I always enjoy reading thru the game threads, so many end up looking like fools but just keep coming back for more.

3rd year in a row that Tim Albin and crew have gotten this team improving throughout the year and overall exceeding expectations after significant turnover. So impressed with the defense, and just enough playmakers on offense to get it done. A win Friday takes us to 20-4 in the MAC in this 3 year run, have we ever done better than that?

Anxiously awaiting Coleman Owen injury update. In the meantime hats off to Caleb Gossett on a great game. Seems like a great weapon, almost a TE/WR combo who can run good routes, block or make great catches like we saw last night.

I think you may be right. If they go to the MACC, I don't know how you give it to anyone else. 54 new players. Their former QB is putting himself into the Heisman race this weekend with someone else... Only 2 players selected 1/2/3 team pre-season All-MAC.

And we have a chance at another 10-win season. Wild.

It certainly is in my opinion.

I was definitely was nervous going into the game last night as Ohio has dropped its fair share of November games with a trip to Detroit on the line. Toledo is a tough place to win for any MAC school but so impressed and prOUd that the Cats showed up and took care of business. Definitely didn't hurt to play on a week night with less than ideal weather to keep the home crowd small and not be much of a factor in the game.

The second half was one of the most satisfying two quarters of Ohio Football I have personally ever watched. Bobcats asserted their will on a good team playing for their lives, on their home turf, and lined up and hit them in the mouth time and time again. The running game in the second half was great smash mouth ball. My heart sank when Navarro threw that pick in the end zone. But then I thought it just might be old Ohio's night when they got the ball right back on Toledo's first play. Turning two of Toledo's second half fumbles into 14 points was great to see and really set the tone for the rest of the game IMHO.

While the rosters for both teams are significantly different now, it was nice to get a little retribution for the 2022 MACC loss.

Last, huge shoutout to Gossett for stepping up! Had 86 of PN's 129 passing yards.

I would put this game even with several games in MACCG appearance seasons that didn't actually clinch anything, provided we actually beat Ball State next week.

2006 NIU and Kent
2009 NIU
2011 Temple
2016 Toledo
Nothing comes to mind for 2022, though @WMU was entertaining watching the defense eat.

If we don't beat Ball State, this goes right next to winning at Temple in 2010 right before blowing it at Kent.

Tim and OUcats82....I was thinking all night how clutch this win would be in terms of losing so many players and winning in Toledo. I didn't want to jinx the boys just from the thought. Crazy man. I have a group of 80's OG's in a messaging chain. Each one shared your thoughts on this win.

Now let's please beat Testicle Tech.

That sounds like fun. I'd join.

Fallen out of favor. It's the Myspace of bobcatattack.

That is 100% correct BTC! Not everyone doubted Coach Albin. The guy is one outstanding football coach.

I agree regarding the offense. It is clear Navarro has some weaknesses and pointing them out occasionally when discussing big picture is not a sin. They are obvious. But regardless, Ohio fans have to love Navarro's spirt. That guy gives you everything he has every game. With all the big names over the years at QB, Navarro just might be the guy to get the championship.

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but I believe Navarro backed up Gabriel at UCF and K. Rourke at Ohio. Those two QBs lead 2 of the 3 remaining undefeated teams in FBS.

I woke up early this morning, and was bored, so I perused some other forums. In looking at the Toledo comments on this game, their comments included:
1. Their O-Line (and O-line coach) sucked, and needed to be replaced
2. Their QB sucked and needed to be replaced
3. Their RBs needed to be replaced
4. Their offensive coordinator needed to be replaced
5. Candle needed the be replaced

They had nothing to say about Ohio, or Ohio's defense having anything to do with their loss. By contrast, on ziggy.zoomba, they had but one comment on the Ohio-Toledo game:
[quote=bgsu33]Ohio is smacking Toledo around in the second half in the Glass Bowl. Their defense is playing crazy good (best in the MAC) and they run the ball with their RB and QB all over the place. They’re headed to Detroit, mark my words.[/OUTER_QUOTE]

Sometimes an independent observer can see things that more biased observers can not. That made me wonder, so I went back to look at the Ohio-Miami thread on BA. I found it was much like Toledo's loss to Ohio, with all the blame heaped on Ohio's offense, Ohio's QB, play calling, Ohio preparation, Ohio effort, Ohio's players, and Ohio's coaches. I did, however, find a 2-3 posters who gave Miami some credit for their win, especially credit for their experienced offensive and defensive lines.

When you lose, more often than not, it has something to do with how well the other team played. Just as Ohio was the main reason why Toledo lost, Miami was the main reason why Ohio lost to them. But, the good news, is that Ohio has improved a great deal since then, and in a rematch, the result may not be the same, which is a good thing, since a rematch seems likely.

This is the sort of thing that comes about due to the way sports is marketed and they way coach's motivate players. It isn't much different that the whole "clear champion" speak that we were talking about a few days ago. A lot of marketing is sports is to sell both a whole season to serious fans and one game to casual fans.

If you're a coach a big part of your game is to get players mentally ready yo give 100% through adversity in the game, pain, exhaustion. If Kent State plays Oregon both coaches have to get their team believing Kent State can win. And we get speak that acts as if you control the outcome of the game more than your opponents. Which of course, the other team is being sold the same bill of goods. Then both teams have in most games about equal say in the outcome. This type of stuff on the board is a result of that type of thinking. But analytical guys like me always say stuff like never consider a teams win-loss record and never consider a team's strength on schedule but only think of them as one entity because your opponent has as much say in the outcome of every game as you.

"Next man up" is another good one. A team has to believe it can win just the same. But in reality, they almost certainly won't. If the backup is as good he would have been playing. This list could go on and on. I say if you are a betting man, just the fact that you are willing to participate in a game where the person you are betting against makes all the rules, then you are probably a "mark". A lot of this speak is almost certainly helpful in getting teams at their best but if you analyzing sports and you don't want to think like all the marks that allow all the buildings on the Vegas Strip to exist then do your best to put that speak where it belongs.