How Good is Western Michigan?

Holey Toledo!!!!

They will give a good battle to whoever they face in whatever NY6 bowl they end up in but probably lose. A la Northern Illinois a few years ago who lost to FSU but didn't get completely hosed...it was a one score game going into the 4th quarter.

What makes Toledo "very good"? Who have they beaten?

Western Michigan has a quality win over Northwestern. That is about it. They are ranked 14, that seems about right for a team that while unbeaten, hasn't really played anyone, either.

Dude they beat the crap out of Cmu and Cmu beat Ok State! Western Michigan deserves to be behind any one loss teams but of the 2 loss teams only Wisconsin is better. While we are talking about SOS who has anyone played this year really? nonconference schedule was extremely weak nationally this year. The SEC second best team is Florida who lost to a Tennessee team that WMU would beat 9 times out of 10. Big 12 WMU would dominate. Only the Big 10 really would have a chance of keeping out WMU and honestly if it weren't for Washington they should send 3 teams.

1. Bama

2. Ohio State

3. Michigan

4. Washington

5. Wisconsin

6. WMU

7. Clemson

8. Florida

Who cares about the rest. Seriously mid majors have historically done well in big bowl games. Boise St over Oklahoma, Utah over Pitt and also destroyed Bama in 08, and I'm sure a few more could be listed.

Look, you've got WMU ranked one spot behind a team that has played like, 8 ranked teams and beaten six of them. Does that really seem legit to you? USC and Colorado would destroy WMU, as would Clemson and Penn State, probably a few others, as well.

14th is about right for them. They're not a top-10 team.

Western Michigan is a typical MAC team. Beat an average team, play 3 cupcakes, earn a trip to a bowl, lose 3 million dollars since they have no real fan base, cut track to free up money since they are only $70k from challenging Alabama for the title, and slip back to obscurity as one of the average teams and give the next their chance to pretend,......and cut track.

Dude USC and Colorado have done nothing to merit being ranked over WMU. Your logic bama would be ranked 14 with wmus schedule. Don't be a moron the schedule doesn't make the team. You should have to actually win your tough games not just play them. I am no WMU fan I'm just realistic. They deserve a better ranking

I didn't know about them cutting track, but I did know about Ball State cutting men's track and XC on the alter of football and title 9 a few years ago. What other MAC teams have done the same?

Bowling Green, Ohio, Marshall, Ball State, Western Michigan, Toledo, and I think Northern Illinois was in the MAC when they dropped. Miami does not support indoor but I do not know if that is football related.

It has nothing to do with title IX. It has to do with football coaches convincing AD's that they are just a little money away from being big time football instead of losing millions each year. I heard it from a pretty good source that Ohio dropped track and the following week hung $35K of motivational boards around the football facilities, well, that and settled football coach Frank Solich first DUI.

MAC teams who cut Men's track

Western Michigan

Ball State

Ohio University

Toledo

Northern Illinois

Bowling Green

Marshall (no longer in the MAC)

I go to UT, and it's despicable how they cut the men's team (not only track, but men's volleyball, soccer, and swimming) and constantly pump millions of dollars into Football and recently the president of UT's salary got bumped up to $900,000 a year. Track is arguably the lesser expensive sport when it comes to equipment and facility upkeep. However, UT and countless other schools in the MAC constantly put all of their money into one sport and shrug when they can't give a sizable budget to the varsity track team.

There are only 6 schools in the MAC with a men's track team:

Akron

Kent State

Buffalo

Miami (OH)

Eastern Michigan

Central Michigan

Come on MAC.

Toledo never had men's volleyball.

They have some good players but outside of Davis and maybe Franklin, they would get beat by most teams in the top 20. Northwestern is mediocre and they barely beat them. You can't compare stuff like they beat someone who beat someone else who beat a top 10 team. Yes, they have beaten the bad teams like they should but Bama would beat them all by 50+. Houston would smack them around.

IT Guy wrote:

What makes Toledo "very good"? Who have they beaten?

Western Michigan has a quality win over Northwestern. That is about it. They are ranked 14, that seems about right for a team that while unbeaten, hasn't really played anyone, either.

Northwestern lost to FCS school Illinois St. which had a struggle in the MVC and then was knocked out last weekend in the first round of the FCS playoffs.