2010: Lost to a soso Iowa St team, struggled to beat a bad North Dakota team and a middle of the pack WMU team at home and lost to a middle of the pack Illini team. Overall 11-3, lost MACC game won bowl game.

2011: NIU lost to a bad Kansas team and a bad CMU team, struggled to beat a real bad Buffalo team at home and was blown out by Wiscy. Overall 11-3 won MACC and bowl.

2012: Lost to a bad Iowa team, struggled to beat a bad Army team and a bad Kansas team. Won MACC and lost OB.

2013: Beat a good Iowa team and a bad Purdue team, struggled to beat a bad Idaho team, a bad Akron team and a good EIU team. Lost in MACC, lost bowl.

2014: Beat what looks like a middle of the pack NU team, beat a bad UNLV team and lost to a good Arkansas team. Struggled to beat a bad Kent team.

The big difference this season over the past 4 is the QB position. But in the end its wins and losses and so far NIU has been on a par with the past 4 seasons. Need to see huge improvement on offense and I suspect we will. While it would be great to have that one guy at QB, if NIU can continue to win that is all that matters.

(10-05-2014 11:17 AM)BobL Wrote:  2010: Lost to a soso Iowa St team, struggled to beat a bad North Dakota team and a middle of the pack WMU team at home and lost to a middle of the pack Illini team. Overall 11-3, lost MACC game won bowl game.

2011: NIU lost to a bad Kansas team and a bad CMU team, struggled to beat a real bad Buffalo team at home and was blown out by Wiscy. Overall 11-3 won MACC and bowl.

2012: Lost to a bad Iowa team, struggled to beat a bad Army team and a bad Kansas team. Won MACC and lost OB.

2013: Beat a good Iowa team and a bad Purdue team, struggled to beat a bad Idaho team, a bad Akron team and a good EIU team. Lost in MACC, lost bowl.

2014: Beat what looks like a middle of the pack NU team, beat a bad UNLV team and lost to a good Arkansas team. Struggled to beat a bad Kent team.

The big difference this season over the past 4 is the QB position. But in the end its wins and losses and so far NIU has been on a par with the past 4 seasons. Need to see huge improvement on offense and I suspect we will. While it would be great to have that one guy at QB, if NIU can continue to win that is all that matters.

...just a few corrections because I am OCD like that...

2010 WMU was away...Coffman INT in the endzone to kill that last drive

2011 Buffalo was away...UB had the 4-5 muffed punts and still they come from behind only to miss a PAT (I think it hit the post) to tie it at the end.

Is anybody panicking? lol

(10-05-2014 11:25 AM)7 Wrote:  Is anybody panicking? lol

It's football. Somebody is ALWAYS panicking!

I think the difference is HOW we have looked. I have the same feeling about this team as I did about the horvath/nickolson team. We will get our wins but we will lose some we shouldn't.


Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

(10-05-2014 11:28 AM)houstonhuskie Wrote:  I think the difference is HOW we have looked. I have the same feeling about this team as I did about the horvath/nickolson team. We will get our wins but we will lose some we shouldn't.

We don't appear to have Vern Smith Award winner at QB this year. It makes a difference.

For as unstable as the offense looks they are only a touchdown a game off the pace set by the last four years results. Some years the replacement parts take a bit longer to mesh.

NIU is winning without a dominant QB. Rather than be pleasantly surprised, everyone is launching nukes.

(10-05-2014 03:40 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  NIU is winning without a dominant QB. Rather than be pleasantly surprised, everyone is launching nukes.

The team is too reliant on Lynch! The offense is all Lynch! Carey can't coach, it's all about Lynch.

Lose Lynch, still are 4-1, and people are still complaining.

(10-05-2014 04:34 PM)7 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 03:40 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  NIU is winning without a dominant QB. Rather than be pleasantly surprised, everyone is launching nukes.

The team is too reliant on Lynch! The offense is all Lynch! Carey can't coach, it's all about Lynch.

Lose Lynch, still are 4-1, and people are still complaining.

The bar has been raised.....

I think everybody is just hoping the team can maintain the success post-Lynch, as that would say a lot about the program.

