Who Would You Rather Beat?

[kalm]

So we play in-state rival Washington State in week #1. They're coming off their best season in well over a decade including a Sun Bowl win against Miami and are expected to be really good if not even better this year.

Week #2 we play the Bizon.

If you had to chose just one, would you rather see your team beat your FBS in-state rival or the 5 - time defending National Champion?

[Ibanez]

So we play in-state rival Washington State in week #1. They're coming off their best season in well over a decade including a Sun Bowl win against Miami and are expected to be really good if not even better this year.

Week #2 we play the Bizon.

If you had to chose just one, would you rather see your team beat your FBS in-state rival or the 5 - time defending National Champion?

In that situation, it's no contest. I'd rather beat the Bizon than Charleston Southern.

[AZGrizFan]

Being as Montana has no instate rival, be it FBS OR FCS, I guess the answer would have to be the Bizon.

[Grizalltheway]

Being as Montana has no instate rival, be it FBS OR FCS, I guess the answer would have to be the Bizon.

This. We beat the 4 time national championship Bison, and it was pretty damn sweet.

[kalm]

Being as Montana has no instate rival, be it FBS OR FCS, I guess the answer would have to be the Bizon.

Oops. Good point and you're not the only state like that. So let's call it a regional and solid FBS opponent. Say WSU or Boise State.

[89Hen]

your FBS in-state rival

Some of us don't have one.

But if I were you, I'd pick Wazzou. NDSU has lost five I-AA games during it's championship run, so that's not as big a feat as you would maybe think.

[kalm]

your FBS in-state rival

Some of us don't have one.

Yeah, Z caught that. See my reply above.

[89Hen]

Some of us don't have one.

Yeah, Z caught that. See my reply above.

So it's between an ACC team or Bizon... I'd probably pick the ACC team for the above reason on my edit.

[SDHornet]

your FBS in-state rival

Some of us don't have one.

But if I were you, I'd pick Wazzou. NDSU has lost five I-AA games during it's championship run, so that's not as big a feat as you would maybe think.

But didn't wazzu just lose to Portland State? So what would be the big deal in wazzou losing to an FCS opponent again?

[Grizalltheway]

your FBS in-state rival

Some of us don't have one.

But if I were you, I'd pick Wazzou. NDSU has lost five I-AA games during it's championship run, so that's not as big a feat as you would maybe think.

5 games in 5 years? Yeah, happens all the time.

Also

*FCS
*its

[bandl]

Well, the team I root for has already beaten Virginia Tech AND Richmond (or is it Mary & Bill...)....so....

[Gil Dobie]

As for Bison fans, UNI is the biggest FCS regular season game each year, but a win over their Big Brother Iowa would be better.

[89Hen]

Some of us don't have one.

But if I were you, I'd pick Wazzou. NDSU has lost five I-AA games during it's championship run, so that's not as big a feat as you would maybe think.

But didn't wazzu just lose to Portland State? So what would be the big deal in wazzou losing to an FCS opponent again?

Beating a I-A team (especially in-state) > beating a I-AA team in the regular season IMO (unless they are your in-state rival like Montana/MSU). Now, I would rather the Hens beat Delaware State than a I-A team, but only because the loss to DelSt would be unbearable.

[89Hen]

Some of us don't have one.

But if I were you, I'd pick Wazzou. NDSU has lost five I-AA games during it's championship run, so that's not as big a feat as you would maybe think.

5 games in 5 years? Yeah, happens all the time.

Yeah, that's what I said.

[Grizalltheway]

5 games in 5 years? Yeah, happens all the time.

Yeah, that's what I said.

Okay, then please elaborate on why beating a team that's only lost 5 times in 5 seasons isn't really a big deal.

[kalm]

Other points of interest.

We were the last team to beat the Bizon in the playoffs.

Their posters to this day feel they were cheated by us out of their first National Championship.

[89Hen]

Yeah, that's what I said.

Okay, then please elaborate on why beating a team that's only lost 5 times in 5 seasons isn't really a big deal.

that's not as big a feat as you would maybe think.

Not as big =/= not a big deal. IMO beating an in-state I-A opponent is a bigger deal. It looks like EWU has played Wazzou only a couple times and has never beaten them. Sorry to have an opinion on this.

[Grizalltheway]

Okay, then please elaborate on why beating a team that's only lost 5 times in 5 seasons isn't really a big deal.

that's not as big a feat as you would maybe think.

Not as big =/= not a big deal. IMO beating an in-state I-A opponent is a bigger deal. It looks like EWU has played Wazzou only a couple times and has never beaten them. Sorry to have an opinion on this.

Yeah, best keep those to yourself from now on.

[kalm]

Okay, then please elaborate on why beating a team that's only lost 5 times in 5 seasons isn't really a big deal.

that's not as big a feat as you would maybe think.

Not as big =/= not a big deal. IMO beating an in-state I-A opponent is a bigger deal. It looks like EWU has played Wazzou only a couple times and has never beaten them. Sorry to have an opinion on this.

If you polled casual Eastern Fans it might be WSU, but if you polled our message board I'm guessing it would be NDSU.

[89Hen]

Not as big =/= not a big deal. IMO beating an in-state I-A opponent is a bigger deal. It looks like EWU has played Wazzou only a couple times and has never beaten them. Sorry to have an opinion on this.

If you polled casual Eastern Fans it might be WSU, but if you polled our message board I'm guessing it would be NDSU.

I don't doubt that. Beating a I-A is a bigger deal to the general population and therefore probably has a bigger impact on the school and athletics. I remember reading how AppSt's applications went up tremendously the year after beating Michigan. To be fair, that was also when they were winning their 3 NC's but that Michigan game got 100x the press that any of the I-AA NC's did.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/26408736/7-ye ... -an-impact

But you might be surprised what effect that game had on the student population.

"You're looking at the Appalachian State student profile being different now." Jackson added.

Student applications rose dramatically from across the country, the freshman GPA went up from 3.68 to 3.87, and average SAT scores of incoming freshmen were up, too.

Danielle Heichen is a student/athlete softball player from Miami, and she says the Michigan game is one reason she ended up in Boone.

[AZGrizFan]

But didn't wazzu just lose to Portland State? So what would be the big deal in wazzou losing to an FCS opponent again?

Beating a I-A team (especially in-state) > beating a I-AA team in the regular season IMO (unless they are your in-state rival like Montana/MSU). Now, I would rather the Hens beat Delaware State than a I-A team, but only because the loss to DelSt would be unbearable.

As I said earlier in this thread, Montana does not have an in-state rival. 73-37.

[andy7171]

If Towson beat Maryland, or even Navy, it would explode the respect and popularity of Towson sports. I'd take that any day over a CAA win.

[HI54UNI]

UNI is one of the few teams that regularly beats the Bison so that's not a big deal.

UNI in recent years has had pretty good success against FBS Iowa State so again not a big deal.

I would love to beat the Hawkeyes. Still pissed that we choked against them a few years ago. And the opportunities will be limited in the future because the Hawkeyes/Big Ten are too chickenshit to play us.

[Grizalltheway]

If Towson beat Maryland, or even Navy, it would explode the respect and popularity of Towson sports. I'd take that any day over a CAA win.

[andy7171]

If Towson beat Maryland, or even Navy, it would explode the respect and popularity of Towson sports. I'd take that any day over a CAA win.

Troof, is the troof! You have no concept of playing I-AA football in a state with 2 NFL teams and I-A teams.