(10-17-2012 09:38 AM)Nasty Nati 513 Wrote:  The over is 64.5. I wanted to bet the over big time, but I am very cautious on this one. What do you think about 64.5, SubFlea?

Tough call. I would lean toward taking the over, but would have felt more comfortable had that number been just a few points lower.

Well my plans to make this trip fell through, so I will have it on my laptop in press row during the Cyclones game Saturday night.

Quote:Toledo Rockets have been host to BCS teams in 10 of the past 15 seasons
BY RYAN AUTULLO
10/17/2012

When the University of Toledo hosts unbeaten and nationally ranked Cincinnati on Saturday, the Bearcats will be another addition to an impressive list of visitors at the Glass Bowl.

From Pittsburgh in 2003, to Arizona in 2010, to four programs in upcoming seasons with brand names, the Rockets have regularly enticed opponents from BCS conferences to its 26,248-seat stadium, a rarity that a Mid-American Conference school is able to routinely strike such deals.

Asked this week how his school has risen to double digits in home games against BCS opponents since the BCS’ birth in 1998, Toledo athletic director Mike O’Brien cited an intensive approach to scheduling, strong working relationships with administrators in the industry, and even a little “Irish luck.”

The Rockets are 6-3 in those matchups, a record that does not reflect outcomes against Ohio State at a neutral site when the Rockets were the financial beneficiary, and with non-BCS juggernaut Boise State. Toledo dropped both contests.

“There are times we are told no, and we go onto the next institution,” said O’Brien, who came to Toledo in early 2002. “We’ve been aggressive. We sell our tradition and we sell what Rocket football’s about.”

With a few notable exceptions, O’Brien refuses to sign off on guaranteed games — one-and-done — to be played at an away site. He will do it only with national powers, such as Michigan in 2008, and with Florida next season in 2013. O’Brien much prefers home-and-home arrangements, such as the one with Cincinnati. Toledo will repay the visit in 2014, with the institutions washing out the cost by swapping checks for $250,000.

In the 15-year existence of the BCS, which will dissolve after the 2013 season, the Rockets have hosted a BCS program in 10 seasons. They have played Temple twice — during the Owls’ first go-round in the Big East — Syracuse, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Kansas, Purdue, Colorado, and Arizona.

The most notable guests, one might suggest, have yet to come. Navy, which will eventually join the Big East, arrives in 2013, and Missouri of the Southeastern Conference will visit a year later. Highlighting the 2015 home schedule are games versus the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Miami (Fla.), and the Big 12’s Iowa State. With the exception of Navy, which voided its home game in 2015 with Toledo to accommodate its league schedule, the Rockets are contractually obligated to play on the road at each school.

“One of the things that we’ve always sold here at the University of Toledo is we have a great non-conference schedule,” coach Matt Campbell said of his recruiting pitch. “I give a lot of credit to our athletic director to be able to get some of these teams to come to our school and [for us] to have a chance to play some great teams.”

Thus far, Eastern Washington (2013) and Tulsa (2017) are the only games scheduled at the Glass Bowl in the next five years against non-BCS programs.

The Navy series turned out to be a prosperous transaction for the Rockets. Toledo will owe Navy $150,000 — a dirt cheap price to host a BCS opponent — and can potentially fill the open date in which they originally planned for the return trip with a home game. Toledo’s home-and-home deals with Missouri and Miami call for the visiting team to pocket $300,000. No checks will be exchanged with Iowa State.

In what figures to be a byproduct of a captivating home slate, Toledo set records for season ticket sales in each of the past two seasons. About 3,000 unsold tickets remain for Saturday’s game.

“Our fans really enjoy that we can attract BCS opponents here,” O’Brien said. “Not to hoodwink anyone, but it helps our single game ticket sales and it helps our season ticket sales. There’s no question about it. When we have those type of opponents on our home schedule, it’s attractive.”

Whether this theme continues in the post-BCS era is a subject of interest. With the arrival of a four-team playoff used to determine the national champion, some higher tier programs may discontinue scheduling lower-tier schools as means to beef up their strength of schedule.

Ohio State already has said it will no longer schedule teams from the MAC. O’Brien, who said none of Toledo’s upcoming opponents have expressed a desire to nullify their contract with the Rockets, believes "there will be some BCS schools that still need to play the Toledos of the world, in hopefully a home-and-home."

Negotiating with quality opponents has become more challenging for another reason: Toledo’s recent success. Following back-to-back berths in a bowl game, the Rockets are off to a 6-1 start and sit atop the MAC’s West division. They are 11-4 at the Glass Bowl since 2010.

“It has gotten more difficult, but some of that difficulty is because our programs is where it is and they prefer not to play us,” O’Brien said.

http://www.toledoblade.com/UT/2012/10/17...teams.html

I thought this game would sell out for sure...sad to see 3,000 tickets still remain...I wonder how many tickets UC sold for this game. I understand most fans would rather go to the UL game next Friday, but I still am hoping for a couple thousand Bearcat fans on Saturday!

