Ohio Football Topic
Topic: UB vs NIU in the MACC. Who ya got?
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OhioBobcat
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Posted: 11/28/2018 11:16 PM
I'm actually interested in this matchup. A few weeks ago these two were undefeated in the MAC and it looked like a possible MAC heavyweight showdown. Since then, Buffalo was taken behind the woodshed by Ohio and NIU's offense has made getting 10 yards look impossible at times. That said, when focused, NIU has a very good defense and when it's not being smacked around by Ohio, UB has a pretty potent offense. So we should get a good matchup between NIU's defense vs UB's offense. I expect UB to somewhat struggle against NIU's defense like they did vs Ohio, but I don't expect them to lose all the turnovers in this game like they did vs OU. NIU's defense always gives them a shot, but I'm just not sure that offense will be able to do enough. The game is indoors so weather is a non-factor. I'm going to lean with UB in a lower scoring type of a game.

UB - 26
NIU - 20
71 BOBCAT
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Posted: 11/29/2018 7:09 AM
Agreed





GO BOBCATS
GoCats105
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Posted: 11/29/2018 10:51 AM
The tough OOC schedule pays dividends for NIU in the title game.

NIU 23
Buffalo 14
Bobcat1998
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Posted: 11/29/2018 11:47 AM
Who cares? It's another year without us in it when we are clearly the best team.
colobobcat66
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Posted: 11/29/2018 11:56 AM
Bobcat1998 wrote:expand_more
Who cares? It's another year without us in it when we are clearly the best team.
Pretty much right on. I’ll go with Buffs but really don’t care.
Pataskala
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Posted: 11/29/2018 12:00 PM
I'm thinking that NIU clinching the West when WMU lost two weeks ago made the last two games irrelevant for them. I gotta think they'll show up better for the MACCG. Defense wins championships.

NIU 24
Buffalo 23
Mark Lembright '85
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Posted: 11/29/2018 12:14 PM
I'm a college football fan, so I'm mildly interested in this game.

Buffalo ended the year on a better note than NIU, so I'll predict:

Buffalo -30
NIU - 20
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 11/29/2018 9:07 PM
Buffalo still smarting after their trip to Athens . . . go on the field looking for blood . . . and get it:

Beefs 48
NIU 24
OhioBobcat
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Posted: 11/29/2018 11:06 PM
I love the MAC and the MACC. Yes, I know in the national picture it pails in comparison to the Power Five conferences, their championships and their bowl games, and there won't ever been a national champion from the MAC. But I really enjoy following this conference on a week to week basis during the season. I still turn on the TV and watch the Top-25 teams on the major networks, but I still find more personal enjoyment following and tracking the MAC race on a weekly basis. I like a lot of the college towns that make up the MAC and I take pride in the conference. Getting to Detroit for the MACC is every MAC team's goal and I still find it exciting to watch the MACC no matter who is in it. To me the MACC carries way more weight than any bowl game out there that MAC teams get placed in. To me the MACC is one of my favorite games of the year. I'm hoping for a good game and look forward to seeing who takes the title tomorrow night.
bshot44
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Posted: 11/29/2018 11:20 PM
OhioBobcat wrote:expand_more
I love the MAC and the MACC. Yes, I know in the national picture it pails in comparison to the Power Five conferences, their championships and their bowl games, and there won't ever been a national champion from the MAC. But I really enjoy following this conference on a week to week basis during the season. I still turn on the TV and watch the Top-25 teams on the major networks, but I still find more personal enjoyment following and tracking the MAC race on a weekly basis. I like a lot of the college towns that make up the MAC and I take pride in the conference. Getting to Detroit for the MACC is every MAC team's goal and I still find it exciting to watch the MACC no matter who is in it. To me the MACC carries way more weight than any bowl game out there that MAC teams get placed in. To me the MACC is one of my favorite games of the year. I'm hoping for a good game and look forward to seeing who takes the title tomorrow night.
Well said ... but be careful. Some here value a Dollar General Bowl win over a MACC .... hell some value a Dollar General Bowl loss over a MACC especially if it's a well played contest between two strong competitors
Mark Lembright '85
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Posted: 11/30/2018 10:17 AM
bshot44 wrote:expand_more
I love the MAC and the MACC. Yes, I know in the national picture it pails in comparison to the Power Five conferences, their championships and their bowl games, and there won't ever been a national champion from the MAC. But I really enjoy following this conference on a week to week basis during the season. I still turn on the TV and watch the Top-25 teams on the major networks, but I still find more personal enjoyment following and tracking the MAC race on a weekly basis. I like a lot of the college towns that make up the MAC and I take pride in the conference. Getting to Detroit for the MACC is every MAC team's goal and I still find it exciting to watch the MACC no matter who is in it. To me the MACC carries way more weight than any bowl game out there that MAC teams get placed in. To me the MACC is one of my favorite games of the year. I'm hoping for a good game and look forward to seeing who takes the title tomorrow night.
Well said ... but be careful. Some here value a Dollar General Bowl win over a MACC .... hell some value a Dollar General Bowl loss over a MACC especially if it's a well played contest between two strong competitors
And there lies the rub. Occasionally MAC teams who DON'T win the MACC or even appear in the MACC will get a "sexier" bowl game than the MACC teams. For example, I would argue that in 2012 Ohio got a much sexier bowl invite by going to the Independence Bowl, even though it didn't even win the MAC East Division. Kent State, the MAC EAST champ who I believe finished the season ranked, eventually lost in the MACC against even higher ranked Northern Illinois. All Kent got for that was an appearance in the then GoDaddy.com Bowl. Nothing wrong with that bowl, but one would think a Top 25 ranked team would get a better bowl, or at least be deserving of a better bowl.
Ohio69
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Posted: 11/30/2018 10:56 AM
bshot44 wrote:expand_more
I love the MAC and the MACC. Yes, I know in the national picture it pails in comparison to the Power Five conferences, their championships and their bowl games, and there won't ever been a national champion from the MAC. But I really enjoy following this conference on a week to week basis during the season. I still turn on the TV and watch the Top-25 teams on the major networks, but I still find more personal enjoyment following and tracking the MAC race on a weekly basis. I like a lot of the college towns that make up the MAC and I take pride in the conference. Getting to Detroit for the MACC is every MAC team's goal and I still find it exciting to watch the MACC no matter who is in it. To me the MACC carries way more weight than any bowl game out there that MAC teams get placed in. To me the MACC is one of my favorite games of the year. I'm hoping for a good game and look forward to seeing who takes the title tomorrow night.
Well said ... but be careful. Some here value a Dollar General Bowl win over a MACC .... hell some value a Dollar General Bowl loss over a MACC especially if it's a well played contest between two strong competitors
I don't know of a single poster who values a bowl win over the MACC.

