All team goals still attainable

[Falcon Fanatic]

This thread is making my head hurt...

[Globetrotter]

Big picture vs individual game. No I'm not drunk.

This isn't me saying I have a goal to beat usain bolt in the hundred. This team has 12 winnable games on the schedule. Their goal should have been to go undefeated.

But if you were a sprinter, wouldn't that be your goal? According to your argument, the high school senior on the local track team should have that goal because he's a sprinter.

Even teams like Purdue or Northwestern do not list a goal of BCS game and undefeated season on their list. Everybody has goals, but you list the goals that are realistic and attainable, and the other goals are kept in the back of the mind. It's how you don't look at a season and get drastically disappointed.

For example, if this team were to run the table the rest of the way in the regular season, going 11-1, and getting to the MAC title game, I would probably look back on the Indiana game and say, "Wow, that game really sucked." But, do you know how THRILLED everybody on here, everybody on the team, everybody at the University, and everybody in the community (that cares about football) would be with 11-1 and a chance at a conference title? Then, say we win the conference title and pull a Northern Illinois and go to a BCS bowl. Remember, they lost 1 game as well.

I guess my point is that this team has the ultimate goal of winning the conference title this year. They also have goals of having a winning season, winning a bowl game, and beating our rivals. An undefeated season and a BCS appearance are dream scenarios that nobody wrote down because, as has happened before, if the BCS has an option we would get shafted out of a spot anyways.

If I was a hs sprinter no. But if I was an olympic sprinter who made it all the way to the olympics and was on the same level yes. By not having a ranked season, bcs bowl and undefeated season as your goals you are essentially just admitting we are lower class and can't be expected to get those things, when it seems like with the success of Ball State and N Illinois that's not accurate.

You don't think Northwestern and Purdue have a goal of BCS bowl? That's nuts. Of course they do. Northwestern's like the 15th team in the nation or something. You think they say well "just competing is enough".

I agree with you where you say their are levels of goals. But they're still goals. This thread was entitled "all team goals still attainable". Even if as some have said, and I agree with, the main focus is to win the MAC, you can have other goals on top of that. And your goal as a team in the MAC should be to win the MAC and get ranked and go to a BCS bowl.

[Globetrotter]

This thread is making my head hurt...

Completely agree.

[Globetrotter]

I would like to personally thank the NCAA, BCS and large money-grubbing schools for ruining college football for the majority of fans. At one time, winning your conference and going to a bowl game in beautiful Detroit was a successful season. Now, if your team does not go undefeated, is not ranked by bunch of fools who do know who you played that day when they vote and make it to a bowl game whose criteria for playing in it was created to keep schools of your size out, your team, my friend, has just had a failure of a season.

Since BG is not going undefeated, not going to be ranked or be playing in a BCS bowl game, let's just cancel the rest of the season because no one in their right mind would ever want to be associated with such a gawd awful program that plays a fun to watch brand of football at an affordable price that makes it accessible to just about everyone.

No one said that. I just said that not all team goals are achievable now. We should shoot for more than just a MAC championship.

[Flipper]

Like what? What should we shoot for? As near as I can tell the conference title, a bowl game and a national ranking are all still achievable. Hell...NIU went to a BCS game with a loss to a Big 10 team...so who knows if that's an unobtainable goal or not.

I really do not know what you're bitching about.....

[kdog27]

Season is over now that we can't go undefeated see you all in 2014.

[BGorDeath]

I would like to personally thank the NCAA, BCS and large money-grubbing schools for ruining college football for the majority of fans. At one time, winning your conference and going to a bowl game in beautiful Detroit was a successful season. Now, if your team does not go undefeated, is not ranked by bunch of fools who do know who you played that day when they vote and make it to a bowl game whose criteria for playing in it was created to keep schools of your size out, your team, my friend, has just had a failure of a season.

Since BG is not going undefeated, not going to be ranked or be playing in a BCS bowl game, let's just cancel the rest of the season because no one in their right mind would ever want to be associated with such a gawd awful program that plays a fun to watch brand of football at an affordable price that makes it accessible to just about everyone.

No one said that. I just said that not all team goals are achievable now. We should shoot for more than just a MAC championship.

Yes, I know that you didn't say that or I would have quoted something you said. I was just making a statement about where college athletics are nowadays. If you don't win a national championship at the top division, you are deemed a failure, no matter what size your school is. That's all I was saying. It's just sad anymore that more emphasis is put on your failures than achievements.

[Schadenfreude]

Weird thread.

A small part of me hoped we would end up playing in the Fiesta Bowl, just as Florida and UConn fans hope, on some level, to finish the season playing in the BCS title game. Did I expect to? Of course not. But, each season, a part of me hopes for that.

It isn't going to happen for BG this season. And that's okay. We still have a whole lot to play for, just as Florida and UConn still have a lot to play for. We have a real shot to win the division for the first time in 10 years and win the conference for the first time in more than 20. That's all pretty big stuff. And, longer term, we still have a lot of room to improve.

