NIU = BCS

[Globetrotter]

13-0 NIU probably goes to the BCS. If we win the east we are bowling. In my world NIU gets to 12-0 but BG shocks them in the MAC title. In no scenario would I sacrifice a BG MAC title for a different MAC team in the BCS. Never.

If it meant that the MAC could gain power in the college football landscape I would gladly lose to NIU. I have 0 confidence that that will ever happen in college football and we are much closer to being Division 1 FBS-2. So go BG!

[footballguy51]

13-0 NIU probably goes to the BCS. If we win the east we are bowling. In my world NIU gets to 12-0 but BG shocks them in the MAC title. In no scenario would I sacrifice a BG MAC title for a different MAC team in the BCS. Never.

If it meant that the MAC could gain power in the college football landscape I would gladly lose to NIU. I have 0 confidence that that will ever happen in college football and we are much closer to being Division 1 FBS-2. So go BG!

Honestly, what would happen would be that NIU would get an offer to join a stronger conference, just like Boise and TCU and Utah. They would then leave the MAC behind. All we would get from it would be some national exposure for the conference, some nationally televised games, and money from the bowl games.

[BillyLP]

13-0 NIU probably goes to the BCS. If we win the east we are bowling. In my world NIU gets to 12-0 but BG shocks them in the MAC title. In no scenario would I sacrifice a BG MAC title for a different MAC team in the BCS. Never.

If it meant that the MAC could gain power in the college football landscape I would gladly lose to NIU. I have 0 confidence that that will ever happen in college football and we are much closer to being Division 1 FBS-2. So go BG!

Honestly, what would happen would be that NIU would get an offer to join a stronger conference, just like Boise and TCU and Utah. They would then leave the MAC behind. All we would get from it would be some national exposure for the conference, some nationally televised games, and money from the bowl games.

I actually don't think this will happen in the near future at all. Boise St, TCU and Utah all drew 38,-50k a game. NIU will never be able to do that unless they keep going undefeated for the next 5 years (probably not even then). The only conference I could see them realistically being pursued by would be the AAC, which doesn't have a whole lot better competition than the MAC.

[zete]

About 20 years ago NIU got too big for their britches and decided to flee the MAC and go independent.....they came crawling back.

[MarkL]

13-0 NIU probably goes to the BCS. If we win the east we are bowling. In my world NIU gets to 12-0 but BG shocks them in the MAC title. In no scenario would I sacrifice a BG MAC title for a different MAC team in the BCS. Never.

If it meant that the MAC could gain power in the college football landscape I would gladly lose to NIU.

No. No fan of a team would ever wish the team to lose on such a big stage to such a big team. Doesn't happen.

Ask any Nevada fan if they are upset that their team beat Boise State back in 2010, ending the chances of BSU being either in a BCS bowl or perhaps in the national championship (if Bama didn't cough it up to Auburn.) It would have meant a fellow WAC team there and would have meant all the bowl money payout. Or ask any Bama fan if they wish they had held on to beat Auburn in 2010. If Bama had held on, it would have meant no SEC team in the national championship, but it would have been totally worth it to beat their rival with a #1 ranking.

[Schadenfreude]

I want all MAC teams to do well out of conference. Then I want the Falcons to humiliate our opponents in conference play.

Just win baby.

Winning helps all of us.

[zete]

I want all MAC teams to do well out of conference. Then I want the Falcons to humiliate our opponents in conference play.

Just win baby.

Winning helps all of us.

Im surprised more BG fans don't follow this line of thinking. I am a Falcon fan, but love Toledo when they play Ohio State. Someone posted awhile back wanting to know which MAC team we hated most. Quite honestly I enjoy watching any game involving a MAC school play out of league. I find myself keenly interested an pulling extra hard for that league member.
I have a profound dislike for the Big Ten and its members. Can't say the same for our league.

[Falco_peregrinusana]

I want all MAC teams to do well out of conference. Then I want the Falcons to humiliate our opponents in conference play.

Just win baby.

Winning helps all of us.

Im surprised more BG fans don't follow this line of thinking. I am a Falcon fan, but love Toledo when they play Ohio State. Someone posted awhile back wanting to know which MAC team we hated most. Quite honestly I enjoy watching any game involving a MAC school play out of league. I find myself keenly interested an pulling extra hard for that league member.
I have a profound dislike for the Big Ten and its members. Can't say the same for our league.

I could not have said it better myself... Every MAC team is my favorite team until they play our Falcons....