I think Northern will beat Buffalo.

I'm bummed the best team in the MAC (OHIO) will not be there.
Last Edited: 11/30/2018 10:57:54 AM by Ohio69
Maddog13
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Posted: 11/30/2018 11:23 AM
I think what separates the MAC from the big-time schools is inconsistency. Ohio is not the only school that suffers this problem. In many ways, this makes the MAC more fun to watch, because any MAC team can pull off an upset on any given week. It is also frustrating when you have a team with so much potential upside like Ohio. Though I think that Buffalo has more potential upside than Northern Illinois, I wouldn't be surprised if the latter comes up the winner. The cause and effect of this is that Buffalo might wind up going to a less than impressive bowl, if, in fact, there performance against Ohio hasn't already killed that for them.
bshot44
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Posted: 11/30/2018 11:49 AM
Ohio69 wrote:expand_more
I don't know of a single poster who values a bowl win over the MACC.

I think Northern will beat Buffalo.

I'm bummed the best team in the MAC (OHIO) will not be there.
I have DEFINITELY seen posts stating just that. There have been people that have said they value a bowl win over the MACC ... my guess, trying to justify Ohio's lack of one for 50 years.

Mark Lembright '85 wrote:expand_more
And there lies the rub. Occasionally MAC teams who DON'T win the MACC or even appear in the MACC will get a "sexier" bowl game than the MACC teams. For example, I would argue that in 2012 Ohio got a much sexier bowl invite by going to the Independence Bowl, even though it didn't even win the MAC East Division. Kent State, the MAC EAST champ who I believe finished the season ranked, eventually lost in the MACC against even higher ranked Northern Illinois. All Kent got for that was an appearance in the then GoDaddy.com Bowl. Nothing wrong with that bowl, but one would think a Top 25 ranked team would get a better bowl, or at least be deserving of a better bowl.


Aside from too many bowls, that is my #1 gripe with the bowl system. This ridiculous system with the tie-ins. I agree ... the Independence Bowl was a nice change of pace. Just like the Frisco Bowl might be this year.

But forcing UB or previous MAC champs to the GoDaddy/Dollar General/Motor City Bowl to play another G5 team while a 6-6 MAC team gets a game with Mississippi State (see Miami last year) is just absurd.

MAC has a much better chance to better their brand with a win over a middle-of-the-road P5 bowl team than any other G5 team.

