2015 Football Schedule

[MarkL]

The last three years we have played two big games each and we're competitive in one of the games each season and completely out of the other. In 2012 we probably should have beaten Florida (missed FGs sank us) and we were drilled by VT. In 2013 Indiana blew us out of the water but we probably should have beat Miss State (a slow start and some dropped passes sank us). In 2014 we beat IU in a great game that could have gone either way and we were drilled by Wisconsin (very similar style to VT who sank us but far superior offensive line).
Now we've got three big opponents and a quality Memphis team. Frankly I don't see a Wisconsin on our slate. Tennessee is the trendy SEC pick and they may really be that good, but I think they're still a year away at least from top tier SEC. They may drill us or we may be able to surprise them with a fast paced offense. Maryland was OK the past two years but now they replace a lot of players, especially on offense. Purdue should improve a lot but they are improving from a team that makes losing to MAC teams an annual tradition. Memphis may be the best coached and most experienced team we play. They could be very good. Still, I think the talent level of Memphis is similar to ours. So the thought of winning a game or two against our OOC slate is not really too much of a stretch. If our offense clicks and the pace hurts defenses, we have an equalizer against the talent and depth of the bigger teams.

[jpfalcon09]

I really like this schedule, definitely one of the strongest OOC schedules for a G5 school this coming season and it'll be a good test for an offense that's returning every starter. Looks like I'll only be able to attend 3-4 games this year which is a downer but it is what it is, thankfully I'll be able to attend the game at Kent and maybe Buffalo if I feel like driving that far.

Spring practice begins this week and hopefully the next six months go by rather quickly. I'll be ready for football again once the hockey season ends.

[mscarn]

So the thought of winning a game or two against our OOC slate is not really too much of a stretch.

That's the thing, though. The absolute best case scenario if absolutely everything breaks right and clicks early is probably 2-2. No real momentum going into the MAC schedule and little margin for error the rest of the way to earn a bowl bid. And that's the best case scenario.

This is gross overscheduling, plain and simple. No other team in the conference comes anywhere close to this non-conference schedule and for good reason.

A poster from days past (BGSU1987) said that a fair OOC schedule is a game you should be favored to win (FCS), two games where the talent is fairly even and one money game where you're the underdog. The 2015 schedule has no games where we've favored to win, a game that was originally designed to be a pick'em until Memphis got themselves in the top 25 (which we knew before scheduling Tennessee) and three road games against P5/BCS opponents, two of which were bowl teams. That's a suicide mission, not a non-conference schedule. The Tennessee decision was not in the best interests of the program-fans, coaches or players.

[transfer2BGSU]

Why can't Bowling Green be like Boise?

Why can't Bowling Green be like NIU and bust the BCS?

Fans clamor every year asking why can't we be the one and then when we finally have the schedule that...if we win...allows us to be the one - fans clamor that the schedule is too tough and it's not fair.

Fair? That's where they judge sheep and pigs and you ride the ferris wheel.

Unbelievable.

[BGFan]

Why can't Bowling Green be like Boise?

Why can't Bowling Green be like NIU and bust the BCS?

Fans clamor every year asking why can't we be the one and then when we finally have the schedule that...if we win...allows us to be the one - fans clamor that the schedule is too tough and it's not fair.

Fair? That's where they judge sheep and pigs and you ride the ferris wheel.

Unbelievable.

+1 Couldn't agree more.

I would also suggest taking a look at the athletic department's budget deficit. You may find some answers there. The almighty dollar speaks loudly.

[Falcon137]

Why can't Bowling Green be like NIU and bust the BCS?

Fans clamor every year asking why can't we be the one and then when we finally have the schedule that...if we win...allows us to be the one - fans clamor that the schedule is too tough and it's not fair.

Fair? That's where they judge sheep and pigs and you ride the ferris wheel.

Unbelievable.

Strawman argument.

NIU busted the BCS by going 3-1 beating UT Martin, Kansas, and Army and losing to Iowa in the nonconference. Then running the table in the MAC.

Boise did it in 09 by beating, Oregon, Miami (OH), BG, and UC Davis.

