Just a little perspective on last nights mess from a very loyal fan/supporter of this football program.

In the early 80's I spent 5 seasons on the Bobcat football squad.  My final game was a victory at Peden over a under-achieving Northern Illinois squad that had won the MAC Championship the year prior.  In the locker room, an emotional Brian Burke thanked the team for the victory and announced he had coached his final game in Athens.  The University was bringing back wonder kid, Cleve Bryant to lead them to future glory.

That following year, I passionately waited for the upcoming season and upcoming greatness for those guys I left behind.  Unfortunately, the program struggled and my buddies only won 2 games.  In fact, from 1985 to 1995, it was hard to mention to anybody that I was a proud Bobcat.  Some fans said to "bring back Burke," they'd love to be 6-5.  I mean, take a look at how damn hard it was to remain loyal to this team after I left college:

1995: 2-8-1
1994: 0-11
1993: 4-7
1992: 1-10
1991: 2-8-1
1990: 1-9-1
1989: 1-9-1
1988: 4-6-1
1987: 1-10
1986: 1-10
1985: 2-9

Fast forward to 1998 and 900 miles west of Athens.  National Champion Nebraska hands longtime assistant Frank Solich the keys to the football program.  For six years he is very successful as their head coach.  Following a 7 win season in 2002, Solich turns it around and leads the 2003 squad to a 9-3 regular season record (sound familiar?)  However, second-year Nebraska AD Steve Pederson fires Solich before the bowl game, and says he wouldn't "let Nebraska gravitate into mediocrity."  For the next 5 years, Nebraska is lost and off the college football map.  Husker fans lament the firing of Solich.  However, fans of OHIO football are ecstatic with Nebraska's misfortune and welcome Solich to save a program that was now ranked near the bottom of all D-1 schools.

Since Frank has come to Athens, he has restored the football program to yearly respectability and is the envy of many schools in the Mid American Conference.  Lets face it, there are plenty of football teams, sitting at home, that would have loved to been playing in that game last night.  Am I mad? I was furious. But guess what, I'm not as PO'd as Temple, Miami, Akron, Kent, Ball State, etc, right now.

Unlike Nebraska, I'll take 9-3 regular season records any day.  Will we win the MAC Championship someday?
Sure.  I just hope it's with Frank.  In the mean time, we'll just keep winning the East, our day will come.

Thanks for 9-3 Frank, we're enjoying this years SUCCESS, now,go win us our first bowl game!

OHIO1985: Great post!  Like you I am still grieving the loss last night, but like you I'm not ready to turn in my Bobcat Football Fan Card, as some here seem to be on the verge of doing.  It's now time to concentrate on a bowl victory.  We've won MAC championships before -- all be it a long time ago, but we've never, ever won a bowl game.  We can still get that monkey off our back this season.  Go OHIO!

Triple plus with blue ribbon for perspective.  (I was there for all of those; I remember the transition from Burke's above .500 seasons to the doldrums.  Thoughts of bowl games were just a self medicated induced vapor back then.)