HEY FALCONS....IT'S RIVALRY WEEK!!!

[BGSU33]

As any college football fan knows, during rivalry week, anything can happen. You can throw out the team records, all the hoopla surrounding them game, all the media attentions, it boils down to one thing - the game at hand. Watching all these rivalry games this weekend just kept reminding me of the importance of going up to Toledo feeling confident we can win, but not confident we will win. Before I get lashed at, hear me out.

The last two times we have played in big MAC games at NIU, we went into Dekalb - as Gregg Brandon said - "a little too big about ourselves." Both times, we suffered a loss against a team I felt we should have beaten and the losses were costly. In Toledo, we are facing a team more than capable of beating us, but they are also a team we should beat - in my opinion. I just hope we go up there focused on what we have to do, and what we need to do, and as Nike would put it - Just Do It! Because if we go up there "big about ourselves" and take the field like we deserve to win before we earn a win, it could spell a lot of heartache for BG fans. I don't care what the rankings are or who is favored to win, I'm looking at this game as BG being the under dog. We're on the road, playing in a place we haven't won in a decade, against a team who hasn't lost a home game since three years ago, who just so happens to be a huge rival, in a game that means just as much if not more (MACC) to them. Let the play on the field decide who the winner will be, this game will not be won before it.

I just sat here tonight and watched Top-10 Arizona basketball stroll into Charlottesville for a game against Virginia as a "pit-stop" game on the Wildcats' way to Madison Square Garden for the NIT. This was a fine example of a team that expected to win just watching the team shoot-around and the arrogance in their body language before the game. With four NBA prospects starting and NBA scouts from about every team here to watch Arizona....Virginia whipped the snot out of them by 18 points, 78-60. Should Arizona have won? Probably. But they didn't because they got outplayed by a team that used a solid "team effort." We need to do the same. Our Top-25 record, seven-game winning streak, beating Toledo last year.....it means absolutely nothing on Tuesday night. To beat Toledo, we need to play BG football, period. Let's go into the Glass Bowl confident, but not too confident.

[Bleeding Orange]

I wholeheartedly agree. Still, I do not think that Brandon and the coaching staff is going to allow us to go into this game the way we went into Dekalb earlier this year. I believe that we have very smart coaches and players and that they learned from the debaucle against NIU. Plus, this team has outstanding senior leadership. They were there in 2002 when we played Toledo (and so was Omar, I believe...) and they know what the atmosphere is like and what the difficulties will be. I have faith that they will do an excellent job of stressing to underclassmen what needs to be done to win in the Glass Bowl. Bear in mind, also, just how close our players are this year. Whether it was the loss of Aaron, great senior leadership or a combination of both, this is one of the emotionally closest teams in the country (their own words).

I realize that this is a tough game, records and everything else go out the windod and so on, but I can't help but have a positive attitude going into this week because of the outstanding kids we have on the field. And even if we do not pull out a win, I am still proud of these guys and how they have represented our university. Outside of one minor public unrination gaf this year, we have not had the same problems as some others in our conference, and when they have popped up they have been dealt with equitably as has not been the case elsewhere.

That being said, I believe we will win and that we will be going bowling! It does not behoove us at this point to discuss whether or not we will still be bowling with a loss because there is only one way that we can guarantee it -- BEAT TOLEDO!!!!!!

[BGSU33]

I hope you are right Bleeding Orange. Last year was such a great experience for our players, fans, coaches, alumni, etc. The 2002 and 2001 seasons were still special, but they were just missing something because we didn't have any type of postseason. Winning at Toledo would be a big notch in our belts. We are building a very special program here at BG, but these are the kinds of games you need to win to get to where you are wanting to go in the college landscape. Getting to play in these type of games are what good teams get to do.....winning these type of games are what great team go out an do. This is going to be a monumental type game for BG. A win could really spring us on to great things and could solidify us a place in atop the MAC that all conference teams aspire to be.