Honestly, we are the school that most of the MAC envies. Yet, if we are truly honest with ourselves after the Pitt victory--Coach Solich's first game in 2005, didn't we think with the increased ESPN coverage and positive publicity that we would be in a different place 14 years later?
Well, what different place exactly? We contend for MAC Championships consistently. (Been to 4 title games.) We consistently have winning seasons. And we play in (and win) bowl games frequently. That is basically the best MAC schools can do in football. Especially after the conference realignment and $$$$ realignment that has happened throughout the NCAA since 2005, and the huge declining interest in team sports throughout the country.
Every time I watch the Bobcats, I know we have a really good chance to win the game. And other than Louisiana, this year the games have been really close and exciting. I'll likely get skewered for saying any of this on here, which is why I visit and post far less than I used to. Anyway, GO OHIO !
What I would add is this ....
I look at it this way. What if CMU had kept Brian Kelly for 15 years .... or Toledo had kept Matt Campbell for 15 years ... or WMU had kept PJ Fleck for 15 years ... or NIU kept Jerry Kill or Dave Doeren for 15 years ... or BG kept Dino Babers for 15 years? How many MAC titles would have those schools won in 15 years? How often would they have cracked the national rankings? Would any of those schools crept into the national conversation on a more regular basis?
Frank Solich has coached more games than any coach in MAC history (188) ... no one this century is even close to that in the MAC. Joe Novak coached 128 games in the MAC and he left NIU in 2007.
Since then ... 53 other coaches have either come and gone or are currently coaching in the league.
53!
Frank has coached in this league for 15 years ... only two other coaches have coached longer .... Herb Deromedi and Ohio's own Bill Hess who both coached 16 years in the league.
With his next MAC win ... Frank Solich will become the all-time winningest coach in MAC history. That is a really impressive feat considering where Ohio's football program was when he took over 15 years ago.
But you cannot ignore the elephant in the room .... Ohio has zero MAC titles during that time.
None.
That, to me, is almost as impressive as the 109 (and counting) MAC wins he's piled up.
It really is quite remarkable to have that much success in one of the FBS' worst conferences and not stumble into one league title.
I know .... quit beating the dead horse. I get it.
My point is ... when someone references that they thought Ohio would be in a different place 14 years later .... it's not that far-fetched given the fact that the MAC is a revolving door for coaches (good and bad). Ohio has managed to hold on to a good one for 15 years. And what do we have to show for it.
A competitive team that is bowl eligible more times that not .... that once every 4+ years plays for a league title ... but doesn't win one.
I know every since Ohio football fan would take these last 15 years over the previous 35 ...
But if I told you 15 years ago that Frank Solich would still be at Ohio ... and would win more games than any coach in MAC history ... and would take Ohio to 10 bowls games. Every one would have taken that and ran with it!
But you don't think it's a bit odd that in that stretch Ohio hasn't found a way to win a MAC title and only cracked the national rankings once?
12 different coaches have won a MAC title in the last 14 years ...
10 different teams have found their way into the AP poll the last 14 years .... Ohio is only one of those 10
So, while yes .... you are 1000000% correct with your positive assessment that football program is competitive MAC program ..... I can see how someone could say that after 15 years, it's not unreasonable to think Ohio could be head-and-shoulders above the rest of this league and essentially be what Marshall was when they ran roughshod over this league from 1997-2002
Last Edited: 10/21/2019 10:32:11 AM by bshot44