The BG game had 1,000 tickets left during the game week and that game sold out with 28,115 fans.

(10-17-2012 09:15 PM)SeniorBearcat Wrote:  

Quote:Toledo Rockets have been host to BCS teams in 10 of the past 15 seasons
BY RYAN AUTULLO
10/17/2012

When the University of Toledo hosts unbeaten and nationally ranked Cincinnati on Saturday, the Bearcats will be another addition to an impressive list of visitors at the Glass Bowl.

From Pittsburgh in 2003, to Arizona in 2010, to four programs in upcoming seasons with brand names, the Rockets have regularly enticed opponents from BCS conferences to its 26,248-seat stadium, a rarity that a Mid-American Conference school is able to routinely strike such deals.

Asked this week how his school has risen to double digits in home games against BCS opponents since the BCS’ birth in 1998, Toledo athletic director Mike O’Brien cited an intensive approach to scheduling, strong working relationships with administrators in the industry, and even a little “Irish luck.”

The Rockets are 6-3 in those matchups, a record that does not reflect outcomes against Ohio State at a neutral site when the Rockets were the financial beneficiary, and with non-BCS juggernaut Boise State. Toledo dropped both contests.

“There are times we are told no, and we go onto the next institution,” said O’Brien, who came to Toledo in early 2002. “We’ve been aggressive. We sell our tradition and we sell what Rocket football’s about.”

With a few notable exceptions, O’Brien refuses to sign off on guaranteed games — one-and-done — to be played at an away site. He will do it only with national powers, such as Michigan in 2008, and with Florida next season in 2013. O’Brien much prefers home-and-home arrangements, such as the one with Cincinnati. Toledo will repay the visit in 2014, with the institutions washing out the cost by swapping checks for $250,000.

In the 15-year existence of the BCS, which will dissolve after the 2013 season, the Rockets have hosted a BCS program in 10 seasons. They have played Temple twice — during the Owls’ first go-round in the Big East — Syracuse, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Kansas, Purdue, Colorado, and Arizona.

The most notable guests, one might suggest, have yet to come. Navy, which will eventually join the Big East, arrives in 2013, and Missouri of the Southeastern Conference will visit a year later. Highlighting the 2015 home schedule are games versus the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Miami (Fla.), and the Big 12’s Iowa State. With the exception of Navy, which voided its home game in 2015 with Toledo to accommodate its league schedule, the Rockets are contractually obligated to play on the road at each school.

“One of the things that we’ve always sold here at the University of Toledo is we have a great non-conference schedule,” coach Matt Campbell said of his recruiting pitch. “I give a lot of credit to our athletic director to be able to get some of these teams to come to our school and [for us] to have a chance to play some great teams.”

Thus far, Eastern Washington (2013) and Tulsa (2017) are the only games scheduled at the Glass Bowl in the next five years against non-BCS programs.

The Navy series turned out to be a prosperous transaction for the Rockets. Toledo will owe Navy $150,000 — a dirt cheap price to host a BCS opponent — and can potentially fill the open date in which they originally planned for the return trip with a home game. Toledo’s home-and-home deals with Missouri and Miami call for the visiting team to pocket $300,000. No checks will be exchanged with Iowa State.

In what figures to be a byproduct of a captivating home slate, Toledo set records for season ticket sales in each of the past two seasons. About 3,000 unsold tickets remain for Saturday’s game.

“Our fans really enjoy that we can attract BCS opponents here,” O’Brien said. “Not to hoodwink anyone, but it helps our single game ticket sales and it helps our season ticket sales. There’s no question about it. When we have those type of opponents on our home schedule, it’s attractive.”

Whether this theme continues in the post-BCS era is a subject of interest. With the arrival of a four-team playoff used to determine the national champion, some higher tier programs may discontinue scheduling lower-tier schools as means to beef up their strength of schedule.

Ohio State already has said it will no longer schedule teams from the MAC. O’Brien, who said none of Toledo’s upcoming opponents have expressed a desire to nullify their contract with the Rockets, believes "there will be some BCS schools that still need to play the Toledos of the world, in hopefully a home-and-home."

Negotiating with quality opponents has become more challenging for another reason: Toledo’s recent success. Following back-to-back berths in a bowl game, the Rockets are off to a 6-1 start and sit atop the MAC’s West division. They are 11-4 at the Glass Bowl since 2010.

“It has gotten more difficult, but some of that difficulty is because our programs is where it is and they prefer not to play us,” O’Brien said.

http://www.toledoblade.com/UT/2012/10/17...teams.html

I thought this game would sell out for sure...sad to see 3,000 tickets still remain...I wonder how many tickets UC sold for this game. I understand most fans would rather go to the UL game next Friday, but I still am hoping for a couple thousand Bearcat fans on Saturday!

