OVC Breaks One Streak, How About the Other?

[TexasTerror]

Now that the Ohio Valley Conference has ended a 50-game losing streak against Football Bowl Subdivision foes, is the league now in position to break their futility in the Division I playoffs?

The expansion to 20 may be a great thing for the OVC...but then again, I had Jax State as the second, if not third best team in the OVC this year behind fellow ranked squad Eastern Illinois and maybe, just maybe Eastern Kentucky.

Is the league deeper this year?

[TTUEagles]

Hard to say about the playoffs - always depends upon the specific matchup. I'm puzzled about EKU after Friday's loss...I (biased) feel TTU has their best team in probably 15 years, if not 35 years...Jacksonville State is obviously for real. EIU always is good (in the conference). OVC, on paper, looks to have it's deepest league in years.

[TexasTerror]

The EKU loss to Missouri State was puzzling... truly caught me off-guard as I thought the Colonels would definitely be in the mix for the OVC title. Now, not sure what to think about the squad...

Does not get easier with Louisville and a very solid UT-Chattanooga squad.

[Panthers_Blue]

Even though EIU lost today, they only allowed two sacks against one of the best D-Lines in the country. Large looked good for his first ever D-1 start. They also created two turnovers. Plus with the Jacksonville St. upset today. I think the OVC can get two schools into the playoffs and will break the streak.

[TexasTerror]

Even though EIU lost today, they only allowed two sacks against one of the best D-Lines in the country. Large looked good for his first ever D-1 start. They also created two turnovers. Plus with the Jacksonville St. upset today. I think the OVC can get two schools into the playoffs and will break the streak.

Which two teams? You think EIU is that other team along with Jax State? Out of conference games for EIU are home vs Central Arkansas and road vs Illinois State. If you don't beat both those teams, really need to go 7-1 in OVC to get to the playoffs.

[TTUEagles]

Garbage call, even with replay, against TTU negated a TD, but TTU led Arkansas after 1, 3-0. TTU isn't going to win this one - obviously outmaned, but they have sacked precious Mallett 3 times and picked him off once.

[PantherRob82]

I thought EIU looked terrible. I didn't see much positive to take from the game. Maybe the fake punt/Td drive.

[TTUEagles]

Tennessee State is hammering Alabama A&M right now. That shocks me.

[EKUSteve]

I don't know what to think about our team yet. We played a horrible third quarter (4 yds TO) and went from being in the game to down 3 TDs. Execution was not good as either sacks or dropped passes killed drives. We also had to settle for 4 FG attempts in the red zone. The O-line has to gel and playing UofL next week will be another challenge followed by Chattanooga at Chattanooga. The O-line and catching the ball have to improve if we are going to compete with EIU, Jax St and anyone else on our schedule.

[busybee14]

I think all we really know after week one is that JSU is the team to beat.Pulling the upset @ Ole Miss will help the OVC come playoff time.We will get 2 in this year and I think the Drought may be over.

[TexasTerror]

I think all we really know after week one is that JSU is the team to beat.Pulling the upset @ Ole Miss will help the OVC come playoff time.We will get 2 in this year and I think the Drought may be over.

Which two though?

EIU has a major game for those efforts at home against UCA. A loss would set them back tremendously as far as an at-large shot goes. 0-2 would be challenging to bounce back from.

Can Tennessee State put together something this year? Eastern Kentucky's setback to Missouri State really put them in a rough spot and Tennessee-Martin could essentially be eliminated from an at-large with a loss on the road to SLU (especially since they have Lambuth left on the slate)...

[Panthers_Blue]

I thought EIU looked terrible. I didn't see much positive to take from the game. Maybe the fake punt/Td drive.

Considering Large was taking his first snaps at this level went 13-20 for 92 yards (no INTS), showed good mobility when the pocket collapsed. The incompletion's he did have, most were on the numbers and were dropped. He also looked very capable on the lone TD drive. Hitting Wright on a 37 yard strike, then hitting Wise in the back of the end zone on a very good pass. I'll take it for his first start. Also with an O-Line that had holes all over it, guys out with injury and guys with their first starts.

All of this being on the road in Iowa, which I know you guys almost pulled it off last year.

With some of the youth we have I think it was a success or a step in the right direction. I also liked the way our linebackers and DBs played forcing two fumbles and a couple of sacks.

