2022 Season

[Schadenfreude]

The Bowling Green-Marshall game will air on the NFL Network, which may be a first for our Falcons.

Interesting use of the television rights. More visible than ESPN3 or ESPN+, that's for sure.

[jpfalcon09]

Here's the MAC preseason poll:

East Division (first place votes):

Miami (20) - 139 points
Kent State (3) - 116 points
Buffalo - 78 points
Ohio - 72 points
Bowling Green (1) - 71 points
Akron - 28 points
West Division (first place votes)

Northern Illinois (11) - 122 points
Toledo (9) - 120 points
Central Michigan (4) - 112 points
Western Michigan - 56 points
Eastern Michigan - 52 points
Ball State - 42 points

MAC football champion votes:

Northern Illinois (9), Toledo (6), Miami (5), Central Michigan (4)

[MarkL]

I'm curious who voted BG to win the east. I'm also curious what everyone sees in Buffalo.

[jpfalcon09]

I'm curious who voted BG to win the east. I'm also curious what everyone sees in Buffalo.

With the transfer portal movement I take these polls with a grain of salt. Everyone in the conference has had additions and subtractions and it's hard telling what the impacts of that will be.

A 5th place finish in the East which will likely be a mediocre division will all but spell the end of Scot Loeffler. There will be folks who will probably rather see Loeffler fired than say a six win season. Going to be a really interesting season, and there's absolutely no excuses.

Here are my predictions:

at UCLA - L
vs EKU - W
vs Marshall - L
at Miss St - L
at Akron - W
vs Buffalo - W
vs Miami (OH) L
at CMU - L
vs WMU - W
vs Kent - W
at Toledo - L
at Ohio - W

6-6, (5-3)

MAC as a whole

East

1. Miami (OH)
2. Kent State
3. Bowling Green
4. Buffalo
5. Ohio
6. Akron

West

1. Toledo
2. CMU
3. NIU
4. EMU
5. Ball St.
6. WMU

MAC champion - Toledo (ugh)

[Schadenfreude]

I'm curious who voted BG to win the east.

Yeah, that's really interesting. Do student media get votes? If so, maybe BG Falcon Media?

I'm not feeling that bold. I think Bowling Green finishes 6-6 overall, and second in the East to Miami.

[kdog27]

I’m okay with 6-6 if they look good in the losses. If there are a bunch of woodshed beat downs then the so called QB guru needs to go.

[Flipper]

Anything under four seems overly pessimistic...anything over six seems ridiculously optimistic. 6-6 with a senior (citizen) QB and most of the skill position guys back isn't going to cut it in my view.....but I don't make the stay/go call, so who knows. I would hope that taking four years to become mediocre in a weak conference would signal the end..

[jpfalcon09]

Anything under four seems overly pessimistic...anything over six seems ridiculously optimistic. 6-6 with a senior (citizen) QB and most of the skill position guys back isn't going to cut it in my view.....but I don't make the stay/go call, so who knows. I would hope that taking four years to become mediocre in a weak conference would signal the end..

Honestly it's what makes this season so intriguing. No way Loeffler goes into 2023 as a lame duck, health of the program would suffer. He likes to run his mouth about following the Clawson model. Dave got to a bowl game in his 4th season, so anything less than that should be viewed as a failure. The wildcard in all this is who the AD is come late November/early December. Does Rogers risk making a move if Moose is sitll around, given his alleged departure?

[Schadenfreude]

The Sentinel-Tribune has a preview up. https://www.sent-trib.com/sports/falcon ... e097e.html

Coach Loeffler seems to think the retooled offensive line will help.

“I know this about Matt — when we were at Boston College and he was our backup, we had maybe four NFL linemen in front of him, and when we could protect him, he was excellent,” Loeffler said. “The last two years he’s had to learn how to play quarterback in a very difficult position. A lot of youth there and all those experiences are really going to help him.

“If we can keep him upright, which we think we can, and now the biggest thing he’s learned is we have some skill guys so that he doesn’t have to make every play.

“At times whenever you had so much youth around him, he forced the ball into some tight windows. Now all he has to do is go from one to two to three and hit his first open receiver,” Loeffler said. Those big plays will eventually occur but it’s about staying inside the framework of the system.”

[ZuluWarrior]

I'm very good with 6-6. This program was in the worst shape in its history following Jinks and Babers. The worst. Noticeable improvement last year. 6-6 would be more noticeable improvement this year. I'd be 100% behind Coach Loeffler assuming all good off field too.

[jpfalcon09]

Briggs has an article penned as well. I think he sums up well the feeling amongst supporters that this season is put up or shut up.

https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/bgsu ... 220727152/

[Flipper]

This is why I find him so annoying...McDonald played in TWO GAMES at Boston College...he threw 8 passes and completed 7...unless he's talking about practices, there's nowhere near enough evidence to suggest McDonald "did well"...like that's evidence worth citing any way.

[kdog27]

And 8 passes in 2 games sure sounds like mop up duty.

[jpfalcon09]

Too many ifs being muttered from coaches and players yesterday. Greatest word in the English language.

[guest44]

I haven’t seen Scot address his lack of preparedness when taking the job. From keeping Pelini, to Jim Hermann, to the disaster of Brian VanGorder, plenty of mistakes were made with him here too. 3 coordinators before a snap is taken is beyond lack of prepared.