Is This The Best Bowl for Marshall? Hell yes!

[Marshall Faithful]

Is it better to play a big name team that's lousy or the best, most accomplished team we can schedule? Marshall was criticized for playing a weak schedule, teams like Illinois. We definitely don't want to duck the best opponent we've played all year. NIU is our best option. A playoff of the G5 teams, if you will.



http://bloguin.com/thestudentsection/2014/the-boca-raton-bowl-begins-with-a-bang-niu-marshall-is-not-a-typical-pre-christmas-party.html

 

[Herditall]

I think LA Tech was the best team we played all year and yes I think they are better than NIU. NIU'S record is a product of a very weak schedule. They didn't blow anyone out except for BGSU and it just got by a terrible Northwestern team. Illinois record is a product of a pretty tough schedule. I think people put to much credibility into a teams record sometimes. Sorry but I am probably one of the few now that still wishes we would have still got Illinois. The Herd will roll and no one will give us credit. Lose lose.

 

[skinsbball]

If only we could have played a 6-6 Big Ten team

 

[Herditall]

A 6-6 team that is better than the 11-2 team we are about to face. If we could go in a blow out Illinois we would get more credit than beating an over ranked NIU team. Illinois beat Northwestern a lot worse than NIU did. Illinois is the better team of the two. We have a nice bowl but Illinois would have given us more credit.

 

[andy4theherd]

Originally posted by Herditall:
NIU'S record is a product of a very weak schedule. They didn't blow anyone out except for BGSU and it just got by a terrible Northwestern team.

this is what i don't understand about some on here. they rail on Illinois for being 6-6. they tout NIU as if they are without question head and shoulders above Illinois...

-they played a worse schedule than we did (MU-131, NIU-133)
-they won 4 games by single digits (3, 3, 7, 8)
-they beat 1 team by more than 14 points
-Illinois played the 43rd ranked schedule.....

 

[ARandomHerdFan]

Not this crap again.

 

[greenherdman]

NIU is horrible. Look at their schedule? They barely beat most MAC teams and got smoked bigtime by Arkansas. They are not impressive at all. We are playing another meaningless bowl game against a meaningless opponent. Nobody across the country even knows what NIU stands for. We win this game going away like we have the rest of the cupcakes we have played.

 

[Herd Fever]

Their horrible but won 11 games and won their conference.

It's hilarious that winning games doesn't matter anymore. I mean Florida State is undefeated and almost didn't make the playoff.

 

[ToesMU]

Which is better respected nationally, NIU or Illinois? Hands down, it's NIU. We win today & it's back in Top 25/20 and significant respect. Only way we lose is if we lose.

Go Herd!
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[greenherdman]

NIU has beat nobody just like us. And when they did beat someone it was like 7 the Ohio game and Ohio was horrid. We should win this game by at least 20. NIU is a slow overrated MAC team. And when you say overrated MAC tem that says a lot. I hope the announcers tonigh say Northern Illinois University and not NIU. Other people across the country won't even know who we are playing.

 

[bbneutralfan]

Marsha. . .really? This is the best bowl for us? Really? It is a moot point now. Go Herd and win this game for a loss to NIU condemns us in the eyes of the national media once again. Hence this is the best bowl for us? Really?

 

[skinsbball]

We beat Maryland last year and what did that do? My whole point is whether we beat Illinois or NIU it doesnt really matter its not like they are going to go back and retroactively give us the money we should have got for going to the Peach Bowl... There is no point in complaining about the bowl game, PERIOD.... Do you really think if we had played and beat Illinois that people would really be saying damn Marshall really was good, the answer is no... just like they wont if we beat NIU... so stop complaining

 

[Marshall Faithful]

"bbneutralfan posted on 12/23/2014...
Marsha. . .really? This is the best bowl for us? Really? It is a moot point now. Go Herd and win this game for a loss to NIU condemns us in the eyes of the national media once again. Hence this is the best bowl for us? Really?"



At first I was angry we weren't playing Illinois too, but Illinois didn't get any votes from the Coaches or AP Polls. Illinois is ranked 68th by the CBS poll and 74th by Sagarin.

The Coaches and AP Polls both have Marshall ranked 28th and NIU 30th and 32nd respectively. The CBS poll has Marshall ranked 22nd and NIU 29th while Sagarin has Marshall 32nd and NIU 69th (wow!).

I was surprised that Illinois just isn't there. They have the name but that's it.

We all agree that we want Marshall to kick ass, and that is the most important thing.

Go Herd!

This post was edited on 12/23 12:03 PM by Marshall Faithful

 

[Herd Fever]

Colorado State beat BC and Colorado and was ranked behind us all year

 

[greenherdman]

Illinois would kill NIU. NIU played a HS schedule and barely won most of their games. We played a HS schedule also, but at least won some of them by a larger margin. This bowl is laughable like most of the bowls are. They made up all these bowls for TV money and that is all. Before long 4 wins will get you a bowl.

 

[Herd Fever]

We have the highest MOV in the country but we only won some by a large margin. Anyone else see something wrong with that statement??

Care to say anything else Greenherdman that makes you look that much more dumber??