Iowa is ranked 9th for a reason, coming off a 11-2 season an Orange Bowl win to come out of Iowa City with a 37-7 loss and some gained experience, I can't complain to much.

[Panthers_Blue]

Which two teams? You think EIU is that other team along with Jax State? Out of conference games for EIU are home vs Central Arkansas and road vs Illinois State. If you don't beat both those teams, really need to go 7-1 in OVC to get to the playoffs.

I do think EIU and Jax State will be the two teams. I don't know much about Central Arkansas, but EIU showed two years ago they can go to Bloomington/Normal and beat Illinois State. I think if they can win both the out of conference games and even the Sep. 25th match-up at home against Jax State, they will be setting themselves up for a playoff spot.

[MSUBear42]

Now that the Ohio Valley Conference has ended a 50-game losing streak against Football Bowl Subdivision foes, is the league now in position to break their futility in the Division I playoffs?

The expansion to 20 may be a great thing for the OVC...but then again, I had Jax State as the second, if not third best team in the OVC this year behind fellow ranked squad Eastern Illinois and maybe, just maybe Eastern Kentucky.

Is the league deeper this year?

EKU IS NOT a playoff team. Either that or MSU IS that good.

[TexasTerror]

I do think EIU and Jax State will be the two teams. I don't know much about Central Arkansas, but EIU showed two years ago they can go to Bloomington/Normal and beat Illinois State. I think if they can win both the out of conference games and even the Sep. 25th match-up at home against Jax State, they will be setting themselves up for a playoff spot.

Have to win the two OOC games. No question about it... first one is this coming week and good thing, the game is at home against the Bears, instead of in Conway, Ark...


EKU IS NOT a playoff team. Either that or MSU IS that good.

It was suggested on another thread that Missouri State may be pretty good... you are a Bears fan, thoughts?

[Panthers_Blue]

[QUOTE=TexasTerror;1548107]Have to win the two OOC games. No question about it... first one is this coming week and good thing, the game is at home against the Bears, instead of in Conway, Ark.

I do agree with you. I just don't know much about the Bears, to make a good prediction either way about this weekends game.

[MSUBear42]

Have to win the two OOC games. No question about it... first one is this coming week and good thing, the game is at home against the Bears, instead of in Conway, Ark...



It was suggested on another thread that Missouri State may be pretty good... you are a Bears fan, thoughts?

I don't want to jinx anything, but this staff is tossing around the "P" word (playoffs) and they have never done that before.

[TexasTerror]

I don't want to jinx anything, but this staff is tossing around the "P" word (playoffs) and they have never done that before.

The road for Missouri State is a tough one. After Kansas State, road games include some lightweights, but you finish with @ SDSU, @ UNI and then home for NDSU. Bears may be well-positioned and then hit that wall, forced to win 2 of 3 or all three!

[MSUBear42]

The road for Missouri State is a tough one. After Kansas State, road games include some lightweights, but you finish with @ SDSU, @ UNI and then home for NDSU. Bears may be well-positioned and then hit that wall, forced to win 2 of 3 or all three!
Agree... That Sept 25th game at Illinois State is still a huge guage for our season because after that we should win our next 4 games and go into that Oct. 30th home game against SIU either 6-1 or 5-2. And we owe SIU one after what they did to us two years ago at home.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EqpaoOyWtc


A 51-yard touchdown pass from Chris Dieker to Marc Cheatham as time expired gave No. 13 Southern Illinois a 23-17 win over Missouri State here Saturday afternoon in Missouri Valley Football Conference play.

The Salukis (5-2, 4-1) avoided their third overtime game with the Bears since 1995 when Dieker scrambled left, eluded two would-be tacklers and hit a wide-open Cheatham for the game-winning score.

The three-play, 66-yard drive seemed improbable as the homestanding Bears (3-4, 2-3) tied the game, 17-17, with 18 seconds remaining in the fourth when Cody Kirby hit Brandon Oliver for a 26-yard touchdown strike to cap a seven-play, 87-yard drive that brought the Plaster Field crowd to its feet.

[TTUEagles]

EIU, EKU AND Jacksonville State have to come to Cookeville this year. This is a very good TTU team (yes, by TTU standards, though). I'm not ready to pound my chest and say TTU can win the OVC, but strongly feel that TECH will influence the outcome of the auto-bid.

[JSU02]

Now is Watson Brown still your Coach????????