(10-05-2014 06:05 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 04:34 PM)7 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 03:40 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  NIU is winning without a dominant QB. Rather than be pleasantly surprised, everyone is launching nukes.

The team is too reliant on Lynch! The offense is all Lynch! Carey can't coach, it's all about Lynch.

Lose Lynch, still are 4-1, and people are still complaining.

The bar has been raised.....

I think everybody is just hoping the team can maintain the success post-Lynch, as that would say a lot about the program.

So far, so good.

I understand the expectations are higher, but some are absurd.

For one NIU lost two of their top 15 players ever from last year. Two of their top offensive players haven't been healthy, shoot make it 3. Lewis is gone for the year, Daniels only looked healthy in about 6 quarters and Stingily isn't healthy either. This doesn't even address Bass or the other offensive injuries and lack of depth.

NIU isn't going to beat everyone by 40. It's just not possible, the teams they play also want to win, I think people forget that. I just don't get where the OU, Bama, Florida State type expectations are coming from.

People seem to forget NIU plays with a minimal budget, in a crappy weather town, in a conference where only one team is within 3 hours travel. They have some serious disadvantages and they win.

Winning ugly is okay sometimes, sh*t, that's how niu got to where it is. People need to step off the ledge.

(10-05-2014 06:05 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 04:34 PM)7 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 03:40 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  NIU is winning without a dominant QB. Rather than be pleasantly surprised, everyone is launching nukes.

The team is too reliant on Lynch! The offense is all Lynch! Carey can't coach, it's all about Lynch.

Lose Lynch, still are 4-1, and people are still complaining.

The bar has been raised.....

I think everybody is just hoping the team can maintain the success post-Lynch, as that would say a lot about the program.

NIU is 4-1 with their first win ever over Northwestern and their only loss is to a solid SEC team on the road.....I don't see the dip.

NIU didn't win every game Lynch played by 3 touchdowns. I checked!

Summary of QB thoughts by many posters (and me too sometimes):

Last year: Next year will be good when we don't rely so much on just one guy.
This year: Why can't we just settle on just one guy?

(10-05-2014 06:13 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 06:05 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 04:34 PM)7 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 03:40 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  NIU is winning without a dominant QB. Rather than be pleasantly surprised, everyone is launching nukes.

The team is too reliant on Lynch! The offense is all Lynch! Carey can't coach, it's all about Lynch.

Lose Lynch, still are 4-1, and people are still complaining.

The bar has been raised.....

I think everybody is just hoping the team can maintain the success post-Lynch, as that would say a lot about the program.

NIU is 4-1 with their first win ever over Northwestern and their only loss is to a solid SEC team on the road.....I don't see the dip.

NIU didn't win every game Lynch played by 3 touchdowns. I checked!

I think they're projecting the dip to happen based on barely beating a team (at home) that has been one of the worst in FBS.

(10-05-2014 08:31 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 06:13 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 06:05 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 04:34 PM)7 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 03:40 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  NIU is winning without a dominant QB. Rather than be pleasantly surprised, everyone is launching nukes.

The team is too reliant on Lynch! The offense is all Lynch! Carey can't coach, it's all about Lynch.

Lose Lynch, still are 4-1, and people are still complaining.

The bar has been raised.....

I think everybody is just hoping the team can maintain the success post-Lynch, as that would say a lot about the program.

NIU is 4-1 with their first win ever over Northwestern and their only loss is to a solid SEC team on the road.....I don't see the dip.

NIU didn't win every game Lynch played by 3 touchdowns. I checked!

I think they're projecting the dip to happen based on barely beating a team (at home) that has been one of the worst in FBS.

Which has happened a few times before this year. It's nothing new to struggle at home versus a MAC team. There was the near-debacle against EMU at home on thanksgiving weekend in 2011 and Akron played NIU close in DeKalb last year. The close call at home versus North Dakota that almost killed Jerry Kill. It happens.

(10-05-2014 09:19 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 08:31 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 06:13 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 06:05 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 04:34 PM)7 Wrote:  The team is too reliant on Lynch! The offense is all Lynch! Carey can't coach, it's all about Lynch.

