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Topic: Food for thought

Topic: Food for thought

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BCat
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Member Since: 11/14/2013
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Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 5:38:36 AM

I have to put in my 2 cents worth. Beginning with the 2002 season through the 2006 season I went to every game home and away. The last 2 years were Frank’s first 2 years as coach.

Prior to the 2006 season here’s an example of what we saw and heard in the media and I’ll add what we see and hear today……..

2006 – We haven’t been to a bowl game in 38 years (1968).

2013 - We’ve been to 5 bowl games in the last 8 years including the last 4 years in a row.

2006 – We’ve never won a bowl game.

2013 - We’ve been to 5 bowl games in the last 8 years including the last 4 years and we’ve won the last 2 bowl games.

2006 – We haven’t won 10 games since 1968.

2011 – We won 10 games for the first time since 1968 including a bowl game.

I probably could go on and on and this is from memory so if some facts are off so be it.

The point is some of us are spoiled compared to what we had as far as expectations. For the last 9 years we’ve had high expectations every single year and we’ve taken the program farther than it’s ever been as far as consistency.

Sometimes you have to crawl before you walk and I feel that if everyone would just be a little patient we have built a program that has sustainability and we’ll be in the hunt every single year like we’ve had the last 9 years.

So that’s my take.

OUcats82
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 7:36:25 AM

When not caught up in the frustrating/disappointing moments this season has offered up I would whole heartedly agree with all of your points here. Having been a student during the Knorr era (with one season of Grobe as coach) I saw some pretty bad football. It was as though we had a team for having a team's sake. There is no doubt we have grow by leaps and bounds in the last 10 or so years.

I think what's most challenging to me is to look at a team like Northern Illinois on TV last night and not be jealous. They were a team that while maybe a little more successful historically than us (which I would argue that sans a 20 or so year window we have a strong football heritage overall) were not a world-beater and have established themselves as the premier program in the MAC over the past 10 years. This while going through 3-4 coaches in that span of time. They also have had several players that have a national reputation (Michael Turner, Jordan Lynch). I can't help but wonder what could have been different had we won that heart-breaker two years ago in the MACC. Would it have launched us to bigger and better things? We'll never know.

I cheer for Ohio because it's my school, my alma mater. I spent 4 of the best years of my life in Athens and will support our teams through thick and thin. Just like any parent would want the best for their children I want the best for my university and that includes having our athletic teams win championships. Given the level of significance college football has in our culture it can be too easy sometimes to put an irrational level of importance on wins and losses. Moments like the Potato Bowl win or beating Penn State make losing games 49-0 a little easier to endure.

I will be following our last two games with the same level of support and interest as I would have if we were undefeated right now. As always, Go Bobcats!

Ohio-The State University

Robert Fox
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 8:23:41 AM

I agree with your main point, BCat, but I think there's an element of "what now?" involved. At some point, this fan base has to get over the "hey, you should feel lucky, it could be worse" syndrome. I'm as influenced as anyone by that syndrome. My college years were during the Cleve Bryant era so I know all about BAD Ohio football.

But here we are, nine years into the Solich regime. At what point can the fan base begin to expect a little more? I think it's certainly reasonable to criticize Tuesday's effort. If there's something going on that helps explain our performance, than it's up to Solich to make that information known. Otherwise, he's going to catch flack. Knowing Solich, he would prefer to take the flack and protect his players/coaches. I think that's commendable, but it's also frustrating for fans who want to know what's truly going on.

Edit to clarify Cleve Bryant as COACH era.

Last Edited: 11/14/2013 8:24:46 AM by Robert Fox

Ohio69
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 8:50:32 AM

Robert Fox wrote:

Knowing Solich, he would prefer to take the flack and protect his players/coaches. I think that's commendable, but it's also frustrating for fans who want to know what's truly going on.

Well, I understand what you are saying but no coach is ever going to reveal what's really going on.

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

Monroe Slavin
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 9:50:23 AM

I agree with RFox; it's no longer acceptable to be just 'not incredibly bad.' It's time for a MAC title.

And the last two weeks would deserve condemnation even if we'd won all previous games this year. The last two were extreme stinkers...yes, remindful of the k-word. Bad. Really, really bad.

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bobcat695
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 10:18:17 AM

My perspective is from 1991-2013. I have been to every single game played in Peden Stadium since 1991, and a ton of road games in that span. I became a fan as a student during what is definitely the Worst of Tmes in Ohio Football history. I then watched it grow under Grobe, fail under Knorr, then blossom under Solich.

