Week 5 observations & questions

[KAUMASS]

Here's a couple for this week...feel free to add any thoughts...

1. Do I watch the Hampton-Del. State game tonight on ESPNU? My heart tells me yes, because its FCS, but my brain tells me no because it's the MEAC.

2. Does the conference power shifting continue this week? Lot's of great confernce games all around the country..we should know who has what after this week's games...which leads me to #3..

3. The GPI will be out next week...Do you like the GPI or is it just another topic for posters to complain about where their team is ranked? I like it, gives me another angle to look at teams ranked in the 11-30 range.

4. Love the parity in the Big Sky this year....there knocking each other each week with no clear contendor..

5. The Big South champion could be 6-5 this year with only 5 D1 wins. Without talking any specific teams as the playoffs are too far out, there will be some interesting geographical matchup's in the first 2 rounds. Where does the Big South and NEC champs go?

6. Brown/URI game. I'm keeping an eye on this one. Brown beat a solid Stony Brook squad in OT and dismantled Harvard. Which URI team shows up?..the one that beat New Hampshire or the one that lost to Fordham..who lost to D2 Assumption? The QB coach for Brown is Liam Coen, x-UMass QB standout. Edge to Brown..

7. App. State quietly going along at 4-0 transitioning from all-everything Edwards to almost all everything Pressley. Toughest games coming up.

8. Cal Poly at Fresno State..interesting matchup here...Not sure what Cal Poly has, beat Montana, but how good is Montana? We will know what CP has after this game. Fresno state is usually just plain tough, hard-nosed FBS. Good luck to Cal Poly.

9. Teams on my radar this week..the State teams....Illinois St, Youngstown St, Alcorn ST. And Brown.

[danefan]

Here's a couple for this week...feel free to add any thoughts...

1. Do I watch the Hampton-Del. State game tonight on ESPNU? My heart tells me yes, because its FCS, but my brain tells me no because it's the MEAC. Yeah, I'll give it a quarter or two. But the announcers for these ESPNU MEAC games usually suck too so I can't stick with it too long.

2. Does the conference power shifting continue this week? Lot's of great confernce games all around the country..we should know who has what after this week's games...which leads me to #3..

3. The GPI will be out next week...Do you like the GPI or is it just another topic for posters to complain about where their team is ranked? I like it, gives me another angle to look at teams ranked in the 11-30 range. Trash in-trash out, IMO, but fodder for forums nonetheless.

4. Love the parity in the Big Sky this year....there knocking each other each week with no clear contendor..

5. The Big South champion could be 6-5 this year with only 5 D1 wins. Without talking any specific teams as the playoffs are too far out, there will be some interesting geographical matchup's in the first 2 rounds. Where does the Big South and NEC champs go?
Depends who wins the Big South and NEC. The NEC is spread out with title contenders as far West as Pittsburgh and North as Rhode Island so it could be a flight for the winner no matter what. And we all know the geographic nightmare that SBU is to the Big South.

In a normal year I think you'll see the following opening round games:

NEC AQ vs. PL AQ
MEAC AQ vs. Big South AQ
Last Western At large vs. SLC AQ (or 2nd bid)
Last Eatern At large vs. OVC AQ

This year is weird though because the MEAC and OVC's AQs will both likely get byes. The NEC, Big South and PL AQ's are definite opening round teams. We could end up with 2 CAA at-large teams, a Socon at-large team, a Big Sky at-large and an SLC at-large (or any combination of those) in the opening round this year. The parings will be very interesting.


6. Brown/URI game. I'm keeping an eye on this one. Brown beat a solid Stony Brook squad in OT and dismantled Harvard. Which URI team shows up?..the one that beat New Hampshire or the one that lost to Fordham..who lost to D2 Assumption? The QB coach for Brown is Liam Coen, x-UMass QB standout. Edge to Brown..

I can't figure out Brown, Stony Brook or URI so I have no clue.

7. App. State quietly going along at 4-0 transitioning from all-everything Edwards to almost all everything Pressley. Toughest games coming up.

8. Cal Poly at Fresno State..interesting matchup here...Not sure what Cal Poly has, beat Montana, but how good is Montana? We will know what CP has after this game. Fresno state is usually just plain tough, hard-nosed FBS. Good luck to Cal Poly.

9. Teams on my radar this week..the State teams....Illinois St, Youngstown St, Alcorn ST. And Brown.

My other thoughts -

- Texas State appears to be for real. The SFA-TXST matchup will be very interesting.

- Can Montana survive the trip to NoCol or the rest of the season without Selle? And if not, will Missoula burn to the ground?

- My personal one - can Albany find an offense or a pass defense this week against the smaht kids?

