The Swamp

Tigers announcers are interviewing Jim McElwain during the third inning of Tigers game because it’s CMU Day at Comerica Park and my MAC inferiority complex is set off because I’m really excited but wouldn’t be (or more accurately wouldn’t care) if I was a Michigan or Michigan State fan.

Early returns on the Jim McElwain Era are good (against an FCS team granted). But there's a competence that wasn't there last year. Went for it on 4th and 4 at the Albany 22 and got a TD. That's the fucking shit I want to see. Then after they got fucked on a bullshit call kicked a FG from 50 yards out that would have been good from 60.

(If we were going to do a deep dive into my fucked up psyche, my relationship with CMU football would confuse the fuck out of most people. In any event, most CMU fans have some weird entitlement issues from dominating the MAC at three different times in the 45 years they've been a member. I think other MAC fans will back me up on this. Going 1-11 last year made a lot of people happy.)

So I inadvertently explained it with those two posts several months apart. Inferior to UM/MSU but superior to the rest of the MAC (and especially the other Michigan MAC teams). The middle child.

If the season ended today, it would be Kent State vs. Ball State in the MACCG. Just like everyone predicted.

Those two were my picks.

Outside of Toledo I question anyone in the conference being any good.

GoodKarma wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 12:15 pm Outside of Toledo I question anyone in the conference being any good.

Toledo just got beat by two TDs as a 27-point favorite. I think the entire conference is up for grabs this year.

(Except for Akron of course. They're not winning shit.)

So if there's anyway Ohio could help me out and beat Western tonight, that would be great. Never thought I'd see Central playing a meaningful mid-November game so soon after 1-11, but an Ohio win tonight and two CMU wins puts them in the MAC title game.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:03 am So if there's anyway Ohio could help me out and beat Western tonight, that would be great. Never thought I'd see Central playing a meaningful mid-November game so soon after 1-11, but an Ohio win tonight and two CMU wins puts them in the MAC title game.

I got 5 (well, $20) on it.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:03 am So if there's anyway Ohio could help me out and beat Western tonight, that would be great. Never thought I'd see Central playing a meaningful mid-November game so soon after 1-11, but an Ohio win tonight and two CMU wins puts them in the MAC title game.

At this point, I wouldn't rely on the Bobcats to do anything helpful.

Western is gonna win this one 31-0. Get your in-game bets in on WMU now. Ohio looks like they've thrown in the towel.

Did I dream this or did a WMU OL do a cartwheel last night while lined up at WR?

Giff wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 11:10 am Did I dream this or did a WMU OL do a cartwheel last night while lined up at WR?

It was an Ohio player, but yes, that happened.

Can't link to the video, but it's on this page:

https://www.espn.com/college-football/v ... =401119300

Ohio ended up acquitting itself pretty well after that first half, but kinda wish they had showed up before then. Oh well. Fuck Western.

Northern Illinois did its part, so a CMU win over Toledo puts them into the MAC title game against Miami and a shot at MAC title #8.

There are a couple parents of a girl on my youngest's soccer team this season who are hardcore, wearing gear almost every time I see them, CMU fans. I've made passing comment to them a couple of times when I've known the result of the weekend's football game, but didn't ask them for their back story.

Please Please Please CMU get into the title game...I don't want to face Western again

Suppose I should admit I have a $25 ticket on CMU to win the MAC at 40-1. I almost never make future bets, but I figured that number was way out of wack with the players CMU had coming back.

Gonna have to start hedging and disappointment betting starting with Toledo at +350 on Friday for probably $100 or so.

GoodKarma wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 1:26 pm Please Please Please CMU get into the title game...I don't want to face Western again

<singsong voice> Be careful what you wish for...

geez, how many Michigans are there!?

degenerasian wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2019 2:32 pm geez, how many Michigans are there!?

Quit yer bitchen, we didn't make a Southern Michigan, nowdidwe?

