I'm in knee-jerk reaction mode after that loss, but WOW. Our team was just manhandled by a not-all-that-great CMU team. Dominated in every facet of the game.

I now suspect this team won't even get to 6-6, ending our bowl streak and making this official:
The program has regressed.

Two years ago at this point, we were 7-0, ranked No. 23 or 24 (I forget which), and being dubbed "The Next Boise State."

We are 12-13 since, including 6-9 in MAC games. Plus, the talent level has fallen off, due in part to the graduation of players but also in part to some mediocre recruiting. And, of course, the program continues to be snakebit by injuries, seemingly always to the most impactful players.

I love Frank. I really do. I'm not calling for his head, and I won't. But it's frustrating to see him stick with an offensive coordinator who is this inept. Frank, your loyalty is hurting the program.

I look at the talent on this roster and recognize it's a rebuilding year, but how much better are we going to be next year? I'm not sure this is upper-tier MAC talent even a year or two from now.

I have no answers to this. I'm just frustrated at how evident it is that this season is going nowhere. I'm coming to Athens the next two weekends but am already dreading seeing two home losses.

Anyone else feel like the sky is falling?

Giving up 28 points on the road in a loss doesn't say to me that it was a talent issue. Obviously there is enough talent to stay on the field with a MAC team. The offense has not performed against MAC level defenses or higher in competition. The injuries to me are not an excuse. You'll have injuries every year. The problem is the offense under FS isn't built around proven yardage strategies. Its built to surprise the opponent like a poker game. Do you bet that Ohio will run up the middle again? Oh you didn't think that would happen look we picked up 5 more yards. Now there are games where I've seen the trickery work and keep us in a ball game. A conventional offense with players position by position recruited to fit a role in that offense is what the program needs. An overload of highly talented backs is great but how do they fit into an offense? 10 years and an offense that is averaging 19 points per game is not Frank expected when he spent a year on the sidelines at Oklahoma to figure out how they are able to put 70 points on the board. Solich has had a good run at Ohio but its time for a new staff with a reputation for a high performance offense. Solich never had that reputation and doesn't to this day. He's under contract until June of 2017 and I see him finishing out that contract based on his body of work and with changes happening to the sport with concussions at the forefront, full cost of attendance and fundraising to the new academic center I don't see the stomach for cutting Frank early. Its time to start thinking about the future though as its past the time where Frank can be serious about winning the MAC.

Try a paragraph or two. This is hard to read.

I disagree vehemently. You don't see significant things that are sub-par on this team at this point and over the last 25 games? Things that need changing?

We must be watching different games.

Please point out to me some things that we do reasonably well against good teams, some things that mark us as even such a not-very-high standard as top of the MAC.

To compare us to NIU is to not be very comprehending.

+1

Not poker. Blackjack. It's built to get to 20, and then just hope the other team doesn't get 21.

This is the best analogy I've heard in a while and its so true. The team is averaging 18.27 ppg in the last 11 games.

In those 11 games, the only wins have come against opponents who are just downright awful (UMass '13, Kent, Idaho, and EIU). Against teams that actually have a pulse, the offense is damn near non existent.

The games are unwatchable.

I wasn't able to watch much of Saturday's game, but I have to ask. What on earth where the positives from the defense? Or any positives at all? Bonnstetter must have had a career day.

The frustrating thing here is that there seems to be a lack of quality solutions or adjustments being made by the coaching staff. I like the most recent recruiting class and we've seen some good things from Freshmen like Pruehs & McCray on the OL.

Of course, the past few seasons we've had some bad luck with injuries which has exposed our lack of depth. Frustrating, to be sure.

Easily the biggest disappointment from Sunday's game is the defense. The secondary isn't great especially with guys hurt but the front 7 is pretty damn rock solid. And to get slammed like that is disconcerting for as much as I've been raving about our defensive potential this season.

We'll see what happens in the upcoming weeks. Either the downfall continues or guys begin improving and playing up to their potential.

+1

Too bad our defense didn't put an 0-10/12 on 3rd down conversions at CMU. They can't stop anything.

Defense is not the problem beyond that the d-line makes very, very few plays, our pass coverage leaves guys wide open, we give up scores on the first or first two drives of every game and opponents seem miraculous against us on third down. And we don't seem to try to do anything to change that.

The above is not being sarcastic. The D has problems but it's the offense that's the BIG problem.

His name is Ben Russell, number is 36, prey for his recovery. We do miss him.

Sometimes it's darkest just before the dawn. Hang in there guys and gals. The sky is not falling. Our best days are visible on the horizon.