TML1000

5 hours ago, ChubbyHubby said:

I'm predicting a miracle vaccine in our near future.

It is on the horizon but probabaly will be just in time for the end of basketball season lol.

3 minutes ago, mikescherrer8 said:

Not too sure if that game was definitive as to if we are really good or if NIU is really bad. But I am pretty certain we are getting a bowl bid, especially if we can get healthy and remain that way.

Agreed...tough to really judge the offense when having only 23 minutes of possession due to all of the defensive scores in the 2nd half then the backups getting in late. The outside zone running will still be incredibly effective against any opponent...KV looked solid other than the one interception that he just chucked up to Nunn. A few odd play calls in the middle of the game when the score was still close but I will chalk it up to being the season opener in an odd season.

Gabbert was injured in the game last night for Miami...Mayer played well in relief as they came back from down 21-10 but very nearly blew a 31-21 lead late and were fortunate to avoid OT. Mayer is a different type of QB than Gabbert so that may effect the game plan. Similar to Nunn, Sorensen is their main weapon at WR but Miami does not really have a dynamic RB.

58 minutes ago, Gxtrex said:

Overall I think we played alright.  JP looked strong as usual.  The game was a lot closer than the box score because we got lucky with a few defensive touchdowns.

NIU moved the ball well in the 2nd and 3rd quarters...yes, we were fortunate to get some scoop and scores but NIU also scored some garbage time td's late. I think the finla spread of 19 is about right.

7 hours ago, ChicagoBull said:

 

 

Athlon ranks Buffalo #1 in almost all defensive groups and Northern Illinois #9 or #10 in all offensive groups.  The spread seems rather low to me.  

It is up to 13/13.5 depending on the site but yes, I would've expected in the 17-18 range, similar to the Western over Akron line. NIU in a rebuilding year...we should hold them to 14-17 points.

This player returned to a campus with hardly any students, the university shutdown and no actual sanctioned football activities on-going....and also without any testing or even more basic covid protocols. It is unlikely he contracted the virus while on campus. Sad story but really doesn't relate to whether conferences should start playing again, especially those at the D-1 level with detailed testing, tracing and mitigation measures in place.

Is playing basketball in November also too much of a risk? Would spring football also be too risky? What is the golden goose we are looking for so that play will be "OK" again?

17 hours ago, BrooklynBull said:

Would you want to be or have your son be a guinea pig for this experiment?  I would not.

Every single person who is working in public, going to classes, interacting with other people is a guinea pig right now. You assess risk to the best of your ability given the information at hand...if you deem it too risky, you don't play.

Nothing is likely to be learned about the long-term effects by February, either....yet basketball is on track to start by Thanksgiving. The world has to go on while taking precautions and mitigating to the best of ones ability...but things must go on.

Shut it down...we just don't know. No innovation will mitigate the risk of Myocarditis enough.

There is no leadership...it is purely institutions trying to cover their backsides and try to seem like they are doing the "responsible" thing. The message I would be getting if I were a student athlete right now is, "When things get tough, just fold up shop."

22 hours ago, zigo230 said:

This week should bring a lot more clarity on where CFB is going this fall.  With the MAC shutting it down, several media who follow the sport think that other FBS conferences will be following the MAC.  I don't really see any spring football unless most if not all conferences will try to do this in unison.  We'll see.  I think for now it's just something being thrown out there to appease the players and coaches.  Cross country and swimming you can pull off in the spring....Football is a different animal.

Bingo....they will continue to string along the student-athletes yet still use the guise that these decisions are about "health and safety."

When times get tough...just cancel. 🙃

Shut. It. Down.

Collapse of the college game in all sports but football coming...sad. Most sports will just move even more to the clubs at the youth level.

Would like to see some sort of innovation and contingency planning before just straight cancellation....that goes for all areas of life in this situation, not just sports.

Season is almost certainly over...even if the CBI/CIT invite comes, it will likely be declined.

