Inferiority Complex

[BGSU-Ph.D.]

Over the past few weeks, many posters has expressed their surprise at the idea that some of BG's recruits actually choose BG over Pitt., Wisconsin, West Virginia, and the like.

Why does this surprise you so much?

[Flipper]

There's people who look at things for what they are and what they can become and there's people who look at things and see only what was there in the past.

We aren't at Ohio State's or Michigan's level (yet), but we sure as hell aren't where we were in 2000 either. If people don't want to see that....well, they're missing out on a big part of what is so special about our program.

[Tricky_Falcon]

I'm not surprised that teams are picking BG over these teams I was only saying in another post that it didn't seem like the WR was really that interested in BG. He didn't have that many offers so it was like well I guess it's between BG and Pitt. We'll see where we stand with him at the end of the season when he gets a few more offers. BG has been in the top 25 the past couple years kids should be looking at our program now.

[basketballcontact]

I read all of the posts, work for Coach Dakich and don't ever post my opinions in regards to basketball, but this thread caught my particular interest.

When it comes down to a West Virginia or Wisconsin or whoever against Bowling Green, why wouldn't the majority of kids pick the bigger school? We're doing really well as far as football and still we get little in comparison to the Big Ten or Big East.

There is more media attention, they get better bowl games (ties), they get more professional looks, they play a much better schedule, they have much better facilities and a whole bunch more people care about the Big Ten than do the MAC as a whole. It isn't a cut on BG or the MAC, it simply is the current reality.

Now on the positive side. Since the MAC isn't on the same level as the Big Ten, we're supposedly not on the same level either. Instead of having to bruise through Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa and the like, we have to do defeat just one Big Ten school, Boise State, a joke from Temple and proceed to crush the below average MAC East. And... with that, we'll have a good shot for the at-large BCS bid.

It still surprises me now that kids chose us over bigger schools but if the above happens, it won't in the near future.

Go Falcons.

[TG1996]

we have to do defeat just one Big Ten school, Boise State, a joke from Temple and proceed to crush the below average MAC East. And... with that, we'll have a good shot for the at-large BCS bid.

It still surprises me now that kids chose us over bigger schools but if the above happens, it won't in the near future.

Go Falcons.

Great point. Its already STARTING to happen, and the ripples of what we've done so far would be nothing compared to the splash a BCS bid would make. Not gonna be easy, but if it were to happen, it would definitely turn alot of heads.

[BGSU-Ph.D.]

I read all of the posts, work for Coach Dakich and don't ever post my opinions in regards to basketball, but this thread caught my particular interest.

When it comes down to a West Virginia or Wisconsin or whoever against Bowling Green, why wouldn't the majority of kids pick the bigger school? We're doing really well as far as football and still we get little in comparison to the Big Ten or Big East.

There is more media attention, they get better bowl games (ties), they get more professional looks, they play a much better schedule, they have much better facilities and a whole bunch more people care about the Big Ten than do the MAC as a whole. It isn't a cut on BG or the MAC, it simply is the current reality.

Now on the positive side. Since the MAC isn't on the same level as the Big Ten, we're supposedly not on the same level either. Instead of having to bruise through Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa and the like, we have to do defeat just one Big Ten school, Boise State, a joke from Temple and proceed to crush the below average MAC East. And... with that, we'll have a good shot for the at-large BCS bid.

It still surprises me now that kids chose us over bigger schools but if the above happens, it won't in the near future.

Go Falcons.

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I have to disagree when it comes to the non-elite Big Ten programs. Sure, they still have bigger stadiums and better facilities, but BG gets MUCH more national attention than teams like NorthWestern, Indiana and probably more attention than some other Big Ten schools that are overshadowed by Ohio St. and Michigan. With regard to the Big East, my sense is that, at this point in time, the national perception is that there isn't much difference between the quality of the Big East vs. MAC (and less still when comparing the elite MAC vs. Big East).

Another point: BG, Toledo, Miami, etc. get plenty of television exposure -- more than many of the non-elite teams in the "BCS" conferences.

Lastly, I disagree about the point that kids from larger schools get more professional looks. The way professional scouting budgets have exploded, plus with all the media outlets, scouting sites, and the like, if a kid has talent, he will be found.

Of course, I can't argue that these other conferences have better bowl tie-ins.

Again, I'm not comparing BG to Ohio St., Michigan, USC, et. al. I am comparing BG to the middle to low-end schools in the "BCS" conferences.

[falconfan1]

As basketballcontact says, other leagues/teams often command more respect. We win in the revenue sports by recruiting several types of players- those that are totally misevaluated by "big schools" or just develop later in their senior years like Antonio Daniels or Omar Jacobs, those that may be from underrecruited areas or fly under the radar of "big schools" like Kory Leichtenstiger or Cole Magner, those that are real physical tweeners that the "big schools" won't go on like Anthony Stacey, those that we truly beat "big schools" on for playing time or special personal reasons like Peter Winovich and Anthony Turner and by beating other MAC schools for a pool of players much of the MAC is after and who will not receive an offer from a "big school".

