Big Sky Standings/Player Prediction Thread

[AZGrizFan]

Yes. Problem was it happened at the same time as the Griz suffered their worst stretch in 30 years. So, did the REST of the conference get that much better, or did the Griz just get that much worse?

I don't mind having a couple challengers to the crown each year...but when that challenger is IS-fucking-U (wait...that didn't sound right)....well that's just not right.

You mean the team that won a NC decades before Montana did

And promptly became the perennial league doormat?

[Mvemjsunpx]

I agree that it was dumb to give him a contract extension, it isn't for 3 years, rather it is for 2. It also has a termination clause in it; I believe usually those have some sort of benchmark as far as total wins for a season that the team must achieve.

Didn't they extend him through 2017 prior to last season (which would've been his last year otherwise)?

[biobengal]

I agree that it was dumb to give him a contract extension, it isn't for 3 years, rather it is for 2. It also has a termination clause in it; I believe usually those have some sort of benchmark as far as total wins for a season that the team must achieve.

Didn't they extend him through 2017 prior to last season (which would've been his last year otherwise)?

A two year extension is not that long, coaches need time, especially when they have been down as long as ISU and UNC have.

Mike Kramer was given a three year extension in 2014 having gone 9-31 in the previous three and a half years.

Losses leading to heavy turnover and APR problems haunted ISU. More than anything, ISU needed stability and it needed to show its athletes their coach would be around.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Didn't they extend him through 2017 prior to last season (which would've been his last year otherwise)?

A two year extension is not that long, coaches need time, especially when they have been down as long as ISU and UNC have.

Mike Kramer was given a three year extension in 2014 having gone 9-31 in the previous three and a half years.

Losses leading to heavy turnover and APR problems haunted ISU. More than anything, ISU needed stability and it needed to show its athletes their coach would be around.

Except Collins has a worse record than his predecessor and their talent level was noticeably better than ISU's at the time he & Kramer both took over.

Collins seemed like a good hire at the time: UNC alum, already a head coach, star defender from the Joe Glenn championship era in Greeley… Things just haven't looked good, though, and—judging from reading the UNC board—there seems to have been a lot of player discontent not unlike Nigel Burton's tenure at PSU.

[Beardown]

A two year extension is not that long, coaches need time, especially when they have been down as long as ISU and UNC have.

Mike Kramer was given a three year extension in 2014 having gone 9-31 in the previous three and a half years.

Losses leading to heavy turnover and APR problems haunted ISU. More than anything, ISU needed stability and it needed to show its athletes their coach would be around.

Except Collins has a worse record than his predecessor and their talent level was noticeably better than ISU's at the time he & Kramer both took over.

Collins seemed like a good hire at the time: UNC alum, already a head coach, star defender from the Joe Glenn championship era in Greeley… Things just haven't looked good, though, and—judging from reading the UNC board—there seems to have been a lot of player discontent not unlike Nigel Burton's tenure at PSU.

Very true, and I was one of those that was pretty excited about coach Collins coming back. I believe his contract is through this season and next. That being said, he hasn't recruited that well. All you have to do is look at the pre-season All-Conference lists and we have ZERO. I do believe you'll see some guys who were out last season with injury - like Leilon Willingham that will be on the list at the end of the year. But this is UNC's weakest schedule thus far since moving up. We don't play any FBS teams, no Montana schools, no ISU, no Cal Poly. This staff deserves to be let go if they don't win at least 5 or 6 games.

[EWURanger]

I think we'll go 8-3 this year, with non-conference losses to Oregon and either UNI or MSU. 7-1 in the Big Sky.

[Grizalltheway]

Best WR/TE Corps - Eastern Washington

So I've done some thinking, and I won't be at all surprised if this one is maroon at the end of the season, especially with the addition of Ben Roberts.

[EWURanger]

Best WR/TE Corps - Eastern Washington

So I've done some thinking, and I won't be at all surprised if this one is maroon at the end of the season, especially with the addition of Ben Roberts.

You're absolutely high.

[Grizalltheway]

So I've done some thinking, and I won't be at all surprised if this one is maroon at the end of the season, especially with the addition of Ben Roberts.

You're absolutely high.

Hey, it's no more outlandish than kalm or SE saying you guys will have a good defense.

You have Kupp, but we have a guy who led the nation at 24 ypc in his one season in a very mediocre offense. After Jones there's a bunch of other guys with great potential but aren't necessarily proven commodities, which is why I didn't make any guarantees.

[Mvemjsunpx]

You're absolutely high.

Hey, it's no more outlandish than kalm or SE saying you guys will have a good defense.

You have Kupp, but we have a guy who led the nation at 24 ypc in his one season in a very mediocre offense. After Jones there's a bunch of other guys with great potential but aren't necessarily proven commodities, which is why I didn't make any guarantees.

The Griz could end up with one of the best WR corps in the nation based on potential (and I would rank them 3rd. in the conference right now), but EWU & ISU have more (recently) proven commodities.

[AZGrizFan]

I think we'll go 8-3 this year, with non-conference losses to Oregon and either UNI or MSU. 7-1 in the Big Sky.

With the third loss being to the Griz.

[kalm]

I think we'll go 8-3 this year, with non-conference losses to Oregon and either UNI or MSU. 7-1 in the Big Sky.

With the third loss being to the Griz.

Thank god we don't have to play ALL the top teams in the conference like the Griz have to!

[SloStang]

I kind of have to laugh a little. When the conference expanded to 13 football members Montana was firm in that they wanted to play MSU and EWU each year. The conference obliged and gave each team two rivals that they would play each year in large part to accomidate Montana. Now we have to listen to Griz fans whine every year that they play a tougher schedule. Be careful of what you wish for.

