TAP. THE. BRAKES.

[Army of Dad]

Indiana is NOT far better than anyone on our schedule. You kidding? Utsa and Rice would legitimately argue that. Bowling Green beat these dudes. BGSU got curb stomped by Western Ky and Wisconsin. See big picture.

The same Rice that lost at home to a FCS move up? Not to mention that Indiana went on the road and beat a ranked team.

[BillySee58]

The same Rice that lost at home to a FCS move up? Not to mention that Indiana went on the road and beat a ranked team.

I'm still unsure on Rice this year. I think they'll be good, but I just don't see them being as good as last year.

As for ODU, they have the second best qb in this conference (although WKU's qb Doughty is making a case this year) and their recruiting backyard is one of the top per-capita recruiting areas in the country (Chesapeake/Virginia Beach), and it doesn't have the traffic that bigger recruiting hubs like DFW have. They're also very committed to athletics as a school. I expect big things from them as a football program.

[Cerebus]

Indiana is NOT far better than anyone on our schedule. You kidding? Utsa and Rice would legitimately argue that. Bowling Green beat these dudes. BGSU got curb stomped by Western Ky and Wisconsin. See big picture.

That's not how football works. Matchups are important. So is momentum. Just because BGSU on that one day beat them doesn't mean 1) they beat them the next week, or 2) teams that beat BGSU could beat Indiana.

[JesseMartin]

The biggest game of the year is the next one. Doesn't matter when that is. Last week it was Nicholls. Now it's Indiana.

[Ben Gooding]

That's not how football works. Matchups are important. So is momentum. Just because BGSU on that one day beat them doesn't mean 1) they beat them the next week, or 2) teams that beat BGSU could beat Indiana.

Indiana struggled to put away FCS Indiana State. Let's chill out here. It's freaking Indiana we are playing. They are not a world beater by any stretch of the imagination. Yeah they pulled off a solid win at an overrated Missouri team. Even a blind mouse finds a cookie every now and then.

As far as ODU goes, they are legit. Rice was beat by 3 points by a legit football team. They got a QB that can sling the football. Teams are made or fade by the QB position. ODU has a good one.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Ben Gooding

[Cerebus]

Even a blind mouse finds a cookie every now and then.

By your logic we lost to LaTech, and LaTech lost to Northwestern St, so Northwestern St should beat us. If Northwestern can beat us, then Indiana should kill us.

Luckily, the transitive property does not apply in football.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

IU will kill NT

There is no question about that. They just roadkilled a Top 20 school, while we poured it onto a FCS school who was whipped at home by a DII the week before, then had its coach quit and be replaced by some a guy who wasn't part of the program.

To say that the Indiana game will be night and day different is to make the understatement of the century. And, with UAB looking like it is going to be a player with their new head coach, there may be few gimmes left this year outside of FIU.

Just remember that if we go 4-8 or 5-7, point back to this game when people begin to call for Mac's head. This is where we allowed "hope" to begin instead of at some more realistic juncture.

In fact, if we return from UAB nursing a 2-4 record, the battle cry moving forward should be, "Don't sweat it, we beat Nicholls State 77-3; so, there's reason for hope!"

Look at it this way as well: the Louisiana Tech team that thrashed us soundly was beaten at home by an FCS last weekend. So, hold your breath for Indiana; I fear it's going to be a long day.

Edited September 22, 2014 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[Mean_Green09]

I'm still unsure on Rice this year. I think they'll be good, but I just don't see them being as good as last year.

As for ODU, they have the second best qb in this conference (although WKU's qb Doughty is making a case this year) and their recruiting backyard is one of the top per-capita recruiting areas in the country (Chesapeake/Virginia Beach), and it doesn't have the traffic that bigger recruiting hubs like DFW have. They're also very committed to athletics as a school. I expect big things from them as a football program.

ODU's offense is really good. Its not just the QB, they have some solid WR's. They will put up points on a lot of teams.

College football is all about them match-ups boss. I don't think we match-up well with Indian. Our offense should be able to score some pts on them, but not sure our defense can slow them down.

[bleedgreen4ever]

There is no question about that. They just roadkilled a Top 20 school, while we poured it onto a FCS school who was whipped at home by a DII the week before, then had its coach quit and be replaced by some a guy who wasn't part of the program.

To say that the Indiana game will be night and day different is to make the understatement of the century. And, with UAB looking like it is going to be a player with their new head coach, there may be few gimmes left this year outside of FIU.

Just remember that if we go 4-8 or 5-7, point back to this game when people begin to call for Mac's head. This is where we allowed "hope" to begin instead of at some more realistic juncture.

In fact, if we return from UAB nursing a 2-4 record, the battle cry moving forward should be, "Don't sweat it, we beat Nicholls State 77-3; so, there's reason for hope!"

Look at it this way as well: the Louisiana Tech team that thrashed us soundly was beaten at home by an FCS last weekend. So, hold your breath for Indiana; I fear it's going to be a long day.

I find it quite strange some of you people are so sure we'll get "killed" by Indiana. They haven't shown consistency and neither have we. You just simply can't be so sure of any predicition and I expect our players to show up and play hard. Let's hold off on any overly negative or positive feelings about this game and just expect our players to play well, despite the outcome of the game.

[Mean_Green09]

I find it quite strange some of you people are so sure we'll get "killed" by Indiana. They haven't shown consistency and neither have we. You just simply can't be so sure of any predicition and I expect our players to show up and play hard. Let's hold off on any overly negative or positive feelings about this game and just expect our players to play well, despite the outcome of the game.

It's just a matter of people comparing wins. We haven't beaten an average or below average team yet. We've only beaten the worst of the worst. Indiana on the other hand has beaten a ranked team on the road.

