Mizzou Game Discussion/Prediction Thread

[bgsufalcon24]

I picked Missouri at the start of the year, and despite the good things I saw on Thursday, I'm going to stick with that pick. It's going to be a close, hard fought battle, but I think the combination of speed and athleticism Missouri has is going to be a bit much for us.

Bowling Green 24
Missouri 31

[Phenom]

Falcons,

We've got a couple BGSU write-ups at Atomic Teeth. Feel free to stop by and tell us what we're missing.

http://atomicteeth.barkingcarnival.com/

Good luck Saturday.

[kcepp]

My only prediction is that Sunday morning, BG will still lead the all-time series and Gary Pinkel will still have lost more games to BG than he's won.

I will concede that point

[TG1996]

My only prediction is that Sunday morning, BG will still lead the all-time series and Gary Pinkel will still have lost more games to BG than he's won.

I will concede that point

Now if I could just get someone in Vegas to take that action, I'd be set!!!

[hscoach]

Hello. Longtime reader, first time poster. I am a Mizzou fan. In most matchups of ranked vs unranked teams, I always root the unranked team, but ofcourse not in this instance because my Tigers are that ranked team. I really have to say that past history of this matchup, most recently when Pinkel first took over the program, the program was in horrible shape. Those teams couldnt think about bowls. Those teams were not as good as Bowling Green at the time. Before the recruiting class of 2004, many question if the players being signed were even Big 12 caliber. Its been a long process to build this program up to where it is now. This is the first year that every single player on the team has been on a bowl team every year of their career. Over half the roster has never not been on a Big XII North championship team. This program has momentum. I love the MAC and I have tremendous respect for the MAC conference and its presence is now VERY strong in NFL. If Bowling Green can pull of this win, which I would call and upset, I will be back Saturday to endure all the harsh criticism that I rightly deserve. I just dont see it happening. I believe upsets happen because of two things. Lack of preparation and overlooking the competition. Pinkel is too paranoid to do either of those things. He respects you, I respect you, the players respect you. Bowling Green has one the battle for respect and won it long ago, but they will not win this ball game.

[VDub26Falcon]

Hello. Longtime reader, first time poster. I am a Mizzou fan. In most matchups of ranked vs unranked teams, I always root the unranked team, but ofcourse not in this instance because my Tigers are that ranked team. I really have to say that past history of this matchup, most recently when Pinkel first took over the program, the program was in horrible shape. Those teams couldnt think about bowls. Those teams were not as good as Bowling Green at the time. Before the recruiting class of 2004, many question if the players being signed were even Big 12 caliber. Its been a long process to build this program up to where it is now. This is the first year that every single player on the team has been on a bowl team every year of their career. Over half the roster has never not been on a Big XII North championship team. This program has momentum. I love the MAC and I have tremendous respect for the MAC conference and its presence is now VERY strong in NFL. If Bowling Green can pull of this win, which I would call and upset, I will be back Saturday to endure all the harsh criticism that I rightly deserve. I just dont see it happening. I believe upsets happen because of two things. Lack of preparation and overlooking the competition. Pinkel is too paranoid to do either of those things. He respects you, I respect you, the players respect you. Bowling Green has one the battle for respect and won it long ago, but they will not win this ball game.

[jeffinsgf]

... I have tremendous respect for the MAC conference ....

We have a bank that goes by UMB...United Missouri Bank. Even on their television ads, they say UMB Bank.

So, the Mid-America Conference Conference isn't all by itself.

[kilgore]

I really hope the Mizzou football team comes out with the same attitude that you fans have. You guys will get beat by 3 touchdowns. This is crazy. You just beat an Illinois team that lost there starting, All-American WR in the first drive and no weapons without him in a very down Big Ten (where they weren't even predicted to finish in the top 5). Troy probably could have beat that Illinois team without Benn. And its not like you looked THAT great anyway. Sure, we only beat Troy, but it seems like you really know nothing about our team--youre just basing your opinions on the fact that we're in a non-BCS conference.

Do people really have that opinion of us? Troy fans thought they were going to destroy us last week and you see what happened there. Go ahead, overlook us. But be prepared to eat crow.

Hm..overconfident Big 12 team playing a non-BCS school who is a huge underdog and has nothing to lose. Where have I seen that before?

