Virtual Scheumann Stadium

For anyone like me who's anxiously awaiting the release of NCAA 2010 on July 14th, this comes as yet another dose of awesome to sort of get you through the shakes until it hits the shelves. Virtual Scheumann Stadium. No word yet on what virtual Charlie looks like, whether or not the Pride of MidAmerica is accurately represented, or whether or not virtual Sean Baker actually eats virtual souls in the game. Supposedly, if it's in the game, it's in the game, so virtual souls should be collectively soiling their virtual pants.


Everything looks fairly good, though the visitors section is in the wrong area of the stadum, and I'm not sure how the hill is going to look. But, hey, at least the stadium looks good.

Enough Financial Data to Make Your Head Spin

OTP's co-editor, RV, stumbled across this website when surfing the interwebs for whatever he normally looks at and realized the virtual gold mine he had just uncovered. Provided by that site are the operating expenses, revenues, etc. for almost every team under the sun as they've reported to the NCAA. For BSU and UK, the teams we cover, the difference was in fact, staggering. Rather than try and compare the BSU apples to the UK oranges, we'll handle them separately, but equally, despite the whole kerfuffle that "separate but equal" has caused in the past...


Ball State University
The Cardinals reported an overall financial break even for athletics, at $17,427,728. Now, those numbers include every single sport at BSU, including the non-money makers, and that difference is mighty. For example, the football team clocked in with $5,436,482 in revenue for last fall. The basketball programs (men's and women's) generated $2,589,547. The sports not named football and basketball generated $5,293,108.

In terms of expenses, football clearly had the highest expenses at $5,436,482... the same as their revenue. The same is true for the basketball programs, where the revenue and expenses were equal. Creative accounting? Result of zero-based budgeting? Probably, but at least there's a revenue figure to sort of compare ourselves to.

Let's look at the rest of the MAC in terms of football revenue ranking...
1. Temple: $9,184,112***
2. Kent State: $6,040,915
3. Central Michigan: $5,712,638
4. Ball State: $5,436,482
5. Northern Illinois: $5,341,447**
6. Miami: $5,321,463
7. Ohio: $4,986,723
8. Akron: $4,707,537
9. Eastern Michigan: $4,655,860
10. Toledo: $4,441,368
11. Bowling Green: $4,127,434
12. Western Michigan: $2,522,901***
13. Buffalo: $1,882,475****
*-Temple University contributed $18,631,923 in terms of institutional support to the total revenue of the athletic department. Disclosure of amounts to teams not included.
**- Northern Illinois adjusted revenue for institutional support to individual teams without disclosing which teams, and how much
***- Western Michigan includes $14,680,397 of revenue not allocated by gender or sport
****- Buffalo does not include any sort of student fees or state allocation in their revenue. That was nearly $16 million in revenue for the entire department

The MAC is clearly tightly grouped, but I have no earthly explanation for Temple's eye-popping first place aside from the institutional support piece, which tells me they had to offset a ton of expenses by providing a boatload of institutional support. The adage says it takes money to make money, and it takes making money to be successful, so at this rate, Temple is due for a National Championship within the next several years.

For the Cardinals that's a ton of revenue, but it is my hope that with the recent success on the field, the Cardinals can continue to see that revenue increase. How? Good question. We seem to have things pretty well right now, and are sometimes unable to fill the Scheu despite having the best team in the state. But for that number to get any higher, seats will need to be expanded and filled on a routine basis. Then, and only then, will that number climb into the stratosphere needed for continual long-term success.


University of Kentucky
For the Wildcats, it's certainly an exercise that leads to some surprising conclusions and facts about the moneymakers on the campus. For the .edu crowds that see no purpose in athletics, Big Blue turned a $4 million profit for the overall athletic department. Let's see the chemistry school make that sort of change having people watch test tubes and bunson burners.

The football program turned a profit as well, clocking in with $12,018,188 in expenses to $25,861,744 in revenues. In comparison, the basketball program, the measuring stick for most Kentucky fans, clocked in with $8,584,145 of expenses, along with a $14,867,027 revenue pool. The overall athletic budget also clocked in with a total of $28,644,802 of revenue not allocated to any particular sport. That may come from television contracts, apparel deals, etc.

The rest of the SEC's football revenue in rank order...
1. Georgia: $67,053,051
2. Florida: $66,124,945
3. Auburn: $59,671,354
4. Alabama: $57,370,617
5. LSU: $52,687,713
6. South Carolina: $50,433,037
7. Tennessee: $40,264,212
8. Arkansas: $40,135,364
9. Kentucky: $25,861,744
10. Ole Miss: $17,768,432
11. Vandy: $16,924,277
12. Mississippi State: $15,994,121

Holy cow, standard deviation. To see a $50 million difference between top to bottom sort of further proves that there are clearly a group of haves and a group of have nots in terms of revenue. That would certainly explain why the elite programs in the SEC continue to be elite. Entities that make money hand over fist are usually the best at any given task, and football and athletics are no different. The only redeeming factor is that most of Alabama's revenue is eaten up by Nick Saban's astronomical contract and Tennessee's revenues will soon be pissed away on assistant coaches salaries or letterhead to send secondary violation notices to the NCAA.

In a nice little comparison, the University of Louisville's overall athletic budget featured around a $1.4 million profit. The football program contributed $16,082,457 of revenue, along with $11,601,884 of expenses. Little brother indeed.

The MAC on National Television in the Fall

The MAC has released it's nationally televised games for the fall football season. Fire up those TIVO's...

