(12-11-2014 02:01 AM)perimeterpost Wrote:  I remember last year when Marshall had 10 wins and weren't ranked but then they beat a 7 win Maryland (P5!) team and suddenly everybody was like "whoa, these guys are LEGIT. We haven't been giving Marshall the respect they deserve but these guys totally deserve it now. They'll prolly be in the mix for one of the 4 playoff spots next year because the "casual fan" has now heard of the Herd and totally respects them. Like totally".

Uh no, no CUSA, AAC, MAC, MWC team will ever be playing for a 4 team playoff spot. Committee would never allow that no matter who it is.

Quote:They'll prolly be in the mix for one of the 4 playoff spots next year because the "casual fan" has now heard of the Herd and totally respects them. Like totally".

I don't think anyone in their right mind thought that, though -- unless their thought was beating Louisville this year and Louisville being a big power, Akron being better under Bowden taking over the MAC East strongly (as some have possibly assumed) -- and CUSA being stronger than they have been -- MAYBE an excited thought (corrected later even with that, highly improbable).

Marshall could rise to be alongside Boise as a "top G5", but they have work to do to get to into the next gear and stick with it. Last year, they lost to Ohio, Rice, VT (in respectable OT)... and then beat 7-5 Maryland at the end of the year. Notably LESS than Fresno & NIU that year. This year, they showed their prowess, but fell short at the end of the season beating 6-6 UAB by only 5 + losing to WKU at home + beating a stripped-of-starters LA-Tech team at the very end after losing most the game.

I think they've shown the POTENTIAL to Possibly be the next "TCU to Boise", in claymation molding. But even Boise's not making the Playoffs unless they stack 2 Big P5 powers OOC + 2 G5 Power teams OOC + have a strong conference and blow everyone out who they should -- and that being AFTER a year they go 1-loss at best, ending up ranked in the Top 16.

They had *1* year, in their prime, where they very well could have been (if they had 4-team playoff then), ranked in the Top 4 for a good while, but lost to Nevada (I think) to ruin it. No way Marshall would be assumed to have a year like that anytime soon or on their way to.

I was being sarcastic.

(12-08-2014 07:34 PM)banker Wrote:  You guys should understand that our AD has been beat up over not taking the HOD Bowl against a P5. Has absolutely nothing to do with NIU, the fans are just sick of hearing about not playing a P5 this year. Every time Marshall is mentioned on TV or in the national press the first thing mentioned is that we didn't play a P5 this year. Even your fans have done it on this board already, have seen several posts about us "not playing anybody". That's just code for the fact we didn't have a P5 scheduled.

Personally I, and a lot of other Herd fans, understand that beating NIU is a lot more significant than beating some crap P5 team like Illinois. However, you guys also understand perception, you fight it just like we do. The national media, for whatever reason, views beating a middling P5 team as more significant.

I agree. Like someone else said, the AD is doing damage control. He's just not very good at it. The coach and players were all complimentary.

Quote:I was being sarcastic.

Yeah, I know ... it's just with the Marshall fans though -- they were kind of thinking that way... as even if they had Louisville instead of Rhode Island (and not losing to WKU) they'd be in the playoff hunt or something!

I will pop in a copy of "We are Marshall" dvd before we play this game. That's the only way I will feel sorry for them after we win.

(12-11-2014 03:29 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:I was being sarcastic.

Yeah, I know ... it's just with the Marshall fans though -- they were kind of thinking that way... as even if they had Louisville instead of Rhode Island (and not losing to WKU) they'd be in the playoff hunt or something!

It isn't just several of the Conf USA team leaving and making the conference weaker that hurt us. When we signed our series with both Miami and Ohio they were both 10 win teams ('11 and '10). We show some loyalty to the conferences we've been in and sign contracts with teams from them after we out-grow them. That is a virtue to not forget your past, not a fault. We certainly didn't expect the MAC teams we signed with to be 13-23 the year we have our best team of recent history. When we signed it was more like 23-13 (and that is with Akron pulling it down, maybe thanks for breaking Byron Leftwich's leg and getting Marshall on all those "tough player / teamwork" highlight shows with him being carried around by the O-line while playing on a broken leg). We know our schedule is soft this year, just like you all know yours is. We have finished as high as #10 in the country after moving to Division 1. Maybe we want to move back to that recognition faster than most want to give it, but everyone wants to reach the top. We'll find out which team's critics were right in a couple weeks. Should be a good game.

