Because a MAC title in basketball gets you to the dance. If the MAC were a two or more bid league, would the MAC title mean as much?

Winning a MAC title gives your team bragging rights that they were the best team that year.

Ohio has not been the best team in its conference for 50 years.

Think about it!

Toledo is playing on New Year's Day?

If we're not wanting to win conference championships, then why bother having college athletics then? I would have requested my tuition dollars be yanked away from athletics so that I could have had saved during my time at OU if we're not going to want to compete for conference championships.

No, but they wouldn't even have a shot without winning the MAC. Did Temple play on New Year's for winning the AAC last year? No, a team from the MAC did. Cmon, you know what I meant. But I'll edit the original reply to help appease.

Like I said, this is my opinion, not the teams, not the players, not the coaches.

NOTE: SORRY FOR ALL CAPS -- I'M NOT YELLING -- JUST TRYING TO DISTINGUISH MY RESPONSES FROM THE ORIGINAL TEXT:

Isn't that what you play sports for? To win championships? -- THAT IS A TOP GOAL. BUT IS THAT THE ONLY MEASURE OF A SUCCESSFUL SEASON -- OR A COACHING CAREER?

To question the value of a MAC title to me is silly! It's very important! -- IN FOOTBALL, I DON'T THINK A CONFERENCE TITLE HAS AS MUCH VALUE AS IT DID BEFORE. NOT WHEN THE REWARDS (BOWL GAMES) REALLY DON'T USE CONFERENCE TITLES AS A MEASURING STICK.

No MAC team will EVER play for a national title .... and in order to play in a NY6 game you absolutely have to win your league ... and seeing how the best Ohio football is ever going to do is play in the NY6 ... I would say a MAC title should be the ultimate goal! Every freakin' year! -- I AGREE. BUT WHEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IT'S OK TO BE DISAPPOINTED. IN MY OPINION, IT DOESN'T NECESSITATE A COMPLETE REGIME CHANGE THAT MANY ARE CALLING FOR.

It's not a short term value .... -- SOME ON THIS BOARD HAVE SAID THEY'D TRADE A MAC TITLE SEASON FOR YEARS OF MEDIOCRE SEASONS. AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE A MACC, I STILL ENJOY CONSISTENT WINNING SEASONS AND BOWL GAMES. BECAUSE I DON'T POUND MY FIST ON THE COMPUTER AND DEMAND BETTER, IT MAKES ME AN APATHETIC FAN?

Toledo has been chasing one since 2004 ... and I would say they have not had this apathetic view towards it. -- BASED ON WHAT?

And why is it assumed that if Ohio wins one, they're selling their soul to the devil and will be forced to live a life as a 2-10 doormat every year after winning MACC? Why can't Ohio win MACC and keep winning them? -- I HOPE OHIO WINS MULTIPLE MACC. NIU HAS DONE WELL, BUT THEY HAVE AS MANY MACCS OVER SOLICH'S TENURE THAN CMU DOES. MIAMI HAS ONE. IS MIAMI A BETTER PROGRAM THAN OHIO'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE A MACC AND OHIO DOESN'T?

For Ohio or it's fans to act like it's not a big deal is basically devaluing the point of even playing football. -- I JUST DON'T THINK THE CONFERENCE TITLE IS THE MOST ACCURATE MEASURE OF WHETHER YOU'VE REACHED THE NEXT LEVEL OR NOT. TOLEDO IS THE CURRENT CHAMPION AND ARE THEY REALLY BETTER OFF THAN OHIO RIGHT NOW?

That's like saying in basketball .. oh, who cares ... as long as we finish 17-14 every year it's totally cool.

We place great emphasis on winning MAC titles in basketball and making the NCAA tourney. -- THE END GAME FOR BASKETBALL IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN FOOTBALL. IN BB, A MACC GUARANTEES YOU A TICKET TO THE DANCE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THE TITLE. IN FB, A MACC GUARANTEES YOU LADD-PEEBLES STADIUM IN MOBILE.

Why is it in football a lot of people on here don't seem to care if we never compete for a football title? -- A MACC FOR ME IS NOT THE END-ALL, BE-ALL. IT IS SOMETHING I WANT, BUT IS NOT THE SOLE DEFINITION OF SUCCESS NOR FAILURE FOR ME. IS TOLEDO'S SEASON THAT DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT THAN OURS?