Thursday, Sept. 3
North Texas at Ball State, 7:30 PM (ESPNU)

Saturday, Sept. 5
Kentucky vs. Miami (Cincinnati, Ohio), 12 Noon (ESPNU)
Akron at Penn State, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Toledo at Purdue, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Western Michigan at Michigan, 3:30 pm (ABC & ESPN2)
Northern Illinois at Wisconsin, 7 pm (Big Ten Network)

Friday, Sept. 11
Colorado at Toledo, 9 pm (ESPN)

Saturday, Sept. 12
Central Michigan at Michigan State, 12 Noon (ESPN or ESPN2)
Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)
Eastern Michigan at Northwestern, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Western Michigan at Indiana, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Kent State at Boston College, 2 pm (ESPN360.com)

Saturday, Sept. 19
Ohio State vs. Toledo (Cleveland, Ohio), 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)
Eastern Michigan at Michigan, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Temple at Penn State, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Northern Illinois at Purdue, 12 Noon (Big Ten Network)
Indiana at Akron, 3:30 pm (ESPNU)

Saturday, Sept. 26
Buffalo at Temple, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Saturday, Oct. 3
Toledo at Ball State, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Saturday, Oct. 10
Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)
Miami at Northwestern, 12 Noon (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN Classic or Big Ten Network)

Saturday, Oct. 24
Central Michigan at Bowling Green, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Saturday, Oct. 31
Akron at Northern Illinois, 12 Noon (ESPN Plus/GamePlan)

Tuesday, Nov. 3
Bowling Green at Buffalo, 7 pm (ESPN2)

Thursday, Nov. 5
Miami at Temple or Eastern Michigan at NIU, 7:30 pm (ESPNU)

Tuesday, Nov. 10
Ohio at Buffalo, 7 pm (ESPN2)

Wednesday, Nov. 11
Toledo at Central Michigan, 8 pm (ESPN2)

Thursday, Nov. 12
Ball State at NIU or BGSU at Miami, 6 pm (ESPNU)

Friday, Nov. 13
Temple at Akron, 8 pm (ESPNU)

Wednesday, Nov. 18
CMU at Ball State or Buffalo at Miami, 6 pm (ESPNU)
CMU at Ball State or Buffalo at Miami, 8 pm (ESPN2)

Friday, Nov. 20
Akron at Bowling Green, 5:30 pm (ESPNU)

Tuesday, Nov. 24
Ball State at Western Michigan, 7 pm (ESPN2)

Friday, Nov. 27
ESPNU (11 am)/ESPN360.com multiple selection date
EMU at Akron, Buffalo at Kent State, Temple at Ohio, NIU at CMU, Toledo at BGSU

Friday, Dec. 4
Marathon MAC Football Championship Game
Ford Field, Detroit, MI, 8 pm (ESPN2)

Saturday, Dec. 26
Motor City Bowl (vs. Big Ten)
Detroit, MI, 1 pm (ESPN)

Saturday, Jan. 2
International Bowl (vs. Big East)
Toronto, ON, Canada, 12 Noon (ESPN2)

Wednesday, Jan. 6
GMAC Bowl (vs. ACC)
Mobile, AL, 7 pm (ESPN)

Cardinals Rock the Draft

For any who may have missed it this weekend, Ball State represented the MAC and the Cardinals by sending two players to professional rosters. One higher than expected, one lower than expected, but still a successful day for the program, the players, and the fans of the Cards. Get 'em while they're hot...

Offensive tackle Robert Brewster and quarterback Nate Davis were both selected on Sunday, Brewster heading to the Dallas Cowboys in the 3rd round with the 75th overall pick, and Davis heading to the San Francisco 49ers in the 5th round, with the 171st overall pick.

For Brewster, it was a surprise to say the least, to see the big fella head off the board as the 7th tackle chosen in the 09 draft. Listening to the pundits on ESPN chat about him, they liked the pick, but are concerned with Brewster's ability to play tackle in the NFL, insisting that he will likely end up as a guard. Regardless of where he ends up, he is a professional football player as of this moment, so congrats to Brewster.

For Nate Davis, it was a mixed bag all around. Though not surprising that he came off when he did, as most thought Davis was a 4th or 5th round selection, what was surprising was the players that came off the board at his position before him. Names like Stafford, Sanchez, and Freeman were to be expected, but names like Rhett Bomar and Stephen McGee were shocking to see chosen ahead of 13. The debate can begin now as to whether or not Nate should have stayed or left, but for this very moment, he deserves some celebration. He is a professional quarterback whose name was called during the NFL draft. And that alone, regardless of what Nate does in San Francisco or beyond, is a tremendous accomplishment.

Some other draft thoughts from an admitted NFL casual fan...

• Can someone explain to me how the draftniks like Kiper and McShay can go to lauding Mark Sanchez as the next great thing to talking about him as a potential bust all in the course of 24 hours?
• If someone can also explain to me why Tampa Bay felt the need to trade up two spots to take Josh Freeman, that would be most excellent.
• Same goes for Oakland and Darius Heyward-Bey. Fantastic player, but they passed up Jeremy Maclin, Michael Crabtree, and Percy Harvin to grab him. Very very strange.
• Aside from the Cardinals, other MAC draftees included: Northern Illinois' DE Larry English (Round 1), Ohio's S Michael Mitchell (Round 2), Western Michigan's S Louis Delmas (Round 2) and CB Edjuan Biggers (Round 7), Temple's DE Terrance Knighton (Round 3), Eastern Michigan's OT T.J. Lang (Round 4), Kent State's WR Julian Edelman (Round 7), Miami's TE Jake O'Connell (Round 7)
• Ball State's Chris Miller, Darius Hill, BJ Hill, and Dan Gerberry could potentially make a roster as an undrafted free agent, which Andre Ramsey has done... signing with the Seahawks late Sunday night.
  

This Is Why We Turned Down Boise's Offer

I remember back in late November, when Ball State allegedly had an offer on the table to travel to Boise, ID and play Boise State in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl. I also remember writing this. Of particular note...

Financially, the game would be a disaster...

That was my argument against playing in Boise, as it had nothing to do with who or where, but more about how. A program on the ropes against financial stability simply could not afford a Bowl game like Boise was offering. I was scoffed at, said there was no way it would be that bad, and that Ball State, to quote one person, "was making themselves look like bitches".

So imagine the small sense of smug "I was right" I felt when reading the Wiz's new column, profiling the epic financial disaster that fellow MAC member Northern Illinois is mired in after their Independence Bowl game against Louisiana Tech. A financial disaster that checks in at right around the $154,000 mark.

When I wrote openly about BSU and Boise, one of the things I noted was all the little trivial stipulations from a Bowl game. There's the cost of travel for those beyond the team, like the cheerleaders and pep band, equipment travel, etc. It isn't cheap and it certainly isn't cheap to a place like Boise, which has some of the most high cost requirements for bowl participation. Of course, most just simply dismissed those out of hand with a "It can't be THAT expensive!" Well, NIU seems to think otherwise. The biggest reason for the loss? A 10,000 ticket gap in allotment and sold. Which certainly would have happened had BSU headed west.

