I know we won't pay 5M. But let's say we pay 800 to 1M and the program starts winning MAC championships. Is it realistic to think we could play in a major bowl and what kind of money would that bring? Enough to break even at least? Because we lose money now. And could we even do it with the kind of schedule we play? IMO we would also need to play 2 to 3 games on the road against P5 and win some of those. Maybe there is some money there, but if we become more successful that would dry up. Why would a P5 want to play a MAC school if they think they can lose? That's not why they schedule that type of game. So in the end we need deep pocketed boosters.
When you are talking boosters the something to be said for booster fatigue. I don't know how many still owe pledges on the IPF or Sook but I'm sure there are some out there.
The administration has beefed up the schedule somewhat. There are 2 P5s on the schedule each year from 2021-24. Is it going to be enough to get to a major bowl if Ohio wins the MAC? I doubt it unless Ohio has an undefeated season.
Instead of something that has a 5% chance of happening if the goal was just to win the MAC then its a 20% chance with the existing staff and no higher than that with a new one. When you hire a new staff too there is elevated personnel turnover. Risks involved that the hire might not work out.
The longer term trend I've seen is as the MAC has developed with more bowl games Ohio has progressively become more competitive nationally. The chance to play in a major bowl game has only been around for 14 years, and a guarantee for the highest ranked champ outside for the P5 for the last 6.
What is to say then in another 2-3 years they don't decide to expand the playoff and give the G5 a spot? Then you're talking not just a major bowl but a national championship. Of course it could go the other way and the P5 decides to form their own division. In context of all this we might as well continue to ride the staff for the time being because changes are coming and they've kept the team competitive enough.
This year even Ohio was only 3 points away from an undefeated season. Cincinnati was also 3 points away from undefeated. While that is not a close analogy, if Ohio won against CMU and was still locked out of the MAC Championship because of COVID it goes undefeated. This in a year with new QBs.
Could we do what NIU did from 2010-2014 where they won 11 games in each of those seasons winning 3 MAC Championships in 5 years, one berth in the Orange Bowl and second year where they were quite close to making another one. That would be the next level from where the staff has the program now but its a rarified level and a level that might be more realistic in the future than it is right now.
Last Edited: 1/9/2021 8:39:15 PM by TWT