Just a thought, for a fan forum that has been almost completely negative the entire year about how bad NIU football is, do you see the the sun starting to rise?
I mean we are undefeated in the MAC (3-0) and favorites to win it (from latest power rankings). If we win the MAC and win a Bowl game it would be a historic season for NIU and we, despite all the negative criticism, are just on pace to do so. All may not be lost, so enjoy the year and root on your Huskies
I agree but we need to stay focused on a weekly basis. Ohio is always a very good football team and we will have our hands full this week -and probably every week! While this team has some flaws (almost every team does) we have a lot of positives too. I think we're a strong and physical team and should continue to rely on the run game, and hopefully Childers continues to progress, we'll need him to make some big passes down the stretch. 3-0 is great but we need to continue to win bc Western Michigan and Toledo are both undefeated and I don't know where their losses are going to come from - until they play us
One game season: BEAT OHIO.
I feel like the offense is close to breaking out. Childers led some long scoring drives at Ball State which was great to see. When drives stalled it was due to QB pressures and sacks. Improved protection should lead to more points.
(10-10-2018 09:58 AM)NIU1981 Wrote: [ -> ]I feel like the offense is close to breaking out. Childers led some long scoring drives at Ball State which was great to see. When drives stalled it was due to QB pressures and sacks. Improved protection should lead to more points.
I agree and it was great to see some explosive plays against Ball State. The O now looks good at times, but then regresses. I get the feeling that sooner or later the O will gel. The Ohio D is susceptible to big plays and gives up over 500 yards/game, so this seems like the game the O will finally gel as a unit.
What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EMU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
(10-10-2018 10:36 AM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ]What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EIU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
We should have beat Utah as well...
(10-10-2018 10:36 AM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ]What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EIU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
Wait a minute, they’re built to beat the teams in their conference with similar budgets and limitations while occasionally popping up and beating a P5 team like Nebraska?
My god, what a nightmare!
(10-10-2018 10:36 AM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ]What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EIU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
Nothing more? What are you looking for the FBS Championship?
We can go undefeated and that still is not going to happen. I mean our 2012 Greatest Team Ever, ironically could not beat Iowa or Florida State!!!
This team can finish the year having had a very great season, they still are in the drivers seat and right where any realistic fan hopes them to be.
(10-10-2018 10:36 AM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ]What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EIU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
Right! Don't worry though, NIU will be back in the playoff picture as soon as next season!
Rod Carey gets all the credit in the world from me if he wins a conference championship and wins a bowl this year.
Thing is, the doom and gloomers like me believe he won’t be able to do that. The QB and the head coach aren’t good enough.
You can beat the Kent St’s of the world until the cows come home, but it’s meaningless with a conference title attached to it.
(10-10-2018 11:04 AM)7 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 10:36 AM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ]What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EIU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
Wait a minute, they’re built to beat the teams in their conference with similar budgets and limitations while occasionally popping up and beating a P5 team like Nebraska?
My god, what a nightmare!
I wasn’t implying that building a team to win a MAC championship only is inadequate. It was meant to recalculate expectations. My main point is that the satisfaction with a 3-0 start is justified, but the NIU fan base, including the sunshine crew, is a very makeable missed FG away from being in a very different place.
(10-10-2018 12:44 PM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 11:04 AM)7 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 10:36 AM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ]What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EIU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
Wait a minute, they’re built to beat the teams in their conference with similar budgets and limitations while occasionally popping up and beating a P5 team like Nebraska?
My god, what a nightmare!
I wasn’t implying that building a team to win a MAC championship only is inadequate. It was meant to recalculate expectations. My main point is that the satisfaction with a 3-0 start is justified, but the NIU fan base, including the sunshine crew, is a very makeable missed FG away from being in a very different place.
And they’re also one drive against Utah away from being 4-2 and everybody being thrilled. Welcome to football.
Call me pessimistic but even if we go undefeated in MAC it's still a shytty year. 8-4, 9-4, losing bowl game and deteriorating the program from 5 years ago, sucks!
(10-10-2018 12:46 PM)7 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 12:44 PM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 11:04 AM)7 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 10:36 AM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ]What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EIU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
Wait a minute, they’re built to beat the teams in their conference with similar budgets and limitations while occasionally popping up and beating a P5 team like Nebraska?
My god, what a nightmare!
I wasn’t implying that building a team to win a MAC championship only is inadequate. It was meant to recalculate expectations. My main point is that the satisfaction with a 3-0 start is justified, but the NIU fan base, including the sunshine crew, is a very makeable missed FG away from being in a very different place.
And they’re also one drive against Utah away from being 4-2 and everybody being thrilled. Welcome to football.
Really. I get your point; we were as close to beating Utah as we were to losing to EMU.
(10-10-2018 12:57 PM)NIUfrank Wrote: [ -> ]Call me pessimistic but even if we go undefeated in MAC it's still a shytty year. 8-4, 9-4, losing bowl game and deteriorating the program from 5 years ago, sucks!
