(04-29-2014 01:19 PM)El Grande Flippero Wrote:  BGSU has to be one of the more intriguing teams in all of college football this season. You have the top returning QB in the conference, tremendous talent and depth at RB and esp WR and you have the makings of a stout defense lead by a talented and veteran secondary. Normally those are the earmarks of a repeat champion. However, our new HC Dino Babers is installing an offense so dramatically different from the previous HC's that we have the potential to crash and burn if the learning curve proves to be too daunting.

I like what Babers has done thus far...I don't know if he came up with the Falcon Fast tag or not, but it's brilliant. It gives the marketing people a saleable concept...you have to come out to the Doyt to see us run the fatest moving offense in football. You're likely going to see things you've never seen before. That is a major departure from what we've seen before. No one in my recollection has attempted to establish an identity for the team as a means of building interest.

I thought BGSU lost the majority of their stout defense last year? Or am I wrong?

(04-29-2014 01:29 PM)RedandBlackAttack Wrote:  

(04-29-2014 01:19 PM)El Grande Flippero Wrote:  BGSU has to be one of the more intriguing teams in all of college football this season. You have the top returning QB in the conference, tremendous talent and depth at RB and esp WR and you have the makings of a stout defense lead by a talented and veteran secondary. Normally those are the earmarks of a repeat champion. However, our new HC Dino Babers is installing an offense so dramatically different from the previous HC's that we have the potential to crash and burn if the learning curve proves to be too daunting.

I like what Babers has done thus far...I don't know if he came up with the Falcon Fast tag or not, but it's brilliant. It gives the marketing people a saleable concept...you have to come out to the Doyt to see us run the fatest moving offense in football. You're likely going to see things you've never seen before. That is a major departure from what we've seen before. No one in my recollection has attempted to establish an identity for the team as a means of building interest.

I thought BGSU lost the majority of their stout defense last year? Or am I wrong?

They lost their top performer in BooBoo Gates and also starters Aaron Foster and Cameron Truss, all defensive backs. However, they have a lot of depth that played quite a bit last year in Jude Adjei-Barimah, Bryan Sutton and Rylan Ward. They also get back 2012 starter Darrell Hunter who was out all last year with a wrist injury.

They also lost defensive linemen Ted Ouellet and Jairus Campbell. Both starters.

But they actually return their best player in linebacker Gabe Martin who was injured most of the year.

I think EMU will do better than people think. Actually having a coach who can coach makes all the difference. Creighton is definitely a player's coach. I think the EMU kids will produce for him.

(04-30-2014 11:45 AM)emu79 Wrote:  I think EMU will do better than people think. Actually having a coach who can coach makes all the difference. Creighton is definitely a player's coach. I think the EMU kids will produce for him.

Possibly, but I've often read posts on the EMU board over the years mentioning positions being deep with talent, or lack of production being on the coaches. Yet, since 2000 EMU has had just 10 All-MAC 1st team selections. And it's the only long-term MAC program to never have a POTY on OFF, DEF, or ST. Poor years for other MAC programs have still produced many ALL-MAC accolades. Even Buffalo with only 2 winning years since joining in '99 has seen 17 All-MAC 1st team selections since 2007.

When English ripped his players in the media over his exasperation due to their lack of tackling and taking wise angles at ball carriers, it usually seemed just. His coaching couldn't overcome their lack of speed and skill at times.

Post spring game communication between Akron AD Tom Wistrcill and Football Coach Terry Bowden.

http://bit.ly/1rPTqJf

(04-30-2014 02:58 PM)RecoveringHillbilly Wrote:  

(04-30-2014 11:45 AM)emu79 Wrote:  I think EMU will do better than people think. Actually having a coach who can coach makes all the difference. Creighton is definitely a player's coach. I think the EMU kids will produce for him.

Possibly, but I've often read posts on the EMU board over the years mentioning positions being deep with talent, or lack of production being on the coaches. Yet, since 2000 EMU has had just 10 All-MAC 1st team selections. And it's the only long-term MAC program to never have a POTY on OFF, DEF, or ST. Poor years for other MAC programs have still produced many ALL-MAC accolades. Even Buffalo with only 2 winning years since joining in '99 has seen 17 All-MAC 1st team selections since 2007.

When English ripped his players in the media over his exasperation due to their lack of tackling and taking wise angles at ball carriers, it usually seemed just. His coaching couldn't overcome their lack of speed and skill at times.

MAC in the NFL
Akron 3
Ball St 1
BGSU 4
Buffalo 6
Cent Mich 10
EMU 4
Kent 7
Miami 6
NIU 8
OU 8
UT 12
WMU 8

EMU also had about 4 CFL players (CMU has most around 8).
EMU is in the bottom thid. But is there overall talent level really that far behind Kent?