(12-11-2014 09:00 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 03:29 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:I was being sarcastic.

Yeah, I know ... it's just with the Marshall fans though -- they were kind of thinking that way... as even if they had Louisville instead of Rhode Island (and not losing to WKU) they'd be in the playoff hunt or something!

We'll find out which team's critics were right in a couple weeks. Should be a good game.

How does the result in the bowl game mean anything saying one fanbase is right? If Marshall wins, it may show NIU was not worthy of an Access bowl, but it doesn't change the fact Marshall did not deserve the Access Bowl spot based on what they did in the season. The only thing NIU fans are confused on, is why Marshall fans were upset about not getting to play what many consider the laughing stock of college football with the Illini. If you are looking for national respect and are looking for a win vs Illinois to get it, may I suggest a complete recalibration of the respect scale.

(12-11-2014 09:25 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:00 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 03:29 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:I was being sarcastic.

Yeah, I know ... it's just with the Marshall fans though -- they were kind of thinking that way... as even if they had Louisville instead of Rhode Island (and not losing to WKU) they'd be in the playoff hunt or something!

We'll find out which team's critics were right in a couple weeks. Should be a good game.

How does the result in the bowl game mean anything saying one fanbase is right? If Marshall wins, it may show NIU was not worthy of an Access bowl, but it doesn't change the fact Marshall did not deserve the Access Bowl spot based on what they did in the season. The only thing NIU fans are confused on, is why Marshall fans were upset about not getting to play what many consider the laughing stock of college football in Illinois. If you are looking for national respect and are looking for a win vs Illinois to get it, may I suggest a complete recalibration of the respect scale.

It isn't that we wanted to play Illinois. I really could care less about Illinois (the school, not the state, have a good friend in Chicago). It is that we wanted to play after Christmas vs whatever P5 school they wanted to give us. Really, the day of selection, we thought it would be Rutgers, which is only slightly better. We have heard all year that any P5 school could take us. After 13 weeks of that, we were ready to curb-stomp any mediocre P5 team rather than play vs a good G5 one. After Christmas in a major city also helps with travel and taking off work to attend.

(12-11-2014 09:33 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:25 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:00 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 03:29 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  

Quote:I was being sarcastic.

Yeah, I know ... it's just with the Marshall fans though -- they were kind of thinking that way... as even if they had Louisville instead of Rhode Island (and not losing to WKU) they'd be in the playoff hunt or something!

We'll find out which team's critics were right in a couple weeks. Should be a good game.

How does the result in the bowl game mean anything saying one fanbase is right? If Marshall wins, it may show NIU was not worthy of an Access bowl, but it doesn't change the fact Marshall did not deserve the Access Bowl spot based on what they did in the season. The only thing NIU fans are confused on, is why Marshall fans were upset about not getting to play what many consider the laughing stock of college football in Illinois. If you are looking for national respect and are looking for a win vs Illinois to get it, may I suggest a complete recalibration of the respect scale.

It isn't that we wanted to play Illinois. I really could care less about Illinois (the school, not the state, have a good friend in Chicago). It is that we wanted to play after Christmas vs whatever P5 school they wanted to give us. Really, the day of selection, we thought it would be Rutgers, which is only slightly better. We have heard all year that any P5 school could take us. After 13 weeks of that, we were ready to curb-stomp any mediocre P5 team rather than play vs a good G5 one. After Christmas in a major city also helps with travel and taking off work to attend.

If true, that's messed up. Unfortunately not too surprising to have sports media and the idiot pundits (and many P5 fans) think that.

(12-11-2014 09:53 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:33 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:25 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:00 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 03:29 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  Yeah, I know ... it's just with the Marshall fans though -- they were kind of thinking that way... as even if they had Louisville instead of Rhode Island (and not losing to WKU) they'd be in the playoff hunt or something!

We'll find out which team's critics were right in a couple weeks. Should be a good game.

How does the result in the bowl game mean anything saying one fanbase is right? If Marshall wins, it may show NIU was not worthy of an Access bowl, but it doesn't change the fact Marshall did not deserve the Access Bowl spot based on what they did in the season. The only thing NIU fans are confused on, is why Marshall fans were upset about not getting to play what many consider the laughing stock of college football in Illinois. If you are looking for national respect and are looking for a win vs Illinois to get it, may I suggest a complete recalibration of the respect scale.

