Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away…
BOWLING GREEN — As incongruities go, the scene at Bowling Green State University the other morning was a delight, the stern precision of a football practice mixin’ and a-minglin’ with some holiday cheer.
A mixtape of Christmas classics filled the air at Perry Field House.
“Frosty the Snowman.” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” And, yes … “Last Christmas.”
Which was fitting.
The lyrics might as well be the soundtrack of modern college football, where players are here today, gone tomorrow.
But …
At least this Christmas, they do not apply to Bowling Green.
No, it appears the band is getting back together.
Most of the guys responsible for BG rolling along the second half of the season? They’re going nowhere.
And neither are the Falcons.
Since its last Mid-American Conference title in 2015, the program may have perfected its imitation of Sisyphus, the Greek king sentenced by the gods to roll a giant boulder uphill for eternity.
But, finally, there is real momentum, real reason for hope.
The top of the mountain is in sight and players want to be part of the final leg of the climb.
A year after a half-dozen Falcons starters entered the transfer portal — a sign of the turnstile times — just one has opened the door so far this season. Sophomore cornerback Jalen Huskey is returning to his home state to play at Maryland.
The rest are still on board.
While it would be naive to not expect more movement, for now, seventeen starters are due back, including six all-league honorees: tight end Harold Fannin, Jr., running back Terion Stewart, cornerback Jordan Olodokun, right tackle Alex Wollschlaeger, linebacker Cashius Howell, and kick returner Jhaylin Embry.
“Coach [Scot] Loeffler definitely tried to preach to us that sometimes going elsewhere isn’t the best move, especially moving up to a Power Five school,” said quarterback Connor Bazelak, who himself previously played at Missouri and Indiana before transferring to BG this season. “A lot of those teams are just looking for depth. Maybe it's best to stay here, bring everyone back, and win a MAC championship and have a great year.”
That’s not just Loeffler looking out for number one, either (of course he wants his players to stay).
It’s reality.
Dare I say the grass really is greenest right here in Bowling Green.
That might have sounded crazy a couple months ago, when the grass was green in spots, parched in others, the Falcons predictable only in their extreme unpredictability.
But after an exasperatingly on-brand two-week stretch — they thumped Georgia Tech, then lost 27-0 at Miami (Ohio) — a funny thing happened.
It all came together.
Bowling Green (7-5) rolled to five wins in its final six games (average margin of victory: 18.8 points), and came one play short of beating Toledo after building an 18-point halftime lead.
Say what you will about the competition, but the Falcons — solid across the board, including on both lines — were playing consistent football for the first time in eight years.
Also worth noting: The Tech team they beat finished fourth in the 14-team Atlantic Coast Conference and their five losses came against opponents that are a combined 57-7.
In a show-me year for Loeffler, the fifth-year coach and his team truly began to show us, with the promise of brighter days still ahead.
That includes the day after Christmas, when the Falcons have a good chance of beating Minnesota (5-7) in the Quick Lane Bowl.
And it especially includes next season, when they’ll have one of the oldest, deepest, and best teams in the MAC … if they can continue to keep the roster intact.
Again, that’s easier said than done in this free-agent era. My guess: A couple more players test the waters.
But, clearly, Bowling Green’s top contributors are asking: What would be more gratifying? An uncertain role at a bigger school and maybe a couple thousand extra dollars in NIL money? Or the opportunity to finish what they started with their teammates and achieve something special at BG?
A year ago, the Falcons players who left did not necessarily become a cautionary tale, but it’s fair to wonder if the brighter lights were worth it.
Here’s what happened to the six starters who entered the portal: Receiver Tyrone Broden had 15 catches for 109 yards at Arkansas; linebacker Jordan Anderson had 16 tackles in a backup role at UCLA, offensive guard Jalen Grant started but struggled at Purdue; and linebacker JB Brown had 54 tackles at Kansas.
On the flip side, linebacker Darren Anders reversed course and returned to Bowling Green, as did defensive back Davon Ferguson, who transferred to Georgia Southern before turning around. Both earned all-conference honors this season.
“We support the portal, we support NIL, there's a spot and a place for both,” Loeffler said. “If a guy has done the right things and has graduated and wants to go play, I think the transfer portal is an unbelievable opportunity. If a guy is head and shoulders above and can go play at Michigan or Ohio State and can be a starter, there's merit to that, too. But there's a lot of celebrating about the five percent [who leave[ rather than the 95 percent. …
“It's being celebrated out there that they're all Kyle McCord or Bo Nix and are going to be starters elsewhere. That’s very few transfers.”
Meantime, Bowling Green is celebrating those who stay.
We’re not saying they will be champions. We’re certainly not saying they won’t be.
“It was good just getting a group of guys together and asking, ‘What do we want to do?’” tight end Levi Gazarek said. “We talked about what we can achieve next year if we all stay together. We have a great group and if we just stick together, we can do this thing.”
First Published December 16, 2023, 3:30 p.m.