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(04-30-2014 09:56 PM)masttg Wrote:  

(04-30-2014 02:58 PM)RecoveringHillbilly Wrote:  

(04-30-2014 11:45 AM)emu79 Wrote:  I think EMU will do better than people think. Actually having a coach who can coach makes all the difference. Creighton is definitely a player's coach. I think the EMU kids will produce for him.

Possibly, but I've often read posts on the EMU board over the years mentioning positions being deep with talent, or lack of production being on the coaches. Yet, since 2000 EMU has had just 10 All-MAC 1st team selections. And it's the only long-term MAC program to never have a POTY on OFF, DEF, or ST. Poor years for other MAC programs have still produced many ALL-MAC accolades. Even Buffalo with only 2 winning years since joining in '99 has seen 17 All-MAC 1st team selections since 2007.

When English ripped his players in the media over his exasperation due to their lack of tackling and taking wise angles at ball carriers, it usually seemed just. His coaching couldn't overcome their lack of speed and skill at times.

MAC in the NFL
Akron 3
Ball St 1
BGSU 4
Buffalo 6
Cent Mich 10
EMU 4
Kent 7
Miami 6
NIU 8
OU 8
UT 12
WMU 8

EMU also had about 4 CFL players (CMU has most around 8).
EMU is in the bottom thid. But is there overall talent level really that far behind Kent?


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Yes.

Who has EMU had that matches the talent level of Julian Edelman, Josh Cribbs, and James Harrison, just to name three?

Point taken. But again Kent was 3-9 in Harrisons final year and 1-10 with Cribbs. Cribbs never had a winning record.
So coaching could of had something to do with a poor record despite demonstrable talent which was EMU79s point.

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Dear RecoveringHillbilly,
All-MAC players are chosen partly by where the team finishes. If your team is MAC Champion you will probably get three or more selections to the All-MAC team. Second place finisher gets the next number of players, and so on.
My point being, if you finish last, you are not going to get selections to the first team. If your last place team were to get someone on the first team, they would have to be a real standout.

BG returns Lynch and Martin at LB...and as RWT pointed out, while we did lose some guys in the secondary, we have a number of players ho saw significant time returning. Look for Isaiah Gourdine ad true frosh Nick Johnson (excelled in the spring) to step up as well. On the line, we lose two DT's, but we return three guys who saw time there and gain Terrell Jackson from Pitt.

Defense will not be an issue

(05-01-2014 07:04 AM)masttg Wrote:  Point taken. But again Kent was 3-9 in Harrisons final year and 1-10 with Cribbs. Cribbs never had a winning record.
So coaching could of had something to do with a poor record despite demonstrable talent which was EMU79s point.

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In KSU's case, I think it was a lack of depth of talent, not that they didn't have a few top athletes. Cribbs and Edelman were trying to do it by themselves (although JE sometimes had Eugene Jarvis who was another exceptional talent when healthy). The number of players KSU has had who have not only played in the NFL, but become Pro Bowl players speaks to the talent of the few. They were exceptional players in the MAC, too, just without much support. Cribbs and Edelman in particular were often the best players on the field, but they made the point that it is a team game, and 1 or 2 players can't make up for lack of depth.

You might blame the coaches for not recruiting well enough, but I wouldn't go further than that in KSU's case. Dean Pees and Doug Martin were competent enough coaches who didn't bring in enough talent to win enough.

I think it's clear KSU has had more top talent than not only EMU, but most of the teams in the conference. But that just shows you that just having a few exceptional players is not enough.

(04-23-2014 10:35 AM)RedandBlackAttack Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:06 AM)KSU 93 Wrote:  Has anyone seen a MAC preseason football poll? Just curious as to who will be strong in the MAC this year.

Top Tier: NIU, BGSU, Toledo

Middle Tier: Ohio, Ball St, Kent, Buffalo, CMU

Lower Tier: Miami, Akron, WMU, EMU, UMass

A few of those teams are interchangeable but I'd put the classes of the MAC in that form.

An exact ranking could go in many different forms.

Found this: The big 2014 MAC football previews

SB Nation Wrote:Tier 1
Bowling Green
NIU
Ball State
Toledo

Tier 2
Ohio
Akron

Tier 3
CentMich
Buffalo

Tier 4
Kent State
WMU
EMU
Miami
UMass

I would have it this way:

Tier 1
BG
NIU
Toledo

Tier 2
Ball State

Tier 3
CentMich
Buffalo

Tier 4
Ohio
Akron

Tier 5
WMU
Kent State

Tier 6
EMU
Miami
UMass

(05-01-2014 07:25 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear RecoveringHillbilly,
All-MAC players are chosen partly by where the team finishes. If your team is MAC Champion you will probably get three or more selections to the All-MAC team. Second place finisher gets the next number of players, and so on.
My point being, if you finish last, you are not going to get selections to the first team. If your last place team were to get someone on the first team, they would have to be a real standout.

