If you are Matt Campbell, you have to be pleased the way the momentum is going now. Toledo got an overtime win, a win on the road against their rival, and a chance to open up the playbook and feel their oats against EMU. Now they get a chance to play against an opponent like Buffalo, who will test them but a team Toledo should beat. That's about the best set up Toledo can ask for at this point in the season, going into the big game against NIU. There are a lot of other positives as well. Tonight, Toledo was able to get others involved in the offense, who have been more or less in the shadows in recent weeks (Olack). Hunt has been a very impressive back, and if Fluellen comes back healthy against NIU, will give UT a formidable 1-2 punch. The O-Line is healthy, which is always a plus.

I'm really getting excited for the end of the season. UT still has a really good shot at making the MACC. NIU needs to beat Ball St. in 11 days (Wednesday 11/13, day after UT vs. Buffalo), and then UT needs to beat NIU so that UT/NIU/Ball St. finish in a 3-way tie. If that happens, UT has already locked up the tie-breaker of having the best East division opponents win%.

UT/NIU/Ball St. all play/ed Akron, so I won't include them.

--UT plays Buffalo & BG. Combined record of 7-1 so far. 8 gms left for BG & Buffalo [UB & BG still have to play each other, so that is at least 1 more win for UT's east opponents for a minimum of 8 combined wins].
--NIU plays Kent & UMass. Combined record of 2-9. 5 gms left for Kent & UMass. So the highest # of opponents wins is 7.
--Ball St. plays Kent & Miami. Combined record of 1-9. 6 gms left for Kent & Miami. So highest # of opponents wins is 7.

Sooo, UT is guaranteed to win a 3-way tie with UT/NIU/Ball St.

(11-03-2013 12:08 AM)Rocket4Life Wrote:  I'm really getting excited for the end of the season. UT still has a really good shot at making the MACC. NIU needs to beat Ball St. in 11 days (Wednesday 11/13, day after UT vs. Buffalo), and then UT needs to beat NIU so that UT/NIU/Ball St. finish in a 3-way tie. If that happens, UT has already locked up the tie-breaker of having the best East division opponents win%.

UT/NIU/Ball St. all play/ed Akron, so I won't include them.

--UT plays Buffalo & BG. Combined record of 7-1 so far. 8 gms left for BG & Buffalo [UB & BG still have to play each other, so that is at least 1 more win for UT's east opponents for a minimum of 8 combined wins].
--NIU plays Kent & UMass. Combined record of 2-9. 5 gms left for Kent & UMass. So the highest # of opponents wins is 7.
--Ball St. plays Kent & Miami. Combined record of 1-9. 6 gms left for Kent & Miami. So highest # of opponents wins is 7.

Sooo, UT is guaranteed to win a 3-way tie with UT/NIU/Ball St.

After all the negativity after the Ball St. loss about how the season was going down the drain and that we had 0 chance at making the MACC...

(11-03-2013 12:14 AM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(11-03-2013 12:08 AM)Rocket4Life Wrote:  I'm really getting excited for the end of the season. UT still has a really good shot at making the MACC. NIU needs to beat Ball St. in 11 days (Wednesday 11/13, day after UT vs. Buffalo), and then UT needs to beat NIU so that UT/NIU/Ball St. finish in a 3-way tie. If that happens, UT has already locked up the tie-breaker of having the best East division opponents win%.

UT/NIU/Ball St. all play/ed Akron, so I won't include them.

--UT plays Buffalo & BG. Combined record of 7-1 so far. 8 gms left for BG & Buffalo [UB & BG still have to play each other, so that is at least 1 more win for UT's east opponents for a minimum of 8 combined wins].
--NIU plays Kent & UMass. Combined record of 2-9. 5 gms left for Kent & UMass. So the highest # of opponents wins is 7.
--Ball St. plays Kent & Miami. Combined record of 1-9. 6 gms left for Kent & Miami. So highest # of opponents wins is 7.

Sooo, UT is guaranteed to win a 3-way tie with UT/NIU/Ball St.

After all the negativity after the Ball St. loss about how the season was going down the drain and that we had 0 chance at making the MACC...

I think the negativity surrounding the Ball St game was due to the fact that was so early in the season. After playing very tough competition, we weren't' able to close out that game against BSU. Everyone knew it was a huge game, but we for some reason didn't seem to be ready for it. Losing to BSU twice in the last two years has really held us back from having a great season each year. In my opinion we have loads more talent than BSU. We still don't control our own destiny when it comes to the MACC, but I like our chances. From an Offensive standpoint the rest of the year, we need to continue to run the ball and set up pass with play action. We need to get away from the 2 yard pass to the flat on first and second down 80% of the time, like we did early in the season. To me our Offensive play calling early in the season was extremely discouraging and I think was partly to blame for TO's poor play early in the season. TO is much better in the vertical passing game, especially when we have established the run and pass off play action. We are very tough to stop with our dominate O-line and the best tandem of backs in the MAC (maybe even in the entire midwest). It's not Rocket science (pardon the pun), but when the opposing LB's have to worry about the stopping the run, the middle of the field opens up for the pass.

