The Boys In Athens

[1987alum]

This post from an NIU fan about the Bobcats win in DeKalb

Congrats Ohio. Just thought you'd like to know your players were calling this the "turning point of the program." Their exact words as the clock was running down. I'll take that as a compliment and look forward to a rematch.

Simply more evidence of the the shifting balance of power in the MAC that we've spoken about here.

[Strouse]

Simply more evidence of the the shifting balance of power in the MAC that we've spoken about here.

Add to that the BG-Buffalo game as well Akron's win over NC State and that statement is very true. I can only hope that BG will remain in the middle somewhere at least.

[Falconfreak90]

Ball State beat NIU, 31-17, last year in DeKalb. I congratulate the Bobcats on their win but will reserve judgement until after a few more games.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Simply more evidence of the the shifting balance of power in the MAC that we've spoken about here.

Add to that the BG-Buffalo game as well Akron's win over NC State and that statement is very true. I can only hope that BG will remain in the middle somewhere at least.

Not to mention WMU smoking Toledo, CMU scaring BC, Ball State playing very well, and even Kent taking Army to OT. The MAC is pretty well-rounded now, even though it's well rounded in a very mediocre kind of way.

[JoeFalcon]

Ball State beat NIU, 31-17, last year in DeKalb. I congratulate the Bobcats on their win but will reserve judgement until after a few more games.

Excellent point Freak. These second-division teams need to develop sustained consistency before they think they can overtake the NIU's and BG's of the world. One game does not a season make.

Akron upset NC State, a mid-level BCS team? Well, the top-tier teams have been doing that for years now. Welcome to the party. Do it a few more times and you can stay, providing you survive the inevitable departure of JD Brookhart, Luke Getsy and other critical components of your organization that got you to this point.

[JohnnySwoop '85]

You know I was thinking about that just the other day....take a sub-par program to a winning season and their first ever bowl, have a good follow up season the year after and *poof* gone to another higher level program.

Sound familiar....Urban? Although he never got to take us bowling.

I think it is a matter of time before Brookhart gets courted and moves somewhere else....and frankly he deserves it, basically he gave up what appeared to be a pretty decent career and begged for a job to be someone's (Denver I think) film boy...just to get a start in football.

I wonder how that would go over at home...."honey, I quit my job so I could become the "K-ball" guy for games...my master plan is then to move on to coaching special teams"

[1987alum]

A subtle point, though, is that the Bobcats are gaining confidence. They appear to believe in Solich and the system. They believe they've turned a corner. Now whether that's true or not remains to be seen, but just believing that and having real confidence can make a whole lot of difference.

[TG1996]

They appear to believe in Solich and the system.

I just think that fortunately for OU, some "unknown assailant" put some "GHB" in NIU's "water bucket"...

[Jacobs4Heisman]

A subtle point, though, is that the Bobcats are gaining confidence.

Binge drinking always help my confidence, so you may be on to something here.

[MACMAN]

may not be a "shift in power"
but instead consider a conference wide increase in power.
think about it.
is Toledo truely any worse than last year or in years prior?
is NIu worse, is miami
are we worse
I think not
I just think that many of the MAC schools who had been having troublsome years have made the right adjustments and program changes to increase thier overall competitve ability.
Its very exciting right now to view the conference with a majority of strong teams makes each game that much more impactfull on the MACC race.
I just hope the overall level of play stays consistantly higher the rest of the season.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

is Toledo truely any worse than last year or in years prior?
is NIu worse, is miami
are we worse

Yup.

[redskins4ever]

NIU gives away one game a year... I believe OU when they beat teams in the MAC east that have substance.

[Falconfreak90]

NIU gives away one game a year... I believe OU when they beat teams in the MAC east that have substance.

That is another good point. OU players can talk all they want...the week before against 1-AA Tenn-Martin, OU had a grand total of 144 yrds of TOTAL offense. I don't know what happened at NIU for them to put up the numbers they did. Maybe NIU is the BG of 2005 in 2006...overrated?
Ohio beat Pittsburgh last year and got spanked in 5 of 8 MAC games by 20+ points.

Maybe they are gaining confidence...I don't know. I'm not ready to annoint them the King of the East just yet.

That's why the games are played. I'll be keeping an eye on them vs Rutgers this weekend. Rutgers, IMO, is a pretty good team these days.

[OhioBobcat]

It's about time some of you recognize what Ohio football is doing. BG couldn't win the MAC when it was supposed to, we'll win the MAC when we aren't supposed to. We didn't show NIU anything with our Tennessee-Martin game, we played it close to the chest for a reason, and then we went out to Dekalb and just torched them through the air. BG has sent some very good teams to NIU in recent years led by guys like Josh Harris and Omar Jacobs and still came up short out there. I think you were even ranked in one of those games. This is a new year and a different type of program with a different attitude with Ohio football. We could come up short at Rutgers and Missouri, but after that, we're winning the MAC East this year. For those of you that still don't believe, you will on September 30 when we beat BG.

[mmisbg]

Not to mention WMU smoking Toledo, CMU scaring BC, Ball State playing very well, and even Kent taking Army to OT. The MAC is pretty well-rounded now, even though it's well rounded in a very mediocre kind of way.

I agree with all of it except for the Army part. Taking Army to OT is not the sign of any Division IA program crossing a milestone. I did my six, but I have no delusions that Army will ever field a competitive team.

Hooah!