(12-23-2014 11:22 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote: We need to get out of the MAC. Playing crap all year doesn't help when you really step up the competition in bowls. Marshall won't replace CATO.
Last time we left the MAC, our program went down.
Marshall's team was arguably their best in the past 10 years, while this NIU team despite their 11-3 record, was the least talented team over the past 5 years. Very proud of this NIU FB team and how it has improved and over achieved.
If anyone played "a crap schedule" this year it was Marshall.
Their fans will tell you that.
They left the MAC, and had 6 losing seasons in their next 8 years.
This year they peaked, but played a very weak schedule.
NIU was by far their best OCC competition . Had Marshall played Arkansas, LSU or Alabama they would have lost by several TD's.
Marshall FB program has tanked since it left the MAC. Biggest strategic mistake in recent Marshall FB history.
In 2003 while in the MAC they beat 6th ranked Kansas State(their best win!!), the same week Toledo crushed Penn State at Penn State and NIU beat a ranked Maryland team.
Since leaving the MAC, they have had problems scheduling quality OOC teams and despite the better Conference USA teams leaving, they sank close to the bottom of their league.
2005 4-7
2006 5-7
2007 3-9
2008 4-8
2009 7-6
2010 5-7
2011 7-6
2012 5-7
Record: 40-57
2013 10-3 (losing to Middle Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Rice)
2014 13-1
Next year's OOC teams are
09/05 - Purdue
09/12 - at Ohio
09/19 - Norfolk State
09/26 - at Kent State
When in the MAC Marshall from 1997-2002 played in 6 straight MCC going 5-1 (3-1 vs Toledo, 2-0 Western Michigan)
2003 8-4 losing to Tennesse #12, Toledo, Troy, #24 Miami Ohio
2004 6-6 losing to #3 Georgia, #9 Ohio State
In ten years they have appeared in only 2 Conf. USA finals , last year losing to Rice 24-41 and this year beating LA tech 26-23
Despite Marshall's lack of success in regular season games, their Bowl record is an impressive 9-2 from 1997-2014: 8 of them in the MAC where future NFL QB's like Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich were the Bowl MVP's.
Their traditional rival is Ohio whom they beat 21-17 in Detroit in 2009 turning a 6-6 regular season into a 7-6 winning season.
2011 bt FIU,2013 bt Maryland, 2014 bt NIU.
Hopefully Marshall can continue its success under Doc Holiday who is 40-25 (earns $600 000/year).
Realistically, if Marshall would play ranked P5 teams and win, their coach would leave for greener pastures.(Sorry Kelly Green)
So Marshall fans can complain about their top FCS regular season schedule, and enjoy their minor Bowl victories.
If Marshall should chose to leave Conference USA for a P5 , they will need to increase Doc Holiday's salary to P5 level or risk going back to its 2005-2012 losing streak or worse.
Given their poor OOC schedule it is unlikely to attract the talent needed to appear in the Orange Bowl.
That being said, I hope Marshall will continue on its 10+ winning streak.
Staying in Conference USA under Doc Holiday and scheduling lower tear MAC teams, mediocre FCS teams and the bottom of the B1G should make that realistic.
Hopefully if NIU can beat Toledo,CMU,WMU and Boston College and he MAC East #5 Mac team champion, we can hope for a rematch against a weaker Marshall team and avenge our loss.
Maybe Marshall will one-day schedule NIU or Toledo instead of Ohio in their OCC and thereby improve their SOS.