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Ohio Football Topic
Topic: Is the East-West gap closing?
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Pataskala
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Posted: 11/25/2015 11:38 PM
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The MAC East went 7-11 vs the West this season, making it the best season for the East since 2009, the last time the East won the season. The last seven seasons went:

2009 11-7
2010 6-12
2011 4-14
2012 6-12
2013 6-12
2014 5-13
2015 7-11

Ohio and BG led the way for the East this season with 2-1 records vs the West. Akron and UMass were 1-1, Fiami was 1-2, Kent 0-2 and Buffalo 0-3.
L.C.
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Posted: 11/26/2015 12:17 AM
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The pattern is easier to see if you take out EMU. This is what it looks like:
2009 8-7
2010 5-11
2011 3-12
2012 3-12
2013 3-12
2014 3-12
2015 4-11
Perhaps the gap is starting to close, but there is still a long way to go.
Last Edited: 11/26/2015 12:17:32 AM by L.C.
Athens
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Posted: 11/26/2015 1:37 AM
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WMU and CMU do a good job of getting P5 level talent to stay home. Partially its the remoteness of that state. With Michigan State an elite program recruiting guys from Ohio, in-state Michigan guys have to consider the MAC. Harbaugh I'm sure will be doing the same with Michigan's recruiting. All these P5 programs dip into Ohio for players. It doesn't help matters when the staffs at Kent State and Miami completely don't know what their doing. Akron doesn't have that much upside. Nobody is going to fall in love with that school.
ou79
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Posted: 11/26/2015 9:05 AM
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I agree with LC that we still have a long way to go. Interesting stats, especially when you eliminate EMU from the equation.
bshot44
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Posted: 11/26/2015 10:28 AM
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East is top heavy (i.e. BG)...and then, sadly,I'd say Ohio and UB are pretty similar. Kron, Kent & Fiami are train wrecks.

The West has four solid programs in NIU, WMU, CMU & Toledo and one in Ball that would go 3-3 at worst vs East I'm guessing.

The West has one EMU. The East has three of them
L.C.
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Posted: 11/26/2015 11:04 AM
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bshot44 wrote:expand_more
East is top heavy (i.e. BG)...and then, sadly,I'd say Ohio and UB are pretty similar. Kron, Kent & Fiami are train wrecks.

The West has four solid programs in NIU, WMU, CMU & Toledo and one in Ball that would go 3-3 at worst vs East I'm guessing.

The West has one EMU. The East has three of them

I think you meant to say "U.mass, Kent, and Fiami are train wrecks." 'Kron is bowl eligible, and will mostly likely finish with a winning record, and tied with Ohio for second in the East. Other than that I agree.
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 11/26/2015 3:01 PM
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Is UMass gone next year or is'it 2017 before we get rid of that train wreck?
perimeterpost
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Posted: 11/26/2015 4:07 PM
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OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
Is UMass gone next year or is'it 2017 before we get rid of that train wreck?
UMass is officially out of the MAC at midnight of the day of their last game which will be tomorrow, 11/27/15.
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 11/26/2015 5:18 PM
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perimeterpost wrote:expand_more
Is UMass gone next year or is'it 2017 before we get rid of that train wreck?
UMass is officially out of the MAC at midnight of the day of their last game which will be tomorrow, 11/27/15.
Hip, hip, hooray!
BobcatSports
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Posted: 11/26/2015 5:44 PM
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What earthly purpose did it serve to have them in the MAC to begin with?
colobobcat66
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Posted: 11/26/2015 6:00 PM
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BobcatSports wrote:expand_more
What earthly purpose did it serve to have them in the MAC to begin with?
Some trips to Boston?
Pataskala
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Posted: 11/26/2015 6:58 PM
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colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
What earthly purpose did it serve to have them in the MAC to begin with?
Some trips to Boston?
Great chowder.

Kept Fiami from having a winless MAC season most years (3-1).
bshot44
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Posted: 11/26/2015 7:00 PM
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If Akron beats Kent (which I'm slow to assume will happen)...they'll be 5-3 vs MAC....with 5 MAC wins vs EMU, Miami, UMass, UB & Kent....and losses to BG, CMU & Ohio

Pretty favorable sked.

But...still taken care of business.

Ohio might me 6-2 vs that?
L.C.
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Posted: 11/26/2015 7:20 PM
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Akron certainly isn't BG, but then again, they aren't Miami, either.

Let's take the data without EMU, and remove UMass, too, given that they don't really belong in the data, and take out Temple, too, while I'm at it:
2009 6-7
2010 4-10
2011 2-11
2012 3-9
2013 3-9
2014 1-11
2015 3-9
Again, there doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence that the gap is closing.
perimeterpost
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Posted: 11/26/2015 8:29 PM
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The problem with the East is that there are 3 programs- Akron, Buffalo, and Kent St that are below average to bad every year.

Here's the winning % for those teams since 1999, when Buffalo joined the MAC, through 2014 -

.275(52-137)- Buffalo. 2 winning seasons in 16yrs, avg 3.3wins/season.
.362(68-120)- Kent St. 2 winning seasons in 16yrs, avg 4.3wins/season.
.376(71-118)- Akron. 5 winning seasons in 16yrs, avg 4.4wins/season. no winning season since 2005.

Those programs were bad, are bad, and show no sign of ever being anything but bad in the future. That's half of the East. When you add to that list Miami, which has had 1 winning season since 2005, there's no way BG and Ohio can balance that out. The West has the worst team in the MAC, EMU, but the other 5 are all average at worst.

Here's the winning percentage for all MAC teams since '99 for comparison-

.644 west Northern Illinois
.614 west Toledo
.548 EAST Bowling Green
.485 EAST Ohio
.472 west Western Michigan
.459 west Central Michigan
.448 west Ball St
.441 EAST Miami
.376 EAST Akron
.362 EAST Kent St
.275 EAST Buffalo
.241 west Eastern Michigan

now imagine if we added UMass, a program destined to be the next Buffalo, and some other FCS call up and BGSU moved to the West. Nightmare.
Last Edited: 11/26/2015 8:59:25 PM by perimeterpost
ou79
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Posted: 11/26/2015 10:00 PM
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Thanks for the information gentlemen, it is fascinating to look at and think about. Truly the East has serious issues and I do not know what the answers to those issues are. Take for instance Kent State. As a program, their football teams are annual jokes. However, they are the same program which also gave us Jack Lambert, Antonio Gates, James Harrison, Josh Cribbs, Julian Edlemen, Lou Holtz and Nick Saban. Go figure. What can be done going forward is a good question and unfortunately I do not have the answer. We obviously can not change what those programs annually put on the football field. Does that mean we do whatever is necessary to get out of the MAC? Again, good questions without good answers.
Athens
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Posted: 11/28/2015 1:07 AM
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The future of the East is promising. Bowden has officially turned Akron around and should be there long term. Buffalo's new coach is recruiting well. BG continues to win. Throw in Ohio and you've got 4 good programs. Akron's rise is at the expense of Kent St. Miami's administration is inept. 4 is roughly the limit for good programs in the MAC East.
Last Edited: 11/28/2015 1:07:40 AM by Athens
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