Seems so odd to me.

It's almost like they're afraid Frank will take them off his Christmas card list if they put value in winning a MAC title and show any emotion when it doesn't happen (nearly 50 years and counting) -- THIS "NEXT LEVEL" THAT FRANK HAS NOT TAKEN US TO...WHAT IS IT? THE MACC? A NY6 BOWL?
CONGRATS TO NIU AND WMU FOR MAKING THE ORANGE AND COTTON BOWLS, RESPECTFULLY.

AM I JEALOUS? YES. DO I WANT THAT TOO? ABSOLUTELY.

DO I THINK OUR COACHES ARE FAILURES FOR NOT GETTING US THERE? NO.

IS 9 STRAIGHT NON-LOSING SEASONS AVERAGING 8+ WINS AND APPEARING IN 8 BOWL GAMES SOMETHING ANY OTHER COACH CAN CLAIM FOR THEIR TEAM? I DON'T KNOW. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR MANY, THOUGH.

CAN I STILL BE HAPPY WITH YET ANOTHER WINNING SEASON AND A BOWL GAME, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE YET TO WIN A MACC? I'D LIKE TO SAY YES, BUT SOME ARE TELLING ME NO.

[/QUOTE]

You're an idiot, bshot. A real idiot. All you can manage to do is paraphrase and then tear down an argument. I never said a MAC doesn't matter. I did say it MAY not be as big a deal as we think it is. It's merely food for thought. Not something to get your panties in a bunch, you freaking geek.

And yeah, I've played. Have you?

My suggestion is exactly that--for consideration. Something to mull over. You don't have to accept it. You can think otherwise. I don't give a rat's ass.

Jesus, I don't know why I bother on this site. If you dare offer up "food for thought" you get jackasses like you responding with "How dare you?" type stuff.

Edit to add: I don't know if you simply don't read posts, or if you just click "quote" and can't wait to reply. I made my point pretty clearly. You either don't read, or you have no capacity to get it.

Keep it classy Robert.

Way to resort to name calling.

Slow clap, Bobby.

Keep lowering that bar, pal.

Look Bobby ....

You were the one who initiated your opinion that you're not sure "many care whether it's a New Year's bowl or some other day of the month" and that there might be more passion for a MACC if it led to an elite post-season bid.

I ... and a few others .... took a different stance and thought much, much differently on how important a MACC is to Ohio's players, coaches and fans.

Your opinion seemed to downplay the significance of a MACC ... which is totally fine. You obviously are entitled to that.

I ... and a few others ... chose to disagree. I, and others, seem to place a much higher value to winning a championship. And judging from the comments from Solich and his players over the last 13 years ... they value it very highly too.

After 2016 MACC loss to WMU:

"...that was a goal of theirs from the beginning and they felt they had the talent to be in this game and so did I."

- Solich

Before 2017 Akron game:

“When you start out everyone’s goals are similar, and most teams in the MAC want to accomplish getting into the MAC championship game,” said Ohio coach Frank Solich. “Our team is no different, and we had those goals."

After 2017 Akron loss:

“Everything we worked for just basically down the drain,"

- Javon Hagan

Before 2015 season

"A championship,'' Vick said. "That's the only thing we want to play for ... win each game, and win the big one at the end. Anything short of that will be just like any other year.''

- Derrius Vick

I could go on. Point is .... winning the MACC is the goal of every coach and player in that lockerroom each season. Not winning the Potato Bowl

You might have an opinion that it isn't that important ... my opinion was that I totally disagreed and thought it was laughable that a MACC wasn't the ultimate goal each year. You chose to attack me and blast me with names ...

So call me a D-bag ... idiot ... or a freaking geek. Don't care.

I know I'm right. A MAC title is the most important thing this team strives for every year

But it's not guaranteed that a MAC title will get you a lower tier bowl every season, either. If you have a year like NIU or WMU had, you get a chance to get a big one. The MAC title at least gets you in the discussion for that. Without it, you're right, it essentially doesn't matter which bowl you get. And more often than not, yeah you're not gonna get that big bowl even with the MAC title. But you can still hang your hat on that MAC title.

It all goes back to what the goals of the program are. I would assume, in no particular order they are: MAC title, winning record, beat Miami, beat Marshall (in a given year they play), graduate players, stay out of jail, be nice to women and children, sip lemonade on a front porch swing, eat delicious steak, etc.