NIU will have enough funds to cover the costs, but mark my words, and it will be sooner rather than later, teams will begin to choose not to go to Bowl games at all if it comes with a $150k sticker, especially with the state of the economy and the general budgetary shitshows that are higher education budgets. I know there are non-dollar benefits like admissions, alumni support, etc. that come with a Bowl, but I think you'll find anyone that can make an argument that it's $150k worth.

Granted, BSU probably played their way out of the Boise game with the MAC Championship bed shatting, but it's still nice to sit back and say, "I told you so." So...

So Long, Chryst... Don't Let the Door Hit You

MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst is stepping down.

MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst is stepping down!

MAC COMMISSIONER RICK CHRYST IS STEPPING DOWN!!!

Chryst has been on the job for 10 years in Cleveland, and the debate about whether or not he was good for the conference has begun in earnest with his pending departure in June at the conclusion of his contract. Chryst, on the whole, was an average commissioner who basically backed into the job when the first choice resigned on the Monday after the Friday he accepted.

To his credit, he did increase the number of associated bowl games for football, but truthfully, that's about the extent of his tangible positive contributions. Basketball is in shambles, as there hasn't been a multi-bid year for the MAC since he arrived. He may have really helped out in gymnastics, field hockey or any of the other dozen sports I don't care about, and if he did, then that's really awesome for the handful of people who don't look at basketball and football as the real reason athletics exist.

Chryst said in a release, "Competitively the conference is positioned for the long term in a really stable way, which was not the case in 1999. Our future was in question then, primarily in football. Now that is stable, and our place around the (major college football) table is secure."

Really? Our place is secure? Newsflash Ricky... cooking up some half-assed television indentured servitude with ESPN for the next 8 years and dropping it in the next guy's lap doesn't scream "Place Around the Table". You whored out the conference you weren't even going to be running, and that's really slick how you waited till the deal was done and announced you were gone the next day. Classy move, brah. Are you planning on upper decking the executive toilet before you go?

The sad part about all this is that I don't think Chryst is a bad guy or even a bad commissioner. He was just an average commissioner who truly needed to be extraordinary. Unfortunately for him, the MAC was and still is at a real crossroad, especially in the football world. He was at a point where he was going to be swimming in some fairly deep waters, and frankly, he was going to drown. There is no way Rick Chryst could sit around a table with current SEC Commissioner and former BCS commissioner Mike Slive, former SEC Commissioner and BCS creator Roy Kramer, or current BCS commissioner John Swofford and have any semblance of credibility, respect, or voice. Those 3, or really any other BCS league commissioner would chuckle, pat him on the ass, tell him this is "Man talk, baby" and shoo him away.

So, Rick, thanks for the extra bowl games, now pick your ass up out of that Italian leather chair and get the fuck out.

The MAC Continues to Snuggle With ESPN

The MidAmerican Conference took another step toward credibility this week when ESPN announced they had reached a broadcast agreement with the MAC to extend through the 2016-2017 academic year. At face value, this is a great opportunity for the MAC to build off a fairly successful season of college football, paced by the Ball State Cardinals who were not only successful on the field but also in the homes of the American television viewers, setting MAC records for watchers in route to a 12-2 finish.

On the gridiron, the Marathon MAC Football Championship game remains atop the national television football package that will average six nationally televised games each season on either ESPN or ESPN2 in addition to a minimum of five games per year on ESPNU.

The deal entails not only football, as the new agreement considerably strengthens ESPN’s commitment to MAC men’s and women’s basketball. There will be a minimum of six MAC men’s or women’s regular-season conference games televised annually on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, and the MAC will continue to participate in ESPN’s ESPNU BracketBusters event, which the conference joined as a founding member in 2003. The league’s women’s championship game will now be aired on ESPNU as well.

My reaction to this is a resounding, "I'll take what I can get." On the football side of things, it will almost certainly mean more mid-week games, which is ultimately great for no one, save for the fact that it's the only way MAC games get shown on a national basis. And I guess it's good for men's and women's basketball. So... yay?

Most will be happy they can see their conference and school in action, but take a deeper look. If the MAC wants respect on a national level, hopping in bed with ESPN is not the way to do that. You know what would be better? Forcing the conference members to develop winning programs. Instituting a conference-wide expectation of support from the administration of the member schools. Figuring out creative ways to generate revenue and share that among the institutions that comprise the conference membership. Helping to build or rebuild facilities to create positive recruiting tools. Most importantly, showcase your members and the student athletes that have the possibility to generate interest on a national level.

Last season was a perfect opportunity for the MidAmerican Conference to really publicize on a national stage the BSU Cardinals and Nate Davis. The star power and draw of BSU was evident based on the fact that they set ratings records for the MAC and midweek games each time they played them. The Central Michigan-BSU game set a record for the highest rated Tuesday or Wednesday game ever. The Navy-BSU game set a record for the highest rated MAC home game ever. The Buffalo-BSU game set a record for the highest rated game featuring two MAC teams. The BSU-Tulsa game saw a 94% increase in viewership from last season. Where was the MAC lauding the Cardinals as potential BCS busters? Where was the MAC in publicizing Nate Davis as a potential Heisman Trophy winner? Hell, where was Ball State in getting Davis votes?

The sad answer to the above questions is nowhere to be found. I'm all for conference parity and not appearing to show favorites from a conference-wide perspective. That works for the major conferences, because they have nothing to gain. The SEC doesn't need to help with Tim Tebow's Heisman campaign because the talking heads at the same ESPN do it for them. Their exposure and relevance in the college football landscape is well cemented. Unfortunately, the MAC takes the big boy approach while being banished to the kiddie table and then wonders why no one includes them in any sort of college football conversation. And no, this isn't a BSU thing. Had CMU been undefeated with a player who finished 8th in the nation in Heisman voting with no campaign whatsoever I would be saying the exact same thing.

Is this a step in the right direction? I guess. It's progress, however small. I guess a question that remains to be answered is whether or not the MAC even wants to be considered a quality football conference. I wish I could answer that question with a resounding yes, but unfortunately, with the decisions made at the top, I have to wonder if the powers that be at both the conference and institutional level are not content simply making baby steps in a half assed manner while other conferences like the Mountain West demand respect and a place at the table.

The bottom line is there is a way to become a winner as a conference, and this ESPN dog and pony show isn't it. It begins from the ground up at the schools, and what is needed is a plan for long-term continued success from the conference that doesn't require you to pander to the WorldWideLeader with mid-week games that screw your fanbase, student athletes, and community supporters. Perhaps a Football 101 is needed for these folks who make decisions at the MAC office and the member schools. Because right now, at this very moment, all are receiving failing grades in that class.