So, although some teams may command more media attention, when you look at four national TV appearances for football at the minimum, serious press for bowl games, national rankings and marquee names like Omar, you will find more and more HS stars saying- "Why not Bowling Green?"

I believe this is happening right now as we speak.

Go Falcons!

[Metz]

We win in the revenue sports by recruiting several types of players- those that are totally misevaluated by "big schools" or just develop later in their senior years like Antonio Daniels or Omar Jacobs, those that may be from underrecruited areas or fly under the radar of "big schools" like Kory Leichtenstiger or Cole Magner, those that are real physical tweeners that the "big schools" won't go on like Anthony Stacey, those that we truly beat "big schools" on for playing time or special personal reasons like Peter Winovich and Anthony Turner and by beating other MAC schools for a pool of players much of the MAC is after and who will not receive an offer from a "big school".

I believe that is the longest sentence ever written...

[BGALUMNI]

Over the past few weeks, many posters has expressed their surprise at the idea that some of BG's recruits actually choose BG over Pitt., Wisconsin, West Virginia, and the like.

Why does this surprise you so much?

Probably from years and years of hearing the surprise of the sports media when good players pick schools like BG. It is more of conditioning than any complex is my guess.

And in response to your "middle" of the road schools...I have to disagree. (Northwestern is only a few years removed from winning the Big 10. BTW) Not to mention the way the BCS was originally set up, every school in a major conference had a chance at a BCS bid. Yes even the Baylors of the major conferences had a shot, when teams in the other conferences had no shot. Even if a "major" conference like the Big East had a down year it's conference champ still had a BCS Bid and Buck$ waiting for them.

[Lord_Byron]

All these arguments make sense on a macro scale, both pro and con. But there are micro dynamics at work also.

Given a choice between for example: Indiana -- Pitt -- BG; I believe most recruits will choose the place where they can quickly get significant playing time at the position they want to play. And at times, this will come also be a factor in competition for recruits with the Oklahomas and Florida States.

[Rightupinthere]

We win in the revenue sports by recruiting several types of players- those that are totally misevaluated by "big schools" or just develop later in their senior years like Antonio Daniels or Omar Jacobs, those that may be from underrecruited areas or fly under the radar of "big schools" like Kory Leichtenstiger or Cole Magner, those that are real physical tweeners that the "big schools" won't go on like Anthony Stacey, those that we truly beat "big schools" on for playing time or special personal reasons like Peter Winovich and Anthony Turner and by beating other MAC schools for a pool of players much of the MAC is after and who will not receive an offer from a "big school".

I believe that is the longest sentence ever written...

Naw. I see not using punctuation as an economy of space. A comma and a period for all that? THAT'S efficiency, my friends.

[orangeandbrown]

Good discussion. I think Falconfan1 is right--we specialize in getting guys the big guys miss or who are late bloomers.

For all of this, I still believe it is rare for us to get a guy with a real, honest to goodness offer from a BCS school. A lot of guys ended up having interest or some contact with a big school, but I'm not sure there was a real offer. There's a lot of hype in the recruiting game. We also get some guys the big guys were hot on, but fall off late for odd reasons (they got someone else, academic concerns, etc).

And yes, we sometimes get someone who picks us over a big-time school.

Basketball contact, I have heard Coach Dakich say in interviews that he is not aware of any situation during his time at Bowling Green where a MAC school got a player who had an honest to goodness offer from a Big Ten School.

[Schadenfreude]

I think this is a great discussion point. Thank you, PhD.

Some here have said, with sweeping tones, that we could never ever get a recruit who also had an offer from school X, Y, or Z.

I'm not a Pollyana. Those of you who know me know that.

But it really frosts me to read comments like that -- and PhD puts his finger on why. It speaks of a deep inferiority complex that I just don't accept.

Think of it in terms of meeting a girl.

Sometimes, the girls who aren't the prettiest are still someone we very much want to get to know better -- because they project a whole lot of confidence, living and acting as if they are a hell of a catch.

I believe we are running one hell of a program here and that any recruit in the country ought to consider us.

If we keep projecting that, sooner or later we will be getting some of the recruits we really want.

Girls with inferiority complexes aren't very attractive, even if they are pretty.

[hammb]

Another point: BG, Toledo, Miami, etc. get plenty of television exposure -- more than many of the non-elite teams in the "BCS" conferences.

How much of that is due to the MAC's willingness to abandon the Saturday tradition games? Most BCS teams still play their games on Saturdays as opposed to throughout the week.

[BGFan]

Another point: BG, Toledo, Miami, etc. get plenty of television exposure -- more than many of the non-elite teams in the "BCS" conferences.

How much of that is due to the MAC's willingness to abandon the Saturday tradition games? Most BCS teams still play their games on Saturdays as opposed to throughout the week.

I don't think that it's a willingness but more than a NEED right now. If the MAC teams ever want to showcase their abilities they need to get on TV. IMO its working. The more exposure we get, the more people will want to see us play. With that comes more bargaining power in determining when we'll play.