The Ball State win was a pretty big deal, in my opinion. Our team has had very bad luck with injuries, but we overcame that situation and comfortably beat a team that has beaten us the past two years. Granted, Ball State isn't as good this year as they have been, but it's a good win nonetheless. All coaches have strengths and weaknesses. If we have great recruiting classes, that is to Campbell's credit. It can be frustrating to have a guy who's a better recruiter than he is a game coach, but it's also not so great to have a guy who's a good game coach but a poor recruiter. That won't get you too far.

If you're going to fire every coach who doesn't turn you into Boise State, then get ready for a coaching carousel and probably the demise of the program. We are a MAC team. If we regularly contend for the MAC title and win it every now and then, that's as good as it's going to get. Granted, we haven't won it in a while, but that's what we have to aspire to. Yes, we can fantasize about becoming a national power, but we have to realize how incredibly unlikely that is to actually occur.

The present situation reminds me a lot of what happened when Dan Simrell was coach. We had an awesome team on one side (defense) but a very bad offense. Now we have a high scoring offense but terrible defense. We had the talent under Simrell but the coaching on offense was just not there. In came a new coach with a strong work ethic (a young fellow named Nick Saban) and the team immediately turned around. Nick stayed only 1 year but the successor, Pinkel, saw the potential and brought Toledo football back to its glory days.

I disagree, I don't like everything I see, but why not wait for the end of the season and review their full body of work? BG fans were probably ready to fold last year after losing to us for the 4th time in a row, and then they went off and won a MACC.

I always find the comparisons to Boise, Cincy, and Louisville interesting. Here are some things to note:

• Cincy has a much larger metro area than we do at over 2 million. Over three times as many residents as we have in the Toledo area.
• Boise has the same size metro area, but has no OSU or Michigan to contend with in close proximity. They also have doubled their population in the last 30 years, so people want to be in and to support this city.
• Louisville's metro area is about 1.25 million (about twice ours) and has grown 10% in the past decade or so.
  

In contrast, Toledo had the fifth largest residential population drop last year among America's big cities, according to 2011 U.S. Census estimates. Whether we like it or not, the city of Toledo needs UT Football as much as UT Football needs this city!

How do we get there? For us, it won't be as easy, but here was (and still is) my opinion:
http://csnbbs.com/thread-701735-post-110...id11074467

(09-22-2014 03:46 PM)ToledoMike Wrote:  I disagree, I don't like everything I see, but why not wait for the end of the season and review their full body of work? BG fans were probably ready to fold last year after losing to us for the 4th time in a row, and then they went off and won a MACC.

I always find the comparisons to Boise, Cincy, and Louisville interesting. Here are some things to note:

• Cincy has a much larger metro area than we do at over 2 million. Over three times as many residents as we have in the Toledo area.
• Boise has the same size metro area, but has no OSU or Michigan to contend with in close proximity. They also have doubled their population in the last 30 years, so people want to be in and to support this city.
• Louisville's metro area is about 1.25 million (about twice ours) and has grown 10% in the past decade or so.
  

In contrast, Toledo had the fifth largest residential population drop last year among America's big cities, according to 2011 U.S. Census estimates. Whether we like it or not, the city of Toledo needs UT Football as much as UT Football needs this city!

How do we get there? For us, it won't be as easy, but here was (and still is) my opinion:
http://csnbbs.com/thread-701735-post-110...id11074467

Your thread is well said Mike! UT/Toledo needs to raise the bar on its expectations, rather than accept mediocrity. Set expectations higher than winning the MAC and engage the community. Actively search for a better conference affiliation if that is necessary. Toledo needs a focal point for civic pride, rather than a "we are what we are" mentality.

(09-22-2014 02:53 PM)Dwight Wrote:  The Ball State win was a pretty big deal, in my opinion. Our team has had very bad luck with injuries, but we overcame that situation and comfortably beat a team that has beaten us the past two years. Granted, Ball State isn't as good this year as they have been, but it's a good win nonetheless. All coaches have strengths and weaknesses. If we have great recruiting classes, that is to Campbell's credit. It can be frustrating to have a guy who's a better recruiter than he is a game coach, but it's also not so great to have a guy who's a good game coach but a poor recruiter. That won't get you too far.

If you're going to fire every coach who doesn't turn you into Boise State, then get ready for a coaching carousel and probably the demise of the program. We are a MAC team. If we regularly contend for the MAC title and win it every now and then, that's as good as it's going to get. Granted, we haven't won it in a while, but that's what we have to aspire to. Yes, we can fantasize about becoming a national power, but we have to realize how incredibly unlikely that is to actually occur.

Will Toledo be a "national' power like Alabama-USC-Texas.......no. But I hate being associated with bottom 10% of Division I schools that draws less attendance than the high school down the street does on Friday night. i.e. Eastern Michigan........

Another "pet peeve" of mine is when the "Flagship" station of the Rockets has the morning crew on there talking up the scUM & Zero State, and how Toledo is divided down the middle, and us Rocket fans 1st don't really exist.