(10-21-2018 04:56 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(10-20-2018 04:42 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-20-2018 03:51 PM)niu50yrdline Wrote:  This WMU @ CMU game looks empty. Let's see what the reported attendance is. We have an attendance problem, but from what I've seen over the years it's better than most MAC schools.

I have said it before and I will continue saying it. The quality of football in the MAC is quite good and the ticket prices make attending MAC games a bargain. It is a mystery to me why attendance sucks though weekday games have not helped.

The schools should band together through the conference and fund a marketing effort that would surface some ideas that all schools in the conference can tap into. Perhaps this has already been done and it has failed?

The quality of football in the MAC is not quite good. It's really not even that good. And it will be obvious again this year when the MAC gets destroyed in its Bowl games.

The MAC is not P5 but nearly every game there are some athletes on the field that will play at the next level. It is good football and a bargain for live entertainment.

Or.....

NIU goes 0-3 in non-conference. (soon to be 0-4)
Miami loses to Army.
CMU loses to Kansas.
WMU loses to Syracuse.
Ohio loses to Cincy.
Kent State loses to Illinois.
Ball State loses to Indiana.

These are just off the top of my head.

(10-21-2018 06:43 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  Or.....

NIU goes 0-3 in non-conference. (soon to be 0-4)
Miami loses to Army.
CMU loses to Kansas.
WMU loses to Syracuse.
Ohio loses to Cincy.
Kent State loses to Illinois.
Ball State loses to Indiana.

These are just off the top of my head.

+1000
People wonder why nobody wants to see these teams.

In the AP buffalo doesn’t even have one vote. App state is in the top 25 with one loss.

(10-21-2018 10:17 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  In the AP buffalo doesn’t even have one vote. App state is in the top 25 with one loss.

Buffalo is really having a season. Hope they get the Access spot if NIU cant get to championship game

(10-21-2018 10:17 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  In the AP buffalo doesn’t even have one vote. App state is in the top 25 with one loss.

Do you actually believe polls?
Can you name any of NIU's five-star recruits?

(10-21-2018 10:49 AM)NIU17 Wrote:  

(10-20-2018 03:08 PM)MiamiHuskie Wrote:  What was the attendance at Toledo to see them lose?

Box score says 18,114. I didn't see the game, so not sure if that is inflated.

That's a pretty accurate number. Stadium seats 26,248. With 18,114 in attendance that means it was 69% full......or essentially 1/3 of the stadium was empty. Considering that there are suites in the press box area that are always filled up and you can't see that from TV, pictures of the stadium, etc. I would say it was fairly accurate.

But given the state of the team right now, those attendance numbers are going to drop big time for the two remaining home games.

The reality of the MAC is that it is falling behind. I could see it last year, and it's even worse this year. There are a few teams that can compete with decent teams across the country.......NIU because of their defense and Buffalo because of their offense. But even those two teams are not likely to beat the top teams in conferences like the American, Mountain West, etc. These other P5 conferences are leaving the MAC behind, sad to say. I know these things tend to cycle through down years and good years, but right now the MAC is in a "down years" cycle.

The MAC was always behind the MWC and AAC. I don't know that they're behind the Sun Belt or CUSA but that would be an interesting comparison. Certainly the top teams in the MAC this year aren't that good. Maybe Buffalo.

Look for the bowl record to once again be 0-5

(10-22-2018 06:52 AM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(10-21-2018 10:17 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  In the AP buffalo doesn’t even have one vote. App state is in the top 25 with one loss.

Do you actually believe polls?
Can you name any of NIU's five-star recruits?

No I don't always go by polls. It's a joke that basically every season ND is "pre-ranked" high after another sub par season, but that is a convo for another day.

What I do believe polls are good for is perception from outsiders. Buffalo not having one in a poll and only 9 in another with one loss shows what they think of the MAC as a whole.

As for MD and the access spot, Buffalo would be last of all the teams with chances. It is going to be UCF again, unless they lose a couple (highly doubt it), it would be USF then.

UCF might be the closest team we see in a long time that will be in the discussion for a playoff spot as a G5 if they run the table and put a beat down on a ranked USF to end the season.

(10-21-2018 06:34 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-21-2018 04:56 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(10-20-2018 04:42 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-20-2018 03:51 PM)niu50yrdline Wrote:  This WMU @ CMU game looks empty. Let's see what the reported attendance is. We have an attendance problem, but from what I've seen over the years it's better than most MAC schools.

I have said it before and I will continue saying it. The quality of football in the MAC is quite good and the ticket prices make attending MAC games a bargain. It is a mystery to me why attendance sucks though weekday games have not helped.

The schools should band together through the conference and fund a marketing effort that would surface some ideas that all schools in the conference can tap into. Perhaps this has already been done and it has failed?

The quality of football in the MAC is not quite good. It's really not even that good. And it will be obvious again this year when the MAC gets destroyed in its Bowl games.

