Don't take Kent State lightly!

[ketelmeister]

There seems to be a lot of comments that ISU will blow Kent State off the football field with ease, but we don't have much to be cocky about at this point. Kent State is a program on the rise, and many pick them to beat ISU. Every win will be tough for ISU, and this one may be no exception. Here's a preview from MAC football, basketball & sports message boards - MAC football recruiting



Mark it Down!
For the first time since the Glen Mason era of the mid-1980s, Kent State will finally deliver a decent non-conference victory. KSU beat Kansas and UTEP in the mid-1980s and have no other OOC win of note other than against I-AA power Youngstown State. This year, KSU will beat either Iowa State or Kentucky during September to finally get an OOC win to make the Golden Flash faithful proud.



2007 Kent State Schedule Analysis
Mostly favorable; the Golden Flashes play winnable non-conference games against Iowa State, Kentucky and Delaware State along with a not so winnable game at Ohio State. Crossover games are hosting defending MAC champ Central Michigan while traveling to a rebuilding NIU. Within the division, Kent gets a raw deal traveling to both Akron and Ohio in September but they do host BGSU and Miami in October. Getting Temple and Buffalo in their final two games of the season is a plus to pad their record if KSU is playing for any of the MAC’s three or four bowl bids.


Most Important Game
At Akron on September 22 – This is the first divisional and MAC game for both teams and will set up who has the inside track to the MAC title game from the East. KSU dominated Akron last year and this year’s contest should be a true dog fight from the opening kickoff.


2007 Kent State Football Schedule
Opponent Prediction Opponent Preview
@ Iowa State
W
2007 Iowa State football preview
@ Kentucky
L

vs. Delaware State
W
N/A
@ Akron
L
2007 Akron football preview
@ Ohio
L
2007 Ohio football preview
vs. Miami
W
2007 Miami football preview
@ Ohio State
L
2007 Ohio State football preview
vs. Bowling Green
W
2007 Bowling Green football preview
vs. Central Michigan
W
2007 CMU football preview
@ Northern Illinois
L
2007 NIU football preview
@ Temple
W
2007 Temple football preview
vs. Buffalo
W
2007 Buffalo football preview



2007 Kent State Prediction - 7-5 Overall, 5-3 MAC, 4-2 MAC West

 

[CyCloned]

I don't think ISU can take anyone lightly. On the other hand, I don't expect to see the current coaching staff to spend half of a press confrence trying to convince us that Kent State is USC.

As fans, we can take any team as seriously or lightly as we wish. We are not playing. You don't have to look at many of the before and after pictures of the returning players to tell that GC takes everything seriously.

 

[AirWalke]

More billboard material for the guys. If ISU loses to Kent State, I might as well throw up in the stands, and not from tailgating.

 

[ketelmeister]

My point is they are contending for their conference crown with Central Michigan, a team that can play with anyone. Our challenge will be to have a new system in place, JUCO players ready and our players ready to play by that first game. That's a tall order, even for Chizik. A win would be a great way to start the season, but no sure thing.

 

[hursts]

The fact is we still should be a superior team than Kent State. If we are not we should leave the Big 12 now. There should be no excuse for a Big 12 team to lose to a MAC team, ever! Clones will win by at least two touchdowns.

 

[ripvdub]

i dont think anyone should take any of our opponents lightly after how we played last year. I think many fans, like myself, are putting our pisspoor performance on the shoulders of last years coaching staff. We have some talent on our team, we need the coaching to put them in the position to win.
Kent State is not a good team, they may play well within a lower tier conference, but their OOC win % is terrible. The spread for me is up to 4.5 points, i still dont kknow if ill touch it.

 

[Wesley]

Kent ucky State will be steamrolled on a Thursday night on the road in a loaded stadium in a Gene first game in their first game of the season. It is a must win situation.

 

[NomadicClone]

I agree that we should not take this game lightly. Perhaps some of the other posters should recall the Northern Illinois debacle a few years ago. I don' think Kent State is as good as Northern Illinois was that year, but I also think we're worse than we were when we lost in DeKalb. I would be happy with a win in that game regardless of how it happens. We have so little talent on the o-line that it will take 2-3 years to rebuild on offense.

 

[Wesley]

We have an oline? That is just rumor mongering. Our oline better be set up to set up the screen pass or wide right sweep to give our boys a chance. I have not heard too much complimentary stuff about the old or new oline. Just offensive.

 

[stepha4]

Let's see.....2nd best team in the MAC, vs the 12th best team in the Big 12.......I"ll be cheering my guts out in 19 days and I"ll take a 1 point victory. This is probably our toughest nc game...yes that's right, tougher than Iowa.

 

[avery_larry]

The fact is we still should be a superior team than Kent State. If we are not we should leave the Big 12 now. There should be no excuse for a Big 12 team to lose to a MAC team, ever! Clones will win by at least two touchdowns.

With those standards, I think there wouldn't be a Big 12 anymore. Every team has a terrible loss at some point.

 

[Psyclone Brian]

Can you imagine, losing to Kent St., ...then defeating a Big XII foe?
just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. No doubt about it, we MUST play 4 qtrs. of football, and pray it doesn't come down to a FG to decide the outcome.

 

[brianhos]

With those standards, I think there wouldn't be a Big 12 anymore. Every team has a terrible loss at some point.

We will be better than them on most years, you just cannot expect much from this team until the lines can come together and gel. Who knows what we will see the first game.

 

[CYVADER]

no team should take any other team lightly, even if it is USC going up against middle ohio school for the blind. every game matters just as much as the last one.

 

[Wesley]

This is Gene's first game. He fires people up. He is recruiting for next year. It is a home game and at night. It would be a giant upset for us to lose to this MAC team. Kent State may be good, but we would have to be worse than last year for that to happen. It would be a catastrophe to lose.

 

[CyCloned]

Kent State is not the second best team in the Mac. They are suppose to be the best in there division, which is kinda like the best team in the North of the Big 12. Not saying the Big 12 north champ is bad, but there seems to be 3 or 4 teams in the south that are better than the North champ.

 

[ketelmeister]

Last year Kent State beat Toledo 40-14. We won 45-43 in three OTs

 

[mjlane]

Last year Kent State beat Toledo 40-14. We won 45-43 in three OTs

Yes, we did beat Toledo last year. And Toledo beat Kansas, so I guess we were better than Kansas last year. Oops, I guess we weren't.

Comparative scores don't mean squat, especially from the previous season.

 

[bos]

Over the years I have learned a valuable lesson. Dont underestimate any team we play.

 

[HILLCYD]

I agree that Kent State is a great team and has to be taken VERY seriously. I also think however that we will out-physical this team. Everything I have heard all summer long leads me to beleive we will be stronger and faster than them. I fully expect us to beat them up and wear them down as the game continues in the late summer heat.