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Great game for our conference..
We all wish it was the Falcons.. but you gotta give it up for the Zips..

Great game for Akron. They earned the right to be there, and they went out and showed that they belonged there. With that offense and their coaching staff, I don't have any qualms about how they will represent the MAC in the MCB. I think they will be just fine.

That was the best game in the MAC this yr, and I don't care if you're a toledo fan thinkin about the bg game.. that was for all the marbles..

windycityfalcon wrote:Great game for our conference..
We all wish it was the Falcons.. but you gotta give it up for the Zips..

My thoughts exactly.

I was conflicted about who I wanted to win this game a half hour ago, but now I am so happy for Akron that I could cry. Just to see Hixon's reaction after his winning touchdown catch was enough to pull at my heart strings. The only way this game could have POSSIBLY been better would have been if our Falcons were invovled in it on EITHER side. I feel terrible for Joe Novak and the Huskies because they earned this game a long time ago, but Akron is OBVIOUSLY better than ANYONE thought they were if they could beat us and NIU - TWICE!

Although I have really only been paying good attention to them for four years or so, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this was the greatest championship game in the history of the MAC. I never, EVER, thought I would be saying that a week ago when the matchup was confirmed, but - WOW!

Go Zips! Beat [whoever you are playing in the MCB]!

Bleeding Orange wrote:...Akron is OBVIOUSLY better than ANYONE thought they were if they could beat us and NIU - TWICE!

I thought the same thing watching the end of that game. The feelings of semi-jealousy (or whatever) of Akron being there subsided, they were there representing the MAC East, and they never quit and got it done. I guess I feel a bit bad for NIU, knowing how they must feel from brown and orange experience, but once the second guessing and numb feel of a loss is over, they'll realize what a great game that was. Probably won't help anything, but I'm sure there's some pride to be had there somewhere. (I'm still looking for the pride to take out of the UT game, but I think it's there somewhere.)

The worst part about it is the likelyhood that NIU is going to be sitting home during bowl season as MAC West champs. Say what you will about UT's 8-3 record, but one of them was to NIU, who gave Michigan fits in the Big House and was a failed balls-on-the-table 2 pt. conversion away from winning one at Northwestern.

Sucks to be Joe Novak. He goes 10-2 in 2003 and doesn't go bowling. Last year he takes out BG, but loses to UT and thus blows the West title. This year they finally beat Toledo but lose the championship to (cr)Akron. As a result they again sit home while the team they beat for the divisional title (at their place by 18 points!) goes to a bowl game.

Sucks to be us this year too, I suppose. Two or three plays turn differently and we would have beaten both Toledo and Akron.

Bleeding Orange wrote:Although I have really only been paying good attention to them for four years or so, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this was the greatest championship game in the history of the MAC.

That was a decent game but a great finish. There was a Friday night MACC at Huntington in I wanna say 1999 in which WMU should have beaten Marshall that I think was the best MACC game.

EDIT- It was in 1999 Mar 34- WMU 30- Chad Pennington tossed a one yard TD pass with four seconds left for the victory after WMU stopped them inside the 10 on two plays. The Broncos were up 23-0 in the third quarter. . .

In a way, I do feel bad for NIU. Some could argue that they have had the best program over the past 5 years in the MAC and they don't have a championship to show for it. They have a bowl win over Troy State to hang their hat on. But on the other hand, I don't feel bad for them at all. They had the game in their hands up by 2 scores in the 4th and then up 6 with under 2 to go with Akron having it on their own 20 and no timeouts. They had every chance to win that game and gagged all over themselves. I'll give them credit for playing toe-to-toe with Michigan and Northwestern, but they lost to Akron twice and Ball State by a bunch at home. The two best teams from the MAC this year will be playing in the bowl games representing our conference. I can't believe that I just said Akron was one of the two best teams in the MAC.

Dayons_Den wrote:

Bleeding Orange wrote:Although I have really only been paying good attention to them for four years or so, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this was the greatest championship game in the history of the MAC.

That was a decent game but a great finish. There was a MACC at Huntington in I wanna say 1999 in which WMU should have beaten Marshall that I think was the best MACC game.

I vaguely recall that game. I think Marshall scored with under 30 seconds to go as well.

I agree with both of you '96 and '01, two good posts and my thoughts exactly.

Flipper wrote:Sucks to be us this year too, I suppose. Two or three plays turn differently and we would have beaten both Toledo and Akron.

I guess if you wanted to get picky, you could take one play out of each loss this year that might have completely turned the tide of the season, or at least of each game.(*)

Going from memory:
Wisconsin-Pope doesn't get hurt, we have the running attack we brought into the game to pull us through that third quarter.

Boise State-Allowing the kick return TD kicked Mighty Mo in the balls.

WMU-Omar.

Akron- Either the AT pick thrown at the goal line or the Pope mystery fumble/TD/touchback

Toledo-We've been through these.

To be fair, we were a couple breaks in the Balls Tate game away from losing in Muncie, too, and Kent and Buffalo were closer at points than we figure, but why nitpick wins??


(*-Not saying one play WOULD change the outcome of every game, but there were substantial momentum killers in each loss.)

BGGrad01 wrote: But on the other hand, I don't feel bad for them at all. They had the game in their hands up by 2 scores in the 4th and then up 6 with under 2 to go with Akron having it on their own 20 and no timeouts. They had every chance to win that game and gagged all over themselves.

First of all, I don't want to start a fight in this forum over a game that BG wasn't involved in. Believe me, I don't care that much at all.

That being said, I would agree with you if NIU had choked and lost this game. But, they didn't. They got beat by Akron. Period. Both teams throughout the whole game were playing their arses off, and it was one of the cleanest and most passionate football games I have seen at any level. Both teams showed up to play, and Akron happened to have come out on top after a hard fought game. NIU didn't lose this game. They got beat by another good team.

All very well said! Here's to Akron! Great game, if you love football you had to love this game. The MAC put in a good show!

No doubt.....I thought NIU was going to win it easily. That's why we play the games.