I was thinking about this while watching their game on Friday and now with the UAB move...Marshall needs to come back home.

It feels a lot like NIU leaving the MAC for greener pastures only to find the grass is brown and there is no water.

Conference upheaval has left a once strong CUSA as weak as ever. Meanwhile, the MAC remains as steady as ever and has moved up a few notches b/c it stayed relatively consistent.

The MAC, IMO, was at it's height during Marshall's reign. Geographically it's a great fit, they've got great athletic programs and a solid following.

They were at their best while in the MAC...so to Marshall, no ill will. The grass is greener, come on back. Best thing NIU ever did and would be the same for the Herd.

Can you imagine a Marshall NIU matchup on Friday? Marshall would be most likely undefeated and it would have elevated the MAC...it could have been an access bowl play-in game.

Uh - NO....

(11-30-2014 07:54 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  Uh - NO....

That reply was Full of merit...do explain

If Marshall joined the MAC East again (they do need a good team!) -- they may not be undefeated for two reasons:

(1) They'd have to replace their 3 MAC East teams OOC this year with 3 other G5 or P5 teams -- would be harder. MAC East is the worst division in FBS. And You could replace those 3 MAC East with their conference games which would be close to their worst opponents in CUSA as far as chances of winning's concerned, sure...

(2) Depends on who they have set for their 3 MAC West games. If they had to play 2 Away games @NIU & @Toledo, and a home game against WMU -- with the above considered, no, they likely wouldn't be undefeated.

Overall, they'd have a harder schedule.

They had 4 decent teams to play this year: W. Kentucky, Rice, @UAB, Midd Tenn.

Replace that with: @NIU, 1 OOC as better than Rice, WMU, @CMU

If NIU is going to stay in the MAC, I think it would be good if Marshall came back. I also wouldn't mind if WKU came with them. That way BGSU could come back to the MAC West and Marshall and WKU could be in the MAC East.

(11-30-2014 08:21 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  If Marshall joined the MAC East again (they do need a good team!) -- they may not be undefeated for two reasons:

(1) They'd have to replace their 3 MAC East teams OOC this year with 3 other G5 or P5 teams -- would be harder. MAC East is the worst division in FBS. And You could replace those 3 MAC East with their conference games which would be close to their worst opponents in CUSA as far as chances of winning's concerned, sure...

(2) Depends on who they have set for their 3 MAC West games. If they had to play 2 Away games @NIU & @Toledo, and a home game against WMU -- with the above considered, no, they likely wouldn't be undefeated.

Overall, they'd have a harder schedule.

They had 4 decent teams to play this year: W. Kentucky, Rice, @UAB, Midd Tenn.

Replace that with: @NIU, 1 OOC as better than Rice, WMU, @CMU

My undefeated statement was hyperbolic based on your points, a true "what-if" of sorts. I do think that team would have beaten the lower tier b1g that most likely would have been on there sched.

(11-30-2014 08:28 PM)timxlydon Wrote:  If NIU is going to stay in the MAC, I think it would be good if Marshall came back. I also wouldn't mind if WKU came with them. That way BGSU could come back to the MAC West and Marshall and WKU could be in the MAC East.

This

I'd love to see Marshall return. I think it would def improve the MAC far more than Temple or UMass.

But sweet baby jesus that would push BGSU over to the West. Talk about one mean division. NIU, Toledo, WMU, BGSU and even CMU.

Because Marshall is having a good season we infer its sustainable and not an anomoly? 1) Marshall had an ugly divorce with the MAC that univ AD and Presidents and even the MAC office are still bitter about. 2) Marshall has had 2 8+ win seasons in the last 7 years...

2014 11-1 (reg season only)
2013 10-4
2012 5-7
2011 7-6
2010 5-7
2009 7-6
2008 4-8

If Marshall was going to be added they should replace the dead weight at the bottom and not tack on to a 12 team league to dilute the conf revenue.

NIUSoX,

UMass is leaving -- so adding Marshall in there could ONLY enhance the MAC East -- without question. A 6-6 Marshall in a typical CUSA schedule will be a 7-5 in the MAC East. 8-4 if the MAC East doesn't improve with Akron/Bowden & Miami-OH getting back into gear.

Adding ND State to the MAC West would help SoS, too, and even things out at 14 teams. Would only enhance our SoS (ND State in Sagarin Rankings has been above almost all MAC teams typically).

If you do that, and beat a couple ranked P5 opponents OOC, no FCS, but two other decent/good winning G5s + 2 ranked MAC opponents (1 in the conf champ game) -- going 13-0 you could be sniffing at the Playoff Spot if the conference is doing well and you only play a couple losing teams the whole season while dominating almost every game and only having 1 somewhat close one with the toughest opponent.

Love the idea of Marshall, WKU and NDSU to bolster SOS.

Couple of issues with NDSU...is there arena big enough? May have a min attendance issue there. That's far...I guess it's no different than a UMass in the east but I don't think people realize just how far and how brutal with weather some of those trips would be....crossover games up there for mbn and wbb, yuck.

Ind St., Ill St. Or UNI?

(12-01-2014 08:21 AM)scottiep12 Wrote:  Love the idea of Marshall, WKU and NDSU to bolster SOS.

Couple of issues with NDSU...is there arena big enough? May have a min attendance issue there. That's far...I guess it's no different than a UMass in the east but I don't think people realize just how far and how brutal with weather some of those trips would be....crossover games up there for mbn and wbb, yuck.

Ind St., Ill St. Or UNI?

I don't support calling anyone up to DIA except an NDST sorta team. Keep the MAC at 12 teams or poach the better teams from CUSA.

Marshall's less than stellar reputation while in the MAC (both times) probably means there is more chance that the Thundering Herd is invited to the Ivy League than the MAC opens the doors to them......... for the third time.

Fairly certain several MAC teams would ax this idea before it even got started.

As a Toledo fan, I'd enjoy the rivalry with Marshall again and I do believe they'd help enhance the MAC profile