A Delay, Random BSU Things, Bring on Auburn

It's been a hectic several days, and as such, posting around these parts has been a bit, shall we say, delayed. But the recruiting previews for the rest of Kentucky as well as Ball State will be along in the next several days. Our tentative schedule is as follows, in case you care:

Tuesday January 27: Ball State Offensive Recruiting Preview
Wednesday January 28: Kentucky Defensive Recruiting Preview
Thursday January 29: Ball State Defensive Recruiting Preview
Friday January 30: Total Recaps of Both Squads

In other news, and Ball State related, is that conditioning has started today. From all reports from Muncie, it's a solid workout. There is still no word on who, exactly, is leading said workouts, as there has been no official announcement on any changes to the Strength and Conditioning Director, but many, including me, expect there to be an official announcement sooner rather than later.

What is coming by way of official announcement is the out of conference schedule for the Cardinals for next fall. It includes:
Sept. 3 - North Texas
Sept. 12 - New Hampshire
Sept. 19 - @ Army
Sept. 26 - @ Auburn

Yawn? Yeah... yawn.

The good news? This is a schedule that at worst, the Cards go 3-1 through, with a real possibility at 4-0. The bad news is more of the same thing that plagued the Cards in 08, as this out of conference schedule isn't going to light anyone's pants aflutter with raging scheduleboners. Auburn will be a significant test for BSU, as even in a down year, Auburn is still Auburn, and their second and third stringers would start and dominate on a lot of MAC teams. Of importance and what BSU fans should focus on is the fact that this is not Game 1 for the Cardinals and the Parrish era. They have three essential tune ups to blow the epic stink of the GMAC Bowl off their bodies before heading south. It is also not the first road game, as they will battle a hostile crowd, albeit in a reduced capacity, against Army the week prior.

This could be a great opportunity for the Cardinals to announce they were not a one-year wonder, and to do it in the football rabid south. Gene Chizik or not, substandard recent history or not, Auburn is Auburn. And for a program with exactly one win over BCS conference opponents, I'll take a win however I can get it, down year or otherwise.

So with all due respect to New Hampshire, North Texas, and Army, September 26th cannot get here soon enough. That is the day that will either cement or crack Stan Parrish as the right hire for this position.

Hoke Confirms What Everyone Knew

Normally, coaches are fairly mum on the circumstances which necessitate their removal as an institution's football leader. Sometimes it is by the University's choice, and others, like in the case of Brady Hoke, it is the choice of the coach himself. Nearly a month after that choice was made, and Hoke has began the task of compiling a staff at San Diego State, he spoke with Doug Zaleski of the MSP last week. You can read the full article here.

What is surprising in this particular interview is that Hoke basically confirms that the assistants and their pay rate was the sticking point for his contract negotiations that eventually led to his resignation. Hoke said, "Taking care of guys who are doggone good people and work hard and do a great job of teaching life lessons to kids, that was a little bit of a sticking point. If I had an (issue), that would have been it."

Hoke seems like a genuine guy, so I'll take him at his word. However, I don't think it's a long stretch to think regardless of the offer made by BSU Hoke would have been tempted to leave. Though SDSU is a shitheap, the Mountain West Conference is markedly better on a national stage than the the MidAmerican Conference, and he would be recruiting in state that is rich beyond belief in prep talent.

Hoke did a good job at Ball State, and I'm sorry to see him leave. But he had a couple of decent years and one really good year. Let's remember that he has a career sub-.500 record and zero conference titles. Not to mention that it's easy to look smart when you have talent. We call that the Spurrier Effect around these parts.

One thing I do want to point out is Hoke's closing comment in the article. Hoke said, "I can promise you I'll always be looking on Sunday mornings or whenever so see how Ball State did. I'm proud to be a graduate of that school, proud to have been the head coach there, and I look forward to the guys there doing a tremendous job."

Humpday Quickies

It's the first postseason edition of Humpday Quickies, and it isn't even humpday anymore. This does not bode well for the future. Regardless, here's what's happening in the football universe...

Ball State Quickies

• We hope coaches Jeff Hecklinski, Darrel Funk, and Mark Smith don't let the door hit them on the ass on their way out of it. The three will join Brady Hoke in San Diego for similar positions at SDSU. So long. Funk does get the award for creepiest bio picture, as it falls somewhere between axe murderer and psychopath. Oh well, he's SDSU's psychopath now.
• Scuttlebutt is that strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman will also join Hoke at SDSU. There has also been no official announcement on coaches joining the fold for Stan Parrish, but rumors say we are close to an Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Coordinator. Offense? Not so important with Stan there. Defense? Exceptionally important.
• ESPN midmajor blogger Graham Watson has the Cardinals #7 in her final non-BCS power poll.
• Sean Baker? Freshman All American. Congrats, Eater-O-Souls.
• Fellow BSU blogger TheSixthBallBrother is hanging it up. Godspeed Cardinal fan... Godspeed.
  

Kentucky Quickies

• Who has two thumbs and will be on the sideline next year for Kentucky instead of the NFL? Michah Johnson, Jeremy Jarmon, and Trevard Lindley. The third more surprising than the first two. This defense is shaping up to be some ass kickers next year.
  
• A feature about Mike Hartline being hard to oust as UK's starting QB. If that's true, and our QB next year still has Hartline on his jersey I will be pissed. Tremendously, uproariously pissed.
  
• The recruiting keeps getting better as UK signs DT Mark Crawford. 6' 1" and 290 will go a long way to some penetration. (insert penetration joke here)
  
• Two Wildcats will make appearances in the Shrine Game. Congrats to Myron Pryor and Johnny Williams.
  

Everyone Else Quickies

• Sam Bradford? Coming back. Collective, "Fuck you, man" from Colt McCoy residence.
  
• O/S at EDSBS wonders what it would be like if Tebow were a Muslim.
• BlackHeartGoldPants offers some layoff advice.
• Joel at RockyTopTalk points out the power of the eye black.
• Doc Saturday on the wager for the title game between legislators.
• Lane Kiffin is a daddy. Again. Wife still hot. Son not named Asskick Jones.
• We close today with a video some of you have already seen. It is a celebratory pole dance for the Florida Gators. There really isn't anything of note, as the chick doesn't get 1.) naked 2.) off, but it's a chick on a brass pole. You stay classy, Gainesville.

