My guess is there were 2,000 to 3,000 Ohio fans at the game last year. I was pleasantly surprised by their turnout.

its hard to tell due to colors being in the same ball park, but I will say that many more marshall fans come out for ohio for a couple of reasons to explain that difference in attendance.

A. We always play early season when expectations are high and most ofbthe time, ohio is our first true test and a barometer of where we are for the season.

B. Its a rivalry game with more interest, period, than a tulane or houston, etc.

C. Ohio does bring a couple thousand fans

I look forward to being in athens saturday and rocking the kelly green under the lights. Should be an elextric atmosphere.

Every other year 5,000 Marshall fans show up and shame Bobcat Nation (especially the Tower side) into actually cheering like, well, normal college football fans should cheer......  And I dig it.

The difference is people want to come to Athens.  

Must be hard to be such a self-loathing fan.

I'm feeling too many negative vibes on this board from the Bobcat faithful.  Why??? 
Ok, we got beat up by U of L  and made a game of North Texas.   So what..  I'm not one for making excuses but lets really look at this in detail
U of L
1. U of L is most likely going to be in the National Championship game and Teddy will be the favorite to win the Heisman.  Note: I didnt say they would make it into the championship because they are the best team.  Facts are facts.  It's almost impossible to navigate through the SEC without at least one loss.   
2.  We all can agree that we waited too long to open up the offense at U of L.  Down 3 scores to them was nearly impossible.
3. We came out of a spring where most of our skill guys sat out.  Timing was not there and it was obvious.
4. Maybe, just maybe, we bought into the hype that we were the team that was going to hand them their only loss.   (which frankly, pissed them off I'm sure) 

Game was over by the end of the first QTR and I'm sure even the coaches knew it.... So why show anything new.

North Texas.
1. We should have put this team away by half time.   A couple of penalties and missed opportunities in the Redzone allowed them to get back in it.  
2. We saw a much better Bobcat (balanced) offense and the Defense was outstanding. 
3. The skilled players looked more in sync and the DB's were playing much better
4. North Texas is not a bad team. 

I believe many are making their assesment based on our performance vs Marshall last year.  By all rights we got beat.   I also believe many feel this years OU team is not as good.  To that I say Bull#$&@.     Are we playing our best right now.  Probably not.  Are we getting better every QTR.  Stats would suggest so....

Last year we limped into Marshall with little to no experience at DB.. TT, as we learned later in the year, was not 100%..
 

Do I believe Marshall is a better team than they were last year.  You bet I do...
Do I think the Bobcats are a better team than they were, vs Marshall last year.  You bet I do.   

So with that said.  Let the games begin... This is gonna be a good one.  

Sorry, but I just felt I needed to vent.....

I think what's different about this year is that it feels like we didn't do enough in Spring and Fall camps to prepare for the beginning of the season. Unlike last year where we started at the apex and continued to drift down as injuries took their toll this year feels like we might be ascending over time, improving each week.

If we can squeak this one out we've got cream puffs from now until November MACtion.

cream puffs, you've got to be kidding, we are fully capable of losing to anyone (fbs) on our schedule. If you look at how close many of our wins were last year, I can't be so sure about calling even UMass and Akron as cream puffs . Frankly I seem nothing so far to tell me that we can take anyone lightly.

You'd feel that way too if Sherman had marched through West Virginia the way he did through South Carolina! 

BTW, we claim Sherman as a subway alumnus, since his father-in-law and step father (same man) was the second graduate of Ohio, in the first graduating class.