I think your assertion that we are "spoiled" now is not quite the right word. I think the fanbase has elevated our level of expectation. We took the lead from the team, because that is exactly what they did. When you raise your minimum acceptable standard, falling below that is dissapointing. Just because things were bad decades ago, does not mean I have to be a martyr as a fan. Here is a list of things I thought were just fine in 1991-1995 that I would not want to ever go back to:

- Dial up internet
-19" low def tv with 20 channels
-Land line telephones 100% of the time
-Ramen noodles as a primary food group
-Cassette tapes as my music source
-A car with no air bags
-Smoking sections in restaraunts
-Watching a football team win less than 10 games every 5 years

While I accepted all these things as normal 20 years ago, there is no way I'd want to go back to the way things were back then. Same goes for Ohio Football. The program has hit a wall the past few years. It's not that I don't appreciate the plateau from a historical standpoint, I just want to see growth each year, even if it's small. I fear stagnation because there is only one way to coast and that is downhill.

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Bobcat2005
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 11:06:30 AM

I have to agree. When you want something to be great and it comes up short you get disappointed.

Case in point the Basketball team after their Sweet 16 run. What did we expect them to do the following year with the same guys? And did they? no.

The Football team is no different. We have all the expectations that they are going to be great. Look at last year... We beat Penn State and actually get ranked in the Top 25 for a week..then bad string of losses and we slide into a Bowl Game where we pound ULM on national TV. Awesome way to end the year.

Great expectations for this season and they may not happen.... its not just a game.

IT'S SPORTS! Its why we watch sports, its why we have 'favorite' teams. Hell I'm a Browns Fan...I'm all about high expectations.

Casper71
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 11:21:55 AM

Bcat forgot one:

2006-We haven't won a MACC in 38 years

2013-We haven't won a MACC in 45 years

And, I will admit it, I am jealous of NIU. As was said, 3-4 different coaches over the last 9-10 years, league championships multiple times and a BCS game. I thought FS and Co. would have gotten us there in 9 years. Now, I doubt they ever will.

Disappointing and frustrating!

PhiTau74
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 11:27:55 AM

I'm not even sure that anyone is complaining that we are losing its how we are losing. If we lost 23-20 to Buffalo or BG you say we played a good game and the program is still strong but that cannot be said. I expect us to lose to Kent State at this point.

Kinggeorge4
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 12:09:52 PM

Some days it is really sad listening to this group.

GO BOBCATS
GEORGE

Monroe Slavin
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 3:25:32 PM

There is no reason for this team to lose to kents.

The talent and coaching knowledge are there. The only question is whether it will show.

That is, I refuse to believe that suddenly this team has no talent. That shapeless/ghostly 'something's wrong' that we've seen so much of this year is not who and what we are. It's time to get beyond that.

It's time to put a real whipping on kents. I'm talking about doing to them what we've had done to us the last two games. Just beat 'em, beat 'em good.

Hawaiian Bobcat
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 3:58:32 PM

We are Lavon dropped pass away from having that elusive MAC title. I wonder how the perception would be different if the debacle 2nd half never happened. It did and this is our reality. Can't change the past. I want the championship as bad as everyone. I think the disappointment this year will lower expectations for next. We as a group might enjoy next year more especially if we win.

L.C.
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 4:10:07 PM

PhiTau74 wrote:

I agree with this. Fans took the 2008 season of 4-8 better than this for that exact reason.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

Paul Graham
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 7:24:56 PM

Bobcat2005 wrote:

Case in point the Basketball team after their Sweet 16 run. What did we expect them to do the following year with the same guys? And did they? no.

The basketball team went 14-2 in conference, split the conference championship with Akron and made the conference tournament title game.

They didn't get BLOWN OUT by above average (not the best mind you, but simply above average) conference opponents.

There is NO COMPARISON between the two.

OhioCatFan
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 10:07:12 PM

Seems to me I remember getting blown out by UMass and Oklahoma to name just two last year in basketball. Any time we went up against a semi-legitimate power team we folded. If we had played OSU last year we would have lost by 30 and never challenged in the game.

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Paul Graham
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 11:36:07 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

A 10 point loss is "blown out?" 14-2 in conference...no comparison between the two. We are witnessing an epic meltdown.

Last Edited: 11/14/2013 11:36:41 PM by Paul Graham

JSF
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/14/2013 11:41:16 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

Seems to me I remember getting blown out by UMass and Oklahoma to name just two last year in basketball.