The schedule is what it is. If BG comes out of it 1-3 or better AND healthy, I'll be thrilled and it should set them up for conference play. If they go 1-3 or worse and are the walking wounded heading to Buffalo, it will turn out looking like a disaster. I have no idea what to expect from this team. I think the offense should be good, but, I thought that last year. On paper, the defense should not be as good. But, last year I thought they would be a top 20 unit. Who knows. Lets find out in 6 months.

[MarkL]

A poster from days past (BGSU1987) said that a fair OOC schedule is a game you should be favored to win (FCS), two games where the talent is fairly even and one money game where you're the underdog. The 2015 schedule has no games where we've favored to win, a game that was originally designed to be a pick'em until Memphis got themselves in the top 25 (which we knew before scheduling Tennessee) and three road games against P5/BCS opponents, two of which were bowl teams. That's a suicide mission, not a non-conference schedule. The Tennessee decision was not in the best interests of the program-fans, coaches or players.

That too is a rather ideal schedule to me. It's basically what we had in 2011 (Morgan State, Wyoming, @Idaho, @WVU), which I think was a perfect OOC schedule. And originally we had it for 2014 ...
- SC State - FCS team we should beat and use as a tune up
- Memphis - home game of similar talent level to us
- @Purdue - away game against a Big Ten team with similar talent to us that plays like MAC teams against MAC and similar teams ...
....- 2009 lost to NIU and beat UT
....- 2010 barely beat BSU and lost to UT
....- 2011 barely beat MTSU and lost to Rice
....- 2012 hammered EMU and barely beat Marshall
....- 2013 was hammered by NIU
....- 2014 barely beat WMU and was hammered by CMU
- @Maryland - away game against a good Big Ten team ... which is beatable

Then a couple things happened.
- SC State cancelled and is planning to shut down their university for a year. Not just their football team, their entire university.
- Memphis hired a great coach who engineered a quick turnaround and upgraded conferences to the AAC. While I still think the talent level of Memphis and Bowling Green are similar, this is suddenly a rough game.

So the result is SC State is gone and we replaced them with Tennessee, and Memphis is suddenly a much harder game. SC State bowing out was the equivalent of us being given a lemon. We could have tried to get another FCS team, or we could turn our lemon into some lemonade and cash in.
Still even with these changes, I do not see an unwinnable game like WVU and Wisconsin. It is a stretch to say we win all of them, but I think we can have a great showing, knock off one or two, maybe three. Best hope is we walk away with some wins and no injuries.

Or you could say SC State bowing out is the equivalent of us being given a lemon, and us scheduling Tennessee is the equivalent of asking for salt and tequila ....

[jpfalcon09]

Why can't Bowling Green be like Boise?

Why can't Bowling Green be like NIU and bust the BCS?

Fans clamor every year asking why can't we be the one and then when we finally have the schedule that...if we win...allows us to be the one - fans clamor that the schedule is too tough and it's not fair.

Fair? That's where they judge sheep and pigs and you ride the ferris wheel.

Unbelievable.

This would be a good argument if there was still a BCS. Any G5 school has a less than 0.01% chance of making the playoff so I'm not really sure where you're going with this. The best the program can achieve is winning the MAC and getting the access bowl which is great and gives a big payday.

I like these games for the sole reason that BG can see how they stack up against quality competition, they get a nice paycheck and get some national exposure. I think its important for BGSU to compete against SEC and B1G Whatever teams for recruiting and bragging purposes. I'd much rather watch these kind of games, even if they might be a blowout, than seeing Rumdum State come to the Doyt and get beat by 40 points.

[Class of 61]

I know we've saying that our schedule is perhaps the toughest G-5 one in U.S., but have you seen WMU's? Play both MSU( home game) And OSU! Can't recall other games offhand, but TWO top 5 teams early in season?

[zete]

I think fans complain because they have witnessed too many bloodbaths.
Perhaps this year will be different and will win them all, undefeated, and in the top twenty.

[Falconfreak90]

I think fans complain because they have witnessed too many bloodbaths.
Perhaps this year will be different and will win them all, undefeated, and in the top twenty.

Sounds good to me!

[falconfan1]

Out of conference bloodbaths? Better check w Gary Pinkel at Mizzou about those because his guys were a little bloody when we beat them twice and even when they hung on to beat us the one time. Florida and Miss St- we outplayed those two SEC teams period. I was on the sideline watching.

