Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

This game...like the rest of the 2023 season... will be held on a random weeknight to appease ESPN and their desire to have a visual to go with their in show ads for the P5 games on tap tat weekend.

We should be favored...but BSU is coming off a two week home stretch that saw them play Toledo tough in rainy conditions before beating CMU last Saturday. Won't be much of a crowd...so they will have to come out ready to play. QB Kiael Kelly appears to have taken over as the starter in place of Layne Hatcher. Kelley can throw and run...and they have a decent looking RB in Marquez Cooper.

A loss puts BGSU behind the 8 ball for bowl eligibility...a win sets the table for a potential gimme at Kent State to lock up an appearance in the "I'm sorry, what" Bowl

BG is 4-4. Ball State is 2-6. It’s a home game. Gotta win it.

Early forecast looks cold. 37 at kickoff. I'll be there because I'm a glutton. As of typing this, BG leads NCAAF with 25 forced turnovers (12 INTs, 13 fumble recoveries). Jalen Huskey tied for 4th nationally with four picks.

Few days off should help get some guys rested. Just win the games ahead of you and let everything else fall into place. The Toledo game is a bit misleading as it was played in some terrible weather and both teams really had issues throwing the ball.

Marquez Cooper is a Kent transfer, had 93 yards on 19 carries last year in the 40-6 Kent win. He's hitting 5.6 YPC against MAC opponents this season, so definitely going to be an issue.

ESPN FPI gives BG a 73.5% of winning. My metrics have this being a tight game, model predicts BG winning 21-17.

7:00pm kickoff on ESPN2.

mbenecke wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 1:03 pm 7:00pm kickoff on ESPN2.

Good. Cold night doesn't need to be any colder, and I oddly enjoy being at the Doyt on a nationally televised game.*

*ESPNU doesn't count since it's an optional channel for several providers.

jpfalcon09 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 1:15 pm

mbenecke wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 1:03 pm 7:00pm kickoff on ESPN2.

Good. Cold night doesn't need to be any colder, and I oddly enjoy being at the Doyt on a nationally televised game.*

*ESPNU doesn't count since it's an optional channel for several providers.

As a dad, all I could think of when I saw the 7:00pm kick (instead of 7:30) was “good, 30 extra minutes of sleep that night.”

Beat Ball State!

mbenecke wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 1:39 pm

jpfalcon09 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 1:15 pm

mbenecke wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 1:03 pm 7:00pm kickoff on ESPN2.

Good. Cold night doesn't need to be any colder, and I oddly enjoy being at the Doyt on a nationally televised game.*

*ESPNU doesn't count since it's an optional channel for several providers.

As a dad, all I could think of when I saw the 7:00pm kick (instead of 7:30) was “good, 30 extra minutes of sleep that night.”

Beat Ball State!

2 years ago I was taking my 5 year old to the noon OSU Akron game. During the week they switched it to 730pm.

I'll be flying solo for Ball State...Only 5 home games this season & can't miss any of them. Roadie at Kent is 20 min away from me in Green so that helps greatly.

And I think I'll sit on the East side for Ball State to get on TV. lol

Both coaches my soon lose their jobs.

BG opens -6.5.

This game and Kent are must wins as needing wins over Toledo and/or WMU to finish .500 will be asking a lot

BTW, if you're looking to go to the game, GA tickets are $4.19 in honor of "419 Night".

jpfalcon09 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 31, 2023 1:42 pm BTW, if you're looking to go to the game, GA tickets are $4.19 in honor of "419 Night".

That's why I'll go. It's basically a free game at this point.

ESPN gives us about a 75% chance of winning.

Re the UM Harbaugh scouting in person stuff...in 2009 he week before we played Toledo we had a night game with Akron. I was sitting behind the Akron bench, On their sidelines was Tom Amstutz...it looked like he was there "scouting"