[mscarn]

The other MAC schools are BG's direct competitors. They actively recruit against us. The moment they get a big non-conference win they call, text, Facebook and Tweet that news to their recruits with the expressed purpose of swaying them away from BG and any other schools that might be in play. I'm not going to smile when a competitor amasses and deploys ammunition against us.

What is good for them is more often than not bad for BG on the field and in the recruiting wars. Screw 'em.

[footballguy51]

The other MAC schools are BG's direct competitors. They actively recruit against us. The moment they get a big non-conference win they call, text, Facebook and Tweet that news to their recruits with the expressed purpose of swaying them away from BG and any other schools that might be in play. I'm not going to smile when a competitor amasses and deploys ammunition against us.

What is good for them is more often than not bad for BG on the field and in the recruiting wars. Screw 'em.

But, if the MAC performs well out-of-conference, then it makes the conference look good. The year College Gameday came to BG, they talked about all of the success the MAC had that year against the BCS schools. I'm sure that played into getting Gameday in Bowling Green, OH for that game. They had other options I'm sure, with bigger named opponents, but the fact that both BGSU and NIU were performing extremely well that year, and the MAC was having such huge success, helped sway them to coming here for their telecast.

Now granted, one year doesn't make a big difference, but if we can continue to get those big name wins then it'll say something. If BG had beaten even one of IU or MSU, BG would be very close to ranked and the MAC would have a slightly higher opinion in the national landscape. If Akron has pulled off the win over Michigan, or Buffalo over Ohio State, that would have said something. Besides, if Buffalo had beaten Ohio State, then a win over Buffalo for us is "bigger" nationally than if they didn't beat OSU, simply due to strength of schedule. Would NIU be higher in the BCS standings had Akron beaten Michigan? NIU beat Akron. Northern and Toledo play tomorrow, and Toledo lost to Mizzou. What if Toledo had won that game?

[mscarn]

But, if the MAC performs well out-of-conference, then it makes the conference look good. The year College Gameday came to BG, they talked about all of the success the MAC had that year against the BCS schools. I'm sure that played into getting Gameday in Bowling Green, OH for that game. They had other options I'm sure, with bigger named opponents, but the fact that both BGSU and NIU were performing extremely well that year, and the MAC was having such huge success, helped sway them to coming here for their telecast.

Now granted, one year doesn't make a big difference, but if we can continue to get those big name wins then it'll say something. If BG had beaten even one of IU or MSU, BG would be very close to ranked and the MAC would have a slightly higher opinion in the national landscape. If Akron has pulled off the win over Michigan, or Buffalo over Ohio State, that would have said something. Besides, if Buffalo had beaten Ohio State, then a win over Buffalo for us is "bigger" nationally than if they didn't beat OSU, simply due to strength of schedule. Would NIU be higher in the BCS standings had Akron beaten Michigan? NIU beat Akron. Northern and Toledo play tomorrow, and Toledo lost to Mizzou. What if Toledo had won that game?

If NIU has proved anything it's that positive national perception can be gotten on the cheap. They've risen high in the national polls without a monumental, earth-shattering non-conference win. They've played the Akron that didn't beat Michigan and it didn't hurt them at all. You would think perception and quality of opponent would matter more but it clearly doesn't in the eyes of the pollsters. A gaudy record alone is good enough for them.

[jpfalcon09]

But, if the MAC performs well out-of-conference, then it makes the conference look good. The year College Gameday came to BG, they talked about all of the success the MAC had that year against the BCS schools. I'm sure that played into getting Gameday in Bowling Green, OH for that game. They had other options I'm sure, with bigger named opponents, but the fact that both BGSU and NIU were performing extremely well that year, and the MAC was having such huge success, helped sway them to coming here for their telecast.

Now granted, one year doesn't make a big difference, but if we can continue to get those big name wins then it'll say something. If BG had beaten even one of IU or MSU, BG would be very close to ranked and the MAC would have a slightly higher opinion in the national landscape. If Akron has pulled off the win over Michigan, or Buffalo over Ohio State, that would have said something. Besides, if Buffalo had beaten Ohio State, then a win over Buffalo for us is "bigger" nationally than if they didn't beat OSU, simply due to strength of schedule. Would NIU be higher in the BCS standings had Akron beaten Michigan? NIU beat Akron. Northern and Toledo play tomorrow, and Toledo lost to Mizzou. What if Toledo had won that game?

