Goes without saying I love college football and I follow every conference and read up on every member-MAC included.

I was curious to get Rocket Nation's perception on the MAC members

See the BGSUCKS thread for input on that member.

(09-20-2015 03:06 PM)RamblinRedWolf44 Wrote:  Goes without saying I love college football and I follow every conference and read up on every member-MAC included.

I was curious to get Rocket Nation's perception on the MAC members

B-G-S-U-C-K-S!!!

haha battle on I-75 is certainly a fun one (I've watche a lot of youtube videos in regard to that rivalry) Though I still wish y'all played for the peace pipe

How about the other Ohio schools? any feelings on losing UMass and Temple?

(09-20-2015 03:19 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  See the BGSUCKS thread for input on that member.

Fitting reference.

(09-20-2015 03:30 PM)RamblinRedWolf44 Wrote:  haha battle on I-75 is certainly a fun one (I've watche a lot of youtube videos in regard to that rivalry) Though I still wish y'all played for the peace pipe

Any feelings on losing UMass and Temple?

Personally, I wish that the MAC would quit taking on "charity case" football programs. In the end after a "trial run" neither Temple nor UMass was willing to sacrifice their basket ball programs by having them also join the MAC which was the ultimate price (and the MAC goal) to maintain their FB programs in the MAC. Of course Temple got a better offer in the end. I can't say that I blame them for wanting to play BB in the MAC because it is a perennial one bid league and a dead end for most MBB programs. Still the MAC policy has become a one way street in which these schools benefit from MAC FB membership without contributing anything to the overall prestige of the conference.

As I recall Temple never defeated a MAC team with a winning record the entire time that they played in the MAC and UMass have been a perennial doormat in the weaker eastern MAC division as well. This year is supposed to be the best UMass team since joining the MAC.

At least when Marshall came back into the MAC they did add some prestige to the conference for the short time that they were here by fielding some high nationally ranked teams and some marquee name players such as Randy Moss, Byron Leftwich and Chad Pennington.

Be advised that this is not a consensus opinion as there are many who think entirely differently about these schools' membership.

(09-20-2015 03:22 PM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(09-20-2015 03:06 PM)RamblinRedWolf44 Wrote:  Goes without saying I love college football and I follow every conference and read up on every member-MAC included.

I was curious to get Rocket Nation's perception on the MAC members

B-G-S-U-C-K-S!!!

Still.
Always.
Forever.

(09-20-2015 03:38 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(09-20-2015 03:19 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  See the BGSUCKS thread for input on that member.

Fitting reference.

It was not unintentional.

The MAC's in a tough spot, though. The Midwest has its fanbase strong in the B1G. So to add to the MAC, they can either go out out of the midwest to a team that has a strong BBall program and/or promises to make a bigger football program (see UCF, UMass, Temple) -- or go to a D1AA team that has a strong football program and import them (see Marshall, ND State, Northern Iowa), but Also promises of increased expansion/funding to their program to accomodate.

The Missouri Valley teams aren't going to want to come into the MAC at the sacrifice of a better basketball conference so quick (N Iowa). They're not going to want to go all in. The MAC's only going to want to take them if they're going to seriously consider it.

So in the end, I think the MAC can't really break free. It has to work with what it's got. They WILL continually bring in a hitchhiker like UMass or Temple out of boredom I guess, in the hopes they'll develop into a strong one like Marshall or something.

I know right now, if the CUSA is what it is NOW compared to the MAC back in 2003, Marshall would NOT be wanting to leave the MAC to go to CUSA (it was better then about the time they left). So if we DO get a good Marshall-like team from D1AA like ND-State, that could end up helping the conference, if the timing's right.

I don't mind the stepping-stone programs like Marshall and UCF (even though UCF wasn't dominating the MAC by any means, they were pouring $$ in their program to move on & be better). It only helps bolster the conference during that time, etc.

But to bring in, as you say, charity cases -- that doesn't.

The MAC is America, the land of opportunity. If your program is going to be successful, you are going to need to work your butt off. You need an AD who makes good coaching choices. You need coaches who can sell their schools and the MAC to recruits who debate about going to larger programs, and off course you need to win. Non conference wins can bring you glory and a bad loss can make you disappear. It's a place, where as a head coach, you can pursue your dreams of heading up a major program. It's a place, where as a player, you can show the big schools what they missed and chance to hone and develop skills for a shot at the NFL, when you most likely would not have seen the field elsewhere . It's a place where you don't have to sit in traffic for three hours to get to or from a game, and a place where every seat is a good one. That is and has always been, The MAC.
You have a couple of programs who are consistently respectable, like Northern Illinois and Toledo. There are programs that occasionally make runs when they have a good coach, like Western and Central Michigan, or a BGSUCKS. There are also teams that make you wonder why they bother, like Eastern Michigan. Facilities don't always mean everything. Akron built a brand new stadium and hired Terry Bowden, and they still suck. I don't see a bright future for the MAC, given the way college football has restructured and that the conference is surrounded by the Big 10. I'm just glad I went to a place like Toledo's, that has been fairly consistent and competitive.