Monroe, here's the mediocre team we lost to last night at its best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a24Vg-0QSzU

Last night CMU had their mojo back, after three weeks of laying big time eggs. I'm not making excuses for our very poor offensive showing in the first half and our fumbles, but I'm trying to add just a little perspective, a little balance, if you will, to your constant drumbeat -- a veritable BA nattering nabob of negativism.

You are making excuses.

Monroe is easy to caricature partly because he caricatures himself with redundant posts, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect something better than 7-4 given this awful schedule. Our track record suggests a 50% chance of blowing it against Akron and laying an egg in a bowl game - or squeaking past Akron and getting destroyed by Western. Some of us are tired of 7-8 win seasons of feasting on the dregs of the FBS, so we're wary at best about this team. I'm glad that we have high expectations, and I'm grateful not to have a program like the perennial doormat that was here for so long and that still exists in the conference. Being upset at a flat showing against a .500 team is not being negative -- it's having some reasonable expectations.

Guys, I am as frustrated as anyone on this board. Having said that, I am now more convinced than ever that it is simply NOT in the DNA of Ohio football to win MAC Championships. I don't care who is coaching. After all, if a guy who has coached a National Championship game is not able to get a plethora of 3-star guys to Ohio and win ONE MACC in 12 years who will? If he can't, probably nobody can. There is just a structural/historical issue here.

+1.

This is as good of a post as you're going to find following a loss, and a disappointing showing.

Let's face it... last night sucked because the win at Toledo made us think we were better than we are. It's not like our offense was a work of art previously and last night's turd sandwich was a big surprise. This is a solid team despite the the fact that our offense continues to disappoint. Not only overall, but in key situations. Constantly, constantly disappointing. And that's why we can't be great. We simply don't get the job done offensively. God CMU did their best to hand us that game, and we wouldn't even take it.

If you said at the start of the season that you get to split the two games against CMU and Toledo, both on the road, I think most of us would have taken that. Last night's loss isn't why this isn't a great season. Losing to mother !@#$%ing texas state at home and the disappointing performance against (yes, much improved) EMU scoring only 20 points are why this isn't a great season. If we had beaten EMU, the East would have been wrapped up already and last night we could have played much looser and who knows what transpires. So, yeah, another "solid" season, but not great.

Despite last night, I'm pretty sure we make our way past Akron with no fireworks, but not much drama. The question is whether we can put a big time game together against WMU in Detroit. WMU is way better than we are, and that's just a fact. But they can be beaten. What is the reason for my optimism? I don't have any. So why would you ask me that? Just shut up.

Shame they lost last night. Good battle back - but that is not what we wanted or needed. Gotta take out Akron at home.

That said, throwing a 19 year-old-kid under the bus (e.g., calling him "trash") when he is out there doing everything he can is not a reflection of the QB, the coach, or team....but rather a reflection of you. If you would not walk up to him on campus and call him a piece of sh$t to his face don't do it here.

And to think the kid was being hailed just a week or two ago.

+1

We need to beat Akron and get into the MACC so we can have the distinction of losing to Eastern, Western and Central all in the same season. Not sure if we ever accomplished that even in the 80's

So right. The mediocrity is tiresome. The support of it is even more tiresome.

Well, I think DL Knock, the walkon WR converted to RB is healthy. He could have gotten some carries.

AJ is out for the season.
Vinny Emanuele may be done with his career.
Brown has a couple injuries, but is able to play, but he may not be able to handle 20-30 carries.
Irons has issues with hamstrings, ankles, and shoulder, I believe.
Hardy has a broken arm.
White can handle a few runs, but he's not really a guy you want to give it to 20 times, either.

So, with no running back left to handle the load, Ohio had to rely on Maxwell to run and throw, and he had his worst game throwing the ball. Despite all that, Ohio still outgained CMU by 357 yards to 286. They came back, and nearly won, but the 4-1 turnover advantage they handed CMU was too much.

Did they lose due to injuries? No. They adjusted the game plan to give them the best chance of winning with what they had. They should have won, but unfortunately the turnover advantage they've had all season caught up with them. If Ohio can win the next two, this game won't matter in the end.

Exactly. I don't think anyone thinks this game should've been a gimmie. But this is a game Ohio should've won. That's where (at least my) frustration lie. This is just a microcosm of where this program is. Inconsistency when it comes to landing the knockout punch. Good programs find ways to win these kinds of games on a consistent basis. Ohio just isnt' there....and it's frustrating that after 12 years, Solich & staff haven't gotten them there.

For only being a freshman, Maxwell last night looked pretty similar to every QB we have had since TT graduated but with time and room to grow. Sprague and Vick were average college QBs at best and were older/more time in the program. Don't know if Q will ever been All-MAC but should be top 1/3 for the next three years IMHO.

The offensive line provided underwhelming help last night for those healthy enough to line up in the backfield. A couple of key sacks by CMU came at horrible times. Usually when the team has clicked on offense Belack, Reid and Ball have a couple of big catches. While they had their chances in the game they didn't seem to come down with the ball when it was needed most.

Hopefully all of the youth playing in the secondary will help the team depth in coming years. They got their lunch handed to them a lot last night. Some plays were based on athleticism/talent but a lot was a result of poor technique. Hope there was a learning experience for everyone involved.

Maxwell racked up a lot of heart, grit, and guts stats in my scoreboard last night. Can't coach or develop those and he has a lot of depth there in my opinion.