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Topic: Official Game 10 Thread: Western Michigan
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spongeBOB CATpants
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Posted: 11/12/2025 9:14 AM

I want to put it all on the offense because the defense, in general, played decent enough to win. But then I remember the play that cost us the game and most likely another trip to Detroit.

I just want to call out #7 and #10 on that play. Watch the replay, if you can stomach it. What kind of effort is that? Here's the link (could only find it on tiktok):

https://www.tiktok.com/@collegegameday/video/7571678828028775710

Parker was horrible but what is there to say about him? As bad as he was, he played hard and put his body on the line, as he always does.

I will never understand why Brune was in the game as much as he was (all season for that matter). Season on the line and Bangura was getting 6 yards a carry, hey let's put Brune in for some run! No disrespect but the talent gap is wide, I think we can all see that.

End of the day, this loss is on the staff. Just a massive disappointment that we could only muster 13 points and couldn't stop them when the entire stadium knew what was coming.

StevenTimothyVitte
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Posted: 11/12/2025 9:18 AM
Disappointment.

^ This is the word that keeps coming to my mind when defining the 2025 Bobcats. This team isn't bad. They've shown flashes of being pretty good. But they've been disappointing at the most critical times.
bobcatsquared
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Posted: 11/12/2025 9:38 AM
Bad night but not all's lost. With help, Ohio can get back to Detroit if it takes care of UMass and UB. We need help tonight from CMU (v. UB) and UT (v. Miami). Of course, OUr game v. UB is on the road and we know what that means.

However, optimistically I see a scenario like last year where we beat WMU in a rematch at Ford Field, not unlike what we did to Miami last year after losing at Miami during the regular season.
M.D.W.S.T
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Posted: 11/12/2025 9:41 AM

spongeBOB CATpants wrote:expand_more
I want to put it all on the offense because the defense, in general, played decent enough to win. But then I remember the play that cost us the game and most likely another trip to Detroit.

I just want to call out #7 and #10 on that play. Watch the replay, if you can stomach it. What kind of effort is that? Here's the link (could only find it on tiktok):

mailto:https://www.tiktok.com/@collegegameday/video/7571678828028775710

Parker was horrible but what is there to say about him? As bad as he was, he played hard and put his body on the line, as he always does.

I will never understand why Brune was in the game as much as he was (all season for that matter). Season on the line and Bangura was getting 6 yards a carry, hey let's put Brune in for some run! No disrespect but the talent gap is wide, I think we can all see that.

End of the day, this loss is on the staff. Just a massive disappointment that we could only muster 13 points and couldn't stop them when the entire stadium knew what was coming.


Pretty much.

Sieh not getting the rock is unforgivable. I say in every thread, before and after every game. 17 carries. We're 6-0 this season. 16 or less... 0-4.

I get it. Theres more to the game than a spreadsheet, but when you're 18-5 when he has 17* carries... and lose every game he doesn't... as they say, there's a there there. I think every single game plan should be #1) SIEH GETS 20 CARRIES COME HELL OR HIGH WATER

I'd rather lose with Sieh going for 150 yards on 30 carries than look back at a game going... 16 carries? 16? In a close game? In a cold, grinder of a game? 16 carries when he was yoinking 6 yards per?

We lost that one. We gave it to them. (Literally gave it to them on that bull fighting attempt at tackling)

mid70sbobcat
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Posted: 11/12/2025 9:47 AM
The world is ending, the world is ending ....

All the negative comments amuse me. We lost a LOT in the portal and graduation. I think Smith & Co. did a pretty good job replacing guys through the portal. Personally, I did not expect we'd be as good as last year. But the thing I don't see in the prior 100+ comments was anyone even touching on injuries. We've had guys lost for the season going back to early in the season.
OhioBobcat
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Posted: 11/12/2025 9:56 AM
bobcatsquared wrote:expand_more
Bad night but not all's lost. With help, Ohio can get back to Detroit if it takes care of UMass and UB. We need help tonight from CMU (v. UB) and UT (v. Miami). Of course, OUr game v. UB is on the road and we know what that means.

