Ohio over Toledo in MACC
EAST:
Ohii
Miami
UB
Kent
Akron
BG

WEST:
Toledo
WMU
NIU
EMU
BSU
CMU

now they have to go out and DO IT! could this be OUr year...FINALLY? first title in 51 years...i'd say we're overdue!

As much as I'd like to see CMU in dead last again, I think they'll be a step or two above that.

I believe last season was more about Bono losing control of the locker room (and discipline, as evidenced by final game vs. UT) as opposed to complete lack of talent.

Also wouldn't surprise me if NIU won the West, just because they somehow find a way to do it.

NIUs schedule is just brutal. They can either be way battle tested and ready for MAC play, or be injured and a lost cause under a new coach. It's hard to find 8 wins with Ohio, Miami, Toledo, EMU, Utah, Vandy and Nebraska. They'd have to win 3 of those and most are away from HS.

(07-23-2019 09:48 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  As much as I'd like to see CMU in dead last again, I think they'll be a step or two above that.

I believe last season was more about Bono losing control of the locker room (and discipline, as evidenced by final game vs. UT) as opposed to complete lack of talent.

Also wouldn't surprise me if NIU won the West, just because they somehow find a way to do it.

CMU's issues last year were about the lack of talent at QB and that issue being exacerbated by bad OL play. CMU had the the best defense the MAC had seen in some time. They were constantly left with short fields, and short rest and still put up good defensive numbers. The offense was atrocious last year with a TE at QB for the first half of the season, and a fringe FBS QB after that. Despite being 1-11, there weren't really many blowout games.

For this year? Too many unknowns to be confident in a prediction. There are three new QBs on campus, last year's starter is now a TE. OL coach is out (who had been terrible in his entire tenure at CMU) and Cummings is back in that role where we had previously had very strong OL groups under his watch. Throw in a bunch of transfers from 2017 that are now eligible (Pimpleton from Va Tech at WR, Hall at T from UM, Ward from Nebraska at LB, possibly Irving Bey from UM at DE). New coaching staff, new schemes, two DBs drafted to the NFL, one future day 1-2 pick grad transferred out. Really just too many variables to get a good gauge. I think they'll go as far as the improved QB play and OL will take them. I think there is still plenty of talent on defense. If they can get average to above average OL & QB play (especially QB) they could be a bowl team. Less than that, it will be somewhere between 5-7 and last year's debacle.

EMU will win the MAC

Interesting media spin from KSU: The 4th place finish is their highest predicted finish since 2013.


Must say though, it Feels good they are poking their head above the water.

(07-23-2019 09:27 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

now they have to go out and DO IT! could this be OUr year...FINALLY? first title in 51 years...i'd say we're overdue!

It took the Cubs over a century, you guys can wait.

How come CMU always gets 1 vote for win the MAC?

(07-23-2019 09:48 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  As much as I'd like to see CMU in dead last again, I think they'll be a step or two above that.

I believe last season was more about Bono losing control of the locker room (and discipline, as evidenced by final game vs. UT) as opposed to complete lack of talent.

Also wouldn't surprise me if NIU won the West, just because they somehow find a way to do it.

It's not unreasonable at all to think CMU improves bigtime. 2013 WMU went 1-11, 2014 we went 8-5. Not out unreasonable at all for CMU to go from 1-11 to 8-5. Their big problem right now is EMU, WMU, NIU, and UT all look pretty good so at best they'd jump Ball St. Maybe they can win a few East games to get to 5 or so wins.

Also, definitely could see NIU 'backing' into the Division title again.

(07-23-2019 01:17 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  EMU will win the MAC

I wouldn't be surprised. They might be my pick, certainly at least second. They seem too low in the Poll. However they do, I think they beat us Broncos.

Woot! We're not number last! We're not number last!

(07-23-2019 09:27 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

now they have to go out and DO IT! could this be OUr year...FINALLY? first title in 51 years...i'd say we're overdue!

"Finally"? Here I was thinking that OhioU had gone to the CCG and lost to the Western Division champion more recently than half a century ago. Has it really been that long?

Edit: Had to check Wikipedia now that I'm in the building where I can get through the "Great Firewall" ... heck, it's happened a lot more recently than 50 years ago! Why, OhioU won the division and lost the CCG in 2006, 2009, 2011 AND 2016. I don't see why the Bobcats getting picked to repeat that a fifth time is such a cause for celebration. You've done it 20% of the time over the last 20 years.

Indeed, OhioU is far and away the Eastern Division leader in winning the division and losing the CCG ... in the last 20 years, MiamiU has only done that 10% of the time (while winning the conference 10% of the time), Bowling Green 5% (while winning 10% of the time), Akron 5% (while winning 5% of the time), Kent 5% and Buffalo 5%.

Now, if it was KENT, mind you, given that we've only won the division and lost the CCG once ... why, getting picked to do it again would have be a lot more exciting for us! We're just happy to not be picked last or second last. Maybe, with a couple of lucky bounces of a ball at the right times, we might go 6-6 bowling!