The Last Word on the GMAC

It's Wednesday morning and the Earth is in fact still orbiting the sun just like it was yesterday and eerily similar to how it was when the football Cardinals were 12-0. If Copernicus can coach against a spread offense the way he can explain planetary movements, then I think we may have just found our defensive coordinator.

In looking at the numbers from last night, my feelings about the game haven't changed much, and they only confirm what I already thought, that we were dominated offensively and defensively. Let's take them individually, shall we?

On offense, it was just plain horrendous. When it became evident that Nate had little protection from his offensive line, Tulsa sent anywhere from 4 to 8 into the backfield. Most times the pressure worked, occasionally it didn't, and when he got a throw off at all, it often sailed high. The numbers on Nate? 9-29 for 145 and an INT. It was a season low in both completions and yards, and Nate didn't complete a pass in the second half. Throw in his 4 fumbles, two of which were lost, and I'd say it was arguably Nate Davis' worst outing of his career.

The ground attack for Ball State, truly their best offensive weapon this season for the balance it creates was horrendous as well. 78 yards on 28 carries for an average of 2.8 was the final tally. Quale Lewis looked just a step slow against this Tulsa defense, and with Davis struggling to open up the box he was only able to gain 35 yards on 16 carries, his lowest rushing total of the season. His longest run of the night? A nine-yard scamper. For a team that prides itself on balance, at least both rushing and passing were equally terrible. The good news for the offense? Nate was only sacked twice, which tied, and didn't set, a new record for this season.

Defensively, the Cardinals were gashed early and ran out of gas late. Having the offense go three-and-out all six times in the second half will wear you down a bit. That still is no excuse for the 439 yards given up by the Cardinals to the the Tulsa rush. Tarrion Adams alone had 207 yards and 3 TD. Not good. Alex Knipp checked in with a decent stat line after the game, recording 13 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 TFL.

The "team" statistics were dominated by Tulsa as well, including a 50% conversion rate for their 18 3rd downs, compared to just 2-15 by the Cardinals and a 632-223 advantage in total yards. By the way, that's a record for Tulsa. In a fitting bit of irony, the lone bright spot for the Cardinals was punter Chris Miller, who averaged 48.1 yards on 8 kicks, including a 62-yard monster.

So what did we learn last night? Truthfully, nothing. It was a poor game, plain and simple, and many will lose sight of this team and these athletes because of the clunkers they exhibited in their final two outings. Of course, with the passing of time comes perspective. And this team for all of its late season crappery had one unbelievable year. To lose focus of that, to forget the steps made, would be foolish.

"Failure" is a strong word and one that gets tossed about in the sports world a little too often for my taste, especially considering these are a bunch of 18-22 year old kids playing a game. When the proverbial rubber hits the road, this is a team that finished 2008 12-2. They won a MAC West title. They played in a MAC Championship Game. They played in their second consecutive Bowl Game for the first time in school history. They were ranked in the AP Top 25, a first for the school. They were ranked in the Top 12 of the BCS, another first for the school. All tremendously fantastic things that none of us imagined plausible just a few short months ago. When considering the circumstances that changed with this team after the IU game and the injury to Dante Love, it is success of the highest order, no matter how you slice it.

Over the next weeks here at OTP we'll get you ready for National Signing Day on February 4th, we'll send off the seniors, and we'll chat a bit about what we'll be expecting from the Cardinals in 2009. Regardless, it's great to be a Ball State Cardinal. Now more than ever before.

(Images from The Star Press)

GMAC Bowl Preview

You know, I remember when gameday weeks consisted of calling another school's mascot gay, or comparing wide receivers to inanimate objects (upside down mop for the win!), or making another school's fans feel all small-like because their team was not, in fact, undefeated as mine was. The good old days, indeed.

I remember the best times, like insinuating Coach Hoke was eating up the homeless people in Muncie at an alarming rate, red checkerboard hobo napsacks and all. I remember making Native-Americans-sobbing-at-litter jokes. I remember when it was all good to be a Ball State fan. Nothing but Whitlock weight jokes and telling every other MAC fanbase to fist themselves in honor of the Cardinals. Then came December 5th.

What started as a fumble-rama against Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game culminated in a fanbase so unused to success and attention that they proceeded to have a collective coronary over things totally outside their control. Over the last 5 weeks or so, things got to fever pitch in Cardinal Nation. Head Coach Brady Hoke headed for bigger and better hobos in San Diego, Stan Parrish was promoted as head coach from his former post as Offensive Coordinator, Nate Davis may go pro or may not, Tom Collins may or may not be an idiot, Jo Ann Gora definitely sent us a form letter, the Ball State Daily News definitely used as a source, Jose Davis likes to talk, on and on and on.

Somewhere amidst all the madness the Cardinals accepted a bid to play Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl down in lovely Mobile, Alabama because contrary to some in the fanbase, it is about the team and staff and not about the administrative shitshow we got to witness. And that team, that staff, those athletes, and this game is where we find our focus for today. We're not worried about Brady. We're not worried about Nate. We're not worried about Coach Parrish. We are worried about climate change, but only because that means Al Gore still has a platform to spew his opinion from. Fuck you, penguins. We never liked you much to begin with. We're not worried about Boise State invitations, coaching staff turnover, or losing the MAC title game. We're only worried about Tulsa.

We could do a lengthy post debating the pros and the cons of each offense and defense. We could talk about intangibles and coaching, mascots and fans, tradition and honor. The fact is that all of that sounds good, and it fills column space, but the bottom line for this game is quite simple. If Ball State plays to potential, they win. If they don't, they lose. Simple as that. They are the better team.

Tulsa is a good team. They had some good wins. Laid some beatings on some people. Took a couple beatings themselves. They are a good football team, and fully capable of beating the Cardinals. They are a balanced offensive show, with equal success running and passing the football. In many respects, this is as close as two teams can get in terms of similar styles.

This Ball State team, however, is a special one. They are a balanced offensive attack like I have never seen, facing a team that isn't exactly lights out on the defensive side of the football. If they hang onto the ball, they capitalize on opportunities, and they make the big plays, they win. If they cough up the football, take field goals instead of TDs and lose the field position battle, they lose. Big.