Everyone is to blame for everything...that is the message I am hearing from this article and many like it that have been written.

Only 8 turnovers was huge last night, 7 of which came from Fair/Hall. If T and the posts do not turn the ball over, this team will be very tough to stop offensively. 

54 minutes ago, John said:

Wow!! Another good win on the road against Akron. What a turnaround!! It seemed like the season was a goner after their six game losing streak with the team looking lost both offensively and defensively with no continuity with player rotations. It does show the resolve of Coach Jack and the players. Coach Jack did make player starting and rotation changes that have paid off big time. The continued improvement of both Adeyeye and Walters has steadied the front court especially on the rebounding side and has taken some of the pressure off Fair and Onwuka. With a four game winning streak and a chance to beat Kent State on Saturday’s home game a real possibility. Again hope for a large and enthusiastic crowd at 2PM on Saturday. Go Bulls!!!

If there is one thing I have learned over the past 7 years, it is to not doubt Coach Jack. The 2nd half last night was some of the best ball the team has played all season. If they continue at that level, they can win the tourney.

Huge game tonight...a win tonight and we secure at least the 8 seed(I'm pretty sure given that we would then have split with Akron and be guaranteed a better in-division record).

Also, a win tonight and a Toledo loss(they have lost 6 straight since beating UB and play Central tonight) should give us the 7 seed. I believe we could still get the 6 seed if we win both and Eastern loses both.

Ohio coming in on a 2 game losing streak to Akron and BG, although both were on the road and they are 10-1 at home. I feel UB can score on Ohio for sure but have to defend the perimeter far better than the first meeting, which was also the game Fair sat out.

Just get to the 8 seed. I'm sure we all remember 2016 when a young team struggled through most of conference play, won 4 of their last 5 in the regular season and won it all in Cleveland, including beating Ohio in the qf's whom no other MAC team could beat that year.

Not saying I am expecting anything quite like that to happen this season but a home game in the first round is much needed and then I'll take my chances against CMU in the quarters. I'm sure CMU would rather face a number of other teams in their first tourney game other than Coach Jack.

On 2/8/2020 at 7:37 PM, skrabukes said:

It's pretty sad. The public at-large has bought in to Coach Jack and the women's bball team and has given pretty solid support over the past few seasons. It's too bad that more students don't show up. Maybe a t-shirt giveaway for the women's game would be helpful, whereas 2 men's games in a row got a 750 shirt giveaway. 

This team is young and has it's limitations. They definitely didn't look to be at their best today and Toledo shot the lights out, including a 2nd home game in a row with 1/2 court shot made for the opponent. I like this team a lot moving forward. 

There is still time to get it together this season and make a run...they took CMU to the limit just a few weeks back and competed with Ohio without Fair playing.

Assuming Summer is healthy and plays next year, and that all of the impact returnees do indeed return, the team should once again be at the very top of the MAC and fighting for an at-large. Also, there is more young talent on the way for next season. I would expect at least two of next year's incoming freshman to have solid impacts.

As frustrating as this season as a whole...and particularly last night...has been, the conference as a whole has shown no consistency. Just about any team has a shot in Cleveland as it stands.

Not an excuse by any means for the stinkers the team has played at times this season but the season will be judged on what we do in Cleveland. If we somehow put together a run and win it again, all or most will be forgotten and forgiven...if not then most questions asked of this team will be valid.

By all accounts, it seems that Watt has been one of the Italian league's top players over the past few seasons...probably too late for another NBA look but I would think he should be doing quite well for himself at this point.

I know they weren't here last season but both Mitchell Watt and Wes Clark are leading their respective clubs in scoring in the Serie A Basket (top Italian league and the 2nd/3rd best Euro league). Both are averaging about 14ppg with Watt also leading his team in RPG and BPG. Both team's are 8-8 but Watt's team is also 8-2 in EuroCup games.