[meangreenthirteen]

It's just a matter of people comparing wins. We haven't beaten an average or below average team yet. We've only beaten the worst of the worst. Indiana on the other hand has beaten a ranked team on the road.

Guess we're due for one, eh?

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

It's just a matter of people comparing wins. We haven't beaten an average or below average team yet. We've only beaten the worst of the worst. Indiana on the other hand has beaten a ranked team on the road.

This. We beat SMU and Nicholls State, both horrible teams, both a home, both with quitting coaches - one after our loss, one before.

Indiana is on a different football planet than SMU and Nicholls State. I'd say even a different football galaxy.

If we can even "hang with" Indiana, then I'll see cause for hope. Otherwise, going into UAB at 2-3, my threshold will be that game in Birmingham. UAB appears to be on the rise, and it will be a road game for us.

If we can get out of UAB with a win and pull even at 3-3, that would be more than hope. At that point, I think we'd be sailing clear waters to another bowl season. A 3-3 record with a conference win on the road would give me hope for every other game.

I still see FIU as a gimme, and Southern Miss pretty close to that. So after Indiana, we will need the UAB game so as not to be in a 2-4 hole...with what would be at that point more questions than answers with half the season gone.

[pastorgrant]

I don't get the assumption we lose at IU, either. We had one massive missing piece on an otherwise solid team and now it looks like we've filled that gap well. The IU game could go either way, and I expect good things going forward.

[BillySee58]

ODU's offense is really good. Its not just the QB, they have some solid WR's. They will put up points on a lot of teams.

College football is all about them match-ups boss. I don't think we match-up well with Indian. Our offense should be able to score some pts on them, but not sure our defense can slow them down.

Yeah, I agree. I've had my eye on ODU on the field and in recruiting over the last two years. They're going to have another great shot at impressing on Friday against MTSU. We'll see if they can keep it up two games in a row against two CUSA bowl teams from last year.

As much as I'd love to comment on our chances against Indiana, going to save it for the cover 2.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Recall September 1, 2007. OU:79 - UNT:10. One team completely outmatched in every facet by the other.

Yeah, it looked just like that.

I hope if Indiana thrashes us in 2 weeks, you guys are very far away from tall buildings.

[Ben Gooding]

People are so pessimistic. Indiana is not going to kill us. We have been all season a decent QB away from having a solid team. Even against stiffer competition DW will at least be decent and that will improve every facet of this team. Indiana better not just show up, that's all I'm sayin.

[gradumacated]

It's also worth nothing that McNulty wasn't anything special when he was in for mop-up duty either. Whereas Williams had confidence and led the team supremely, McNulty still struggled a bit. It's interesting that McNulty got mop-up duty and not Greer. I wonder if that was preplanned or the staff are already moving on from Greer.

I think Indiana will be a close game - both squads will have confidence (depending on this week's result for Indiana) and our staff have two weeks to prepare for IU. I see it being a close game that'll come down to the final two possessions. I still think Indiana at home will have a little too much for UNT. Probably be 28-21 IU.

[VideoEagle]

People are so pessimistic. Indiana is not going to kill us. We have been all season a decent QB away from having a solid team.

I guess you missed the La Tech game.

As for Indiana not being very good, NBC sports is calling them "SEC killer." ESPN, Fox sports and a number of professional sports writers strongly disagree with you. While they aren't at the top of the B1G, they are clearly better than anyone else we play. No one else we play has already beaten a Top 25 team on the road. No one else we play has beaten an SEC East contender.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Whereas Williams had confidence and led the team supremely, McNulty still struggled a bit.

Huh? McNulty definitely didn't look as good as Williams, but I failed to notice him struggling in any way. He was 2 for 3, and his one incompletion was actually a masterful work of saving a play when a bad snap went over his head, and he was able to retrieve it and get rid of it without losing a single yard on the play.

[pastorgrant]

I guess you missed the La Tech game.

As for Indiana not being very good, NBC sports is calling them "SEC killer." ESPN, Fox sports and a number of professional sports writers strongly disagree with you. While they aren't at the top of the B1G, they are clearly better than anyone else we play. No one else we play has already beaten a Top 25 team on the road. No one else we play has beaten an SEC East contender.

I think that and I didn't miss the La Tech game.

[UNT90]

La. Tech destroyed our D from the second qtr forward.

That is a concern.

[greenit]

I think that and I didn't miss the La Tech game.

It looked like a season ending injury that Greer suffered during the LaTech game. Maybe Mac should think about seeking a medical redshirt for Greer like DW received last year...

[Harry]

It looked like a season ending injury that Greer suffered during the LaTech game. Maybe Mac should think about seeking a medical redshirt for Greer like DW received last year...

Unfortunately he has 3 to play 3 -- I don't think he has a med rs option. Not 100% on that though.

[VideoEagle]

La. Tech destroyed our D from the second qtr forward.

That is a concern.

Exactly! And the D should not have been that tired at the start of the second quarter.

And our kicking game didn't look good either. I believe Mac said something to the effect that the team looked bad in all three phases of the La Tech game.

After four games, we still don't know where this team really is yet. All four games have been blowouts, one way or another. And the two teams that blew us out collapsed after playing us. I can't tell where we are.

But, we're playing a team that just beat a top 25 SEC team on the road.

[Ben Gooding]

I was at the La Tech game. The happiest group of guys right now that DW is starting is not the WR corp, it's the defense. They can regroup, rest, get coached up, and not have their psyche crushed from having to play 45 game seconds after they force a punt.

Indiana has a solid RB that they use in the passing game. They also have a really good screen game. Offensively they do not scare me at all if we just limit this guy. I really, really hope Skladany plays a lot more press in this game to help limit the screens and be involved in run support.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Ben Gooding