MAC Blogger Roundtable--My Answers

1.- For most of the MAC the season is half over. Bowing Green/Akron leads the East and Toledo/NIU lead the west how do you think the rest of the season plays out?

Half over?  Wow, that's incredible, isn't it?  Amazes me how fast it goes.  Basketball seems to last forever but football is by in a flash.  Anyhoo, I think the West will come down to the UT/NIU game.  They are clearly the top teams in by far the toughest division.  The East?  Anything could happen.  Every game is a nail biter, even when including Miami and UMass.  My only prediction here is to think at least 2 losses for the winner and bone up on your tie-breaker procedures.  Warning Falcon fans:  This requires rooting for Toledo.

2 - Looking ahead to the second half of the season what is the best realistic scenario you see for your team.

Best and realistic...interesting combination.  Based on what I have seen thus far, I don't think BG can win every week with the white knuckle express.  Now, the defense might have started to get some traction last week and that would help, but based on the body of work over the first half of the season, I think the best case is BG finishes the MAC season 6-2 or 5-3.  Any game on the schedule can be lost by the team we have seen for the front half, but the most likely are Akron and Toledo, followed by OU, WMU and Ball State followed by Kent.

3 - Many of the P5 programs are seeing their attendance start to fall, the more popular mid majors are also starting to fall off. What has your program done to help bolster your attendance and what do you believe they should do next?

This is always the tough issue.  I think the bubble is bursting a little bit on college football and I believe you will see things retreat to a more sustainable level.  Having said that, I have been watching Bowling Green football at the Doyt since 1971 and over that time I have seen every possible attempt to increase attendance.  There's been advertising, promotion, price breaks, lights and night games, tie-ins with grocery stores, flexible ticket packs...every possible thing has been tried and produced...well...a result with has not changed very much.  (Gregg Brandon once called the crowd for a weeknight game against Buffalo "pathetic.").  Also, the ESPN accommodations work against good crowds.   UT and Miami draw well, Big 10 teams draw well, but once the weather turns bad, our fans turn away.  I do not believe there is a long-term fix for this...we just have to enjoy the support we do have.