With CMU's comeback upset of WMU last night, WMU is virtually eliminated from the West race (3.8% chance of winning it), and while CMU hangs on to an outside chance (1.1% chance), the two real contenders, NIU and Toledo meet tonight. I'm rooting for an NIU win myself as I'd rather face them in the MACC (assuming Ohio gets there), rather than face Toledo again, for a couple reasons. First, it's never fun to play the same team twice in the same season. Second, with Ohio's issues with pass defense, I think Ohio matches up better against NIU.

Toledo is the Greg Norman of the MAC. If they win tonight, color me shocked.

I too think we would match up better vs NIU if we get to Detroit.

However, a Toledo win tonight and there is a good chance they arrive in Athens as a Top 25 team at 8-1. The Bobcats have never beat a team ranked in the Top 25. It would be another box to check off for Ohio Football.
Most likely the only opportunity to do that this year.

We slowed Woodson down last year with K. Hunt. IMHO, NIU or Toledo will need a good plan to stop the best QB in the MAC. Limit the TO's like at Purdue and CMU and this offense is very difficult to slow down.

In regulation, yes, but I think the offense grew a lot of confidence from their success in OT that day. To my eye they have been much better since then.

I was at the EMU game. It was played on a very hot concrete slab on a 100+ degree field. EMU is IMHO the second best team Toledo has faced this year.

Rourke in his 1st ever ROAD start as a Bobcat vs EMU = 28 Points
Woodside vs EMU @ HOME = 20 Points

Rourke gets better each week and his total offensive production numbers are very impressive compared to Woodside. Next to the real Miami; NIU will be the best team Toledo has played.

It will be close if Toledo wins, they could sneak in at 8-1 with a few Top 25 loses this weekend.

NIU is no slouch and has a far more impressive schedule than Toledo to date. Win at Nebraska, 3 pt loss at BC and only 6 at SDSU.

-If Toledo wins tonight- decent chance they are in at least one Poll
- Rourke > Woodside in point production TD's

Could be a 100+ point game

Toledo gave up 50 to 2-7 Tulsa.

If they hang on to the ball I like our chances. TO's were the difference vs CMU and Purdue

EMU was Rourke's second game as a Bobcat. Two of his top 3 WR's from Tuesday night's game were unavailable vs EMU. It's not a direct comparison but Rourke took control and won the EMU game.

Current QBR

SO - Rourke 79.3
RSR- Woodside 80.0

Rourke currently leads the nation among QB's with 16 Rushing TD's to #2 Lamar Jackson's 14

(Does not look like a stretch to say Rourke is the best QB in the MAC) He is still learning the offense

Clearly the Top 2 rated QB's in the MAC will face each other next week.

Another wise man was known for saying. . . "To be the man, you've got to beat the man. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Woodside is better right now, no doubt about it.

But at least Rourke has narrowed the gap. 2 months ago Rourke wasn’t even in the conversation about the best QBs in the MAC.

Here’s a question: Of the two, who has the higher ceiling?

Let’s just enjoy the now and quit wringing OUr hands and fretting about stupid stupid stuff.

My God man we are 7-2 with a QB...RBs...and an offensive line that is very good

What is baffling? He was new to the system, and had a lot to learn. QB takes more time to learn a new system than any other position, by far. Remember last Spring, when bobcatblitz told us it was ludicrous to believe that anyone but Maxwell would be the starter, and the Rourke was far, far behind? Remember in the fall, when Arkley continually told us that Rourke was improving, and getting closer, but still well behind Maxwell?

It's a credit to Rourke that he's advanced as fast as he has. He came in in the Spring so that he could have more time to learn the system, and learn the other players. He worked hard and progresses. He earned a split of time against Hampton, and then when Maxwell struggled in Game 2, he played well and took the job for good. About the only significant playing time Rourke missed was the first quarter of the Purdue game.

Was it really baffling? I went back to the preseason threads to see if there were calls for Rourke to be the starter, but no, Rourke's rise was faster than anyone, or almost anyone expected, though a few people did expect him to eventually rise to the top. In the "bold predictions" thread, Valley Cat expected Rourke to start at least five games. I predicted that both Rourke and Maxwell would have a pass efficiency over 140 (currently Maxwell is 146, Rourke is 136). In the "hunt for a QB thread" there was a lot of pessimism about the QB position in general, but Wes made a near-perfect call and predicted Rourke would become the starter midway through the Purdue game (near perfect because he said it would be after interceptions, but it was after incompletions). I said Maxwell would be improved, but it wouldn't be enough to hang onto the job as Rourke was going to develop into something outstanding. In the Fall Camp thread, Rourke isn't mentioned much until the last couple pages, where Ted said he looked good in the scrimmage, Doc reported that Frank had a lot of confidence in Rourke, and I speculated that Rourke might be be in the NFL someday.

Then, I looked at the Hampton thread and after, to see who, after actually having seen Rourke, was calling for more Rourke. shabamon praised his pocket awareness. Doc declared Rourke to be "the man". C. Money was "undecided on Rourke". crackerbaby was pleasantly surprised by Rourke, but liked Maxwell better. Then there was the "Maxwell named starter [for Purdue]", DFC predicted Rourke might be the starter in a couple weeks, but no one disagreed with the choice of Maxwell.

It wasn't baffling at all. Rourke became the starter because he earned it, and he became it as soon as he earned it.

Toledo didn't move in the AP poll.

Still 29th.

They won't be ranked unless they annihilate Ohio and roll to 11-1.... and even then it's questionable.

Iowa winning did not help. There will be more openings over the next few weeks. 10-2 is likely to get you in even for G5 teams with close loses to P5. It is very difficult at any level to go 11-1 or 10-2. There will most likely be a 10-2 P5 team in the final four within a year or two.

The MAC's only chance this year will end Wednesday.