The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Better than I thought they were. They've blown out their last three opponents (including WMU): 43-17, 48-13, and 44-20. They are favored in all off their remaining games except Georgia.

No excuses for how poorly we were prepared for that game, but I for one did not respect just how good that team is.

Granted they've been against pretty bad teams (Citadel and Idaho), but I wouldn't be surprised if they ran the conference table again. Still, like you said, our loss margin was pretty bad and was the ugliest game of our OOC schedule - which is saying something considering we played #1 and #2, too.

Not ELITE wins. Wow the spin for ol Peej continues.

To be fair, we have another thread praising a 3-1 Illinois team that's played similarly bad competition.

(09-30-2015 07:51 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  To be fair, we have another thread praising a 3-1 Illinois team that's played similarly bad competition.

To be fair, around here that awful loss is being minimized and reality is being distorted to the point where "we didn't expect to beat GASO", which may have been true at a point in time for some who were trying to deflect expectations, but let's just internalize that WMU was favored fairly heavily for that game.

We hang our hats on decent showings against high profile teams that most probably had a hard time getting up to play a complete game against us but dismiss the expected win/ugly loss to a team that doesn't throw as an outlier?

Let's be realistic here. Things are not ok. CMU is a must win. They come in during a rebuilding year with a new HC and beat us, the boat is listing.

Actually I agree with practically everything you said. The lopsided GSU loss still leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and gives me pause on how effecting this coaching staff was (is?) in properly mentally preparing them for the game. And true, I'd be close to chucking in the season, and definitely questioning further our coaches' ability to 'coach', if we lost at home to CMU. That'd be a disaster.

But still acknowledging that GSU is a solidly good program, 12-4 since entering FBS, doesn't conflict with anything you or I said. Nor does it minimize how ill prepared we were. I like their team's play and, if just from the handful of their visitors here, like their fans too. So I don't mind offering some praise.

(09-30-2015 08:56 AM)rtletterman Wrote:  Let's be realistic here. Things are not ok.

Speaking of realistic, WMU is 0-0 in MAC play right now.

(09-30-2015 07:51 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  To be fair, we have another thread praising a 3-1 Illinois team that's played similarly bad competition.

Exactly.

Western Illinois, Middle Tennessee St., Kent St. Those are some real college football juggernauts. Top notch wins.

North Carolina -- who isn't even predicted to finish in the top half of a diminished ACC -- throttled them.

"Let's be realistic here"

I would like to point out that there are always two components in preparing a team for a contest. Yes there is the team that gets to go out on the field and do battle and execute a game plan that the coaches develop. Then there is the coaches that have to plan and scheme a plan that when executed is able to transcend into action and possibly a win.

The team that we played, GSU, is a team that plays an unusual style of football for a reason, and they have great success doing it. This is much the same as the Air Force, and to institute a game plan for one style of football is difficult to do. There are football coaches on here that can explain this much better than I can. But one week of preparation for this "style" of football might be counter to the success of a team for the full year. The game plan may be perfect but any hesitation in the execution of that plan can thwart a successful action. Take for example one player that does not react to filling a hole, and is a fraction of a second late in filling it, can create a large run in the gap that has been created. Or that player that is running the play is a tad faster than anyone you may have seen before.

I did not like the play of our team against the Georgia Southern team anymore than the rest of you, but I'm human enough to know that there are more factors that go into success then just the coaches or players. The other thought in this regard is how accepting were our players to the coaching that was trying to be done. I had heard that the team did not have a good week of practice leading up to that game. That can mean, that yes they are young folks that read the papers about GSU being blown out the week before, or they were too busy patting themselves on the back for the great showing against a top ranked team in the nation. Any combination of these factors can result in a disaster. This coaching staff is not the only one to have gone through these periods, just look at the Darnell team that went up to CMU as 35 point favorites.

Sometimes a shore memory on those days is the best thing to have, and that is what I prefer to have when it comes to the GSU game. This constant hand wringing and poor us attitude will never get us all to where we want to go. It is time to forget.

Always proud to be a Bronco, RTB.

(09-30-2015 12:59 AM)rtletterman Wrote:  Not ELITE wins. Wow the spin for ol Peej continues.

Yes, now I'm 'spinning' for PJ when I state that there is no excuse for how unprepared we were.

(09-30-2015 08:56 AM)rtletterman Wrote:  Let's be realistic here. Things are not ok.

Realistic? WMU would probably give Illinois a run for its money and probably beat them. This team will be scary good if it can truncate the mental mistakes and penalties.

Time to move on GSU was a couple weeks ago now. Nothing new needs to be said. The good and the bad has all been discussed at length.


How any bronco fans are wasting time on that with CMU coming up is beyond me.

(09-30-2015 10:43 AM)Doo Wrote:  Time to move on GSU was a couple weeks ago now. Nothing new needs to be said. The good and the bad has all been discussed at length.


How any bronco fans are wasting time on that with CMU coming up is beyond me.

And the discussion of any topic on the board will have what actual consequence in the outcome CMU-WMU game?

Quote:And the discussion of any topic on the board will have what actual consequence in the outcome CMU-WMU game?

It will affect the fan reactions: "See? WMU sucks like I told ya! Muhahahha! Fire Fleck!" vs "See? WMU had a bad game against GA-Southern and that one game isn't how good/bad we are for the whole season. We won, eat it."

Of course, the WMU winning isn't going to settle squat. The only thing that would be 'settled' is if WMU completely tanks this season and finishes under .500, or goes on a run winning the MAC West. Neither are very likely to happen.

We are 183-33 (.847) at home and were looking to make a statement after that embarrassment in Morgantown.

I'm still expecting you to play well in conference play.