However, optimistically I see a scenario like last year where we beat WMU in a rematch at Ford Field, not unlike what we did to Miami last year after losing at Miami during the regular season.
THIS. After looking at the remaining MAC schedule, I could totally see an OU-WMU rematch in Detroit - with a different outcome.
Doc Bobcat
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Posted: 11/12/2025 10:15 AM
mid70sbobcat wrote:expand_more
The world is ending, the world is ending ....

All the negative comments amuse me. We lost a LOT in the portal and graduation. I think Smith & Co. did a pretty good job replacing guys through the portal. Personally, I did not expect we'd be as good as last year. But the thing I don't see in the prior 100+ comments was anyone even touching on injuries. We've had guys lost for the season going back to early in the season.
This.
spongeBOB CATpants
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Posted: 11/12/2025 10:24 AM
OhioBobcat wrote:expand_more
Bad night but not all's lost. With help, Ohio can get back to Detroit if it takes care of UMass and UB. We need help tonight from CMU (v. UB) and UT (v. Miami). Of course, OUr game v. UB is on the road and we know what that means.

However, optimistically I see a scenario like last year where we beat WMU in a rematch at Ford Field, not unlike what we did to Miami last year after losing at Miami during the regular season.
THIS. After looking at the remaining MAC schedule, I could totally see an OU-WMU rematch in Detroit - with a different outcome.
Care to lay out the path to get there? We could easily win the last 2 but its out of our control now.
AlexBobcats
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Posted: 11/12/2025 10:40 AM
I believe a Buffalo win over CMU tonight is best case scenario for us. If CMU wins out and we do too we would be tied at 6-2 with a potential 3rd tie-breaker coming into play (win percentage vs common opponents based upon their order of finish). So Buffalo essentially knocking CMU out would set up win and in for us beating Buffalo. This is all of course only relevant with a Miami loss either Toledo or Buffalo. And then WMU winning 1 of their 2 remaining games. (Someone check to see if I’m wrong lol)
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 11/12/2025 10:49 AM
Buffalo is not a factor, I am convinced they are terrible and will end at 4-4.

But I don't see how the winner of Miami & Toledo isn't the other team in the MAC Championship. Unless someone can explain to me how we would win a tiebreaker over Toledo.
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Posted: 11/12/2025 10:49 AM
AlexBobcats wrote:expand_more
I believe a Buffalo win over CMU tonight is best case scenario for us. If CMU wins out and we do too we would be tied at 6-2 with a potential 3rd tie-breaker coming into play (win percentage vs common opponents based upon their order of finish). So Buffalo essentially knocking CMU out would set up win and in for us beating Buffalo. This is all of course only relevant with a Miami loss either Toledo or Buffalo. And then WMU winning 1 of their 2 remaining games. (Someone check to see if I’m wrong lol)
Of course, this requires that we beat UMass in addition to Buffalo. I thought Ball State would be an easy victory, so I'm not taking the Minutemen for granted.
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M.D.W.S.T
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Posted: 11/12/2025 10:55 AM
spongeBOB CATpants wrote:expand_more
Bad night but not all's lost. With help, Ohio can get back to Detroit if it takes care of UMass and UB. We need help tonight from CMU (v. UB) and UT (v. Miami). Of course, OUr game v. UB is on the road and we know what that means.

However, optimistically I see a scenario like last year where we beat WMU in a rematch at Ford Field, not unlike what we did to Miami last year after losing at Miami during the regular season.
THIS. After looking at the remaining MAC schedule, I could totally see an OU-WMU rematch in Detroit - with a different outcome.
Care to lay out the path to get there? We could easily win the last 2 but its out of our control now.
The door is 95% closed.

Hell there are 4 teams with 2 losses. One of those is BALLS.

We need an extraordinary amount of help.

WMU 5 1 NIU, EMU
Buffalo 4 1 CMU, Miami, OU
Miami 4 1 Toledo, Buffalo, BALLS
OU 4 2 UMASS, Buffalo
CMU 3 2 Buffalo, Kent, Toledo
Toledo 3 2 Miami, BALLS, CMU
Balls 3 2 EMU, Toledo, Miami

If we're playing for 2nd...

We need to win out.

And a whole bunch of scenarios where teams have to knock each other off, but win the following weeks and we win some tie-breakers and that is a lot of math right now.