I'd be happy if they won the MAC and won a bowl game. Even winning the west and then getting a nice bowl win would at least arrest what appeared to be a downward trend.
(10-10-2018 01:13 PM)NIU007 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 12:57 PM)NIUfrank Wrote: [ -> ]Call me pessimistic but even if we go undefeated in MAC it's still a shytty year. 8-4, 9-4, losing bowl game and deteriorating the program from 5 years ago, sucks!
I'd be happy if they won the MAC and won a bowl game. Even winning the west and then getting a nice bowl win would at least arrest what appeared to be a downward trend.
Na. Then Carey will be back for years
(10-10-2018 01:17 PM)NIUfrank Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 01:13 PM)NIU007 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 12:57 PM)NIUfrank Wrote: [ -> ]Call me pessimistic but even if we go undefeated in MAC it's still a shytty year. 8-4, 9-4, losing bowl game and deteriorating the program from 5 years ago, sucks!
I'd be happy if they won the MAC and won a bowl game. Even winning the west and then getting a nice bowl win would at least arrest what appeared to be a downward trend.
Na. Then Carey will be back for years
You're going to offend 7 with that remark.
(10-10-2018 12:59 PM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 12:46 PM)7 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 12:44 PM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 11:04 AM)7 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-10-2018 10:36 AM)Djud Wrote: [ -> ]What’s crazy is NIU is a missed 30 yard FG (EIU) from being in full panic mode. I guess it’s best to simply look at the fact that we are 3-0 in conference, and try to believe life is all good in Huskie land. We have enough to beat most if not all of our MAC opponents the rest of the way. This team has been built to do just that...and nothing more.
Wait a minute, they’re built to beat the teams in their conference with similar budgets and limitations while occasionally popping up and beating a P5 team like Nebraska?
My god, what a nightmare!
I wasn’t implying that building a team to win a MAC championship only is inadequate. It was meant to recalculate expectations. My main point is that the satisfaction with a 3-0 start is justified, but the NIU fan base, including the sunshine crew, is a very makeable missed FG away from being in a very different place.
And they’re also one drive against Utah away from being 4-2 and everybody being thrilled. Welcome to football.
Really. I get your point; we were as close to beating Utah as we were to losing to EMU.
Djud is taking a lot of heat for his initial comment.
No one expects NIU to win the BCS championship, be in the picture for the playoffs or any similar comments. I took Djud's initial comment to relate (at least in part) to the fact that in recent seasons we can only beat weaker teams. I am delighted that we are 3-0 in the MAC, but Djud's prior post about the 3 wins being against teams with a terrible W-L record is not negative or a downer; it is a fact. Not long ago I did not know and I Woke Up...stated the fact that in the last 32 or 35 games (I don't remember which) we beat 1 team with a winning record, 7-6 EMU. You have to add a few more to that total now, so I will just estimate; in the last 35 games we have beaten 1 team with a winning record. Therefore, if Djud's initial comments were in reference to only being able to beat weaker teams he is absolutely correct based on facts.
It is not unrealistic to expect our team to win games against teams with winning records (including in bowl games), and that is certainly within my expectations. If that makes me a downer or negative then I am. Is anyone is satisfied with our recent W-L record against teams with winning records then we have different expectations.
We absolutely can win the remainder of our MAC games, and doing that and winning the MACC would be a very good year; of course, winning a bowl game (against a team with a winning record) would make it even a better year. In order to accomplish these goals we need more O and it is a realistic expectation that the O improves. The D has been great, especially with tackling and not giving up big plays. Expecting the D to not give up a big play (such as by a blown coverage) the rest of the season is not realistic. We cannot expect the O to continue scoring just enough to win and put that much pressure on the D in every game. Ball St. is a perfect example; we had a comfortable lead until the almost pick-6. We were able to put together a good drive to get 3 and increase our lead from 5 to 8. The last 10 minutes of that game was a struggle and Ball St. had a shot to tie it up on the last play, but the D stepped-up as usual. The point being is that we are a mistake or two away from losing games if the O does not improve.
Let’s hope the O does improve, we win the rest of our MAC games and the MACC, and win a bowl game. That is my realistic expectation and would be a very good year.
(10-10-2018 12:57 PM)NIUfrank Wrote: [ -> ]Call me pessimistic but even if we go undefeated in MAC it's still a shytty year. 8-4, 9-4, losing bowl game and deteriorating the program from 5 years ago, sucks!
yep, I'll call you pessimistic, negative, miserable etc....
8-4 or 9-4 is a great year, considering our non-conference schedule. All that ever matters for a MAC team is winning the MAC Championship. Like others have mentioned before, even IF we went UNDEFEATED we still wouldn't be in the FBS Playoffs... winning MAC games is the ultimate goal, and if we could knock off some quality non-conf opponents then that's an extra plus!
Beat Ohio.