Are they "fans" of the Bobcats or "fans" of whining?

I think a lot of the unhappiness stems from the way the season ended. We were a win over Akron away from the MACCG but wound up staying home this week and no shot at a 10-win season after losing two straight. That pisses me off, and at the moment I have trouble getting excited about our bowl. I'm sure that'll change by 12/22. A few years ago I would've been thrilled, but I now have higher expectations. This program always seems to be one step away from getting to a higher level.

MAC Championship
9 or 10 wins
Maybe be in the conversation for a NY6 bowl

If Creed is one of the options, the answer is always whatever the other thing is. No matter how ludicrous.

Talk about a thread highjack.

I don't know the answer to that question but I'd love to someday sit and think on it while wearing an Ohio Football MAC Champions sweatshirt.

If your "Groundhog Day" is a good day, I'm not sure why you'd want it to be different. Consistent winning records and bowl games aren't so bad, are they? Do I want a MACC? Sure. Would I trade our consistency in the Solich era for one year of domination and the rest of the years of mediocrity like WMU? Probably not.

I like winning.

We do it consistently.

I like watching the Bobcats on ESPN during bowl season.

I wish we won more of those games.

I'd like more too, but what team among our peers really does that consistently?

I don't disagree with the pattern you've outlined, but what is the realistic alternative?

Listen, I'm glad we win more than we lose, and I don't think Solich needs to be fired for what happened, but seriously... if you're not disappointed in how this season finished, do you even have a pulse?

We were arguably the best team in the MAC after game 10. We smashed the pre-crowned MAC champion by 28 points... the kind of dominant performance against a conference front-runner that we haven't seen since we whipped Temple in 2009. We've certainly been waiting for this since 2012 at least when we had THE team and flattened out due to injuries or whatever.

Akron sucks. We had no business losing to that team. None whatsoever. That was a major league shi++ing of the bed in a key game. I'm pi$$ed because I care.

I think that's a realistic goal. NIU really has done a nice job, plus they've had NFL-caliber RBs and great QBs (one drafted by the Bears). I would say they are the gold standard for what a successful program should be. I honestly wonder if the Illinois recruiting grounds prove easier than Ohio recruiting grounds.

I will say this though: over the past 12 years, NIU has only averaged .67 more wins each season than Ohio has. NIU's wins were bigger and at the right times.

Or the coaches.

This. Exactly.

And as bas as the Akron game was .... the team didn't even circle the wagons and go up to Buffalo and prove that Akron was a fluke. The continued their downward spiral that we've seen soooo many times in November with this program. It's literally a carbon copy of years past.

And to answer the question of what I'd like to see different ... I think having a NIU-type program is exactly what I'd like to see Ohio aspire towards. And there is literally ZERO reason why they can't become THE dominant team in the MAC yearly

Yes ... I totally agree I'd much, much rather have the last 13 years of NIU football than Ohio football

NIU 107-64
Ohio 96-71

And before you start with the "Well NIU only went 2-7 in bowls during those years" .... Let's compare

Poinsettia Bowl (3) vs. Boise, Utah St, TCU
Humanitarian Bowl (1) Fresno St
Orange Bowl (1) Florida St
International Bowl (1) USF
Independence Bowl (1) La Tech
Go Daddy Bowl (1) Ark State
Boca Raton Bowl (1) Marshall

vs.

Potato Bowl (1) Utah St
Independence Bowl (1) UL Monroe
Camilia Bowl (1) App State
Little Caesar's Bowl (1) Marshall
New Orleans Bowl (1) Troy
Dollar General Bowl (1) Troy
Beef O' Brady (1) ECU
GMAC Bowl (1) So Miss

I'd take NIU's bowl resume at least playing in much better bowl games vs. much better competition.

And I'd take their 7 MAC West titles and 3-4 record in the MACC Game vs. Ohio's 4 MAC East titles and 0-4 MACC Game record

And I'd take their Heisman Finalist in Jordan Lynch

And I'd take their 15 weeks in the AP poll spread out over 3 seasons vs. Ohio's 2 weeks ranked.

Oh .... and the non-conference opponents since 2005

NIU
2005 - Michigan, NW, Tenn Tech (1-2)
2006 - Iowa, OSU, Ind State, Temple (2-2)
2007 - Iowa, SIU, Idaho, Wisconsin, Navy (1-4)
2008 - Minnesota, Ind State, Tennessee, Navy (1-3)
2009 - Wisconsin, WIU, Purdue, Idaho (2-2)
2010 - Iowa St, No Dak, Illinois, Minnesota (2-2)
2011 - Army, Kansas, Wisconsin, Cal Poly (2-2)
2012 - Iowa, Army, UTM, Kansas (3-1)
2013 - Iowa, Idaho, EIU, Purdue (4-0)
2014 - Presbyterian, NW, UNLV, Arkansas (3-1)
2015 - UNLV, Murray State, OSU, BC (2-2)
2016 - Wyoming, USF, SD State, WIU (0-4)
2017 - BC, EIU, Nebraska, SD State (2-2)

25-27 vs. B1G (18) Big XII (3) SEC (2), ACC (2), Big East (1), AAC (1), MWC
(5), WAC (2), Army/Navy (4), FCS (13), Temple (1)

• 26 games vs. P5/Big East schools (7-19)
• 12-1 vs. FCS
• 6-7 vs. others

Ohio
2005 - Pitt, NW, VT (1-2)
2006 - UTM, Rutgers, Missouri, Illinois (2-2)
2007 - Gardner Webb, Wyoming, VT, ULL (2-2)
2008 - Wyoming, NW, VMI, OSU (1-3)
2009 - UConn, UNT, Cal Poly, Tennessee (2-2)
2010 - Wofford, OSU, Marshall, ULL (2-2)
2011 - NM State, Marshall, Gardner Webb, Rutgers (3-1)
2012 - Penn State, NM State, Marshall, Norfolk (4-0)
2013 - Louisville, UNT, Marshall, Austin Peay (3-1)
2014 - Kentucky, Marshall, Idaho, EIU (2-2)
2015 - Idaho, Marshall, Minnesota, SE Louisiana (3-1)
2016 - Tennessee, Kansas, Texas State, Gardner Webb (2-2)
2017 - Purdue, Kansas, UMass, Hampton (3-1)

30-21 vs. B1G (8), Big XII (3), SEC (3), ACC (3), Big East (4), UMass (1), Sun Belt (6), CUSA (8), WAC (2), FCS (13)

• 18 games vs. P5 schools/Big East (5-13)
• 13-0 vs. FCS
• 12-8 vs. others

And maybe the most telling ....

NIU 77-26 in MAC WEST
Ohio 64-40 in MAC EAST

The next step for Ohio is taking over this league on a yearly basis. Winning back-to-back MAC East titles FOR ONCE. Winning a MACC FOR ONCE. Doing something other than 8-5 (5-3) would be fantastic!

A few years back, probably 15 or so, I thought I would love to have one season where we could win 7 games. I thought that would be a great accomplishment just once before the bus stops for me.

But now some think 8 wins is an unacceptable standard.

What is really lacking to satisfy most fans is a MACC and there won't be peace until that happens.

The 2012 season felt like we were getting there through 7 games, this season after the Toledo game it felt like 2012 and that we were getting there.

It is a legitimate source of frustration.