It's going to be fun to watch.

[MarkL]

[Globetrotter]

Like what? What should we shoot for? As near as I can tell the conference title, a bowl game and a national ranking are all still achievable. Hell...NIU went to a BCS game with a loss to a Big 10 team...so who knows if that's an unobtainable goal or not.

I really do not know what you're bitching about.....

All I said is that we can't reach those goals. You are inferring the bitching. I haven't bitched once in this thread. I think that you don't really understand the discussion part of a discussion board if you disagree with someone.

[Globetrotter]

Weird thread.

A small part of me hoped we end up playing in the Fiesta Bowl, just as Florida and UConn fans hope, on some level, to finish the season playing in the BCS title game. Did I expect to? Of course not. But, each season, a part of me hopes for that.

It isn't going to happen for BG this season. And that's okay. We still have a whole lot to play for, just as Florida and UConn still have a lot to play for. We have a real shot to win the division for the first time in 10 years and win the conference for the first time in more than 20. That's all pretty big stuff. And, longer term, we still have a lot of room to improve.

It's going to be fun to watch.

Completely agree. I really really hoped this was the year we caught fire went undefeated and were the team to go to a BCS team based on a great defense.

[Falconfreak90]

Weird thread.

A small part of me hoped we end up playing in the Fiesta Bowl, just as Florida and UConn fans hope, on some level, to finish the season playing in the BCS title game. Did I expect to? Of course not. But, each season, a part of me hopes for that.

It isn't going to happen for BG this season. And that's okay. We still have a whole lot to play for, just as Florida and UConn still have a lot to play for. We have a real shot to win the division for the first time in 10 years and win the conference for the first time in more than 20. That's all pretty big stuff. And, longer term, we still have a lot of room to improve.

It's going to be fun to watch.

Well said, John...we have 9 games left in the regular season. I can't wait to get back to the Doyt Saturday to start a 3 game home stand. It sucks we got our doors blown off...bury it and move on.

[footballguy51]

Weird thread.

A small part of me hoped we end up playing in the Fiesta Bowl, just as Florida and UConn fans hope, on some level, to finish the season playing in the BCS title game. Did I expect to? Of course not. But, each season, a part of me hopes for that.

It isn't going to happen for BG this season. And that's okay. We still have a whole lot to play for, just as Florida and UConn still have a lot to play for. We have a real shot to win the division for the first time in 10 years and win the conference for the first time in more than 20. That's all pretty big stuff. And, longer term, we still have a lot of room to improve.

It's going to be fun to watch.

This actually pretty much sums up how I feel about the season as well.

[Flipper]

Like what? What should we shoot for? As near as I can tell the conference title, a bowl game and a national ranking are all still achievable. Hell...NIU went to a BCS game with a loss to a Big 10 team...so who knows if that's an unobtainable goal or not.

I really do not know what you're bitching about.....

All I said is that we can't reach those goals. You are inferring the bitching. I haven't bitched once in this thread. I think that you don't really understand the discussion part of a discussion board if you disagree with someone.

The only goal we can't reach is the BCS...maybe...but then only one MAC team ever did that and the BCS did everything they could to prevent it, so I'm not sure how realistic (there's that word again) that goal was. You may not have bitched I this thread...but in another thread you said you were losing interest in the season because we lost this one game...that's asinine.

[hammb]

I've known for a long time that I'm in the minority on my views. But I think I'm probably leaning more towards Globe than others.

Personally, I DO care more about the IU & Mississippi St. games than I do about the MAC games. To me, the biggest goal I have for BG football is relevance. I don't know why I care about it, but I do. My ultimate goal for any BG season is to be ranked and talked about. I don't even have visions of the BCS...sure it'd be awesome, but I know they do everything in their power to prevent it so if it happens sweet, if not oh well. But playing your way into the rankings, and playing your way into national relevance are possibilities every single season and THAT is the goal that I set for BG football.

And the way I look at it is that the MAC is a nice consolation prize of my overall goals. If you don't have success in the MAC you're not going to be talked about or be relevant at all.

But if you asked me between the two scenarios:

A) Lose to the BCS teams on your schedule (badly) but roll the MAC, and win the GoDaddy Bowl against some random Sun Belt team. Finish the year unranked but 12-2 with a MAC Championship and Bowl win.

B) Beat a big name BCS team, but miss out on the MAC title, go to the Little Caesar's Bowl and beat, say Northwestern. Finish the year ranked in the top 25 but only 11-3 without a MAC title.

Personally, I'm a happier fan in the 2nd scenario. MAC titles are great, but it's not the real goal for me (as a fan). Now I know I'm vastly in the minority of this view. I also know that the team doesn't feel this way. That's fine. I like that they want to win their conference above all...it's a nice goal. But so long as we're still a 1A team, being relevant in that landscape is far more valuable to me than a MAC title.