Author Archive | pantherclaw

Offseason

So the blog went on hibernation, well not for lack of choice, I have been in the field and have had to use the mobile and haven’t had access to a legit computer and didn’t remember how to get to the posting site. That being said the silly season is in full spring with random offing’s of people followed by their sudden re-incarnation. The Olympics happened, America has to keep that joke beiber because the hockey teams took it in the shorts from Team Canada. Then three days later Russia is all up in the Ukraine’s business(weather justifiable or not leave that on the politics board) and we have a situation that puts the us in between a rock and a hard place. yeah welcome to the sillyseason folks. Hopefully it stops snowing and then we can start spring.

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FINALS

Merry Christmas ya filthy animals, quick one before I take off for the Christmas week. Our Championship is set, on one side we have the juggernaut that is the Bizon of NDSU. On the other the underdogs of Towson, who traveled across the country to take out the BSC champ Eastern Washington. Should be a good one will the Bizon three-peat or will Towson spoil Bohls’ going away party?

The Blog went 2-0 last week bringing a predict record to 15-6 or a 71 percent pick rate. Not to shabby.

The blog has picked NDSU every week of the playoffs and we are riding this train down the line, NDSU 35-Towson-27. Merry Christmas!

Semis Week

Alright Boys and Girls Its Semi’s week-A little love for the CAA, two of the four semis teams, including a “bubble” team that squeaked in. Congrats! You have shown that when it comes to crunch time you guys are ready. So I was watching the Towson-EIU game, and I was incredibly impressed with Towson’s running attack this guy was just running over the EIU D, his numbers prior to half were ridiculous. It really seemed to me like Towson has its game together.

Predicts:13-6 and 3-1 last week.

NDSU over UNH
Twoson over EWU-This one I have really gone back and forth on.

Have a wonderful holiday yall

2nd round, the Big Sky, and some more damn crow

Wow what a weekend, especially that SHSU and SELA game. That was fun to watch. Anyway so another round of the playoffs is in the book and we have learned something else. THE BIG SKY IS NOT THE BEST CONFERENCE IN THE COUNTRY. They have count it ONE, ONE playoff win this year they are ahead count it the MEAC, the NEC, and the Pioneer conferences. EWU while they splattered SDSU it was close till midway through the third quarter. Not a power conference or even the “top conference in the FCS” does that make. Jacksonville State-WTF? where the hell did you come from, congrats on peaking at the right time and again I will eat some more crow yum! because you proved me wrong, though maybe third time is a charm.

Alright boys and girls pick time:
rough hoe of it last week 4-4 for a 10-5 overall record:
EIU over Towson
NDSU over Coastal
EWU over Jax state
UNH over SELA

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1st round and some crow

Committee-
1.you should be utterly embarrassed with yourselves. You to Big Sky. The MVC 5th team BEAT the no.2 team in the Big Sky, but yet you took a fourth from the Big sky and not the 2nd from the MVC. Also the no.4 team from the big sky got thoroughly woodshedded by the no. 3 team from the Southland. Disappointing, Montana and EWU need to represent, though they got stuck with rough gets.

2. BOTH of your MEAC picks got beat, with the winner getting thrashed and the second place playing a decent game against a mediocre team from a major conference, proving again “7-5 team from the Big Sky, MVC, CAA are better than a 9-3 from a MEAC team any day of the week” to quote myself.

3.What is up with all of these 2nd-round intra-conference matchups the point of the playoffs is to play teams you have never seen, not people you have. Meh nothing I can do but complain I guess.

On the flip side OVC, I am enjoying a large helping of crow thanks to Jacksonville State’s stomping of Samford, their reward? A date with streaking Mcneese State. Good luck to you guys and congrats on winning big and bringing some respectability for the OVC even if it was against a down Samford from a weak Socon. Will reserve judgment on this team till after they play Mcneese.
SHSU-I will enjoy another heaping helping of crow for your win as well, you have proved that the Southland is a VERY good conference by beating a good SUU team and spoiling my prefect predicts.

Blog went:6-1 last week
Fordham over Towson(upset special)
Montana Over Coastal
Maine over UNH(tough to beat a team twice in a season let alone in three weeks)
EIU over Tennessee state
NDSU over Furman
EWU over SDSU
Mcneese over Jacksonville State(this one could go either way)
SELA over SHSU

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Thoughts on the brackets and some picks

REALLY TOP Conference in the division and we get TWO TWO bids? A 7-5 team from the Big Sky, MVC, CAA are better than a 9-3 from a MEAC team any day of the week. or an OVC team who again played a fluffier non-conf then NDSU. But I digress, OVC and MEAC try not embarrass yourselves today though I have you all but one losing today.
Here we go:
UNH over Lafayette in a laugher(btw I am also of the thought that if a team penalizes their would-be auto bid so that way they don’t get the auto-bid you lose your auto-bid this is the reason why)
Coastal over Bethune cookman- this is the MEAC’s best chance for a win due to a favorable match up, not quite sold on Coastal yet.
Tennessee State over Butler-Yes OVC you get your first playoff win in how many years, but over a non-scholly so in my book doesn’t count.
Fordham over Sacred Heart big.
Furman over South Carolina State, and all Montana State, Delaware, William and Mary, UNI and especially Youngstown State fans wills end a collective angry shake of the fist at the committee. This game will be closer than probably should be but I digress.
Samford over Jacksonville State-See above re:furman and SCST.