MAC is just returning to the most traditionally strong programs doing well. If McElwain stays* and these last two recruiting classes stick together, could be CMU's division to lose for the next few years. I figured he'd have them contending for the conference title by next year, but a year ahead of schedule is always welcome.

* - If he goes to a P5 team this year CMU gets a seven-figure buyout which is really high for a MAC school and will hopefully promote Charlie Frye to the top job. He's been a revelation as an offensive coordinator and I'm convinced he's gonna be a great CFB head coach at a high level one day. Hiring Butch Jones back is also an option they might be considering, especially if he's interested in staying for four or five years before moving up to another job (i.e. he'd probably not be leaving CMU for a G5 school again but might for a P5 school, which you always have to accept if you're a MAC fan).

MAC titles since CMU joined the MAC In 1975:
Central Michigan 7
Bowling Green 6
Miami 5
Toledo 5
Marshall 5
Northern Illinois 4
Ball State 2
Western Michigan 2
Eastern Michigan 1
Akron 1
Buffalo 1

CMU opened as -4.5 favorite and early sharp money immediately bet them up to -6.5/7 depending on the book.

Fuck. Known Don for two decades. Going out and winning the most unthinkable title in school history Saturday would be a fitting tribune.

Sorry man.

On a more personal note, I'm going to miss stumbling across and occasionally getting caught up in the Friday night MACtion championship game. I'm assuming you guys got bumped for the PAC 10 or some shit?

rass wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:03 am Sorry man.

On a more personal note, I'm going to miss stumbling across and occasionally getting caught up in the Friday night MACtion championship game. I'm assuming you guys got bumped for the PAC 10 or some shit?

Yeah, think they even tried to stick on Friday against it but switched a couple years ago to Saturday morning.

brian wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 1:04 am Fuck. Known Don for two decades. Going out and winning the most unthinkable title in school history Saturday would be a fitting tribune.

I am sorry to hear this as well. I know the Miami PBP guy, Steve Baker, and he posted about this last night...he is pretty broken up about too as Don he and Don had become friends. Definitely puts a damper on Saturday's game.

Well, let’s do this. These days with any level of football when it’s a big game just hoping the officiating isn’t a shitshow and impacts the game. I don’t want to lose but I don’t mind losing to Miami as long as it’s on the field. Miami’s a good school and the alums I know from there are good people. This should be a good game. (I probably posted in a previous MAC thread that I figured Chuck Martin would be successful there. Hiring dominate DII coaches to the MAC level is seldom a bad move.)

I get this isn’t a premier game for ESPN but I find it hard to believe they couldn’t come up with better announcers than this.

Not sure what Central was thinking with that fake punt. Other than that decent game so far.

GoodKarma wrote: ↑Sat Dec 07, 2019 1:11 pm Not sure what Central was thinking with that fake punt. Other than that decent game so far.

They dropped two would-be INTs on that -4 yard FG drive but I mostly agree. If it was 4th & 1 that would be one thing.

Welp, congrats to Miami. Definitely the better team today.

A little to close in that Hail Mary at the end...

Never seen a National Signing Day class like this for CMU. Mostly three-stars, which isn't unusual or special for the top MAC schools, but only three players from Michigan. Goes against the philosophy of almost every former CMU coach ever (even Brian Kelly and Butch Jones went with about 50 percent players from Michigan augmented with some guys from Florida like Antonio Brown or from Illinois like Dan LeFevour or Wisconsin like JJ Watt).

Michigan - 3
New Jersey - 3
Indiana - 3
Florida - 3
Wisconsin - 2
Pennsylvania - 2
Colorado - 1
Massachusetts - 1
British Columbia - 1
Hawaii - 1
Ohio - 1

I think they were trying to pull a fast one with 12 men too. BAll don’t tie.

That was glorious. Fuck Western.

That was a mass confusion ending.

The 2020 Central-Western game to played at a neutral site (Ford Field) for the first time since 1907.