As long as UCLA, Notre Dame, Lafayette and Monroe comply and lose tomorrow, a date with Wyoming may be possible. This would actually be a fun and competitive game.
No, a date with Wyoming is not possible. We could have gone to New Mexico only if Wyoming lost yesterday to take the vacated spot by the MWC. That game will now be MWC vs. WAC. There will not be an at-large spot.
Honesty compels me to say that I believe it ridiculous and somewhat embarassing that NIU might actually be granted a bowl berth given the extreme mediocrity of our mid-major football program. But that said, a bowl game is a virtual certainty. It will once again be one of those bowls that ends up costing NIU money to attend and where 8,000 people are in the stands, half of which will be locals on freebie tickets.
NIU does not deserve to go to a Bowl Game this year! The fact of the matter is they did not beat anyone who finished the season with a winning record! The two closest were Purdue and W. Michigan both at 5-7. In fact the teams they beat finished with a combined record of 17-66. We were the fourth best team in a down MAC Conference. When NIU learns how to beat Toledo or show up for big road games like Ohio and Central Michigan than we have a right to go bowling. How sad is it when Temple is better than us? I have been a die-hard Huskies fan since 1991 and been through the losing streak. Obviously things are a lot better now but now where they should be! For whatever reason there was not much excitement with this year's team. The home attendance was down and the coaches and Athletic Department need to build some excitement to attract bowl games! Next year should be better with most of the team returning. Hiller (WMU) and LeFevour (CMU) will be gone as well. Could be the year of the Huskie!!!
(11-28-2009 09:11 AM)flair6 Wrote: [ -> ]NIU does not deserve to go to a Bowl Game this year! The fact of the matter is they did not beat anyone who finished the season with a winning record! The two closest were Purdue and W. Michigan both at 5-7. In fact the teams they beat finished with a combined record of 17-66. We were the fourth best team in a down MAC Conference. When NIU learns how to beat Toledo or show up for big road games like Ohio and Central Michigan than we have a right to go bowling. How sad is it when Temple is better than us? I have been a die-hard Huskies fan since 1991 and been through the losing streak. Obviously things are a lot better now but now where they should be! For whatever reason there was not much excitement with this year's team. The home attendance was down and the coaches and Athletic Department need to build some excitement to attract bowl games! Next year should be better with most of the team returning. Hiller (WMU) and LeFevour (CMU) will be gone as well. Could be the year of the Huskie!!!
+1
Plus the fact this year we had the most boring offense I have ever witnessed in college football.
GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any offense that reaches the endzone is exciting.
Last year, all the MAC teams lost their bowl games, but at least NIU kept the game close. If the Huskies have to sneak in at the bottom of the barrel, then so be it.
(11-28-2009 08:51 AM)Nigel Incubator-Jones Wrote: [ -> ]Honesty compels me to say that I believe it ridiculous and somewhat embarassing that NIU might actually be granted a bowl berth given the extreme mediocrity of our mid-major football program. But that said, a bowl game is a virtual certainty. It will once again be one of those bowls that ends up costing NIU money to attend and where 8,000 people are in the stands, half of which will be locals on freebie tickets.
You thinki anything about NIU is embarrassing. Why don't you go back and crawl in the hole from which you came.
(11-28-2009 09:11 AM)flair6 Wrote: [ -> ]NIU does not deserve to go to a Bowl Game this year! The fact of the matter is they did not beat anyone who finished the season with a winning record! The two closest were Purdue and W. Michigan both at 5-7. In fact the teams they beat finished with a combined record of 17-66. We were the fourth best team in a down MAC Conference. When NIU learns how to beat Toledo or show up for big road games like Ohio and Central Michigan than we have a right to go bowling. How sad is it when Temple is better than us? I have been a die-hard Huskies fan since 1991 and been through the losing streak. Obviously things are a lot better now but now where they should be! For whatever reason there was not much excitement with this year's team. The home attendance was down and the coaches and Athletic Department need to build some excitement to attract bowl games! Next year should be better with most of the team returning. Hiller (WMU) and LeFevour (CMU) will be gone as well. Could be the year of the Huskie!!!
It really is not about who deserves what. Utah deserved to play for a NC last year and did not. TCU deserves to play for it this year but will not. We are still playing with Joe Novaks table scraps and Kill is doing a pretty good job with limited talent.
(11-28-2009 09:53 AM)pantone1935 Wrote: [ -> ] (11-28-2009 09:11 AM)flair6 Wrote: [ -> ]NIU does not deserve to go to a Bowl Game this year! The fact of the matter is they did not beat anyone who finished the season with a winning record! The two closest were Purdue and W. Michigan both at 5-7. In fact the teams they beat finished with a combined record of 17-66. We were the fourth best team in a down MAC Conference. When NIU learns how to beat Toledo or show up for big road games like Ohio and Central Michigan than we have a right to go bowling. How sad is it when Temple is better than us? I have been a die-hard Huskies fan since 1991 and been through the losing streak. Obviously things are a lot better now but now where they should be! For whatever reason there was not much excitement with this year's team. The home attendance was down and the coaches and Athletic Department need to build some excitement to attract bowl games! Next year should be better with most of the team returning. Hiller (WMU) and LeFevour (CMU) will be gone as well. Could be the year of the Huskie!!!