The two games that are going to be interesting:
SUU over SHSU-BOLD PROEDICTION. I think Southern Utah is a very good team and if they continue to play well could make a run.
SDSU over NAU-MVC(call me a homer you can write the blog then) But I think SDSU has proven that when they need the wins see vs.UNI, YSU. they will gut them out SDSU is a VERY good 8-4 team. NAU also is an incredible team and think they got snubbed out of a first round bye, but that seems to be the theme of this year.

Talk to you on mondays, to eat some crow or laud my predicts.

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Playoff picks

Alright here we go the reason we are named for what we are. the Championship playoffs:
Here are my thoughts-Patriot(lehigh) enjoy sitting at home you can’t lose by 25 to a 5-6 team and expect to make the playoffs.
Chuck South-schedule better AND go 10-3 and we’ll talk. UNI has an open date next year, Troy Dannen’s # is online.
First four out-

Jacksonville State
Samford
Liberty
Charleston Southern

Here they are:(in no particular order)
NDSU-MVC AQ
EIU-OVC AQ
Maine-CAA AQ
EWU-Big Sky AQ
Fordham-Patriot AL
SELA-Southland AQ
Montana=-Big Sky AL
Towson-CAA AL
Coastal Carolina-Big South AQ
Chattanooga-Socon AL
NAU-Big Sky AL
Tn ST-OVC AL
UNH-CAA AL
SDSU-MVC AL
YSU-MVC AL
Mcneese-Southland AL
Furman-Socon AQ
SUU-Big Sky AL
UNI-MVC AL
SHSU-Southland AL
Lafayette(I hope they send you to NDSU)-Patriot Auto
Sacred Heart-NEC Auto
Bethune Cookman-MEAC auto
Butler-Pioneer AQ

Feel free to comment/I am open to discussion, I will post pics in the AM

EDIT:Dumping the third OVC bid(Jacksonville State) for a fourth MVC bid(yes call me a homer) Here’s the reason, there are not many teams(except maybe the top 5/6) that would take UNI’s schedule and NOT have struggles, especially with an FBS win and three OT losses. (16 points and we are #1 and undefeated)  The pieces are for the most part back in place for the Panthers(only Sawyer and Farley still out) and this team looks very good, call me a homer, but I think the conference strength helps as well.

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for love………of football

Hey my loyal fanbase back here with some thoughts about football and life in general, I will be gone this week so thought I would jump in and write something as I have been slacking. While driving to Springfield this weekend to watch my panthers play the bears, I thought back to all the money spent on this weekend(food gas, rental, beer, etc) it occurred to me that in a year I will spend close to 2,000 travelling to watch my team play. While that may be a small amount for some people for others it may be very large. The passion and energy that we as a fanbase exude for our teams is quite great. Some of us travel great distances(I met some parents of players who DROVE 14-15 hours one way In order to watch their son play) this type of commitment and passion take a serious dedication to one team, making some of us the most rabid fans, almost to a detriment, but I just wanted to say kudos to those of us out there rooting with unwavering fanaticism.

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The Curse Continues

GW-welcome to conference play. This is why you don’t piss and moan about your ranking until at least week 5. BTW you don’t even play in what is a “major” conference, though I have to admit the Big South is not the also ran of the south anymore It will be exciting to see what happens in that conference in the future.
Of course, I had to open my big mouth and curse my panthers commenting a week before the NDSU that the cats were resurging and have blown four consecutive leads on the way to a scary 4-4 record with several tough games upcoming. I do apologize for my lack of posting, work has been very hectic. Will try harder to stick around.

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What did you learn?

Well football fans this blogger owes you an apology. I have been a. busy as all heck at work and b. also with my team having some struggles I have grown slightly lethargic in my perusing/posting/blogging about this football season. Again this week we saw a top-5 team take a loss, and we have some fresh faces at the top 5, and of course then there are the bison, who went into a high SIU team and spanked them like they were 5 year olds. It will be interesting to see if anyone else this week to the target on their backs, Fordham, and Eastern Illinois have played great season this year.

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