(11-03-2013 12:08 AM)Rocket4Life Wrote:  I'm really getting excited for the end of the season. UT still has a really good shot at making the MACC. NIU needs to beat Ball St. in 11 days (Wednesday 11/13, day after UT vs. Buffalo), and then UT needs to beat NIU so that UT/NIU/Ball St. finish in a 3-way tie. If that happens, UT has already locked up the tie-breaker of having the best East division opponents win%.

UT/NIU/Ball St. all play/ed Akron, so I won't include them.

--UT plays Buffalo & BG. Combined record of 7-1 so far. 8 gms left for BG & Buffalo [UB & BG still have to play each other, so that is at least 1 more win for UT's east opponents for a minimum of 8 combined wins].
--NIU plays Kent & UMass. Combined record of 2-9. 5 gms left for Kent & UMass. So the highest # of opponents wins is 7.
--Ball St. plays Kent & Miami. Combined record of 1-9. 6 gms left for Kent & Miami. So highest # of opponents wins is 7.

Sooo, UT is guaranteed to win a 3-way tie with UT/NIU/Ball St.

Fortunately, NIU has Ball St. before us and before Bowl bids so they will be in full motivation to win that game. What the Ball St game did show is though, if the QB position isn't clicking at a very high level, our coaches cannot adjust to other strengths and win the game.

Against the quality of the three teams left, it is a bit much to think the QB will be clicking in all three. IMO, coaching calls will have to improve to avoid another Ball St game.

(11-03-2013 12:14 AM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  

(11-03-2013 12:08 AM)Rocket4Life Wrote:  I'm really getting excited for the end of the season. UT still has a really good shot at making the MACC. NIU needs to beat Ball St. in 11 days (Wednesday 11/13, day after UT vs. Buffalo), and then UT needs to beat NIU so that UT/NIU/Ball St. finish in a 3-way tie. If that happens, UT has already locked up the tie-breaker of having the best East division opponents win%.

UT/NIU/Ball St. all play/ed Akron, so I won't include them.

--UT plays Buffalo & BG. Combined record of 7-1 so far. 8 gms left for BG & Buffalo [UB & BG still have to play each other, so that is at least 1 more win for UT's east opponents for a minimum of 8 combined wins].
--NIU plays Kent & UMass. Combined record of 2-9. 5 gms left for Kent & UMass. So the highest # of opponents wins is 7.
--Ball St. plays Kent & Miami. Combined record of 1-9. 6 gms left for Kent & Miami. So highest # of opponents wins is 7.

Sooo, UT is guaranteed to win a 3-way tie with UT/NIU/Ball St.

After all the negativity after the Ball St. loss about how the season was going down the drain and that we had 0 chance at making the MACC...

I figure that the Ball State/NIU and the UT/NIU games are both toss ups. If that assumption is correct then the probability of UT getting to Detroit is currently about 25% (and that assumes UT will beat Buffalo (and Akron), which I think they will)-----25% is a whole lot better than 0%, (of course had UT beaten Ball State the probability would be 50% at this point). Still I am going to wait three weeks (maybe it will take only two weeks if Ball State beats NIU) before I decide whether or not to run out and start buying tickets for the MACC game.

IMO last night the Rockets did exactly what they were supposed to do for the most part-------dominate one of the worst teams college football and look good doing it. Last year's EMU game was the anomaly, not this year's game, and that in itself is a positive sign.

Although the fact that the offense looked good against EMU last night (and in that last drive against BG last week) is certainly promising, I am still reserving judgement as whether or not the team is "peaking at the right time" until after the Buffalo game. It is one thing for the OC to have the confidence to stretch the field vertically, especially on first down, and for TO to have the confidence to execute those plays the way he did last night (reminded me of his sophomore year) when they are playing one of the 10 worse teams in Division 1 football but I still want to see if that confidence and execution also extend to games involving teams with winning records.

E Michigan has had some interesting opponents and transitive opponents.
5-3 Rutgers, who took 16th ranked Fresno St to OT, beat E. Michigan 28-10.

(11-03-2013 12:53 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  E Michigan has had some interesting opponents and transitive opponents.
5-3 Rutgers, who took 16th ranked Fresno St to OT, beat E. Michigan 28-10.

Although largely meaningless transitivity can provide a lot of interesting discussion. For example:

NIU beat EMU (59-20), by the same four point margin as did UT (55-16).

Furthermore NIU and UT both beat CMU by identical scores of 38-17.

Does that mean that NIU will lose to Ball State by a touchdown the way UT did? We better certainly hope not.

Navy almost knocking off Notre Dame might explain to the average UT fan why it wasn't an easy game for the Rockets, especially after Flu got injured.

Duke is also in the running for the ACC division with Miami and VT, who beat Navy badly before us.

I like NIU vs. Ball State because NIU doesn't seem to lose at home and they have a bye prior to that game.
I like our chances vs. NIU because if NIU is ranked #11 coming into the Glass Bowl with our team knowing 0-3 in past 3.... UPSET ALERT! Campbell is 9-1 at home as head coach....

Got to beat Buffalo though.

What kind of offense would you like to see this year? We basically have the same offensive players back and the same guys at the helm of the offense that has put up big numbers in the past. Did they forget what they're doing? Have they forgotten how to coach? Are the players just not executing? Are fans over-reacting?