+1
Plus the fact this year we had the most boring offense I have ever witnessed in college football.
GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Agreed; we do not belong in a bowl game this year. That being said, if a bowl game can serve any useful purpose whatsoever (helping with recruiting, additional practice, etc) then I hope like hell we go to a game. Whatever is the most beneficial to the long-term success of this program is what we as fans should be hoping for.
One final point; I still think the lack of discipline on defense (combined with poor coaching/play calling) is a problem. I saw a video highlight of yesterday's game on ESPN.com, and on more than one play a Huskie defender over-pursued a play, allowing the CMU running back to blow right by him. The defense can not give up over 500 yards to the other team like they did yesterday and expect to win.
(11-28-2009 08:23 AM)niubrad00 Wrote: [ -> ]No, a date with Wyoming is not possible. We could have gone to New Mexico only if Wyoming lost yesterday to take the vacated spot by the MWC. That game will now be MWC vs. WAC. There will not be an at-large spot.
Brad, thanks for the correction. There will be a bowl vacated by the MWC that we could possibly fill, but for obvious reasons it will not be against an MWC opponent. I sometimes forget that Wyoming is in the MWC, and not the WAC.
(11-28-2009 09:11 AM)flair6 Wrote: [ -> ]NIU does not deserve to go to a Bowl Game this year! The fact of the matter is they did not beat anyone who finished the season with a winning record! The two closest were Purdue and W. Michigan both at 5-7. In fact the teams they beat finished with a combined record of 17-66. We were the fourth best team in a down MAC Conference. When NIU learns how to beat Toledo or show up for big road games like Ohio and Central Michigan than we have a right to go bowling. How sad is it when Temple is better than us? I have been a die-hard Huskies fan since 1991 and been through the losing streak. Obviously things are a lot better now but now where they should be! For whatever reason there was not much excitement with this year's team. The home attendance was down and the coaches and Athletic Department need to build some excitement to attract bowl games! Next year should be better with most of the team returning. Hiller (WMU) and LeFevour (CMU) will be gone as well. Could be the year of the Huskie!!!
Its not our fault that the NCAA decided to sanction 34 bowl games invloving 68 of the 120 FBS schools. The argument that NIU doesn't deserve a bowl game is based upon the premise that bowl games are a reward for a very good season. This argument went down the drain with the proliferation of bowls.
Don't talk to me about who does and doesn't deserve to go to a bowl game. After going 10-2 and getting stiffed, I will never apologize for going bowling.
A 7-5 MAC team has no right to ***** about not being selected to a bowl. If we wanted to go to a bowl, we should have played better. Losing to Ohio and Toledo means we are not good enough. If we get a bowl bid fine, if not... okay. WE WERE 7-5!
I have to admit, I really don't think we are good enough to go bowling this year =/
But I'll take one!
This huskie is hoping for some international chow on new years day
I think we should graciously accept any bowl that wants us, if someone does. It's one game. The season is what it is and is now done. Anything can happen in a bowl game. If we get the nod, we should obviously try to win to make a statement for next year and our program. Winning is always widely accepted.
I don't think anyone is going to ***** if we don't get a bowl bid... just like last year.
Do we deserve it? Nope. Does everyone else that gets one deserve it? Nope. Might as well take advantage of the system.
(11-28-2009 09:11 AM)flair6 Wrote: [ -> ]NIU does not deserve to go to a Bowl Game this year! The fact of the matter is they did not beat anyone who finished the season with a winning record! The two closest were Purdue and W. Michigan both at 5-7. In fact the teams they beat finished with a combined record of 17-66. We were the fourth best team in a down MAC Conference. When NIU learns how to beat Toledo or show up for big road games like Ohio and Central Michigan than we have a right to go bowling. How sad is it when Temple is better than us? I have been a die-hard Huskies fan since 1991 and been through the losing streak. Obviously things are a lot better now but now where they should be! For whatever reason there was not much excitement with this year's team. The home attendance was down and the coaches and Athletic Department need to build some excitement to attract bowl games! Next year should be better with most of the team returning. Hiller (WMU) and LeFevour (CMU) will be gone as well. Could be the year of the Huskie!!!
We may have beaten only teams with a loosing record, but hey! Someone has to beat the bottom dwellers, might as well be us!
but for the exception of Troy, who BG beat very early in the year, who have they beaten? They have beaten many of the same, if not worse teams in the East division. Granted, losing to Tuck Foledo hurt, but just because we lost our last 2 to the East and West Division Champs, who cares. Was BG in contention for the East title a week ago?
This team has played hard all year and very well at times and yes, we have played poorly at times, but everyone has at some point. Should we accept 7-5, no, we need to strive to be better, but we improved over last year and the future looks bright with all of this young talent.
NIU needs all of the fan support it can get to make a push for a bowl game. Im not naive enough to believe bowl people read this board, but they may. Lets quit all the f'ing NIU bashing and support this team and the push for a bowl. There are plenty of other schools that would like to even be considered for a bowl and we (some fans) ***** about it and say we dont deserve one.
GO HUSKIES! Give me another holiday destination to go to!