We do get whipped every now and then. Just wiped out. Especially against a certain type of team. Wisc. Wiped us out last year; just hammered. But Wisc w Omar J? Easily could have won the game. Easily.

Bloodbaths? DJ Lynch got hurt vs VMI. That won't matter. Nope we just have to play these four. Toughest overall non con.

We need six home games. And we will have them. Odd year.

Go Falcons!

[zete]

Out of conference bloodbaths? Better check w Gary Pinkel at Mizzou about those because his guys were a little bloody when we beat them twice and even when they hung on to beat us the one time. Florida and Miss St- we outplayed those two SEC teams period. I was on the sideline watching.

We do get whipped every now and then. Just wiped out. Especially against a certain type of team. Wisc. Wiped us out last year; just hammered. But Wisc w Omar J? Easily could have won the game. Easily.

Bloodbaths? DJ Lynch got hurt vs VMI. That won't matter. Nope we just have to play these four. Toughest overall non con.

We need six home games. And we will have them. Odd year.

Go Falcons!

Yes, your are right about Missouri. They came in here with their highly acclaimed recruit from Ohio, Brad Smith, and we bloodied their noses as we chased them all the way to the Ohio River. We also had Urban Meyer on our sidelines at that time. Meyer soon left....Gary Pinkel is still at Missouri.
Not sure what it has been the last few years but from 2003-2012 The Mid-Am-Conference was 4-36 against the Big Ten. How did the conference do against the other P5s? BG has usually been the outlier. We have played well, for the most part, against outside opposition. The Moe Ankney years were some of the worst in my opinion.
As for the scheduling debate, I see one solution – recruit and win. Take the upcoming season for instance:
Let's just say folks in BG and Kalamazoo were super excited about the upcoming seasons and for good reason.
The results will be as follows:

Western Michigan beats MSU at home to start the season in front of 40,000 fans. Then, they beat Georgia Southern, Murray State, Ohio State, Central Mich., OHIO, Miami, Eastern Michigan, & Ball St. Next on tap is BGSU who also happens to be undefeated. Again 40,000 spectators jam Waldo for the showdown in November. Would you be there?
BG has beaten Tennessee, Maryland, Memphis, Purdue, Umass,Akron, Kent, OHIO, and is 8-0 upon arriving in K'zoo.

I know Dream On
For all the hundreds and hundreds of debates and opinions I have read on this forum about putting people in the seats it all comes down to recruiting and winning. Without NFL marque type players, and bona fide coaching staffs translating to hype and winning, there is reluctance and apprehension as the seasons approach

[Falconfreak90]

Out of conference bloodbaths? Better check w Gary Pinkel at Mizzou about those because his guys were a little bloody when we beat them twice and even when they hung on to beat us the one time. Florida and Miss St- we outplayed those two SEC teams period. I was on the sideline watching.

We do get whipped every now and then. Just wiped out. Especially against a certain type of team. Wisc. Wiped us out last year; just hammered. But Wisc w Omar J? Easily could have won the game. Easily.

Bloodbaths? DJ Lynch got hurt vs VMI. That won't matter. Nope we just have to play these four. Toughest overall non con.

We need six home games. And we will have them. Odd year.

Go Falcons!

Agreed. Sure we've had a few beatings but generally we hold our own against the Power 5 or whatever the hell they call themselves now. I was at the Swamp in 2012. Down 17-14, starting the 4th and we had a 1st and ten on the Gator 25. Then an INT changed the complexion of the game and the Gators wore us down in the worst heat I've ever been at a football game. Miss State? Burbrink gets targeted in the end and we should have had a first down. EVERY team gets wiped out at one time or another.

[Schadenfreude]

A poster from days past (BGSU1987) said that a fair OOC schedule is a game you should be favored to win (FCS), two games where the talent is fairly even and one money game where you're the underdog.

Substitute South Carolina State for Tennessee, and that's the schedule we would be looking at, Memphis and Purdue are pretty even match ups in my mind; the Falcons are 3-0 against these schools.

Normally, we schedule as BGSU1987 suggests. This year, the South Carolina State fell through and BGSU adjusted. I'm okay with it so long as it doesn't become a theme, and I've seen nothing to suggest that it will be.