(07-23-2019 10:41 AM)eich41 Wrote:  

(07-23-2019 09:48 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  As much as I'd like to see CMU in dead last again, I think they'll be a step or two above that.

I believe last season was more about Bono losing control of the locker room (and discipline, as evidenced by final game vs. UT) as opposed to complete lack of talent.

Also wouldn't surprise me if NIU won the West, just because they somehow find a way to do it.

CMU's issues last year were about the lack of talent at QB and that issue being exacerbated by bad OL play. CMU had the the best defense the MAC had seen in some time. They were constantly left with short fields, and short rest and still put up good defensive numbers. The offense was atrocious last year with a TE at QB for the first half of the season, and a fringe FBS QB after that. Despite being 1-11, there weren't really many blowout games.

For this year? Too many unknowns to be confident in a prediction. There are three new QBs on campus, last year's starter is now a TE. OL coach is out (who had been terrible in his entire tenure at CMU) and Cummings is back in that role where we had previously had very strong OL groups under his watch. Throw in a bunch of transfers from 2017 that are now eligible (Pimpleton from Va Tech at WR, Hall at T from UM, Ward from Nebraska at LB, possibly Irving Bey from UM at DE). New coaching staff, new schemes, two DBs drafted to the NFL, one future day 1-2 pick grad transferred out. Really just too many variables to get a good gauge. I think they'll go as far as the improved QB play and OL will take them. I think there is still plenty of talent on defense. If they can get average to above average OL & QB play (especially QB) they could be a bowl team. Less than that, it will be somewhere between 5-7 and last year's debacle.

This is probably the most honest and accurate assessment of this year's CMU team I've seen yet. Kudos.

The predictions I've seen on the CMU forum range from laughable to delusional.

(07-23-2019 07:31 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  Woot! We're not number last! We're not number last!

(07-23-2019 09:27 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

now they have to go out and DO IT! could this be OUr year...FINALLY? first title in 51 years...i'd say we're overdue!

"Finally"? Here I was thinking that OhioU had gone to the CCG and lost to the Western Division champion more recently than half a century ago. Has it really been that long?

Edit: Had to check Wikipedia now that I'm in the building where I can get through the "Great Firewall" ... heck, it's happened a lot more recently than 50 years ago! Why, OhioU won the division and lost the CCG in 2006, 2009, 2011 AND 2016. I don't see why the Bobcats getting picked to repeat that a fifth time is such a cause for celebration. You've done it 20% of the time over the last 20 years.

Indeed, OhioU is far and away the Eastern Division leader in winning the division and losing the CCG ... in the last 20 years, MiamiU has only done that 10% of the time (while winning the conference 10% of the time), Bowling Green 5% (while winning 10% of the time), Akron 5% (while winning 5% of the time), Kent 5% and Buffalo 5%.

Now, if it was KENT, mind you, given that we've only won the division and lost the CCG once ... why, getting picked to do it again would have be a lot more exciting for us! We're just happy to not be picked last or second last. Maybe, with a couple of lucky bounces of a ball at the right times, we might go 6-6 bowling!

i'm talking about the MAC championship which has eluded us since 1968, not division championships. don't get me wrong, i love the division championships, but we need another conference title in the worst way!

(07-23-2019 05:49 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  

(07-23-2019 09:27 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

now they have to go out and DO IT! could this be OUr year...FINALLY? first title in 51 years...i'd say we're overdue!

It took the Cubs over a century, you guys can wait.

(07-24-2019 08:34 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  I'm talking about the MAC championship which has eluded us since 1968, not division championships.

Oh, you mean the "Ohio over Toledo in CCG" part?

Nah, they are just punking you to be cruel, obviously if Ohio wins the Eastern division, its streak is going to stretch to 5.

Quote: don't get me wrong, i love the division championships, but we need another conference title in the worst way!

Maybe the 20's will be kinder.

Ohio wins the MAC and the Cleveland Browns win the Super Bowl.

Mark it down!

This media poll overstates Bowling Green's chances.

(07-24-2019 01:12 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  This media poll overstates Bowling Green's chances.

Look on the bright side ... the record can't be as bad as the year that Army was in the CUSA and played in Hawaii ... they went 0-13.

I usually come into a season pretty optimistic for the Broncos, but I'm struggling this year.

Partly because that final one-third of last season, when we were blown out week after week, still leaves a lingering bad taste (NIU aside, although I'm not sure the Huskies brought their A game to Kzoo having already clinched the division).

(07-24-2019 09:46 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(07-24-2019 01:12 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  This media poll overstates Bowling Green's chances.

Look on the bright side ... the record can't be as bad as the year that Army was in the CUSA and played in Hawaii ... they went 0-13.

Thank goodness we've scheduled Morgan State.

(07-25-2019 07:05 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  I usually come into a season pretty optimistic for the Broncos, but I'm struggling this year.

At least we aren't on a 50-year streak without MACC.