I equated it to the kiddy table and the adult table. G5 schools get segregated to the kiddy table unless an adult isn't able to come and a spot opens up at the P5/adult table. Terrible system.
Ted Thompson
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Posted: 11/30/2018 12:22 PM
I got Buffalo.
Deciduous Forest Cat
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Posted: 11/30/2018 1:44 PM
bshot44 wrote:expand_more
I love the MAC and the MACC. Yes, I know in the national picture it pails in comparison to the Power Five conferences, their championships and their bowl games, and there won't ever been a national champion from the MAC. But I really enjoy following this conference on a week to week basis during the season. I still turn on the TV and watch the Top-25 teams on the major networks, but I still find more personal enjoyment following and tracking the MAC race on a weekly basis. I like a lot of the college towns that make up the MAC and I take pride in the conference. Getting to Detroit for the MACC is every MAC team's goal and I still find it exciting to watch the MACC no matter who is in it. To me the MACC carries way more weight than any bowl game out there that MAC teams get placed in. To me the MACC is one of my favorite games of the year. I'm hoping for a good game and look forward to seeing who takes the title tomorrow night.
Well said ... but be careful. Some here value a Dollar General Bowl win over a MACC .... hell some value a Dollar General Bowl loss over a MACC especially if it's a well played contest between two strong competitors
For someone who complains about being misinterpreted, you sure seem to like to put words in others mouths. I don't think I've ever seen anyone here say they value a MAC tie-in bowl victory over an actual MAC title.

Edit... yeah, I need to finish the thread before responding. Seems like others feel the same though and the burden of proof is on you.
Last Edited: 11/30/2018 1:45:53 PM by Deciduous Forest Cat
ytownbobcat
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Posted: 11/30/2018 1:45 PM
I think indoor venue favors Buffalos passing game and therefore I pick Buffalo.
OU_Country
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Posted: 11/30/2018 2:09 PM
I got Buffalo. My question is, how many are actually going to watch?
bshot44
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Posted: 11/30/2018 2:24 PM
OU_Country wrote:expand_more
I got Buffalo. My question is, how many are actually going to watch?
I think TV ratings will be okay. PAC 12 game isn't exactly a must-see matchup with UW-Utah.

I don't think the stands will be very full in Detroit though.

My guess ... 12,000? I'm sure they'll announce more ... but neither program is known for bringing fans (or even filling their own stadiums)

I think it's safe to say the Ohio Division I State Championship game will have more fans in the stadium than the MAC title game tonight.

I'll take Buffalo. I know NIU was playing meaningless games down the stretch with Miami and WMU ... but it's hard to just flip the switch.

Their offense is pretty anemic and Buffalo's has breakout capabilities ... gimmie UB to win and cover the -3'
Last Edited: 11/30/2018 2:24:49 PM by bshot44
ExCat21
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Posted: 11/30/2018 4:16 PM
In my Lee Corso voice......"Not so fast sweetheart." NIU is the top sacking team in the conference and have an All-American in Sutton. Buffalo struggles with teams that have good corners and NIU tackles well. If OU couldn't put 52 on NIU. BUFFALO won't either. NIU 24 - Buffalo 14. Offense MVP - Spencer Tears. Defense MVP - Sutton.
AlumDadDad
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Posted: 11/30/2018 8:42 PM
Watching the game just confirms the fact that the GOOD Ohio team would be winning this one handily. The not-so-good Ohio team would lose it in the fourth quarter.

And can we PLEASE get a new MAC commercial for Christmas?
Mark Lembright '85
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Posted: 11/30/2018 9:18 PM
bshot44 wrote:expand_more
I got Buffalo. My question is, how many are actually going to watch?
I think TV ratings will be okay. PAC 12 game isn't exactly a must-see matchup with UW-Utah.

I don't think the stands will be very full in Detroit though.

My guess ... 12,000? I'm sure they'll announce more ... but neither program is known for bringing fans (or even filling their own stadiums)

I think it's safe to say the Ohio Division I State Championship game will have more fans in the stadium than the MAC title game tonight.

I'll take Buffalo. I know NIU was playing meaningless games down the stretch with Miami and WMU ... but it's hard to just flip the switch.

Their offense is pretty anemic and Buffalo's has breakout capabilities ... gimmie UB to win and cover the -3'
Heck, last night’s Division II State Championship game drew people more than any single Ohio home game this past year.
Pataskala
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Posted: 11/30/2018 10:28 PM
The Huskies may have done Buffalo a favor because Leipold won't be such a hot commodity on the coaching market this year. Congrats, NIU.
cjlipps110
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Posted: 11/30/2018 10:29 PM
NIU just knows how to win MAC championship games. What a comeback.
ExCat21
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Posted: 11/30/2018 10:34 PM
Great game. Goes to show you don't have to be 10-2 or 9-3. They are 8-5. Buffs better toughen that schedule up.
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