I'm thinking yes because the others in the basement with us are excremental.

But, ooof, 7 seed might be aspirational.

WMU and CMU with big wins yesterday. I hate to say it, but as it stands right now, we are not a lock for Cleveland.

+1

It’s a talent acquisition business. Less margin of error at the mid-major level when it comes to swings and misses on the recruiting trail. And you just can’t whiff in the portal and we whiffed multiple times with this year’s roster. And now it appears we will struggle to finish in the top 8 of the conference.

I think time is past worrying about the first 5 games. The focus now is on next 5. CMU WMU at Akron at EMU and home for Miami. That has to be a 4-1 stretch. Has to be.

Hard to think this is where we are two years removed from the Virginia game.

I think this team makes it to cleveland probably as the 5th or 6th seed still. I dont really see this as a talent problem. To me the talent is there this is a chemistry problem and the lack of a go to guy down the stretch. there is still a chance for that to develop but has not yet. i still think even with this start this team will be .500 in league or slightly better. yesterday over half of the top 25 teams in the country lost and a lot of usually steady powerhouses struggling to get in top 25.

A .500 season feels aspirational at this point.

In fact, just to get to 20 wins they would need to finish the season 11-3. WOOF.

I'll ask Nostradamus and let you know what he says.

"Think the weather will hold up tomorrow?"

"Gee, I don't know. I'll hold my hand out the window at noon at let you know."

Too early to write this team off. Had two road games and two tough home against perhaps the top two teams in the MAC to start. Rough start to MAC play, but there is time to right the ship. We aren't a great team, but not a bad team either. Around .500 type team. We are better than EMU, Miami, CMU, WMU, NIU and BGSU. That entire MAC schedule will prove than. We are equal to Buffalo I think. Both inconsistent, We aren't as good as Kent State, Ball State, Toledo and Akron. Those teams are more consistent game in and game out. We get to Cleveland, but likely quarterfinal exit. My guess is Boals gets this team to cut down on the turnovers and plays better defense in February and we make a run second half of MAC schedule to finish 5th or 6th.

....and in bars and living rooms and in cars on long drives and commutes and in the office and hallways and dorms and on and calls with friends and family, at Y's and rec centers, and locker rooms. And, from my experience, in the Convo as well. But as a former player you keep your head down and focus on the next game and possession.

Agreed. We had one of the toughest (if not the toughest) opening schedules in the MAC. Up to the team to turn it around now. I'm not ready to write them off

After the Kent game, I said "out coached, but more out recruited".

Here's how simple I see things: Boals and his staff have to change how they recruit because the recruiting landscape in college sports has changed. Ohio (I think) is somewhat accustomed to recruiting and retaining (at a decent rate) high school players and planning for them to be here 4 years. While that's a fine goal, and I personally take a lot of joy in watching a 17-18 year old kid come in and develop as a player and person over 4 years, it's just not reality to try to build a program on that basis anymore. As soon as a MAC school gets a kid like Mark Sears, the NIL hounds are going to come calling with checkbooks and car keys in hand. It's garbage that the NCAA has evolved (devolved) into this in my opinion BUT, it is reality right now in 2023. (there's a thread about the NIL stuff elsewhere)

I think UB, Kent, Akron, et al are ahead of Ohio recruiting wise at this point simply because they're already accustomed to building their teams with 2-3 new JUCO / transfer players on an annual basis. If winning is most important, Ohio needs to get to the point that 40-50% of recruits are transfers in my opinion. Times are changin', and we gotta change with them.

Have fun!

Absolutely. After all, that's the whole point isn't it (unless your a Brown's fan)