[89Hen]

3. The GPI will be out next week...Do you like the GPI or is it just another topic for posters to complain about where their team is ranked? I like it, gives me another angle to look at teams ranked in the 11-30 range.

It takes GREAT info like the AGS Poll and mixes it with SHITTY info like the computer models and spits out mediocre info. It's never once outperformed the AGS Poll and once or twice has done worse. IOW, a lot of work to fix something that isn't broken.

[bluehenbillk]

#1 - I'll watch a lil of hte MEAC game, less than a quarter though, the TXA&M - OSU game appeals more to me.

#2- Biggest conference shift game is in Harrisonburg, VA, noon Saturday.

#3- I never complain about where teams are ranked in the GPI, it's the stupidest idea ever for a playoff-driven system to model itself after the biggest mistake in the history of sports, it's big brother, the BCS. There are so many flaws, i don't know where to start. It does serve one purpose, if you run outta toilet paper & are too busy to leave the house, print out a couple copies....

#4 - Chances a Big Sky team will see the quarterfinals this year....shrinking every week.

[Silenoz]

- Can Montana survive the trip to NoCol or the rest of the season without Selle? And if not, will Missoula burn to the ground?

A lot of us were starting to ask "can we survive with Selle?"

[KAUMASS]

Here's a couple for this week...feel free to add any thoughts...

1. Do I watch the Hampton-Del. State game tonight on ESPNU? My heart tells me yes, because its FCS, but my brain tells me no because it's the MEAC. Yeah, I'll give it a quarter or two. But the announcers for these ESPNU MEAC games usually suck too so I can't stick with it too long.

2. Does the conference power shifting continue this week? Lot's of great confernce games all around the country..we should know who has what after this week's games...which leads me to #3..

3. The GPI will be out next week...Do you like the GPI or is it just another topic for posters to complain about where their team is ranked? I like it, gives me another angle to look at teams ranked in the 11-30 range. Trash in-trash out, IMO, but fodder for forums nonetheless.

4. Love the parity in the Big Sky this year....there knocking each other each week with no clear contendor..

5. The Big South champion could be 6-5 this year with only 5 D1 wins. Without talking any specific teams as the playoffs are too far out, there will be some interesting geographical matchup's in the first 2 rounds. Where does the Big South and NEC champs go?
Depends who wins the Big South and NEC. The NEC is spread out with title contenders as far West as Pittsburgh and North as Rhode Island so it could be a flight for the winner no matter what. And we all know the geographic nightmare that SBU is to the Big South.

In a normal year I think you'll see the following opening round games:

NEC AQ vs. PL AQ
MEAC AQ vs. Big South AQ
Last Western At large vs. SLC AQ (or 2nd bid)
Last Eatern At large vs. OVC AQ

This year is weird though because the MEAC and OVC's AQs will both likely get byes. The NEC, Big South and PL AQ's are definite opening round teams. We could end up with 2 CAA at-large teams, a Socon at-large team, a Big Sky at-large and an SLC at-large (or any combination of those) in the opening round this year. The parings will be very interesting.


6. Brown/URI game. I'm keeping an eye on this one. Brown beat a solid Stony Brook squad in OT and dismantled Harvard. Which URI team shows up?..the one that beat New Hampshire or the one that lost to Fordham..who lost to D2 Assumption? The QB coach for Brown is Liam Coen, x-UMass QB standout. Edge to Brown..

I can't figure out Brown, Stony Brook or URI so I have no clue.

7. App. State quietly going along at 4-0 transitioning from all-everything Edwards to almost all everything Pressley. Toughest games coming up.

8. Cal Poly at Fresno State..interesting matchup here...Not sure what Cal Poly has, beat Montana, but how good is Montana? We will know what CP has after this game. Fresno state is usually just plain tough, hard-nosed FBS. Good luck to Cal Poly.

9. Teams on my radar this week..the State teams....Illinois St, Youngstown St, Alcorn ST. And Brown.

My other thoughts -

- Texas State appears to be for real. The SFA-TXST matchup will be very interesting.

- Can Montana survive the trip to NoCol or the rest of the season without Selle? And if not, will Missoula burn to the ground?

- My personal one - can Albany find an offense or a pass defense this week against the smaht kids?

The ESPNU MEAC announcers are really bad, hurts to watch it with them calling the game..
Albany beat Maine, Albany will rebound. If they don't , could be an off year for the 'danes. If it is an off year for the 'danes, the new stadium is coming....
Texas St-SFA should be a classic..Catmom probably has the inside track on that one...
Missoula will be on code red if they lose to N. Colorado. If I was a betting man, I'd bet on N. Colorado.