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...another Gregg Brandon thread!

After reading over the quotes of the week for Western Michigan, I realized that one thing I have never heard Coach do is underestimate an opponent. He is always the first person to publicly point out the strength of another team, even when there seems to be very little reason to do so.

Now, I am going to be accused of writing off a competitor and the phrase "anything can happen between the lines" is going to be thrown around like a midget at a frat party, but Brandon really went out of his way to make a first-time starting freshman quarterback look like a superstar in his comments this week. Tim Hiller will be making his first collegiate start this week at the Doyt, and he is playing on a team that has scored some points this year but is still a bottom dweller in the MAC (although they, like CMU and EMU might be on the up and up soon). Really, what reason is there to make a QB out to be a proven commodity when he is making his first start at one of the toughest road venues in the MAC? None, really - but I like it.

What statements like this tell me is that Brandon does not take anyone lightly and that, correlatively, the isn't likely to either. In another thread (yes, another Gregg Brandon thread...) it was noted that we have not lost a game in which we were favored under Brandon's tenure, with the exception of last year's debaucle against the Turds which can in some small way be chalked up to that being a rivalry game. I think that Brandon's attitude has a lot to do with that, and although we get on him for losing the big road games, more often than not he wins the games he is supposed to. I, personally, think that this is a big deal.

Here is the link to the quotes of the week if it's not already been posted:
http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/sa/getinvol ... 13045.html

I do mean what I've said, but I kind of just wanted to post this thread title. Still, I'm serious about Brandon taking other teams seriously. Discuss that if you wish, and not my idiocy. That has been well documented and discussed on these boards and elsewhere.

sounds to me like he is trying to protect himself from being suprised while at the same time keeping his players from getting cocky?

I believe coaches have done this since coaches started to coach. While I have heard a coach say once in a while " you are the better team, you should win this game, this is your game to loose, they are weak at ______ and at ______pos. The norm I remember was durring the week was building up your next oponent to some lofty hight. Bottom line is, Its all motivational, and the best coaches all have a gift as motivators. IMHO part of the whole never look past an oponent and how true it is taht if you do you loose. Point and case again IMHO last year against Toledo the 2nd half.

I believe that now more than in years past, coaches speak to these potential strengths of the next oponent in the media, just to get ouot in front of the team, one more time. For good reason mind you , as we all know to well, now it would be difficult for a player and most likely general sports enthusit to not open a paper, mag or web page with out seeing some article writen about him and his team and thier next oponent.

There are some recordings that are enjoyable if you can find them, that allow us to peer into the sounds of the locker rooms of the greats. Some are on films, some on LP, one is on an old LAser disk of Lou Holtz speaking to Ford Motor Company or Mutual of Omaha Executives, and features audio and video of him preping ND for various games. Lou did it, and IMHO Lou Holtz was the master of building up your oponent. I have heard the LP that was used in the bedroom sceen of Rudy. I would bet that either the Libary or the Popculture Libary has some copyu on hand.
but here is a quote from the Grand Master himself Knute Rockne. A Coach of coaches 13 years at ND and only 12 losses He had to do it.
"Well, boys ... I haven't a thing to say.
Played a great game...all of you. Great game.
I guess we just can't expect to win ‘em all.
I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years --
None of you ever knew George Gipp.
It was long before your time.
But you know what a tradition he is at Notre Dame...
And the last thing he said to me --
"Rock," he said - "sometime, when the team is up against it -- and the breaks are beating the boys --
tell them to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper...
I don't know where I'll be then, Rock", he said - "but I'll know about it - and I'll be happy."

Isnt WMU the same team that absolutely quit on their coach last year and got smoked at the Doyt?

that was last year...this year they are playing more than a few guys who were not part of that game...they are either red shirt freshman or true freshman.

This won't be over by halftime

JohnnySwoop '85 wrote:that was last year...this year they are playing more than a few guys who were not part of that game...they are either red shirt freshman or true freshman.

This won't be over by halftime

J-Swoop is correct. This is the same school (WMU) with the same mascot (Broncos), but it is not the same team.

We should never underestimate any team. Never. No matter if it's Temple, a I-AA team, or whoever. I watched the Virginia - Florida State game this past weekend and FSU was strolling around early on like they were going to win by just showing up in Charlottesville. The hadn't lost to UVa in a decade, the were undefeated and #4 in the country, and UVa was coming off back-to-back losses. But UVa smacked them right in the mouth and before FSU could start playing with a sense of urgency, it was too late. Upsets happen all the time. I still remember watching Temple, yes the same lowly Temple we now know them to be, walk into Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia and beat Virginia Tech. Yes, VT was a very good team then too. You've gotta line up and play no matter who it is. The day you snooze is the day you lose.

BGSU33 wrote:We should never underestimate any team. Never. No matter if it's Temple, a I-AA team, or whoever. I watched the Virginia - Florida State game this past weekend and FSU was strolling around early on like they were going to win by just showing up in Charlottesville. The hadn't lost to UVa in a decade, the were undefeated and #4 in the country, and UVa was coming off back-to-back losses. But UVa smacked them right in the mouth and before FSU could start playing with a sense of urgency, it was too late. Upsets happen all the time. I still remember watching Temple, yes the same lowly Temple we now know them to be, walk into Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia and beat Virginia Tech. Yes, VT was a very good team then too. You've gotta line up and play no matter who it is. The day you snooze is the day you lose.

Like a midget at a frat party...

Bleeding Orange wrote:Like a midget at a frat party...

To your point, I like that Brandon gets specific about what he likes about the opposing team. Guys like Holtz and Paterno are famous for the pablum you allude to, stuff like "they have some good football players" or "they're a tough team." Brandon was specific with Buffalo; I forget the details, but he talked about the way they moved players before the ball and the way their scheme can disrupt an offense. Same thing here. It's not just the generic "any given Saturday" thing thrown out there to avoid giving the other team bulletin board material.

OK, back to the midget tossing.