It isn't that we wanted to play Illinois. I really could care less about Illinois (the school, not the state, have a good friend in Chicago). It is that we wanted to play after Christmas vs whatever P5 school they wanted to give us. Really, the day of selection, we thought it would be Rutgers, which is only slightly better. We have heard all year that any P5 school could take us. After 13 weeks of that, we were ready to curb-stomp any mediocre P5 team rather than play vs a good G5 one. After Christmas in a major city also helps with travel and taking off work to attend.

If true, that's messed up. Unfortunately not too surprising to have sports media and the idiot pundits (and many P5 fans) think that.

funkybuffalo you and your Herd fans are getting way way way too carried away with the p5 label. You wont get any respect for beating Illinois or Rutgers, they are pushovers this year

Marshall has had a good and great season back to back. Let's see if they can do it again next year. NIU is doing it without their star quarterback. I doubt Marshall can do it next year without Cato!

(12-11-2014 10:05 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:53 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:33 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:25 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:00 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  We'll find out which team's critics were right in a couple weeks. Should be a good game.

How does the result in the bowl game mean anything saying one fanbase is right? If Marshall wins, it may show NIU was not worthy of an Access bowl, but it doesn't change the fact Marshall did not deserve the Access Bowl spot based on what they did in the season. The only thing NIU fans are confused on, is why Marshall fans were upset about not getting to play what many consider the laughing stock of college football in Illinois. If you are looking for national respect and are looking for a win vs Illinois to get it, may I suggest a complete recalibration of the respect scale.

It isn't that we wanted to play Illinois. I really could care less about Illinois (the school, not the state, have a good friend in Chicago). It is that we wanted to play after Christmas vs whatever P5 school they wanted to give us. Really, the day of selection, we thought it would be Rutgers, which is only slightly better. We have heard all year that any P5 school could take us. After 13 weeks of that, we were ready to curb-stomp any mediocre P5 team rather than play vs a good G5 one. After Christmas in a major city also helps with travel and taking off work to attend.

If true, that's messed up. Unfortunately not too surprising to have sports media and the idiot pundits (and many P5 fans) think that.

funkybuffalo you and your Herd fans are getting way way way too carried away with the p5 label. You wont get any respect for beating Illinois or Rutgers, they are pushovers this year

It has been a little easier to say that this year for NIU. You got your losses out of the way early then had 7 straight wins. We were shooting for an undefeated season (which we have had before) until our last regular season game. Pundits would talk about the good teams in the country, undefeateds and the like, then talk about how Marshall shouldn't even be included in that because of our conference and our lack of P5s played -- that pretty much any P5 team would have their way with us. As a team that has historically played at least one or more P5 (or major conference before the restructuring) game each season and used to be a contender (we still have the highest home winning percentage at our stadium of any team that didn't just build theirs and were 5-1 in MAC Championships our first 6 years in Div. 1 football) that gets under your skin. I wouldn't even say we were looking for respect. We were looking for vengeance. That Boise State knocked us out of the 1-AA playoffs Chad Pennington's freshman year is probably an added FU with the success they've had recently (we won the next year) and that they were always considered the favorites for the access bowl, especially after ECU lost (which we have a unique history with). We didn't want to play Illinois. We didn't want to play Rutgers. We just wanted to play any P5 school we could get on the schedule this year. ... If we could get an extra week or two to heal our RB with 1600 yds in 3 quarters of 11 games this season, all the better.

(12-11-2014 10:53 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 10:05 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:53 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:33 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:25 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  How does the result in the bowl game mean anything saying one fanbase is right? If Marshall wins, it may show NIU was not worthy of an Access bowl, but it doesn't change the fact Marshall did not deserve the Access Bowl spot based on what they did in the season. The only thing NIU fans are confused on, is why Marshall fans were upset about not getting to play what many consider the laughing stock of college football in Illinois. If you are looking for national respect and are looking for a win vs Illinois to get it, may I suggest a complete recalibration of the respect scale.