Buffalo needs to chop down Miami, hopefully lose to CMU, but we also need Miami or Central to beat Toledo to eliminate them. Balls likely loses to Miami and Toledo, so they're out. It's a lot. We're not entirely out of it, but we need quite a bit of help from Buffalo, Toledo. A lot of scenarios.
AlexBobcats
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Posted: 11/12/2025 10:57 AM
Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more
Buffalo is not a factor, I am convinced they are terrible and will end at 4-4.

But I don't see how the winner of Miami & Toledo isn't the other team in the MAC Championship. Unless someone can explain to me how we would win a tiebreaker over Toledo.
Our tiebreaker over Toledo is common opponents. So right now we are up 1 with us beating BGSU and them losing. If they beat Miami and Ball State we would go back to even record off common and then I believe it’s order of finish and at that point back to BGSU finishing ahead of Ball State meaning we win tiebreaker.
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Posted: 11/12/2025 10:58 AM
Finish 6-2, and the tiebreaker advantage over Miami will be the deciding factor...so long as Miami loses to Toledo, Buffalo, or Ball State. Then you will get a rematch of last night for the MACC. Yes, someone else could finish 6-2, but the most likely others to be 6-2 are Miami and Buffalo, both of which Ohio would have the tiebreaker over.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” ― Epictetus
AlexBobcats
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Posted: 11/12/2025 11:04 AM
L.C. wrote:expand_more
Finish 6-2, and the tiebreaker advantage over Miami will be the deciding factor...so long as Miami loses to Toledo, Buffalo, or Ball State. Then you will get a rematch of last night for the MACC. Yes, someone else could finish 6-2, but the most likely others to be 6-2 are Miami and Buffalo, both of which Ohio would have the tiebreaker over.
This is correct as I see it. Only thing I don’t know for sure is if we get a CMU win out on top of this scenario then who has tiebreak?
Athens
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Posted: 11/12/2025 11:23 AM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
I believe a Buffalo win over CMU tonight is best case scenario for us. If CMU wins out and we do too we would be tied at 6-2 with a potential 3rd tie-breaker coming into play (win percentage vs common opponents based upon their order of finish). So Buffalo essentially knocking CMU out would set up win and in for us beating Buffalo. This is all of course only relevant with a Miami loss either Toledo or Buffalo. And then WMU winning 1 of their 2 remaining games. (Someone check to see if I’m wrong lol)
Of course, this requires that we beat UMass in addition to Buffalo. I thought Ball State would be an easy victory, so I'm not taking the Minutemen for granted.
You can't take anything for granted but Ohio had a 17 play drive against WMU in the 4th quarter. If Ohio can do that to Western the #1 defense in the MAC certainly it can move the ball against UMass.
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Athens
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Posted: 11/12/2025 11:31 AM
OhioBobcat wrote:expand_more
Bad night but not all's lost. With help, Ohio can get back to Detroit if it takes care of UMass and UB. We need help tonight from CMU (v. UB) and UT (v. Miami). Of course, OUr game v. UB is on the road and we know what that means.

However, optimistically I see a scenario like last year where we beat WMU in a rematch at Ford Field, not unlike what we did to Miami last year after losing at Miami during the regular season.
THIS. After looking at the remaining MAC schedule, I could totally see an OU-WMU rematch in Detroit - with a different outcome.
The old axiom tough to beat a team twice in one season applies. It won't be cold outside in Detroit.
Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
StevenTimothyVitte
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Posted: 11/12/2025 12:20 PM
All that we know we have to do is win out. Beat UMass and Buffalo and then see where the chips fall afterward.

It doesn't matter to me who we face in the MAC Title Game if we get there. Though I'm convinced it'll be WMU with the way their team is built.
Athens
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Posted: 11/12/2025 12:33 PM
The odds to make Detroit aren't really any different for Ohio before this loss and after the loss. If Ohio won last night the odds would have skyrocketed with the tie-breaker over WMU and Miami. Close to 95%.
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2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
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2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
L.C.
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Posted: 11/12/2025 1:28 PM
AlexBobcats wrote:expand_more
Finish 6-2, and the tiebreaker advantage over Miami will be the deciding factor...so long as Miami loses to Toledo, Buffalo, or Ball State. Then you will get a rematch of last night for the MACC. Yes, someone else could finish 6-2, but the most likely others to be 6-2 are Miami and Buffalo, both of which Ohio would have the tiebreaker over.
This is correct as I see it. Only thing I don’t know for sure is if we get a CMU win out on top of this scenario then who has tiebreak?

