Regarding Our Bowl Opponent . . .

[Mean Green 93-98]

There is another thread asking about where this past season stands among the best seasons in NT history. A big part of why this was considered an historically successful season is because we had a bowl victory. However, going into the postseason, many of us (myself included) were hoping for a better opponent, perhaps a Big 10 opponent such as Michigan, who would have been comfortably favored over us.

The question is, Where would this season then have stood historically if we would have lost our bowl game to a better opponent? Would we actually look back on it as a better season had we lost in our bowl game to Michigan than having beat UNLV?

[PlummMeanGreen]

I didn't vote because it did not include a win over Michigan at all with any kind of scenario for that to happen. (Didn't App. State beat them a few years ago and in Ann Arbor, of course)?

Still, in a perfect world a win over a Big 10 school who would have traveled 15,000 fans adding to our 35,000 would have given the HOD Bowl a better stadium crowd along with good Nielsen TV ratings and probably because with such a matchup I assume ESPN officials would have found one of their prime ESPN stations to broadcast such a game (instead of ESPNU).

I no longer have ESPNU on my new "The Dish" package and I understand many others do not have it and never have, either. Hard to watch a game if its not on your cable package thus a kick in the butt for national TV ratings. North Texas/UNVL still won its time slot over the Georgia/Nebraska bowl game in this part of Texas, though.

GMG!

Edited January 22, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[Green P1]

It all depends on how the game had gone. Beat an unmotivated Michigan team and there is no room for doubt.

Make no mistake... Beating UNLV was amazing.... But I'd say they were about the 4th or 5th best team we played all year.

[Mean Green Matt]

Beating UNLV by 1 is better than losing to Michigan by 1 if those are the only two options. We needed a real victory, not a moral one for all the fans that showed up.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I didn't vote because it did not include a win over Michigan at all with any kind of scenario for that to happen.

We wouldn't need to vote if that were an option--every North Texas fan alive would take a win over Michigan over losing to Michigan (duh) or beating a less impressive UNLV. The question is which of these other two possibilities is better.

[the green rokemi]

We could have beat Michigan. Weren't they without their stud qb?

[meaniegreenie]

A loss to this year's Michigan team would have mostly been bad, except to the few that think Michigan is always good.

They ended as the #57 team that lost to the #52 team in their bowl game.

I think we would have beaten Michigan this year.

[PlummMeanGreen]

We wouldn't need to vote if that were an option--every North Texas fan alive would take a win over Michigan over losing to Michigan (duh) or beating a less impressive UNLV. The question is which of these other two possibilities is better.

A poll should include all possibilities for it to be a fair poll. Not just what one thinks makes up a good poll.

[Mean Green 93-98]

We could have beat Michigan.

I agree.

I think we would have beaten Michigan this year.

That's saying a lot, and I don't think any non-North Texas homer would have agreed with you. I would have been within the realm of possibility, but Michigan beat several teams much better than us. And we lost to a couple of teams much worse than Michigan.

[Mean Green 93-98]

A poll should include all possibilities for it to be a fair poll. Not just what one thinks makes up a good poll.

You're entirely missing the point, Plumm. Read the original post again. Or I probably should say, Read it the first time.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Mean Green 93-98

[Eastwood Eagle]

Beating UNLV by 1 is better than losing to Michigan by 1 if those are the only two options. We needed a real victory, not a moral one for all the fans that showed up.

Losing in the bowl game, regardless of the opponent, would of had many of the first timers there/ non diehards saying "same old North Texas."

[PlummMeanGreen]

You're entirely missing the point, Plumm. Read the original post again. Or I probably should say, Read it the first time.

I just couldn't understand (yet I still sorta' could knowing our culture the last 25 years) why a win over the Wolverines was just not put in as an option period--that's all. You're right, maybe I just don't get it.

I know my era as a North Texas student many times creates differences of opinion compared to the various eras of other UNT alums. Doesn't make me appreciate them any less, though.

I thought the HOD Bowl game sorta' tied many of our UNT eras together and I still can't get over as to what I witnessed firsthand on New Years Day. Neither can many I've spoken to who did not attend our school.

Mean Green 93-98, I know for a fact from reading your posts on this forum and others who know you that............you are one helluva' great North Texas alum and Mean Green fan.

Edited January 22, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen

[Mean Green 93-98]

I'm just asking a specific question I'm personally curious about. If you're not interested in it, there's no crime in that.

[Green P1]

To the question at hand... Yes. Beating UNLV in the Bowl game is better than losing to Michigan.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I'm just asking a specific question I'm personally curious about. If you're not interested in it, there's no crime in that.

Well, I am a solver of crime.

"Crime does not pay." quote from Superman (Marvel Comic Books)

[Proud North Texan]

We would have beaten Michigan this year... A win is always >>>> then a loss

GMG

[CMJ]

Still, in a perfect world a win over a Big 10 school who would have traveled 15,000 fans adding to our 35,000 would have given the HOD Bowl a better stadium crowd along with good Nielsen TV ratings and probably because with such a matchup I assume ESPN officials would have found one of their prime ESPN stations to broadcast such a game (instead of ESPNU).

And you assume wrong. A top 20 Houston team played Penn State (who has a huge national following) in that game, and it was on ESPNU.

[JesseMartin]

I bet the option is either 1) Keep it on New Year's Day or 2) Have it on one of the other networks. Seems like a decent enough bowl to be on ESPN or ESPN2, but if you want to have it on the 1st, it has to go up against some of the bigger bowls and they get preference.

And the idea of putting a win against Michigan would make the poll pointless because obviously nobody would choose anything else, so it's "If everybody couldn't have their top choice, what are the other best possible outcomes to choose from?". Even with them having a down year, beating a big name like Michigan would have been great. But yeah, losing to them would have lost us a lot of momentum. Now we get to go to Austin having won 8 of our last 9. Not too shabby.

[PlummMeanGreen]

And you assume wrong. A top 20 Houston team played Penn State (who has a huge national following) in that game, and it was on ESPNU.

And I had started 2014 without any mistakes, fumbles or muffs, too. Now I can proceed with all my usual imperfections without near the pressure.

GMG!

Edited January 22, 2014 by PlummMeanGreen