If NIU has proved anything it's that positive national perception can be gotten on the cheap. They've risen high in the national polls without a monumental, earth-shattering non-conference win. They've played the Akron that didn't beat Michigan and it didn't hurt them at all. You would think perception and quality of opponent would matter more but it clearly doesn't in the eyes of the pollsters. A gaudy record alone is good enough for them.

On the flip side, their showing against Florida State last year in the Orange Bowl is also leading to pollsters to intentionally hang them back in the Coaches Poll from getting into the Top 16. They're better than Fresno but apparently those who vote are going to give Fresno the chance to be the BCS-buster school.

[hammb]

But, if the MAC performs well out-of-conference, then it makes the conference look good. The year College Gameday came to BG, they talked about all of the success the MAC had that year against the BCS schools. I'm sure that played into getting Gameday in Bowling Green, OH for that game. They had other options I'm sure, with bigger named opponents, but the fact that both BGSU and NIU were performing extremely well that year, and the MAC was having such huge success, helped sway them to coming here for their telecast.

Now granted, one year doesn't make a big difference, but if we can continue to get those big name wins then it'll say something. If BG had beaten even one of IU or MSU, BG would be very close to ranked and the MAC would have a slightly higher opinion in the national landscape. If Akron has pulled off the win over Michigan, or Buffalo over Ohio State, that would have said something. Besides, if Buffalo had beaten Ohio State, then a win over Buffalo for us is "bigger" nationally than if they didn't beat OSU, simply due to strength of schedule. Would NIU be higher in the BCS standings had Akron beaten Michigan? NIU beat Akron. Northern and Toledo play tomorrow, and Toledo lost to Mizzou. What if Toledo had won that game?

If NIU has proved anything it's that positive national perception can be gotten on the cheap. They've risen high in the national polls without a monumental, earth-shattering non-conference win. They've played the Akron that didn't beat Michigan and it didn't hurt them at all. You would think perception and quality of opponent would matter more but it clearly doesn't in the eyes of the pollsters. A gaudy record alone is good enough for them.

On the flip side, their showing against Florida State last year in the Orange Bowl is also leading to pollsters to intentionally hang them back in the Coaches Poll from getting into the Top 16. They're better than Fresno but apparently those who vote are going to give Fresno the chance to be the BCS-buster school.

Fresno has a possible top 50 pick playing QB for them as well. That doesn't hurt in the eyes of the voters.

[footballguy51]

But, if the MAC performs well out-of-conference, then it makes the conference look good. The year College Gameday came to BG, they talked about all of the success the MAC had that year against the BCS schools. I'm sure that played into getting Gameday in Bowling Green, OH for that game. They had other options I'm sure, with bigger named opponents, but the fact that both BGSU and NIU were performing extremely well that year, and the MAC was having such huge success, helped sway them to coming here for their telecast.

Now granted, one year doesn't make a big difference, but if we can continue to get those big name wins then it'll say something. If BG had beaten even one of IU or MSU, BG would be very close to ranked and the MAC would have a slightly higher opinion in the national landscape. If Akron has pulled off the win over Michigan, or Buffalo over Ohio State, that would have said something. Besides, if Buffalo had beaten Ohio State, then a win over Buffalo for us is "bigger" nationally than if they didn't beat OSU, simply due to strength of schedule. Would NIU be higher in the BCS standings had Akron beaten Michigan? NIU beat Akron. Northern and Toledo play tomorrow, and Toledo lost to Mizzou. What if Toledo had won that game?

If NIU has proved anything it's that positive national perception can be gotten on the cheap. They've risen high in the national polls without a monumental, earth-shattering non-conference win. They've played the Akron that didn't beat Michigan and it didn't hurt them at all. You would think perception and quality of opponent would matter more but it clearly doesn't in the eyes of the pollsters. A gaudy record alone is good enough for them.

On the flip side, their showing against Florida State last year in the Orange Bowl is also leading to pollsters to intentionally hang them back in the Coaches Poll from getting into the Top 16. They're better than Fresno but apparently those who vote are going to give Fresno the chance to be the BCS-buster school.

Fresno has a possible top 50 pick playing QB for them as well. That doesn't hurt in the eyes of the voters.

Yeah, but if you look at the BCS standings, NIU is behind Fresno because of the human polls. The computers put NIU ahead of Fresno. The computers have NIU ranked 12th on average compared to the average ranking of 16th for Fresno. One computer even has NIU ranked 3rd in the nation.

[BGWriter]

About 20 years ago NIU got too big for their britches and decided to flee the MAC and go independent.....they came crawling back.

This. Don't expect the MAC to gain anything as a conference if they get to the BCS.

Go BG!