Vote for your favorite to win the MAC's East Division at the site below:

<a href="http://www.rocketfootball.net" target="_blank">East Division Poll</a>

Central Florida

I think the cards are stacked against UCF this year. The Knights have the toughest conference schedule the MAC could dish out. The Herd's schedule is very favorable and they haven't felt the NCAA penalties yet. It's definitely possible for UCF to take the MAC East but safe money goes to MU. UCF has also had a tendency to "give" a game away once each year. We're gonna have to dump that habit real quick this year.

I think that there is another team that everyone is overlooking in the East. A team with a QB almost as big as Sandwich, just as strong, and probably 10 times as smart. A team that will probably play on both sides of the ball. There is also another team that is usually a doormat that will be a spoiler in the East this season. Miami is as likely, if not more likely, to win the East as anyone. Kent will have a say in who is the champ.

I agree, Miami is going to be tough this year. I just check the poll, and UCF is way ahead with Miami 2nd, and Marshall a distant 3rd.

Marshall fans must be drinking moonshine tonight instead of surfing the net.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Marshall fans must be drinking moonshine tonight instead of surfing the net.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">From what I've seen of them over the past 4 or 5 years, I don't believe that the two activities are mutually exclusive for a majority of them.

No, we are demoralized that Crystal "Odd" Ball predicted the herd to take it on the chin.

The herd wins big this year. In fact, this could be the best mac finish since the undefeated 01 Rockets (led by Heisman trophy winner and first round draft choice Chester Taylor) made the bcs dance and finished seventh in the coaches poll.

Me thinks Odd is the one drinking the shine tonight. . .

MAC east
1) UCF
2) Marshall
3) Miami

MAC West
1) Bowling Green
2) Toledo
3) Western Mich

I think CMU will win the east....

...sure I know it's impossible, but then again - no less likely than us winning the west!

UCF of course. Equally strong on both sides of the ball.

We'll see how smart Ben Rothelbajhabib is when our guys are picking him off. When it comes to smarts all we can go on is what they do on the football field and not what school they go to. Sandwich makes better decisions than Ben, so I don't see anything that proves he's smarter on the field.

How many games did you see Ben R. play in?

Prowler,
You are not dealing with objective reality here. If Odd says Ben is smarter then it is true.

Both of these QB's are impressive, but Byron's accuracy, distance, ability to read defenses, and willingness to take a hit are second only to whoever is quarterback at Toledo.

Miami has a great qb who stands a really good chance of playing on Sundays. For now, the vast majority of OBJECTIVE observers would conclude Byron is better.

About the QBs. Prowler takes a stab at Ben Farfignuegen but our own QB throws a bunch of stupid picks also. Its not that he gets rattled, he just loses his aim every couple of games.

We all talk and yap about 1 player. Depth is a huge concern. I pity Marshall if Sandwich gets bit early. And Ruthlessburger started at a young age for a reason. Same goes for UCF where we are all wondering about our backup QB.

Injuries may very well determine who wins what this year.

You make a valid point, Marshall will struggle if Byron goes down.

Not to overstate the obvious but the big ? for the Herd is whether the poor defensive performance of last year was a function of bad coaching or a function of the lack of size and depth on the defensive line. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact Elmassian (new defensive coordinator) has on our defensive output.

Bold Prediction:
If Byron stays healthy AND the D is only slightly improved the 02 Herd will be the best MAC team to EVER TAKE THE FIELD. A superbly coached BUGS team will give the herd all they can handle in Huntington for the MACC title.

mu81, go grind your axe on someone else. Ben R. showed what he could do as a freshman. Byron showed his inability to lead when the system he relies on broke down the last two years against Toledo. Ben makes things happen in the same situation. I guess my suggestion to wait before crowning Lord Byron rubbed you the wrong way. Then again, everyone is entitled to their opinion...as long as it follows the Hurd party line.

Btw, until a team can go 35-0, they have a long way to go before claiming to be the best ever.

To answer all the contentions in this string:

1) MU obviously favorite to win the East.

2) Ben Rothlewhositsburger is a hell of a QB and is my biggest fear of the year in conference.

3) Byron is a great QB is his own right and I don't think you can put the 01 MACC loss on his shoulders, although he did play young and inexperienced in 00 UT game because he was young and inexperienced.

4) Odd likes Rod Stewart.

5) How in the hell do you already have 37 posts Odd one? Isn't there a porn site out there you should be building for your less reputable clients?

(Okay, the last two aren't relevant. But they were fun.)

<small>[ June 04, 2002, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: OVERHERD ]</small>

In response:

4. Leave me out of your tartan plaid-covered fantasies.
5. Why would you call CE "less reputable"?

With respect to Mr. Ealey, the Rockets of the early seventy's didn't play a single legitimate 1A team outside of the mac and faced heavy weights like Davidson in three consecutive Tangerine bowl appearances. The Redskins on the otherhand beat Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in their three year reign of terror over the SEC.

In my book, the Carpenter era Redskins are clearly the best MAC team ever followed by the 2) Pennington Herd and the 3) Ealey Rockets.

If and this is a big if, the Herd beats VT, runs the MAC table and somehow wins a bcs bowl, the Leftwich herd will eclipse the Redskins.

LOL! Okay, well, like I said, we're all entitled to our own opinions. 35-0 speaks for itself, and the landscape of college football looked a bit different back then. Can we look forward to you regaling us with stories about how Wallace and Chapman were the two best RBs ever, as well?