The key to this game will rest on the defensive side of the football, and it is whether or not Ball State can slow down the Tulsa offense. Tulsa and their QB David Johnson has tossed 18 INTs this season, so the opportunities will be there to win the turnover battle. Of course, the defense was largely Brady Hoke's responsibility.

So the long and the short of it is that we here at OTP have no Earthly clue what's going to happen tonight. Ball State is just as likely to beat Tulsa by 20 as they are to lose by 20. We picked the Cardinals in our Pick'Em with Rocky Top Talk, BlackHeartGoldPants, and Clay Travis, so we'll stick with them. We guess.

Tulsa 30
Ball State 31

Humpday Quickies

All's quiet on the football front unless you live in Muncie, IN or Auburn, AL and your administration essentially just slipped a pinky finger fist in your backdoor when no one was looking. But at least Auburn has a coach... however craptastic he may be. I am optimistic that Ball State will be able to say the same in the next 48 hours. Off we go...

Ball State Quickies

• Stan Parrish, and to a larger extent, every Ball State fan, waits to see what will become of the head coach position at Ball State. Hoke has offered him a position at SDSU, Ball State athletic director Tom Collins seems hesitant to do the same. And now we play the waiting game.
• Nate Davis was named to Sports Illustrated's Honorable Mention All American team on Tuesday. Just think, Nate, one more year and you'll be up at the top. You should probably stay.
• Kent Sterling, ESPN Radio's Indianapolis program manager offers his perspective on the whole "Should Hoke Have Left?" debate.
• The North Carolina News & Observer names Nate Davis one of the 5 to watch for the Heisman next year. Congrats, Nate.
• The end of year honors banquet took place on Sunday. Awards, recognition, and such, can be found here.
  

Kentucky Quickies

• Like him or not, the success of this Kentucky team rests with Mike Hartline, who will be the starting QB for the Liberty Bowl.
• Nice little read about the recruits who have signed or who are still on the radar for the Kentucky staff, most recently, Dakatoh Tyler of Pike High School in Indianapolis.
• Bell County kicker Ryan Merrick was not offered a scholarship and is disappointed.
• Incoming Kentucky QB Morgan Newton, he of Carmel High School Greyhound fame, was named Indiana's Mr. Football.
• Trevard Lindley was named a third-team All-American by Phil Steele's College Football. Fantastic news for Lindley and the program.
• Interesting perspective from Braxton Kelley about the Liberty Bowl.
  

Everyone Else Quickies

• Syracuse has moved quickly and bypassed Turner Gill, Brady Hoke, and Skip Holtz for the Man-O-Awesome known as Doug Marrone, or the soon to be known as "Former Syracuse Coach". GetGrossOut, how do you feel? The answer... not pleased.
• Oklahoma stud DeMarco Murray will not be running roughshod over anyone in the BCS Title game, as he's out with a hamstring injury. Sort of ironic that Florida, who has been decimated by stupid ligaments and little pieces of flesh all year gets sweet tasty justice in the biggest game of the season.
• In more BCS Title news, Florida Blog Saurian Sagacity points out that Troy Smith won one of those little statues too and that didn't seem to matter much.
• In totally unbelievable news, more stories are surfacing about Auburn and their assistants who were canned while on recruiting trips. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in a living room when they got their calls.
• Iowa blog Black Heart Gold Pants offers some advice to Iowa State as to who they should hire. We can only hope BSU AD Tom Collins has sought out their services.
• Dan Hawkins suggests a new mantra for 2009... Ten Wins. No Excuses. I have a better one... 13 wins. 24 losses. Which is The Hawk's career record at CU.
• In The ACC Can Actually Sell Tickets department, North Carolina has sold its allotted 22,000 for its Car Care Bowl appearance against West Virginia. This was an actual increase from the original 12,500 allotted. No word if fans realize its a football game and not a basketball game.
• Joe Paterno just signed for three more years. Over/under not if he finishes, but how soon he keels over on the sideline.

Humpday Quickies

It's Humpday here at OTP, and though mid-week games and conference championships have preempted our normal humpday quickage for the last couple weeks, we're back with a vengeance. Both Kentucky and Ball State are going Bowling, the Wildcats in the Liberty Bowl and the Cardinals in the GMAC Bowl. Their opponents? East Carolina and Tulsa respectively, who ironically played each other for the Conference USA championship. Off we go...

Ball State Quickies:

• Brady Hoke was named the FBS Region III Coach of the Year this week. He was also named one of 10 finalists for the Coach of the Year for the entire FBS division. A great honor for a man who took over a steaming turd and has turned it into a consistent winner.
• In other Brady Hoke news, Hoke has vehemently denied being contacted by any other program, but Doug Zaleski of The Star Press says multiple schools are interested, according to Hoke's agent. So take that with a giant boulder of salt.
• What might be making that decision easier is the fact that junior QB Nate Davis announced after the MAC Championship game he will return for his senior season. I'll believe it when it happens, hence why there hasn't been much about this on the site, but cool if true.
  
• Interesting read from the Daily News about Nate Davis' announcement that he will return from the eyes of his brother, Jose.
• Good read and a national stage for Nate, as USA Today wrote up a feature article on his skills, his season, and why he chose the Cardinals.
  
• Ball State assistant coach Stan Parrish is named a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in the country. It's a great honor and well-deserved for Coach Parrish.
• Frankfort Times columnist and fellow BSU blogger over at The Sixth Ball Brother, Phil Friend has a great piece on a student manager at BSU.
• Proving again that football is a truly team effort, 12 Cardinals made the roster of the All-MAC teams. Truly a great accomplishment for players who don't get a lot of pub nationally.

Kentucky Quickies:

• Three Cats (Tim Masthay, Trevard Lindley, and Micah Johnson) were tabbed for All-SEC teams today.
• Nice little write up on the Liberty Bowl, ECU, and the fact that Brooks and co. didn't want to travel to Nashville. Again.
• KSR is reporting that QB Coach Randy Sanders is in talks with Tennessee Chattanooga about their vacant head coaching position. A little surprising, and this would be a big loss for the Cats. I've always been a supporter and fan of Sanders, and believe he was largely responsible for coaching Andre Woodson to such a great year last year.
• Trevard Lindley, Jeremy Jarmon, and Michah Johnson are all going to test their stock at the NFL draft.
• In the old but still awful news department, Randall Cobb is doubtful for the Liberty Bowl. Awesome.