Kind of like UB in Quinn's first 2 seasons (2-10 in 2010, 3-9 in 2011) when we produced 5 combined individual 1st team players. In 2 bad, rebuilding years UB still produced 50% of the number of 1st team selections as EMU has in 14 seasons. Not good.

how successful someone is as a pro athlete is not always an accurate determination of how well they played college ball or how much talent their college roster had. for example, andrew hawkins was an exciting #3 receiver for toledo. he was fast and made a few big plays but wasn't a go to guy. he had exceptional determination to play pro ball and was willing to continue working on his game, expanding his skills, playing in canada, etc... to finally get into the nfl where he has become-basically-an exciting #3 receiver who doesn't catch a lot of balls but makes a few big plays.

talent is part of winning, but how many pros you produce is an incomplete argument, and i say that as a toledo fan with the rockets sending the most guys into the league in recent yrs.

(05-03-2014 10:32 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:35 AM)RedandBlackAttack Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:06 AM)KSU 93 Wrote:  Has anyone seen a MAC preseason football poll? Just curious as to who will be strong in the MAC this year.

Top Tier: NIU, BGSU, Toledo

Middle Tier: Ohio, Ball St, Kent, Buffalo, CMU

Lower Tier: Miami, Akron, WMU, EMU, UMass

A few of those teams are interchangeable but I'd put the classes of the MAC in that form.

An exact ranking could go in many different forms.

Found this: The big 2014 MAC football previews

SB Nation Wrote:Tier 1
Bowling Green
NIU
Ball State
Toledo

Tier 2
Ohio
Akron

Tier 3
CentMich
Buffalo

Tier 4
Kent State
WMU
EMU
Miami
UMass

I would have it this way:

Tier 1
BG
NIU
Toledo

Tier 2
Ball State

Tier 3
CentMich
Buffalo

Tier 4
Ohio
Akron

Tier 5
WMU
Kent State

Tier 6
EMU
Miami
UMass

We'll not finish in the last tier this year. This is year 2 being FBS bowl eligible and you'll start see some noticeable improvements.

With half the games back on campus, thought I'd post the seating plans, but only have a jpg from an email. Looks like 45% of one side is reserved for students.

In the MAC tradition, will reserving section 10 for visitors.

(06-28-2014 05:29 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(05-03-2014 10:32 PM)TARDledo Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:35 AM)RedandBlackAttack Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 10:06 AM)KSU 93 Wrote:  Has anyone seen a MAC preseason football poll? Just curious as to who will be strong in the MAC this year.

Lower Tier: Miami, Akron, WMU, EMU, UMass

Found this: The big 2014 MAC football previews

SB Nation Wrote:Tier 4
Kent State
WMU
EMU
Miami
UMass

I would have it this way:

Tier 6
EMU
Miami
UMass

We'll not finish in the last tier this year.

Are you being serious?

I can, maybe, see a (optimistic/delusional) claim that UMass won't be dead last in the conference but to suggest that you won't even be in the last tier is preposterous.

Dear Friends,
Just a comment about Player of the year award. I'd have to look up the year, but I believe it was in the eighties. Eastern had a defensive back named Bob Navarro. He had twelve interceptions one of those years. Twelve! I want to know of any defensive back getting even six in a season. He was screwed out of player of the year by the quarterback of Ball State. Not that the quarterback of Ball State wasn't good, but Bob's achievement was out of this world by comparison.
My point? Just because some one player gets the award, doesn't mean there wasn't someone more deserving. So I take player of the year with a grain of salt.

(06-28-2014 07:00 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Friends,
Just a comment about Player of the year award. I'd have to look up the year, but I believe it was in the eighties. Eastern had a defensive back named Bob Navarro. He had twelve interceptions one of those years. Twelve! I want to know of any defensive back getting even six in a season. He was screwed out of player of the year by the quarterback of Ball State. Not that the quarterback of Ball State wasn't good, but Bob's achievement was out of this world by comparison.
My point? Just because some one player gets the award, doesn't mean there wasn't someone more deserving. So I take player of the year with a grain of salt.

I'm pretty sure that (1st Round NFL Draft pick) Jimmie Ward had seven last year.

Dear Tardledo,
Still five away. And that was probably considered fantastic.

(06-28-2014 07:11 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Tardledo,
Still five away. And that was probably considered fantastic.

I'm aware that it falls short of a dozen; however, you seemed to be asking for an example of a DB topping six.