I will be back on Sunday for that crow . I mean Mizzou didn't look THAT great anyway haha. So if Troy is so good then why don't we ever hear anything about them or their ranking? You are having a Napoleon little man conference moment right now. There are great teams in non BCS leagues...you are good though..not great. Vegas is correct on this one 20 point spread. You don't have the horses to compete in the late 3rd and 4th quarter. It gets ugly after half....up til then a good game...but you will slowly be dismantled by a superior offensive line, and if our secondary halfway shows up, there will be many coverage sacks in the second half as you attempt to play catch up. Good luck though, not saying miracles can't happen, just don't think it will happen tomorrow against Mizzou, but hey stranger things have happened.

[Peregrinner]

Wow. This has been one of the most ridiculous game threads that I have ever seen, thanks to participants on both sides.

Should BG fans be counting on a blowout of a good Mizzou team by a Falcon team and new coaching staff that has 1 win as a total unit? No. Should Mizzou fans be saying they'll definitely beat us by 60? Absolutely not.

Mizzou fans have a lot more recent success to point to than we do, but we have a new, exciting coaching staff and a revived optimism, plus a week 1 win at home as the underdog.

I'm an eternal BG optimist. I picked us to beat OSU in 2006 when we lost 35-7. I knew there was very little chance we'd win the game, but I picked us anyway.

So, considering our chances in this game are better than they were in that game (we've beaten Mizzou/Pinkel more times than we've lost to them and we don't have the Greggggg offense anymore, but OSU hadn't lost to in-state competition since 1921), I'm going to pick BG again. I think we win a close one, much more like Minnesota '07 than Pitt '08.

Anyway, not long now until the game. Go Falcons! Beat the Tigers!

[jeffinsgf]

Terry,

There's no shame in being a homer, when you're a realistic and admitted homer.

I'm just as bad, but on the other side of the field. My wife is the one with a real dilemma. She's a BGSU alum, but has been a Tiger fan for the last 16 years.

I think a lot of folks in Ohio have grossly underestimated HCGP's growth and development over the last 9 years. Not only have his skills grown and developed, his recruiting staff has run amok in Missouri and surrounding states, and the talent level at Mizzou is better than it has ever been. The pundits gave us no chance to have a season this year, because they didn't pay any attention to the fact that our talent pool is simply incredible.

The MAC teams carry around a chip on their shoulder all the time as a "mid major". I get it. I understand that you don't get the respect you deserve, and though this is probably little comfort, I defend BGSU and the MAC all the time. Under normal circumstances, I would call this game an even match, and your senior quarterback may make it more even than I think it will be. But, I don't think these are normal circumstances. I think we may be on the brink of a season that surprises a lot of folks. We'll know a lot more about that about 10:30 your time.

My prediction: The Falcons surprise everyone and keep it close, but the Tigers shake it off in the second half and take care of business. Falcons 17 - Tigers 38

[doogkid]

Go Falcons. Hang tough with the Tigers!

[Falconboy]

I don't make predictions of scores on this board. I think it just doesn't make sense, but I will say that Mizzou is definitely appears to be way more talented than Pitt '08. The match-ups aren't good for us at all, and a small blow out is very likely. I don't think however we are gonna get blasted 30-40pts like of MU fans might be saying. I think our ability to hang with this team depends on whether our O-line is strong enough to get good blocks up front in the running game. If we are unable to run the football, we won't last 4qtrs. Our receivers outside of Barnes and Sheidler will have to have monster games as well. If Barnes is taken out with double teams and Wright, Hutson and Hodges don't come up big , we're in trouble as well. This game means noting in the big picture as long as we get better and more focused once Mac play starts. Us beating Mizzou this year might shock me mildly but not as much as it probably should since we always seem to get up for these games. I'm sick of seeing meltdowns during the Mac schedule, and seeing consistent focus throughout the season is what would excite me the most. So if we beat MU great, if not it's not earth shattering news.

[LowryFalcon]

Im buying the PPV to see the game tonight. Im really hoping to see a upset so i get my moneys worth lol. But as long as we keep the game tight and focus, ill be happy either way it turns out.
BGSU-31
MU-21
GO FALCONS!!!!

[falconfan1999]

My prediction is that I'll be P.O.'d that this game isn't on TV near me!

Very hard to figure how this BG team will do under Coach Clawson, after watching them underperform often under Coach Brandon. However, I'm very encouraged by their start against Troy. By the way, Troy got it handed to them by Florida today!

[LowryFalcon]

Well looks like ill be listening now as well. Cant get it on time warner so ill be doing the audio feed. Yea Urban and the Gators really handed it to troy today but a few upsets and almost upsets in the Mac today was nice to see all the mac teams really bring their A game against the BCS conferences.