The MAC is not P5 but nearly every game there are some athletes on the field that will play at the next level. It is good football and a bargain for live entertainment.

Not to mention the very best player in the NFL who is not a QB is from the MAC with Mack on the Bears.(when healthy of course)

The overall talent level isn't there but there are lots of individual MAC players that are fun to watch that end up in the NFL. They're often somewhat overlooked.

Even outside of that, players like Wolfe were fun as he'll to watch.

Is the MAC as a whole down or is it just a down year for MAC QB’s? The conference is coming off an 8 year stretch that saw the likes off Woodside, Terrel, Matt Johnson, Hare, Lynch, Harnish, Rush, Ely. There’s some decent qbs in 2018, but do any of them really worry you?

Id say Mack is a decent NFL player lol

(10-22-2018 09:13 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  The MAC was always behind the MWC and AAC. I don't know that they're behind the Sun Belt or CUSA but that would be an interesting comparison. Certainly the top teams in the MAC this year aren't that good. Maybe Buffalo.

App State destroyed Toledo in the bowl game last year. Toledo was the MAC Champion and App State was a Co-Champion of the Sun Belt with Troy. App State is now ranked this year and probably much better than any MAC team. Hate to say it, but the Sun Belt is ahead of the MAC right now.

C-USA has three teams with a 5-2 overall record, one with a 6-2 overall record and another team with a 6-1 overall record right now. That's five teams with at least 5 wins and no more than 2 losses. Marshall is one of those 5-2 teams and beat Miami U. earlier this year. North Texas is the 6-2 team in C-USA. They crushed Arkansas 44-17. I know Arkansas is not the best team in the world but their still a SEC football team. WKU is a C-USA team and they beat Ball State. It was WKU's only win of the season so far as they are 1-6.

(10-22-2018 05:41 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-21-2018 06:34 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-21-2018 04:56 PM)Big Red Wrote:  

(10-20-2018 04:42 PM)bikechuck Wrote:  

(10-20-2018 03:51 PM)niu50yrdline Wrote:  This WMU @ CMU game looks empty. Let's see what the reported attendance is. We have an attendance problem, but from what I've seen over the years it's better than most MAC schools.

I have said it before and I will continue saying it. The quality of football in the MAC is quite good and the ticket prices make attending MAC games a bargain. It is a mystery to me why attendance sucks though weekday games have not helped.

The schools should band together through the conference and fund a marketing effort that would surface some ideas that all schools in the conference can tap into. Perhaps this has already been done and it has failed?

The quality of football in the MAC is not quite good. It's really not even that good. And it will be obvious again this year when the MAC gets destroyed in its Bowl games.

The MAC is not P5 but nearly every game there are some athletes on the field that will play at the next level. It is good football and a bargain for live entertainment.

Not to mention the very best player in the NFL who is not a QB is from the MAC with Mack on the Bears.(when healthy of course)

There's a guy named Hunt that's not too shabby either. Broke a rookie record last year, believe he led the NFL in rushing last season and he's having another big year this year. Had 3 more TD's last night.

(10-22-2018 09:06 PM)BrianNowicki Wrote:  

(10-22-2018 09:13 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  The MAC was always behind the MWC and AAC. I don't know that they're behind the Sun Belt or CUSA but that would be an interesting comparison. Certainly the top teams in the MAC this year aren't that good. Maybe Buffalo.

App State destroyed Toledo in the bowl game last year. Toledo was the MAC Champion and App State was a Co-Champion of the Sun Belt with Troy. App State is now ranked this year and probably much better than any MAC team. Hate to say it, but the Sun Belt is ahead of the MAC right now.

C-USA has three teams with a 5-2 overall record, one with a 6-2 overall record and another team with a 6-1 overall record right now. That's five teams with at least 5 wins and no more than 2 losses. Marshall is one of those 5-2 teams and beat Miami U. earlier this year. North Texas is the 6-2 team in C-USA. They crushed Arkansas 44-17. I know Arkansas is not the best team in the world but their still a SEC football team. WKU is a C-USA team and they beat Ball State. It was WKU's only win of the season so far as they are 1-6.

According to the Sagarin ratings, the MAC is still ahead of both the Sun Belt and CUSA. Sure, the top couple teams aren't as good, but the conference as a whole is still as good or better.

With all due respect to App State they haven't beaten anybody with a pulse.

(10-20-2018 02:30 PM)7 Wrote:  It’s october 20th, and the turds are pretty much eliminated from contention in the West

I hope you're right but there's a realistic chance of a three-way tie at the top.

6-2 Toledo (Beat WMU, Ball St, NIU, Kent St & CMU)
6-2 WMU (Beat Ball St & NIU, Lose to Toledo and Ohio)
6-2 NIU (Beat Akron & Miami, Lose to Toledo & WMU)

And I think Toledo would win the tie-breaker (2-0 vs the other two teams).

Toledo could be eliminated on Thursday vs WMU.