Lose Lynch, still are 4-1, and people are still complaining.

The bar has been raised.....

I think everybody is just hoping the team can maintain the success post-Lynch, as that would say a lot about the program.

NIU is 4-1 with their first win ever over Northwestern and their only loss is to a solid SEC team on the road.....I don't see the dip.

NIU didn't win every game Lynch played by 3 touchdowns. I checked!

I think they're projecting the dip to happen based on barely beating a team (at home) that has been one of the worst in FBS.

Which has happened a few times before this year. It's nothing new to struggle at home versus a MAC team. There was the near-debacle against EMU at home on thanksgiving weekend in 2011 and Akron played NIU close in DeKalb last year. The close call at home versus North Dakota that almost killed Jerry Kill. It happens.

I don't think Akron and EMU are good examples. The EMU game was really windy, to the point that it was obvious neither team wanted to throw much. That obviously made it much tougher to run the ball, and made it a closer game. And Akron last year was very much a Jekyl and Hyde team, they almost beat Michigan and did beat Toledo. Kent State this year has done nothing of note except lose and generally lose by a lot.

(10-05-2014 09:46 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 09:19 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 08:31 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 06:13 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 06:05 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  The bar has been raised.....

I think everybody is just hoping the team can maintain the success post-Lynch, as that would say a lot about the program.

NIU is 4-1 with their first win ever over Northwestern and their only loss is to a solid SEC team on the road.....I don't see the dip.

NIU didn't win every game Lynch played by 3 touchdowns. I checked!

I think they're projecting the dip to happen based on barely beating a team (at home) that has been one of the worst in FBS.

Which has happened a few times before this year. It's nothing new to struggle at home versus a MAC team. There was the near-debacle against EMU at home on thanksgiving weekend in 2011 and Akron played NIU close in DeKalb last year. The close call at home versus North Dakota that almost killed Jerry Kill. It happens.

I don't think Akron and EMU are good examples. The EMU game was really windy, to the point that it was obvious neither team wanted to throw much. That obviously made it much tougher to run the ball, and made it a closer game. And Akron last year was very much a Jekyl and Hyde team, they almost beat Michigan and did beat Toledo. Kent State this year has done nothing of note except lose and generally lose by a lot.

I stand by my examples. Occasionally you play mediocre games at home against teams generally accepted to be bad. It's more important to win the games than impress people.

(10-05-2014 08:25 PM)NIU84 Wrote:  Summary of QB thoughts by many posters (and me too sometimes):

Last year: Next year will be good when we don't rely so much on just one guy.
This year: Why can't we just settle on just one guy?

+1 this is fantastic.

(10-05-2014 10:35 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 09:46 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 09:19 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 08:31 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 06:13 PM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  NIU is 4-1 with their first win ever over Northwestern and their only loss is to a solid SEC team on the road.....I don't see the dip.

NIU didn't win every game Lynch played by 3 touchdowns. I checked!

I think they're projecting the dip to happen based on barely beating a team (at home) that has been one of the worst in FBS.

Which has happened a few times before this year. It's nothing new to struggle at home versus a MAC team. There was the near-debacle against EMU at home on thanksgiving weekend in 2011 and Akron played NIU close in DeKalb last year. The close call at home versus North Dakota that almost killed Jerry Kill. It happens.

I don't think Akron and EMU are good examples. The EMU game was really windy, to the point that it was obvious neither team wanted to throw much. That obviously made it much tougher to run the ball, and made it a closer game. And Akron last year was very much a Jekyl and Hyde team, they almost beat Michigan and did beat Toledo. Kent State this year has done nothing of note except lose and generally lose by a lot.

I stand by my examples. Occasionally you play mediocre games at home against teams generally accepted to be bad. It's more important to win the games than impress people.

How about Doeren's first year when he lost to a terrible Kansas team, a bad CMU team, it took a missed XP to beat an awful Buffalo team, and they nearly lost to EMU?

Or his second year when they lost to a bad Iowa team, and nearly lost to terrible Army and Kansas teams?

When did people start getting this idea that NIU should come out and smash everyone on the schedule?