Everyone Else Quickies:

• In Tennessee Volunteer news, the Lane Kiffin era has begun, and the Phil Fulmer psuedo era continues in an administrative role within the university.
• A really interesting read about what sort of swag the players get for various Bowl Games.
• Another George O'Leary player collapses because of heat related stress. At least this one didn't die. How many players have to keel over before a university begins to make some personnel changes?
• Orson at EDSBS summarizes every Bowl Game in ten words. Classic.
• In the Texas Will Still Be Awesome Next Year category, QB Colt McCoy announced he was staying for his senior season in Austin. Great news for Texas, bad news for everyone else.
• Tim Tebow, he of baby rhino build, also said he was leaning to the same thing. About staying. Not about Texas being good.
• The Wall Street Journal chimes in with what the success of southern football says about America.
  
• I'm not sure what the exact definition of "utter unbelievable tragedy" but this is close. Sort of makes me remember that these people I'll never know who entertain the living piss out of me every weekend are still inherently flawed human beings just like the rest of us. Sad. Infinitely, ridiculously, senselessly sad.
  

MAC Championship Prediction/Open Thread

So this so called "real life" tends to interfere with blogging at times, and consider this day to be one of them. OTP won't be running a LiveBlog of the MAC Championship Game tonight, as your site's lovely authors are both busy either entertaining a houseful of people (Alan) or running roughshod over the streets of Chicago (RV).

We'll leave this post as the official comment thread for the pre-game, game itself, and post-game, and we'll try our best to check in periodically with thoughts, etc. Edge might be around tonight so you've got that going for you... which is nice.

As for the game, I'm nervous. Not necessarily because there's anything specific I'm worried about, as I think Ball State's offense will flourish with the extra time to prepare, an indoor turf, and a large and rowdy BSU contingent, but just because of the situation. I'm a Cardinal fan... it's ingrained into me to believe we're going to somehow screw this up. Hoke and company have found a way to navigate through 12 landmines already, and there's nothing about this game that makes me think he won't be able to do it again, but still. There's just something.

It might be Buffalo's balance. It could be the fact that Bulls' coach Turner Gill seemed oddly confident and almost nonchalant about facing the Cardinals. Perhaps it's the sheer number of wins, the dizzying bowl speculation going on recently, the gigantic chasm in the fanbase forming because of the decision to tell Boise State to stuff their bowl in their asses. It could be any and/or all of that.

When the cleats meet turf tonight, the fact remains that Buffalo will be facing arguably the best team they've played this season. Yes, I know they played Missouri. Yes, I stand by my statement. The Tigers hung 42 on UB, and expect Ball State to move the ball at will. When the Cardinals are on defense, they'll face Drew Willy. Willy has had a good year, doesn't make many mistakes, and his a nice running back in James Starks to take some of the balance on the offense. Willy is not a mobile QB, and that is what Ball State tends to struggle with. Without having to play a linebacker in spy, expect the Cardinals coverage to be solid. BJ Hill has had a rough close to the season, but will do good things tonight, as will his DB running mate Sean Baker.

When the clock hits triple zero in Detroit, Ball State will still be undefeated. My head says Ball State by at least 3 TDs, but for our official OTP prediction, we'll play it close and go 35-21 Ball State.

4:24 UPDATE: Cardinals QB Nate Davis is apparently battling a little outbreak of the flu. Doug Zaleski reports this from his Star Press webpage and states that it most likely won't keep Davis out of the game, but it is something to watch as the game unfolds. Link.

Comment thread... commence. Predictions, pre-game chatter, and in-game thoughts are welcome. Play nice, kiddies.

It's Time To Ring the Bell

It's Friday. The end of the week. And boy, that's good, because it's the first week back after a vacation. Boy... I wonder what I'm going to do tonight. Let me check out the TV Guide. Maybe there's a new episode of According to Jim on. Hmm... nothing looks good tonight. I wonder if ESPN has anything on. Oh... wait... there's a football game. That's right! It's Championship Week. Wait... what's that? Ball State is playing for a MAC title tonight?!?!

Full preview of the Buffalo asswhipping contest is on deck for today and perhaps some other goodies. For now, though, it's Championship time in Muncie.

As Sonny Corleone says in this clip, we gotta give 60 minutes of mayhem. No mercy. Nothing but snot bubbles. We gotta ring that bell. We gotta ring that championship bell.



Ding motherfucking dong, indeed.

MAC Conference Call Recap

This week's edition of the MAC conference call featured Buffalo Head Coach Turner Gill, FS Mike Newton, OG Jeff Niedermier and QB Drew Willy. Here were some highlights of the call...

• Gill stated the 2nd half of the Army game was the turning point of the season for Buffalo. It was their first of five straight wins.
• When asked if his team was exceptionally loose given the hype surrounding Ball State, Gill said, "We're loose every game. We're more focused on what we can do and what we will do."
• Gill was asked about Buffalo's history versus the Cardinals, 0-6, and he responded with, "We're focused on this season. We're a totally different football team than the last 2 seasons."
• Gill listed WR Ernest Jackson as "questionable"
• When asked about Nate Davis, Newton said, "He's one of the best we've seen." Willy said, "He seems like a good team leader and a strong runner."
• When asked to predict about his team's success against Ball State's defense, Gill commented, "We'll be an explosive offense prolifically. Just like always."
  
• Gill closed by saying that playing in the MAC Championship was a "dream come true."
  

The Ball State edition of the conference call featured head coach Brady Hoke, LB Bryant Haines, and TE Darius Hill. Some notes from them...

• Brady began the conference by saying, "We're proud to represent the MAC West in this football game." He also congratulated Coach Gill for his successes this season.
• When asked about whether or not he thought there was still a potential for the BCS, Hoke responded, "We don't control any of that. We haven't been concerned with any of that. We haven't talked about it. We can only control what we can control, and that's preparing to play our best football."
• Brady was asked about recruiting Nate Davis and what they looked for and what attracted to them. Hoke said, "It's not an exact science to recruiting. As you evaluate you look for certain characteristics. Character, passion for the game, being competitive, understand the value of a degree. He had all those, plus his god given talent and physical skills. His maturity has been fun to watch."
• The players were asked about their recruitment and the feel they got from their visits about the potential for success. Haines said, "The excitement of the coaches. They were adamant that this was a program on the rise." Hill said, "Coming on a visit, a lot of the guys were positive, this was a program coming up."
• When asked what makes Nate Davis such a special player, Hoke said, "A lot of it goes to how he's prepared every week. He understands the offense and how he doesn't have to make a play every play. He manages the offense well and does a great job of leading us as an offensive team."
• Haines and Hill were asked about whether or not they thought at the beginning of this season, all this success was possible as well as a BCS berth. Said Haines, "We go into every game expecting to win and expecting to come out on top. I just knew that I wanted to win a conference championship." Added Hill, "More than anything we had a feel this would be a special year. Guys were ready to step up and ready to play well."