You remember incorrectly. We were competitive in both those games and could have won. I believe we led UMass in the second half.

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OhioCatFan
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/15/2013 12:15:41 AM

OK . . . I stand corrected about the final scores against the "other OU" and UMass. I do remember feeling that we were completely overpowered in both games and that there was a big talent gap. I did not get that feeling against OSWho this year. Just my perception. In the aforementioned recent football disasters we appeared to be very overmatched, but I really think the problem was not talent level but some intangibles that I'm having a problem getting a fix on.

Last Edited: 11/15/2013 12:17:57 AM by OhioCatFan

Sony7
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/15/2013 12:58:10 AM

I understand both points of view: Yes, OHIO football has come a long way since I've been in school. Being upset that we may not make a Bowl Game is laughable from the era I came from. However; it is frustrating how we collapsed the last two years down the stretch. I worry about the direction of the program after Frank retires or McDavis departs. Will we go up or down? Most likely down. Say whatever you want about McDavis, but he has (more than any President in my lifetime) supported the athletic department. Presidents in the past didn't seem to care much about how we were doing in athletics and certainly did not put money in the program. Hopefully, the GODS in Athens see how much elevated athletics have increased the image of the University in the eyes of the State and Nationally.

Last Edited: 11/15/2013 1:01:05 AM by Sony7

Go Bobcats!

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catfan28
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/15/2013 1:48:09 AM

OhioCatFan wrote:

Not great in those games...but does Memphis ring a bell? Now that was a blow-out...

Pataskala
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/15/2013 12:17:33 PM

Monroe Slavin wrote:

I agree with you, Monroe, but we've said the same thing the last three years, and we've wound up with two embarrassing losses and a 7-pt win at home. It's cliche, but this team seems to be looking for ways to not lose, not ways to win.

BTW, I got to thinking about the last two games being the low point for the Solich Era and wondered about the last time we had such a dismal showing in back-to-back losses. You have to go back to Grobe's first season (1995) when we lost to UNC 62-0 and WMU 34-17 in consecutive games (96-17, a 79-pt margin). The only worse that I've seen before that was 111-16 (Vandy, 54-10 & LSU 57-6) in 1989 under Cleve. The last two games have been the worst MAC games for Ohio that I've found. The closest I've found in MAC play was 61 pts in Knorr-mageddon, oddly enough during the first two weeks of Nov 2001 vs Buffalo (44-0) & BG (17-0); and 62 pts (CMU, 52-7 & BSU, 23-6) in Nov 1991 under Lichtenberg. I haven't done a really extensive search on this.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

OhioCatFan
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/19/2013 12:30:43 AM

catfan28 wrote:

OhioCatFan wrote:

Not great in those games...but does Memphis ring a bell? Now that was a blow-out...

Yes, I should have cited that game. I guess after that blowout, the other two just seemed like blowouts. All three were miserable losses. I can't wait to see how we do against Umass when we have them in the house on Dec. 18. Too bad we couldn't have scheduled that game when more students would still be in town.

Last Edited: 11/19/2013 12:31:37 AM by OhioCatFan

Ohio69
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:13:23 AM

hawaiian bobcat wrote:

If we won in 2011 then most of the complaints go away.

Right now the familiarity of 8-9 wins seasons is breeding contempt.

I just hope the last two games don't become familiar.

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

Pataskala
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/19/2013 11:58:18 AM

Ohio69 wrote:

hawaiian bobcat wrote:

If we won in 2011 then most of the complaints go away.

Right now the familiarity of 8-9 wins seasons is breeding contempt.

I just hope the last two games don't become familiar.

For me, it's 8-9 win seasons; I'll take that any year. But the past year and a half we've let the better teams roll us. This season, the three best teams on our schedule -- L'ville, Buffalo & BG -- took us by a combined 128-10. That's dismal.

We will get by.
We will get by.
We will get by.
We will survive.

Monroe Slavin
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RE: Food for thought

Posted: 11/19/2013 8:58:19 PM

Ohio69 wrote:

hawaiian bobcat wrote:

If we won in 2011 then most of the complaints go away.

Right now the familiarity of 8-9 wins seasons is breeding contempt.

I just hope the last two games don't become familiar.

I agree--there'd be a lot less griping if we'd've won it in 2011.

But we didn't...because up 20-0 at half we got ultraconservative and lost In the same way that our play-calling is soooooooooooo conservative this year.

We are boring,.

We are no irrelevant.

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