The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Agree, AlphaFlash.

If Oral Roberts and Ohio hadn't won their conference tournaments, absolutely nobody would have considered even for a second either for an at-large bid. And they knock off a #2 seed and a #4 seed, respectively. There is almost no margin of error at all for mid-majors, in basketball or football. We look back on the 2001/2002 season with rose-colored glasses. If KSU had stumbled in the MAC tournament, like if Huffman and Gates were sick or sprained their ankle, or just had a bad game, there was no certainty that they would have received an at-large bid. As I recall, it was considered a toss-up if they lost the championship game. Likewise, within mid-majors, the difference between many teams and programs is so small that seemingly little things can make one rise or fall in relation to others, like Whether a coach stays or moves on to greener pastures, whether the right coach is hired to fill the vacancy, which MAC school this or that 2-star recruit chooses, and now who stays or enters the portal. I guess my point is that you have to enjoy the Hell out of good things when they do happen.