Yes, in theory CMU, Toledo or Ball State could end of 6-2, and mess up my over-simplified scenario, but someone said that Ohio would also win a tiebreaker against Toledo. If Ball State goes 3-0 against EMU, Toledo, and Miami, that would shock me, but they would deserve their trip to Detroit. If CMU wins out against Buffalo, Kent, and Toledo that would also be very surprising, and while I have no idea how the tiebreaker with them would come out, I'm not going to worry about it.

STVCastle wrote:expand_more
All that we know we have to do is win out. Beat UMass and Buffalo and then see where the chips fall afterward....

This, and the fact is that the chips will most likely fall in a way that favors Ohio, so long as Miami loses another game.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” ― Epictetus
Last Edited: 11/12/2025 1:30:58 PM by L.C.
M.D.W.S.T
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Posted: 11/12/2025 1:32 PM
TWT wrote:expand_more
The odds to make Detroit aren't really any different for Ohio before this loss and after the loss.
HUH
Athens
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Posted: 11/12/2025 1:42 PM
M.D.W.S.T wrote:expand_more
The odds to make Detroit aren't really any different for Ohio before this loss and after the loss.
HUH
I'd put the odds at 40% to win out and make the MAC prior to WMU and 42% today until Miami plays tonight. Had Ohio won last night 95% chance. If Toledo defeats Miami a 70% chance. If Miami defeats Toledo tonight a 21% chance. Why do the chances remain high, partially because of who is left on the schedule and then only 2 games remaining for a relatively high chance of winning both those games.
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2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
Diamond Cat
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Posted: 11/12/2025 2:19 PM
Pretty much everything has been covered in this thread. I wasn't sure if the WMU defensive stats before last night were real or just against bad teams. Well....sure got my answer last night. Before the game, Marty chatted with the other play by play guy for WMU. He asked him what has made the team so good. He said 2 words: Transfer Portal.

I think they have the best starting front 7 as well as overall depth of their front 7. Of those 14 players, 9 are transfers including our boy Jori Benson (6'3" 290lbs). Dude has been at Utah / UConn / Utah / BYU and now WMU. With no rails around this portal nonsense, we just have to keep trying to get what we can out there in open market.

I'm not sure if any of you can confirm. WMU received the largest donation in history to a public university several years ago. It came from 1 anonymous alum who donated $550M. It was to be used for many things but football was listed. Is this a bucket WMU can use for NIL? I realize $550M would not just be for football. I think the medical school was listed as well as others. I am just saying that is a big bucket to divide up over the 10-year period specified. Maybe that had some impact on the 4th or 5th year seniors/grad students they were able to snatch.
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Posted: 11/12/2025 2:28 PM
Diamond Cat wrote:expand_more
. . .
I'm not sure if any of you can confirm. WMU received the largest donation in history to a public university several years ago. It came from 1 anonymous alum who donated $550M. It was to be used for many things but football was listed. Is this a bucket WMU can use for NIL? I realize $550M would not just be for football. I think the medical school was listed as well as others. I am just saying that is a big bucket to divide up over the 10-year period specified. Maybe that had some impact on the 4th or 5th year seniors/grad students they were able to snatch.
The gift was from a husband and wife team, both of whom were graduates of the WMU medical school. They did designate a huge amount to the medical school and some undergraduate areas (perhaps their UG majors), but left a cool $50 million to the athletic department. As I understand it they got most of their money from royalties on a medicine that they developed. I don't know any details as to what it was, or what it is used for.

I've heard, but can't confirm, that WMU football now has the biggest payroll of any MAC team. If this is true, I suspect earnings from the $50 million probably figures in there somewhere. [I'm using the term "payroll" to include NIL payments and other direct payments to the "student athletes."]
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Posted: 11/12/2025 2:40 PM
Really the only lesson that can be learned here is don't lose to a crappy Ball State team and you wouldn't have this problem. :)
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