on national TV, the one from the Rose Bowl. Question: Do they make Brown Roses to trim our float???

Secondly: I'm still miffed that BG gave up the game in the Big House. If Wisconsin was coming to The Doyt I'd say maybe, but to have to play in a stadium we never have played in (Cleveland)...it's just not a big wow for me. Especially since I think BG could give Michigan a game they've never received from the MAC. It would have been the fitting start to the season. Beating the Big Ten Champs to open and the Pac-10 Champs to close.

Oh well, closing the season against USC will be pretty fun.

I couldn't disagree more Zulu. We must take baby steps. Right now, as good as we've been, we are still a notch below the OSU, Oklahoma, and Michigans of the world. Those are teams that expect to challenge for a national title nearly every year. We should focus on the teams like Wisconsin, Purdue, NC State, etc. Those are the teams that are consistently in the national spotlight, and always have the respect of voters & other teams. At the same time, they are beatable. They rarely are among the top 5 in the country, and more important they don't play in the same 100k seat stadiums.

One day I hope we can get to the point where we can beat the uppermost echelon, but until that time I'd rather play the second tier. We've proven we can destroy the 3rd tier (Kansas, Mizzou), and have even beaten the 2nd tier (Purdue), but we still are not quite ready to beat the top tier, IMO. A win over Wisconsin will bring your program a helluva lot more recognition than a 40-24 loss to OU, or similar defeat to the other major powers.

A win at Wisconsin is huge for our program. No two ways about it.

I'm not crazy about the game in Cleveland. Its a fine idea, its innovative, I'm not knocking it. I'm just not crazy about it.

But I'll be there.

I agree with hammb about playing the second tier teams. We should continue to focus on playing those teams because they have enough national acclaim for us to get attention when we beat them. Also, keep in mind that if we play two teams like that, let's say, Purdue and NC State, and beat them and then run the table in the MAC, we should be in a BCS game. I mean, look at what Utah did this year. The only big name team they played was Texas A&M who got smoked in their bowl game this year. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of the fac t that we gave Oklahoma a game this year, but if we want to get better recruits and go to bigger bowls we need to be on national television WINNING, not putting up a noble effort.

A wild card when it comes to predicting televised games next year will be how the decide to program ESPN U. Apparently this channel was born out of some lawsuit against how ESPN/ABC regionalizes the coverage pf college games, forcing some people into pay-perview. Seems like a way to avoid a monopoly suit and get money from the cable/sat companies rather than the consumer.

It will be interesting to see how this channel affects what games are televised nationally. Guess we'll learn more on 03.04.05.