It isn't that we wanted to play Illinois. I really could care less about Illinois (the school, not the state, have a good friend in Chicago). It is that we wanted to play after Christmas vs whatever P5 school they wanted to give us. Really, the day of selection, we thought it would be Rutgers, which is only slightly better. We have heard all year that any P5 school could take us. After 13 weeks of that, we were ready to curb-stomp any mediocre P5 team rather than play vs a good G5 one. After Christmas in a major city also helps with travel and taking off work to attend.

If true, that's messed up. Unfortunately not too surprising to have sports media and the idiot pundits (and many P5 fans) think that.

funkybuffalo you and your Herd fans are getting way way way too carried away with the p5 label. You wont get any respect for beating Illinois or Rutgers, they are pushovers this year

It has been a little easier to say that this year for NIU. You got your losses out of the way early then had 7 straight wins. We were shooting for an undefeated season (which we have had before) until our last regular season game. Pundits would talk about the good teams in the country, undefeateds and the like, then talk about how Marshall shouldn't even be included in that because of our conference and our lack of P5s played -- that pretty much any P5 team would have their way with us. As a team that has historically played at least one or more P5 (or major conference before the restructuring) game each season and used to be a contender (we still have the highest home winning percentage at our stadium of any team that didn't just build theirs and were 5-1 in MAC Championships our first 6 years in Div. 1 football) that gets under your skin. I wouldn't even say we were looking for respect. We were looking for vengeance. That Boise State knocked us out of the 1-AA playoffs Chad Pennington's freshman year is probably an added FU with the success they've had recently (we won the next year) and that they were always considered the favorites for the access bowl, especially after ECU lost (which we have a unique history with). We didn't want to play Illinois. We didn't want to play Rutgers. We just wanted to play any P5 school we could get on the schedule this year. ... If we could get an extra week or two to heal our RB with 1600 yds in 3 quarters of 11 games this season, all the better.

With that loss though, many thought NIU was inline for the Access Bowl over Marshall, and many had Memphis ahead of Marshall also, putting Marshall at 4th among the G5s. I would have thought your disappointment in not getting that bigger opportunity would have vanished with the WKU loss.

Yeah, after that loss, where we lost our star player (Cato is the general, but Johnson is the deadliest soldier), we knew our shot at an access bowl was gone. After we won the conference ESPN was still saying we could still be in the running if Boise lost, but most Herd fans knew we were done for finishing high in the rankings regardless. That still doesn't mean we didn't want to hang a big loss on any P5 team we could get our hands on after a season of hearing how much better they all were. G5s know better than that. Herd fans wanted to remind the football community-at-large that G5 is not Division 3, or whatever they call it now. Marshall and NIU could have the greatest game ever to be played on a football field, and a large portion of the country will still think of it in the same way they think of an epic high school game. The Marshall vs ECU 64-61 GMAC Bowl is an ESPN Classic game, but people don't think of it as 2 great teams squaring off, they think of it as an entertaining high-scoring exhibition game. If they even think about it at all.

We don't regret playing you at all. We just know that no matter how it ends up, it will likely be meaningless in the big picture as two G5 teams. If we were to play a meaningless game, we would have rather stomped on a name people know. It would have given us a little consolation after falling short of our hopes for the season. We've won the MAC before and finished #10. Now winning the MAC gets you #30 and winning Conference USA doesn't get you much more. We were at least wanting to embarrass a P5 conference with a win as a small moral victory. Now this game will be seen as the Little League World Series by a large population of college football fans as MAC vs CUSA.

(12-12-2014 12:30 AM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  Yeah, after that loss, where we lost our star player (Cato is the general, but Johnson is the deadliest soldier), we knew our shot at an access bowl was gone. After we won the conference ESPN was still saying we could still be in the running if Boise lost, but most Herd fans knew we were done for finishing high in the rankings regardless. That still doesn't mean we didn't want to hang a big loss on any P5 team we could get our hands on after a season of hearing how much better they all were. G5s know better than that. Herd fans wanted to remind the football community-at-large that G5 is not Division 3, or whatever they call it now. Marshall and NIU could have the greatest game ever to be played on a football field, and a large portion of the country will still think of it in the same way they think of an epic high school game. The Marshall vs ECU 64-61 GMAC Bowl is an ESPN Classic game, but people don't think of it as 2 great teams squaring off, they think of it as an entertaining high-scoring exhibition game. If they even think about it at all.

