Next up: Northern Illinois

[Schadenfreude]

The Huskies are a 9 point favorite and looking tough after beating Toledo.

I think Bowling Green can give them a game -- and we have a history of upsetting good Huskie teams -- but this is certainly a tough matchup, one of the toughest we have left this season.

[Class of 61]

Interesting that several “ armchair experts “ felt N Ill. Was a very winnable game. Now changing tunes after G.Tech and Toledo have fallen to Huskies.

[MarkL]

I stand by what I said on some other thread- BG can beat anyone on the remaining schedule and as shown a few days ago also lose to anyone on the schedule. When you aim to win your games on the margins, that's just how it goes. This may be the first time I've ever seen a BG team that beats the best team on the schedule and loses to the worst team. Maybe also 2008, losing to Miami and EMU but beating Pitt, if you put Pitt above Boise State.

[mbenecke]

Hoping for a bounce-back performance on Saturday. I don't need a win, but I need some type of effort that shows me we learned from last week's embarrassment and have moved forward. Here's hoping we like what we see a bit more this weekend.

[TommyG]

The thing to be concerned about is the defense was carrying the team. Last week may have just been a bad game, but the aggressiveness completely changed as soon as Akron connected on a few passes. It may also be that there now is some decent tape on the defense with the new coordinator and teams are able to exploit a few things scheme wise. Bottom line is if the defense isn’t good then BG doesn’t have a chance.
How the current QB is still starting is amazing to me. Either we don’t have a younger option talented enough to play or the Loeffler can’t evaluate. Yes the OLine stinks, but McDonald has terrible mechanics. Only thing he brings is some mobility, but he isn’t a true dual threat. So what you have is a 5th yr QB with poor accuracy and mediocre field vision. The scheme doesn’t help, but they need someone who can sling it or be a true dual threat.

[jpfalcon09]

Interesting that several “ armchair experts “ felt N Ill. Was a very winnable game. Now changing tunes after G.Tech and Toledo have fallen to Huskies.

It's a winnable game if the Falcons execute. The GA Tech game was much like the Minnesota game - more of what GA Tech didn't do as opposed to what NIU did. They love to run the ball and are physical up front. It'll be a good test.

[Schadenfreude]

Interesting that several “ armchair experts “ felt N Ill. Was a very winnable game. Now changing tunes after G.Tech and Toledo have fallen to Huskies.

Guilty as charged. I didn't think Northern Illinois would be this good.

[Flipper]

GA Tech QB was awful...our QB demonstrates an ability to be awful at any moment. Therefore....NIU should win

[OptionQB]

Minnesota is not the best team on the schedule FWIW

[Flipper]

Interesting point from the O&B blog re NIU...we talk a lot about being a young team. Our two deep has 16 players with freshmen eligibility, NIU has 32.

Their QB, Rocky Lombardi, is worse than McDonald...but unlike us, NIU doesn't depend on their QB play to win. They run the ball a ton and they do so as effectively as anyone in the MAC

[roguewarrior]

Thought I just had: our best current players are Jinks/Pellini recruits: Anders, Horne, Broden, Jordan Anderson, Brooks and a host of special teamers….

[MarkL]

NIU's offensive line is the most veteran part of their team. Two redshirt freshmen, RS soph, RS junior, and RS senior. The center is the senior. If you especially want experneice anywhere, it is OL, and even more so at center.

Their defense? Yikes they're young.

[Schadenfreude]

Thought I just had: our best current players are Jinks/Pellini recruits: Anders, Horne, Broden, Jordan Anderson, Brooks and a host of special teamers….

Makes sense given that these are the upperclassmen.

[NIU007]

This should be an interesting game. Our QB needs to play better so we don't have to rely 98% on our running game. The running game I think has still not hit its peak though. Antario Brown, filling in for injured Waylee, looks like a good one at RB. Our D has improved a bit during the season, but secondary is still questionable, so an effective passing game against our D will be difficult for me to watch.

The weather should be cool, good football weather, though maybe windy. Nothing new for DeKalb though. In the past our QBs have struggled in windy weather despite the fact that we should be used to it. Lombardi throws a pretty good spiral so despite his overall inconsistency maybe he will be affected less than some previous QBs.

[mbenecke]

Thought I just had: our best current players are Jinks/Pellini recruits: Anders, Horne, Broden, Jordan Anderson, Brooks and a host of special teamers….

Horne, Broden, and Christian Sims all committed to BG after Loeffler was hired, to be fair.