(12-25-2018 02:01 PM)HW58 Wrote:  Obviously wins over P5 schools (even losses like the one against Ohio State) are big for schools like NIU. They help with school brand, recruiting, fan interest, etc. Obviously MACC championships are also big for schools like NIU. NIU isn't getting too many 4 and 5 star players (like virtually none), so if a 2 or 3 star player has offers from KSU, CMU and NIU, I like our chances of landing those players because we compete every year and win our share of conference championships. And of course wins in bowl games a big for schools like NIU. Who the hell wants to end the season getting blown out in a bowl game, even if it's the schlub bowl against an opponent from a small conference basically the equivalent of the MACC. As a single game during the course of a season, of course beating UAB in a bowl game has a more lasting impact than beating Ball State half way through the season. But every game during the season is impactful in its own way, some more than others. I didn't play college football, but I'm guessing that for every kid who plays the #1 goal over the duration of the season is winning their conference, regardless of whether they play in the Big 10 or the MAC. Winning a bowl game is the cherry on top for a conference winner; for other teams, winning a bowl game is a nice consolation prize. But winning the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl should not be the main goal of any school, NIU or otherwise. Winning the conference you are in should be #1. I'd be surprised if a poll of the players on NIU or UAB, both conference champs, revealed otherwise. Hate the MAC or not, if a player or team's goal is to win a minor bowl at the end of the year, the bar is set too low.

I would argue that winning the MACC and being okay with getting crushed in the bowl game EVERY year is setting the bar way too low.