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Wins over a good Southern Utah, Northern Colorado
Losses FBS Arizona, OT loss to Montana



Discuss

I think another win is needed first. And I'm not arguing against NAU's inclusion in favor of another team at this point. There will definitely be teams in the Top 25 this week that shouldn't be, but I'm still not sure about NAU

I think you'd have to put Montana State in first with a road win over a ranked opponent. The winner of MSU-NAU this week should be quickly rising.

kalm wrote:I think you'd have to put Montana State in first with a road win over a ranked opponent. The winner of MSU-NAU this week should be quickly rising.

Why not both?

I'm cool with that, cause the winner of next weeks game should be approaching the top ten.

No for now. They struggled in both wins at home. If they beat the Griz then yes. For now I'll leave them out.

dbackjon wrote:

kalm wrote:I think you'd have to put Montana State in first with a road win over a ranked opponent. The winner of MSU-NAU this week should be quickly rising.

Why not both?

Not enough room for both. I continue to be impressed with NAU's performance against Montana and it does indeed count for something, but Montana State actually performed better against their common opponent, Northern Colorado, so this week I would give the nod to Montana State.

One of the two teams should definitely make make the top 25 this week and one should definitely stay in the top 25 after next week.

As most have said before, ranking the 15 - 25 spots is tough. Teams with good wins, bad losses, etc.

The Big Sky is rated right around the Southern, MVC and Great West as far as conferences go. I see no problem with a poll having NAU between 20 - 25 with Montana State.

NAU has no bad losses yet.

dbackjon wrote:Wins over a good Southern Utah, Northern Colorado
Losses FBS Arizona, OT loss to Montana



Discuss

The jury is still out in my mind as to if Northern Colorado is a good team. Even with the OT loss to Montana, NAU is still 2-2. I'd say the Jacks are still at least a week away, maybe two.

dbackjon wrote:NAU has no bad losses yet.

Wasn't implying that, just saying the wins and losses are much more spread out at those rankings.

native wrote:

dbackjon wrote: Why not both?

Not enough room for both. I continue to be impressed with NAU's performance against Montana and it does indeed count for something, but Montana State actually performed better against their common opponent, Northern Colorado, so this week I would give the nod to Montana State.

One of the two teams should definitely make make the top 25 this week and one should definitely stay in the top 25 after next week.

UNC took NAU to the wire in Flagstaff.

MSU's was a convincing win in Greely.

Next week will determine which of these two teams belongs.
2 weeks will leave only 3 BSC teams in contention. (I just dont know which 3 yet)

My feeling is no, not this week

After the Montana game I had a feeling of what kind of team we had, but wanted to wait until after the UNC game to make sure. A respectable showing against UofA, a game against SUU that should have 35-7 and over at halftime, an overtime loss to the preseason favorite, and a down-to-the wire win against the Bears. To this point, NAU has been playing to the level of its competition. That is not a trait of a team that is Top 25 or a playoff contender, but if we can beat the Bobcats next week then I may agree with you Jon. I personally don't care if you vote us #25 or 24, those teams tend to be tossups anyway, but on basis of common opponents you must also rank MSU higher.

As much as I try to stick up for the Big Sky, I believe there are a lot more teams deserving to be ranked at this time than NAU. There are still a bunch of undefeated and one loss teams that I feel, deserve to be looked at inclusion more than NAU (and no I am not talking about Butler).

In my vote, not this week. I watched the game yesterday and UNC was in the game @NAU until the final seconds. Having watched the MSU/UNC game the week before I was surprised how well UNC hung in for a close loss. We'll see how the game goes this weekend when NAU visits MSU, but it's Homecoming for the Cats and the team is feeling pretty confident right now.

Looking at the teams I have in the 20-30 range I think NAU stacks up well

And if you are going go ding NAU for allowing UNC to stick around then you have to give them credit for taking Montana to OT

dbackjon wrote:Looking at the teams I have in the 20-30 range I think NAU stacks up well

And if you are going go ding NAU for allowing UNC to stick around then you have to give them credit for taking Montana to OT

To me a W is still a W and an L is still an L. Also, the Jacks do enjoy quite a home field advantage at Skydome. That in itself can explain the OT loss to Montana and it can also explain why the close win over UNC is perplexing.

