I used to live in Nashville, and I agree with this 100%. Nashville has a lot of sports activity, and no one I knew cared about what was going on down in Murfreesboro. Yes, MTSU has a big enrollment (20k). Yes, Murfreesboro is a nice sized town (150k). While it is technically in the Nashville metro area, it is very separate, and like you, I don't believe that MTSU is ever going to have a major impact in the Nashville media market.

I want WKU and Youngstown State to join the MAC. Adding more Ohio teams makes it less likely that an Ohio team would move on from the MAC, which creates more stability for the conference whenever the next round of realignment occurs.

What is the logic here? The conference immediately becomes more diluted in an already crowded recruiting region. The MAC becomes less appealing with YSU.

Agreed. Unless YSU is providing some sort of value I'm not aware of, I would think someone like Toledo would be more inclined to leave the league if another Ohio team joins.

This won't be the last time BTC stumbles around amusing himself by rejecting common sense and a few bots come to his aid, but I sincerely hope this is the last time I publicly question his ability to comprehend elementary level statistics on this specific topic.

Below is where Pope Albin and OU finished in 2023:

Strength of Schedule: 120th
(PowerRankingsGuru has us at 129th)

Total Offense: 97th (40th in 2022)
PPG: 100th (41st in 2022)
Passing: 86th
Passing TD: 95th
Rushing: 92nd
Total Yards: 92nd

Rourke Ranks (11 games both seasons):
2022 Passing TD: 26th
2023 Passing TD: 88th

2022 Passing Yards: 22nd
2023 Passing Yards: 65th

2022 Comp %: 6th
2023 Comp %: 50th

2022 Rating: 4th
2023 Rating: 70th

2022 Avg YPC: 3rd (9.2)
2023 Avg YPP: 65th (7.2)


Putting it lightly, we failed to meet expectations. OU was expected to win the division. They received 33% of the vote to win the MAC. In any other world, that is fireable. It's been said dozens and dozens of times, including by me, 9 wins is tremendous, nothing if not miraculous. But we went from having the #1 offense in the conference to 100th in FBS. #100. Against the 3rd EASIEST SCHEDULE in college football. Read that again. Have someone read it to you. The 100th ranked offense vs the 129th ranked schedule. 9 wins, again, amazing - as you message daily. Amazing stuff. Against the 129th ranked schedule. 100th ranked offense.

Led by a tremendous defense, we got lucky most weeks. We won ugly most weeks. The expectation was to - yes, win against the 4th easiest schedule in FBS - but to win the games we needed to win, to take the division and compete for a championship. It was not to REGRESS across the board when you returned 85% of the offense.

But yes - please continue to think you're getting off these hilarious one liners. You're really crushing it here.

*edit*
And your dumb comparison about Boals - I'm not sure where to even begin, but he brought in NINE NEW PLAYERS. 19 wins with a roster that lost 14 of the 16 players who scored points the prior year... They finished 5th in the conference. He deserves an extension just for that. But regardless - they were picked to finish 5th. They finished 5th. I mean, be upset if you want. I can't help you there.

Like BTC mentioned just win baby! Maybe you don't subscribe to the Al Davis theory? Knocking a program that just won nine games! Jump on the bandwagon in Columbus, because you sound exactly like most of their fans.

What's going on with Indiana State, Illinois State, Southern Illinois? Is there any potential for those three to join the MACtion in the future? They all seem to care about sports.

Logically, if the MAC is going to expand, they need to expand two things, the recruiting base, and the market area. Adding more schools in Ohio would only add additional teams recruiting the Ohio area, and weaken the conference. Thus, in my opinion, the MAC should probably look to add teams from states like Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, or Iowa.


How about adding 4 teams? You could add Indiana State, Illinois State or SIU, WKU, and Northern Iowa, and increase the covers of the MAC in all four states.

They should re-name it the "100 miles of casual dislike" because it's not the bitter rivalry it used to be.

Like UMASS and Temple? :)

I would add Youngstown State and Eastern Kentucky. Very low travel cost. Both would really thrive in the MAC. Eastern Kentucky much closer to the MAC than Western Kentucky. They are the best FCS football programs that are closest to the MAC. MAC would save with the travel costs. The savings for the MAC would be moving BGSU to the west and placing Youngstown State and EKU in the East. YSU would be a closer trip for Buffalo than any other MAC school. Miami and Ball State closer to Eastern Kentucky. Less travel for student athletes. Helps with rivalries having BGSU and Toledo in same division with YSU, Akron and Kent State in same division. YSU also closer drive from Cleveland area alumni of MAC schools like Akron and Kent State are.

They could develop rivalries with both NIU and Ball State (Red Bird RUMBLE) - smells like a MAC program already. Interesting note about their stadium is that it was designed in a way that it could be further expanded upon.

Any MAC expansion would have to create regional interest and rivalries that make sense and the league more enjoyable to watch. I'm still not convinced a YSU addition does that to put yet another team in Ohio, but schools like Illinois State, WKU, EKU, UNI and Southern Illinois probably do. The east coast schools and the Dakotas are just too remote.