[EWURanger]

I kind of have to laugh a little. When the conference expanded to 13 football members Montana was firm in that they wanted to play MSU and EWU each year. The conference obliged and gave each team two rivals that they would play each year in large part to accomidate Montana. Now we have to listen to Griz fans whine every year that they play a tougher schedule. Be careful of what you wish for.

The unbalanced schedule thing isn't that big of a deal to me. We play Montana and MSU every year regardless and I wouldn't have it any other way. Outside of what are traditionally the top 3 teams in the conference every year (EWU, Montana, MSU), it's kind of a wash when you try to determine who else is going to be in that upper 3rd of the conference range in any given year. Last year it was ISU, but they could be a total bust this year. Cal Poly, NAU, SUU...any of those teams have the potential to make some noise.

For some strange reason, though, NAU does seem to benefit from scheduling quite a bit.

[EWURanger]

I think we'll go 8-3 this year, with non-conference losses to Oregon and either UNI or MSU. 7-1 in the Big Sky.

With the third loss being to the Griz.

You could be right, but I'd call it a wash at this point. I haven't seen anything that would make me think Montana would have some sort of advantage in that game...even without Adams. Don't discount West. If it had not been for one bone-headed coaching mistake in the NAU game last year, West would have been 4-0 as a starter during the time he filled in.

[EWURanger]

Hey, it's no more outlandish than kalm or SE saying you guys will have a good defense.

You have Kupp, but we have a guy who led the nation at 24 ypc in his one season in a very mediocre offense. After Jones there's a bunch of other guys with great potential but aren't necessarily proven commodities, which is why I didn't make any guarantees.

The Griz could end up with one of the best WR corps in the nation based on potential (and I would rank them 3rd. in the conference right now), but EWU & ISU have more (recently) proven commodities.

Yes, but you are also incredibly biased and lack objectivity when it comes to your own team. No offense.

[EWURanger]

You're absolutely high.

Hey, it's no more outlandish than kalm or SE saying you guys will have a good defense.

You have Kupp, but we have a guy who led the nation at 24 ypc in his one season in a very mediocre offense. After Jones there's a bunch of other guys with great potential but aren't necessarily proven commodities, which is why I didn't make any guarantees.

Did they say that? Hey, I just want our defense to be mediocre at this point. Anything would be better than last year.

But come on, dude. We don't just have Kupp. We have Bourne, Hill, Sblendorio, and Grady. Add to that Simba Webster, who will be an impact player in the Big Sky...and there's a ton of talent in that group.

Eastern Washington is the QB/WR U of the FCS.

[Grizalltheway]

The Griz could end up with one of the best WR corps in the nation based on potential (and I would rank them 3rd. in the conference right now), but EWU & ISU have more (recently) proven commodities.

Yes, but you are also incredibly biased and lack objectivity when it comes to your own team. No offense.

None of the categories in which he picked Montana were a stretch at all. Even a Bobcat or Eag fan with any kind of knowledge of the conference and objectivity would pick us in those.

And again, I'm not saying EWU shouldn't be the preseason pick for best WR corps, but we also have a lot of talent that will have a chance to manifest itself in Stitt's offense.

[EWURanger]

Yes, but you are also incredibly biased and lack objectivity when it comes to your own team. No offense.

None of the categories in which he picked Montana were a stretch at all. Even a Bobcat or Eag fan with any kind of knowledge of the conference and objectivity would pick us in those.

And again, I'm not saying EWU shouldn't be the preseason pick for best WR corps, but we also have a lot of talent that will have a chance to manifest itself in Stitt's offense.

I would say I have pretty good overall knowledge of the conference, and I would not pick Montana to go 9-2 this year based off of returning talent on defense alone and an offensive system that nobody has seen a down of yet. I did not pick them to win it 2012, 2013, or 2014, either. Just saying.

As for the the categories you referenced...best overall defense, and best LB corps. Sure. No arguments there.

I always value Mvemjsunpx's analysis and find them interesting to read. However, like I said, he does have a tendency to overvalue his own team. Which is natural, I suppose.

[Mvemjsunpx]

I always value Mvemjsunpx's analysis and find them interesting to read. However, like I said, he does have a tendency to overvalue his own team. Which is natural, I suppose.

I have picked the Griz record perfectly each of the last four odd-numbered years. Just sayin'…

[AZGrizFan]

I kind of have to laugh a little. When the conference expanded to 13 football members Montana was firm in that they wanted to play MSU and EWU each year. The conference obliged and gave each team two rivals that they would play each year in large part to accomidate Montana. Now we have to listen to Griz fans whine every year that they play a tougher schedule. Be careful of what you wish for.

You have proof of that? The Griz request, not the whining...

[Mvemjsunpx]

*edit* - (Wrong Thread)

[SACCAT]

I kind of have to laugh a little. When the conference expanded to 13 football members Montana was firm in that they wanted to play MSU and EWU each year. The conference obliged and gave each team two rivals that they would play each year in large part to accomidate Montana. Now we have to listen to Griz fans whine every year that they play a tougher schedule. Be careful of what you wish for.

You have proof of that? The Griz request, not the whining...

The Cats and griz BOTH requested it...and for good reason.

[AZGrizFan]

You have proof of that? The Griz request, not the whining...

The Cats and griz BOTH requested it...and for good reason.

Well, I GET that they requested to play each other, but I'm curious about the supposed request that we play EWU every year...while the 'scats get UND?

[SACCAT]

The Cats and griz BOTH requested it...and for good reason.

Well, I GET that they requested to play each other, but I'm curious about the supposed request that we play EWU every year...while the 'scats get UND?

They were just making sure we can't back out of playing every North Dakota school.