Myself, I cannot place a 2-2 NAU team, coming off a close home win over what was just considered a struggling (at best) Northern Colorado team, over other teams in the country, no matter how much I want to.

20-25 is a tough call at this point in the season. It's hard to put NAU above teams like FAMU and 'Gate that are undefeated and teams with tougher schedules with only one or two losses. There's still plenty of time to crack the top 25 with some quality wins. Next week's the halfway point of the season. Anyone with just two losses after week 6 deserves serious consideration and a closer look at strength of schedule to determine whether they crack your top 25 or not. No use in getting too hot under the collar about getting dissed in the polls before the halfway point.

NAU has had a very tough schedule - 2 losses to FBS Arizona, and top team Montana, wins over a very good Southern Utah team and Northern Colorado.

Not sure what FCS teams have had a much tougher schedule.

There are a number of 2 loss teams that are around the same for me - NAU, Delaware, Hofstra, Liberty etc. Not sure where they all fall yet, haven't finished my poll

I think any one of those teams would be 5-0 with Colgate's schedule thus far: Monmouth, Stony Brook, Dartmouth, Fordham and Cornell. Same with Holy Cross - Georgetown, Sacred Heart, Harvard and Northeastern. I think both of those teams would have 2 or 3 losses playing NAU/UD/Hofstra's schedule.

I have got FAMU in my top 25, but again, I think the group of schools listed above would go 4-0 with their schedule as well (DSU, WSSU, Howard and Tennessee State).


Long ways to go in the season, still. Just hope everyone does not get stuck with the "I rated this team at x, so I can't move them if they win" mode...

dbackjon wrote:NAU has had a very tough schedule - 2 losses to FBS Arizona, and top team Montana, wins over a very good Southern Utah team and Northern Colorado.

Not sure what FCS teams have had a much tougher schedule.

There are a number of 2 loss teams that are around the same for me - NAU, Delaware, Hofstra, Liberty etc. Not sure where they all fall yet, haven't finished my poll

I think any one of those teams would be 5-0 with Colgate's schedule thus far: Monmouth, Stony Brook, Dartmouth, Fordham and Cornell. Same with Holy Cross - Georgetown, Sacred Heart, Harvard and Northeastern. I think both of those teams would have 2 or 3 losses playing NAU/UD/Hofstra's schedule.

I have got FAMU in my top 25, but again, I think the group of schools listed above would go 4-0 with their schedule as well (DSU, WSSU, Howard and Tennessee State).

Long ways to go in the season, still. Just hope everyone does not get stuck with the "I rated this team at x, so I can't move them if they win" mode...

Jon, while I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY with you, especially your Colgate comparison, it's hard to leave a 5-0 Colgate team OUT, and include a 2-3 NAU team. There's 30 teams that would go undefeated with ANY of the PFL, Patriot, or NEC schedules.

Z - NAU is 2-2. Only played 4 games so far.

And Colgate is definately a team I am considering ranking.

AZGrizFan wrote:There's 30 teams that would go undefeated with ANY of the PFL, Patriot, or NEC schedules.

Truer words were never spoken.

dbackjon wrote:Z - NAU is 2-2. Only played 4 games so far.

And Colgate is definately a team I am considering ranking.

My apologies. THeyr'e on my cusp, Jon.

93henfan wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:There's 30 teams that would go undefeated with ANY of the PFL, Patriot, or NEC schedules.

Truer words were never spoken.

Although a lot of the PFL, Patriot and NEC teams do usually play ONE tough game a year, given that they're the fodder for the CAA and Southern League teams to pad their win totals with.

AZGrizFan wrote:

93henfan wrote:
Truer words were never spoken.

Although a lot of the PFL, Patriot and NEC teams do usually play ONE tough game a year, given that they're the fodder for the CAA and Southern League teams to pad their win totals with.

Whereas certain teams simply cannibalize their own weak conference.