 

[andy4theherd]

Originally posted by Herd Fever:
Colorado State beat BC and Colorado and was ranked behind us all year

they lost their 2nd game of the season to Boise. the ONLY reason we were ranked ahead of them is because we were unbeaten up until we both dropped out. if you go back and look at the rankings week by week they were on pace to pass us.

Week 8
Marshall #25/24
CSU NR

Week 9
Marshall #23/22 (+2)
CSU NR

Week 10
Marshall #23/23 (-1)
CSU

Week 11
Marshall #23/22 (+1)
CSU NR

Week 12
Marshall #21/21 (+2/+1)
CSU 23/25

Week 13
Marshall #18/18 (+3)
CSU 22/23 (+1/+2)

Week 14
Marshall #19/20 (-1/-2)
CSU 21/21 (+1/+2

Week 15
Marshall NR
CSU NR

they covered more ground in a shorter time in the polls than we did. they also gained spots each week. Marshall dropped in two different weeks.

 

[Herd Fever]

Thanks for providing the stats to prove my point.

 

[greenherdman]

I just stated a fact Herdfever. If you want to believe our schedule was anything excpet horrific, go for it.

 

[Herd Fever]

When did I say it wasn't??

We are 5 hours till the end of the season, you still harping on the schedule?? It's over and done with either get over it and root for Marshall or just continue your miserable life

 

[Greenbloodedstill]

Marshall and NIU are champions of two comparable conferences. That alone makes this a good match-up. A win or a loss to a mediocre P5 team would have been meaningless beyond the game itself. Hamrick, et al made the correct choice.

P.S. NIU intends to win this game. I think we will have our hands full today. worry, worry, worry

 

[marshallsig]

OP is trolling you guys hard.

 

[ChicagoHuskie]

Greenherd, thank for the well thought out analysis...you really seem like a smart fan

Anyways, looks like theres only 10 tickets left on stubhub almost all $100+! should be a packed house boys for hopefully an exciting game...

 

[Gochneaur645]

Originally posted by greenherdman:
Illinois would kill NIU. NIU played a HS schedule and barely won most of their games. We played a HS schedule also, but at least won some of them by a larger margin. This bowl is laughable like most of the bowls are. They made up all these bowls for TV money and that is all. Before long 4 wins will get you a bowl.

Just like the Northwestern team that is very similar to Illinois killed NIU?

 

[Herditall]

Originally posted by ChicagoHuskie:
Greenherd, thank for the well thought out analysis...you really seem like a smart fan

Anyways, looks like theres only 10 tickets left on stubhub almost all $100+! should be a packed house boys for hopefully an exciting game...

Whoever paid 100+ got screwed. All be it pretty exciting.

 

[greenherdman]

As i said people. NIU is horrible. just look at their schedule and body of work. I kept hearing people say this would be a good game. And i kept looking at NIU and said WHERE? They barely beat bad teams. YEP, i agree the teams we played this year we went 13-1 so that makes us good compared to that> But we never played ANYONE so we will never know how good we were. We play a Auburn, Oklahoma, TCU or whoever like we were hoping and we would have gotten rolled.

 

[Greenis Envy]

How many of you delusional dipshit Illini morons were at the bowl game supporting the program last night? That's right. stfu.

 

[Gochneaur645]

Originally posted by Herditall:
I think LA Tech was the best team we played all year and yes I think they are better than NIU. NIU'S record is a product of a very weak schedule. They didn't blow anyone out except for BGSU and it just got by a terrible Northwestern team. Illinois record is a product of a pretty tough schedule. I think people put to much credibility into a teams record sometimes. Sorry but I am probably one of the few now that still wishes we would have still got Illinois. The Herd will roll and no one will give us credit. Lose lose.

Are you kidding? You call Northwestern terrible yet think Illinois was some great team with a tough schedule? Illinois barely got by Youngstown and Texas State and lost at home to 3-9 Purdue. They had no one-possession losses so it's not like they were unlucky.

Yes, Illinois beat NW, but the best team doesn't always win every game. Do you think the better team won in Huntington on Black Friday?

The entire B1G West is a pile of garbage.

 

[Rakeem_Cato]

We had a great season, we blew out our bowl team opponent, and we had fun while doing it. You don't see the players complaining how they got NIU in a bowl game. Be happy like you should be you miserable bastards.

 

[i am herdman]

Originally posted by Gochneaur645:

Originally posted by Herditall:
I think LA Tech was the best team we played all year and yes I think they are better than NIU. NIU'S record is a product of a very weak schedule. They didn't blow anyone out except for BGSU and it just got by a terrible Northwestern team. Illinois record is a product of a pretty tough schedule. I think people put to much credibility into a teams record sometimes. Sorry but I am probably one of the few now that still wishes we would have still got Illinois. The Herd will roll and no one will give us credit. Lose lose.

Are you kidding? You call Northwestern terrible yet think Illinois was some great team with a tough schedule? Illinois barely got by Youngstown and Texas State and lost at home to 3-9 Purdue. They had no one-possession losses so it's not like they were unlucky.

Yes, Illinois beat NW, but the best team doesn't always win every game. Do you think the better team won in Huntington on Black Friday?

The entire B1G West is a pile of garbage.

They also beat Minnesota, Penn State, and Wester Kentucky. The team that beat us.