The BG game had 1,000 tickets left during the game week and that game sold out with 28,115 fans.

Student turn out will be almost double. They realize how big of a game this is for our program, and UT has many students from the Cinci area... They said they are not turning anyone away for this game. Standing room only isn't something we have done since Pitt in 03. The crowd will be between 27 and 31k. Regardless, it's all a sell out, and if we're in the game the 4k won't make a difference how loud it gets.

I will be making the trip from Norwalk. can't precisely recall where my ticket is at this late hour.

Well Ive been cleared to make the Toledo trip . I guess at this late date my best option is to call the UT ticket office and hope they can will call me some tickets in the UC section . Any other brilliant ideas?

(10-18-2012 07:59 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  Well Ive been cleared to make the Toledo trip . I guess at this late date my best option is to call the UT ticket office and hope they can will call me some tickets in the UC section . Any other brilliant ideas?

Call the UT office. They're starting another UC mainly section in section 1, which happens to be where I am at.

(10-18-2012 01:37 AM)Mopper Wrote:  I will be making the trip from Norwalk. can't precisely recall where my ticket is at this late hour.

Mopper, Norwalk, OH?

I visit Norwalk every year for the annual NHRA National event. Great little town!

Home of one of the best high school nicknames anywhere, the Norwalk Truckers.

(10-18-2012 10:28 AM)QSECOFR Wrote:  

(10-18-2012 01:37 AM)Mopper Wrote:  I will be making the trip from Norwalk. can't precisely recall where my ticket is at this late hour.

Mopper, Norwalk, OH?

I visit Norwalk every year for the annual NHRA National event. Great little town!

Small world...my older brother lives between Bellevue and Norwalk...my brother is a UT grad and will be coming to the game with me.

I was at the Toledo / Pitt game in 2003. I've never seen a QB take over a game and will an underdog to victory the way Bruce Gradkowski did in that game.

(10-18-2012 10:36 AM)SeniorBearcat Wrote:  

(10-18-2012 10:28 AM)QSECOFR Wrote:  

(10-18-2012 01:37 AM)Mopper Wrote:  I will be making the trip from Norwalk. can't precisely recall where my ticket is at this late hour.

Mopper, Norwalk, OH?

I visit Norwalk every year for the annual NHRA National event. Great little town!

Small world...my older brother lives between Bellevue and Norwalk...my brother is a UT grad and will be coming to the game with me.

Very small world. I'm originally from Sandusky - Perkins.

(10-18-2012 10:54 AM)#41 Wrote:  I was at the Toledo / Pitt game in 2003. I've never seen a QB take over a game and will an underdog to victory the way Bruce Gradkowski did in that game.

I was at that game as well...that game is to Toledo fans what the Cincinnati versus Pitt game was in 2009. Gradkowski to Lance Moore / Rutherford to Larry Fitzgerald. Toledo down 10 halfway through the 4th quarter...two 80+ yard drives for TDs for Toledo with "The Catch" by Moore coming with less than a minute left in the game with 32K fans screaming! Awesome game as a Toledo fan...hopefully we see no such thing this weekend though.

Yeah, I am from little old Norwalk, though I was never a Trucker, 13 straight years in catholic school made me a St. Paul Flyer.

(10-18-2012 09:44 AM)Mopper Wrote:  

(10-18-2012 07:59 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  Well Ive been cleared to make the Toledo trip . I guess at this late date my best option is to call the UT ticket office and hope they can will call me some tickets in the UC section . Any other brilliant ideas?

Call the UT office. They're starting another UC mainly section in section 1, which happens to be where I am at.

Cool, thanks . Yeah I just called and they put us in Section 1 . We must have a strong contingent heading up .

Im assuming Toledo does not serve adult beverages and we need to make other "arrangements" ?

Go Cats

(10-18-2012 12:33 PM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  

(10-18-2012 09:44 AM)Mopper Wrote:  

(10-18-2012 07:59 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  Well Ive been cleared to make the Toledo trip . I guess at this late date my best option is to call the UT ticket office and hope they can will call me some tickets in the UC section . Any other brilliant ideas?

Call the UT office. They're starting another UC mainly section in section 1, which happens to be where I am at.

Cool, thanks . Yeah I just called and they put us in Section 1 . We must have a strong contingent heading up .

Im assuming Toledo does not serve adult beverages and we need to make other "arrangements" ?

Go Cats

Only adult beverages in the Press Tower/Club Suites. Might get some rain early during tailgating(4PM 51% Chance then clearing). Game conditions look very good- temp lower 50's to upper 40's, partly cloudy-clear skies.

Greg Harrell ‏@Cats_Tix_Greg

Last call #Bearcats fans RT “@UTPaulHelgren: About 2000 tix left for Cincy game. On sale today till 7, tmrw at noon till kick. #GoRockets.”

Be nice if UC fans could buy up the last 2k. I heard there is a student bus trip for the game. Anyone have any idea how many students are making the trip?