"The coach isn't the problem up there, Ron English is doing all he can with what he's got. Is everyone forgetting they went 6-6 last year? Getting sustainable talent year after year is an issue though. That's where they lag behind. And the attendance at football games...ugh."



Sounds like what used to be said about Ohio.  Beat the bushes, diamonds in the rough, coach them up, repeat, over and over..  Not easy, but coach Solich left a model.

If we go 12-0 or 11-1 in football and only lose 4-5 games in basketball, the fact that Eastern Michigan in the MAC will have very little to do with our perception anyway.

Dominate the MAC.  That is all you have to do, and things will work themselves out just fine.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say we're in no postition to say EMU shouldn't be in the MAC.  In my opinion the only reason Ohio is where it is football-wise is because of Coach Solich and Coach Solich only.  Were it not for him we'd be at or near the bottom of the MAC.  Our football facilities are old and archaic at best.  Don't tell me we're getting an indoor practice facility.  So what?  We're one of the last teams IN THE MAC to get an indoor practice facility!  It's been Coach Solich, with his reputation and ability to coach, that has been able to attract top-notch assistant coaching and recruit higher caliber players.  Quite frankly (no pun intended), it's miraculous that Coach Solich has been able to achieve what he's been able to achieve.  And we're lucky-he's not leaving for greener pastures; were he only 40-45 years old we might not be so fortunate.

So to me, we're one coach away from being where Eastern Michigan is. 

Good point and you're exactly right about President McDavis!

I actually agree, LoganElm and I talked to a few Marshall fans after the game and they admitted that CUSA wasn't that great of an idea and said they missed us being conference rivals. It might be worth a shot but unfortunately the concept of a snowballs chance applies here. That being said with the MAC getting better and better I honestly don't know if the Big East would be that greener of a pasture for Ohio. Just my 2 cents worth... 

Couple points.

1. I completely agree that if we can dominate the MAC, it doesn't really matter how strong we make it. A strong MAC wouldn't hurt though unless we couldn't compete...

2.  I would LOVE Marshall replacing EMU, but I don't see Marshall coming back.  That is why I suggest picking up a successful FCS program.

3.  I understand we never lit the world on fire before Solich (far from it), but please do not pretend we were as bad of a program as EMU.. Yes, in the wins category we were, but this program never was averaging as low as EMU was in attendance and will never drop that low.  We lost forever and ever and still outdrew what EMU does now.  I understand that at the end of the day, wins are all that matter.  If that is all you want to argue about the kind of teams we want in the MAC, then yes EMU works.  That is shooting for the minimum though... I dream of a greater MAC.
If you dropped Ohio University 8 miles from OSU and called us Eastern Ohio, I'd suggest we drop down too... The potential just isn't there, at least in football.

4.  Can we please stop with this "if we didn't get Solich..."  Guess what, we DID get Solich.  We committed to athletics.  McDavis and the board committed to athletics.  It took awhile, but we did.  I am not taking our success for granted, and I understand our program drops just as quick as it grew with a new administration, but EMU doesn't have any of the "sleeping giant" characteristics we had. Then again, I never really thought we had many of those... My hopes were in basketball...  Thank goodness for McDavis and what followed.

I mentioned elsewhere I have no clue if any FCS school would have interest in moving up to the MAC.  I can only hope.  I think a number of schools would be successful based on there attendance now, location (key) and success in both football and other programs.