We don't regret playing you at all. We just know that no matter how it ends up, it will likely be meaningless in the big picture as two G5 teams. If we were to play a meaningless game, we would have rather stomped on a name people know. It would have given us a little consolation after falling short of our hopes for the season. We've won the MAC before and finished #10. Now winning the MAC gets you #30 and winning Conference USA doesn't get you much more. We were at least wanting to embarrass a P5 conference with a win as a small moral victory. Now this game will be seen as the Little League World Series by a large population of college football fans as MAC vs CUSA.

I guarantee you though, any power conference team that you would have had the opportunity to play would have been considered as an even less significant win than NIU

(12-12-2014 12:30 AM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  Yeah, after that loss, where we lost our star player (Cato is the general, but Johnson is the deadliest soldier), we knew our shot at an access bowl was gone. After we won the conference ESPN was still saying we could still be in the running if Boise lost, but most Herd fans knew we were done for finishing high in the rankings regardless. That still doesn't mean we didn't want to hang a big loss on any P5 team we could get our hands on after a season of hearing how much better they all were. G5s know better than that. Herd fans wanted to remind the football community-at-large that G5 is not Division 3, or whatever they call it now. Marshall and NIU could have the greatest game ever to be played on a football field, and a large portion of the country will still think of it in the same way they think of an epic high school game. The Marshall vs ECU 64-61 GMAC Bowl is an ESPN Classic game, but people don't think of it as 2 great teams squaring off, they think of it as an entertaining high-scoring exhibition game. If they even think about it at all.

We don't regret playing you at all. We just know that no matter how it ends up, it will likely be meaningless in the big picture as two G5 teams. If we were to play a meaningless game, we would have rather stomped on a name people know. It would have given us a little consolation after falling short of our hopes for the season. We've won the MAC before and finished #10. Now winning the MAC gets you #30 and winning Conference USA doesn't get you much more. We were at least wanting to embarrass a P5 conference with a win as a small moral victory. Now this game will be seen as the Little League World Series by a large population of college football fans as MAC vs CUSA.

I'm laughing at the people that think this game matters for conference realignment and such.

The NCAA isn't, thought it'd be fun if it was, a relegation league.

(12-12-2014 01:51 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  I'm laughing at the people that think this game matters for conference realignment and such.

The NCAA isn't, thought it'd be fun if it was, a relegation league.

Im not willing to dismiss it as totally insignificant in that respect. I guess the better thing to say is, winning cannot hurt your position.

(12-12-2014 01:56 AM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-12-2014 01:51 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  I'm laughing at the people that think this game matters for conference realignment and such.

The NCAA isn't, thought it'd be fun if it was, a relegation league.

Im not willing to dismiss it as totally insignificant in that respect. I guess the better thing to say is, winning cannot hurt your position.

I will continue to chortle. I have chortles.

(12-11-2014 10:05 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:53 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:33 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:25 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 09:00 PM)FunkyBuffalo Wrote:  We'll find out which team's critics were right in a couple weeks. Should be a good game.

How does the result in the bowl game mean anything saying one fanbase is right? If Marshall wins, it may show NIU was not worthy of an Access bowl, but it doesn't change the fact Marshall did not deserve the Access Bowl spot based on what they did in the season. The only thing NIU fans are confused on, is why Marshall fans were upset about not getting to play what many consider the laughing stock of college football in Illinois. If you are looking for national respect and are looking for a win vs Illinois to get it, may I suggest a complete recalibration of the respect scale.

It isn't that we wanted to play Illinois. I really could care less about Illinois (the school, not the state, have a good friend in Chicago). It is that we wanted to play after Christmas vs whatever P5 school they wanted to give us. Really, the day of selection, we thought it would be Rutgers, which is only slightly better. We have heard all year that any P5 school could take us. After 13 weeks of that, we were ready to curb-stomp any mediocre P5 team rather than play vs a good G5 one. After Christmas in a major city also helps with travel and taking off work to attend.

If true, that's messed up. Unfortunately not too surprising to have sports media and the idiot pundits (and many P5 fans) think that.

funkybuffalo you and your Herd fans are getting way way way too carried away with the p5 label. You wont get any respect for beating Illinois or Rutgers, they are pushovers this year

I am confused about just WHO it was that convinced all of you Marshall people that playing a P5 was the be all end all thing to do. Was it your head coach? Your AD? Just WHO brainwashed all of you into this?