Late Show With Ball State

For those that may have missed it last night, this was BSU alum's David Letterman chatter about the Cardinals on his show. Similar to weeks past, but cool none the less. (Ed. Note: A little bit of the tape was cut off on the front end, but you get the gist.)

Highlight... "Nebraska? 7-4. Thanks girls."

OTP Road Show

Board up the windows, Muncie... OverThePylon will be making a return trip to Funcie on Tuesday next to be in person for an EPIC game against Western Michigan. If you're going to be around, drop us a line, as well as directions to tailgating and adult frosty beverages in the comments section.

The Cardinals will need all the help they can get crowd-wise, since the dorms are closing on Wednesday and there is no reason for the students to stick around other than, you know, THE FOOTBALL TEAM POTENTIALLY GOING UNDEFEATED.

So help me, dear Lord 6 pound 8 ounce baby Jesus, if the student section isn't full when we get there. There are people who have followed this team for years who would have killed, literally stabbed a homeless man to death, for this sort of season. To blow it off to go home to whatever backwater hillbilly town you live in is totally unacceptable. If I can drive eight hours to Muncie and then 2 hours to Louisville after the game, you can too, students. Suck it up. Be at Scheumann Stadium. Cheer on the Cardinals. Tear down the posts. Go nuts.

If you live in Central Indiana or are back in the state for the Holidays, I implore you... I beg you... I plead with you... make the trip to Muncie. It will be worth the drive and the tiredness the next day at work. You're off for several days with nothing to do but stuff your collective lard asses with turkey and stuffing. MAKE THE TRIP. This is a team that could go 12-0. MAKE THE TRIP. This sort of thing happens once in a lifetime. MAKE THE TRIP.

Ball State 31 CMU 24

So now that I'm done dancing on the ceiling (thanks Lionel) and have rewatched the BSU game from last night, I have decided that Ball State's game last night was the epitome of frustration. First and foremost, my frustration has a name... Ray Bentley. I understand that the color analysts on most major networks are former players. Kirk Herbstreit, Mark May, Andre Ware, etc. are all examples of guys who have transitioned into the booth after their playing days were done. Ray Bentley is another example of former player turned broadcaster.

That being said, there is a reason why alumni should not call the games of their alma mater. It is extremely hard to be impartial given the sacrifices you made to play there and the passion for which you should love your school. I do not fault Ray Bentley for being passionate or a CMU fan. I instead fault Ray Bentley for being an incompetent cackling douchebag and the asshats at ESPN who thought mixing him and a CMU broadcast would be a good idea. Between the announcers last night and the buffers on the commercials, you would have thought it was CMU that was undefeated and the higher ranked team. "Stay tuned folks to see if Ball State's season comes crumbling down". Really? Really?!? From now on I'm going to end each radio interview I do with "Stay tuned folks to see if Ray Bentley actually asphyxiates himself while masturbating to kiddie porn." Thumbs down for ESPN for their broadcast, their segues, and giving this guy a job. (Ed. Note: Apparently Ray Bentley writes children's books. Hard to believe since that's probably above his reading level)

Ray Bentley... King of the Douches. And author!

Once you get past the douchery of the broadcast team (and Todd Harris can eat a great big Bowl-O-Dicks as well) you get to the officials. Quite frankly, the officials last night were terrible. Inconsistent in what they would allow one play to the next, inconsistent in what they chose to flag and didn't. Inconsistent in the quality of the spots. Etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum. CMU fans were raising WVU-esque hell after the game claiming the MAC wanted Ball State to win this game, how the referees were on the take, how CMU got cheated. I watched the game again today and can safely say that just as many shitty calls went against BSU as they did against CMU, you simply didn't notice it because Harris and Bentley were too busy messing their pants over Dan LeFevour's bruised elbows (Sorry, Ray, that wound is too small for you to fuck... even with your tiny little pencil dick). Shitty? Yes. Equal? Also yes. It's a shame that a game that was extremely important in the MAC title race got this officiating crew.

As for the game itself, here were some other things I noticed...

• MiQuale Lewis is a beast. He finished with 177, a career best, and won the OTP Liveblog Player of the Game. Should he win it again we may have to rename it the MiQuale Lewis OTP Liveblog Player of the Game. Nice runnin' 33.
  MiQuale Lewis... OTP Player of the Game
• The Central fan that works in my office was congratulatory and complimentary today despite the loss for the Chips. The same cannot be said about the fans on messageboards who wished injury on Nate Davis, and threw snowballs at BSU players while the plays were ongoing. You stay classy, Mt. Pleasant. Incidentally, he played football for Central with the aforementioned Ray Bentley. I learned this after I told him I thought Bentley is a douchebag.
  
• The BSU linebackers need to learn how to cover a man in the flats. I lost count somewhere around a dozen of the times a wide open running back rattled off a 8-10 yard gain on a swing pass.
  
• Speaking of the defense, how about you limit third down conversions. That would be awesome.
• BJ Hill looked lost most of the night in the secondary. Perhaps it was the wind and poorly thrown passes from LeFevour, but Hill just got embarrased out there. Poor showing for sure in his last game against the Chips.
• I would like to know why Dan LeFevour always has big games against Ball State.

I am thrilled we got out of Mt. Pleasant with a victory. It won't silence any of the critics, it won't move us up much in the BCS, but it sure feels good for this dream to continue. Up next is Western, and we'll be checking in soonish with some WMU content, but for now, it's ceilin' dancin' time.

Hoke-O-Meter
(1-5 Bradys, with 1 being happy enough to burst into song,
5 being filled with murderous rage)

2 Bradys

As has been the mantra several times this season so far, a win is a win. Happy for the victory but hungry for more, especially from his expertise area... the defense. HokeManBeast remains perfect this season, but a tough test awaits with Western Michigan.