...... Which means we're due.

Lets hope.  It's always more fun to play against the best players.  I really ought to get back to work.  Yes, OU fans, I have a job...unlike the jerks who wear blue and piss yeller on Saturdays.

Sounds like we both have excellent punters. One can make a case for Hershey being the best in the nation, but your guy sounds like he's right there with him. We also have a top-notch kicker.

I am very disappointed at the level of game week discussion on both sides.  Really?  Calling Ohio a "terrible program" (not true) and criticizing the city of Athens (uh...really?) from Marshall fans and calling Marshall "three yards and a cloud of misdemeanors" (just weak) and saying we were not playing with student athletes all of those years were were owning the MAC (stupid).  Is this the best the game week discussions are going to get?  This is worse than WVU week. 

The reality is that Marshall owned the MAC during a time when Ohio was pretty far down.  Marshall was knocked to the cellar after being put on probation for the scandal involving players making too much money for minimum wage type work.  We made a bad coaching hire.  In the meantime, Ohio became much better after making a great coaching hire, and is now the lead program in the MAC East.  Marshall is coming out of the probation cloud slowly and has made what he hope is a good coaching hire.  We have played twice since the MAC days with Marshall winning each game close.  Athens is a smaller (but cleaner and safer) city than Huntington.  Ohio does not have the fan base of Marshall (especially with regard to traveling), but Marshall does not exactly pack our stadium and is in the same boat in terms of fighting for fans in a state dominated by another program.  We both have rising programs with the potential to greatly increase our fan bases. 

All of that out of the way - we have 2 teams that seem evenly matched this season.  Our strengths play against each other on both sides of the ball.  We are going to meet in a big game on a day where the weather is predicted to be good and settle the "who is better" debate in a beautiful setting for college football.  I think the "let's talk football" ship has sailed on this board for the week.  So...good luck everyone.  I look forward to tailgating and the game in Athens (very nice city).  Go Herd!

I really liked this... Bravo sir.

Thanks...I was pretty proud of that one... 

Finally.

First off, Marshall2004, THANK YOU!  

I honestly don't really care about the other threads, go complain about whatever you want over there, but this one is the Game Thread, so let's keep stick to Game related posts.

Everything that you said in your post, 2004, was spot on.  I wouldn't have a leg to stand on if I argued that Marshall wasn't a dominant force while they were members of the MAC.  Also the majority of those years, Ohio was a very weak football team.  You should've beaten us year in and year out, and you did.  However a lot has changed since you went to C-USA.  We have brought in a veteran coach who has stabilized our program and taken it to new heights.  Each year that Solich has coached, the quality of players brought into the program has improved.  I will admit, I haven't really followed Marshall extensively since they left the MAC, but it's obvious that your team hasn't had the same success that they had while MAC members.  As a result you cleaned house, and brought in Doc Holliday who has the job of rebuilding a once proud program, that has obviously overcome a lot of adversity in the past.  Which leads us into Saturday...

Ohio is coming into the game 2-0, by beating 2 teams that they should have beaten easily, which they did.  Marshall is entering 1-1, losing to a very good WVU as many expected, and defeating a tough conference opponent in USM.  Some Marshall fans are arguing that you will defeat us handily as you have in the past.  I will make the argument against that.  Since Solich came in, these two programs have met twice, with Marshall getting the upper hand 21-17, and 24-23 following a missed 2 point conversion which would've won the game.  Based on these two scores, I hardly think it will be a blow out.  Both teams have relatively young QB's in Cato and Tettleton (Rr and R-SO), who have a combined 4 collegiate starts between them.  With young starters, limiting turnovers is key, and could be the determining factor.

I can't wait for Saturday!  As I'm sure you are aware the Ohio Football community lost a great friend with the passing of Marcellis Williamson this past summer.  There will be a brief memorial for him pre-game and I'm sure that Marshall fans and players will be extremely respectful during this.  Following that I expect a great hard fought game between 2 schools.  I hope that you guys enjoy your time in Athens, however I am hoping that it ends on a sour note.  Go CATS!

Very good post.  This was the type of reasoned post that I was promoting in my "Open Letter" thread.  Thanks, 2004!

I love the Marshall 98 and Ohio 0 score....oops my bad we're OU....not good enough yet to be called Ohio.

You may see some hard hittin since everyone from Marshelle is dissin our arse......Cato better be better than Pennington.

Well that score will be a tad off.

NO ONE CARES!!!!!

If they keep playing like this, they can wear skinny jeans and scarves for all I care.