The coaches allegedly hate these games. And there's also a certain segment of fans who wish-away the season in anticipation of 3 days in Cleveland. And that's fine.
I really enjoy "measuring stick" games against like-competition.
This Groce team has a lot to prove. They completely whiffed in the early OOC schedule. Yeah they were on the road...yeah it was a new group of players that needed to gel....yeah the teams are near the top of their respective conferences...etc. etc. etc. We lost every. Single. One.
If we are going to have a shot at winning a 1st round NCAA game, we need to not only challenge ourselves with a tough OOC schedule, we need to start beating some of these teams. It's been proven that whipping downtrodden Buffalo, pathetic EMU and soon-to-be-Horizon fodder NIU doesn't prepare the Zips for squat.
The bracketbuster was great. How else could I drive 20 minutes south of Hudson to see Top 25 team in the JAR? Nevada, VCU...great mid-majors like Oral Roberts and Creighton? I've seen crappy BGSU teams for 30 years. It is refreshing to see someone like Arkansas State, South Alabama, James Madison, etc. on our schedule.
Beat South Alabama handily at home, like we should, and grow a bit. Prove something. We've lost 80% of our measuring stick games in the past.
We always have a great MAC record. We'll have another one in 2025. Outside of our SWAC and OAC cupcakes we have yet to really ascend in OOC games. We're Kings of the MAC...which is great...but that's been our ceiling for 20 years. I'm greedy. I want more. Beat South Alabama by 15, run roughshod over the MAC, and beat somebody in the Big Dance.