Big Sky Predictions 10-2

[JALMOND]

As we put an end to September and move on to October, the games within the conference begin to mean something. As a result the games start getting tougher to predict. Through the month of September I went 24-3. It looks pretty good until one takes a look at the statistics, the big one being that only NAU and PSU won games on the road (EWU did win on a neutral field). This week will be tougher, as most of the top teams go on the road for conference games. Will there be upsets? How many? More importantly, what will the conference look like on Sunday. 24-3 so far. Here are this week's predictions...

EWU @ WSU---The Eagles were brought crashing down to earth last week at Montana State. The Wildcats were putting away a pesky UC-Davis bunch at home. It is still unclear what role Jones will have this week, if he plays at all. The Eagles need other players, namely Mitchell, to step up and take on more of a strong role in order to give themselves a solid chance to win. Problem is, that strong Wildcat defense...WSU 25, EWU 23.

ISU @ PSU--Last year the Vikings were the only victim during the Bengals season, a season that saw them improve every week. The Vikings were on a downward slide towards the end of the year. This season, this game is closer to the beginning of the year. The Bengals had their first game last week, a home loss to NAU. The Vikings are coming into this game off of a bye week. The Bengals won at home last year, take the Vikings in this one...PSU 36, ISU 24.

UM @ UNC---One of those good team on the road games. The Grizzlies feel like they finally turned a corner with their win over Sacramento State at home last week. The Bears feel like they got through their money game and are back to the conference schedule. The Bears also feel like this could be the year they finally get a win over the mighty Griz. Only 2 teams have won road games so far, the Bears held serve against Idaho State two weeks ago, and the Griz looked very ordinary on the road. Yet, this goes to the bigger bears...UM 24, UNC 17.

MSU @ Sac State---Another interesting game and a possible upset. The Bobcats are coming off a very impressive home win over Eastern Washington while the Hornets had to be content with a close game at Montana last week. The Hornets are still thinking this could be their year and all they need to do is hold serve at home. This is the Bobcats first venture on the road in conference play. Their first road game of the year, they lost in the closing minutes to Pac-10 Washington State. The Hornets are not Washington State...MSU 31, Sac State 28.

NAU @ Southern Utah---The Jacks are the only team in the conference that is not playing a conference foe (yet, possibly). But once again, this could be construed as a trap game as it is on the road. However, the Jacks did win on the road last week against Idaho State and looked good against Pac-10 Arizona State. The first one is always the toughest one to get, but the Jacks got their first last week. They should get this...NAU 35, Southern Utah 20.

Hoping to continue perfect as Scream is still behind me.

[SuperHornet]

EWU @ WSU---This is a game that could go either way. My heart says Weber. My brain says EWU. Anyone for a tie? LOL...EWU 31-28.

ISU @ PSU--The Vikes are starting to get it in gear, and they're playing a truly cr@ppy team. This'll be a blowout, IMO...PSU 52-0.

UM @ UNC---The Griz are now on a roll, back to where they should be. The Bears have been quite disappointing. I think that will continue...UM 49-18.

MSU @ Sac State---This is another game that could go either way. The Kitties are ripe for an upset, and Sac almost beat a better team last week. I can't go against my heart on this one, but it'll be close...Sacred City 35-32 OT.

NAU @ Southern Utah---NAU is going to prove once and for all that SUU ain't jack...NAU 42-0.

Thanks again for doing this, JALMOND. Agree or disagree, you always have good analysis and generally prove to be right or very close to it.

[Mvemjsunpx]

I already posted this in the poll thread, but it fits better here…




Idaho St. 14-30 Portland St. — Likely the only game the Viks will be favored in all year.

Montana St. 24-13 Sac State — Hornets desperately need to find a passing game.

EWU 24-35 Weber — A banged-up Taiwan Jones & a vulnerable EWU secondary make the difference here.

Montana 27-14 NoCo — Even if UM's turnover problems persist, the Bears don't have the kicking game to take advantage.

NAU 24-31 Southern Utah — T-Birds finally get it done after 2 tragic losses to the 'Jacks.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

I'm two games back from JAL (22-5), some good games on the docket, let's see if I can close the gap.

EWU 24 @ 20 WSU - Worried about this game. Could go either way, and I don't have a lot of confidence in BLM. Luckily Weber's D will be easier to move the ball against than the other Cats D was. TJ will play sparingly, but true freshman RB Mario Brown is a smaller version of TJ, not quite as fast but legit 4.4 speed, great balance and vision. Limit the turnovers and EWU comes out on top. I hope I'm right.

ISU 14 @ 31 PSU - Not looking good for ISU. PSU should be able to pull a fairly easy win.

UM 28 @ 20 UNC - The Griz continue the Unforced Mistakes. Unfortunately for the Bears, it won't be enough to get a win.

MSU 34 @ 28 Sac State - The Bobcats looked good for sure, but I'm not completely sold. MSU always finds a way to lose one they shouldn't, and this game could be it. Cal Poly had a let down after beating the Griz. EWU had a let down after beating the Griz. EWU was MSU's Griz game. Will they have a let down too? I hope so, but I don't think so.

NAU 24 @ 27 Southern Utah - I really like this "upset." SUU is better than they appear. 22nd/FCS in total D, 20th/FCS in total O. Hung tough with two FBS teams and gave a strong Texas State squad a fight on the road. NAU might be looking ahead and seeing red. NAU is 7th/FCS in total D, but 43rd/FCS in total O. SUU will be the first birds to shit on the Jacks.

[SuperHornet]

I'm in shock here. After all the EWU smack from earlier this year, the only one posting so far not placing us at least within two FGs of the Kitties is Venus?!?

Something weird is going on here....

[Grizalltheway]

I'm two games back from JAL (22-5), some good games on the docket, let's see if I can close the gap.

EWU 24 @ 20 WSU - Worried about this game. Could go either way, and I don't have a lot of confidence in BLM. Luckily Weber's D will be easier to move the ball against than the other Cats D was. TJ will play sparingly, but true freshman RB Mario Brown is a smaller version of TJ, not quite as fast but legit 4.4 speed, great balance and vision. Limit the turnovers and EWU comes out on top. I hope I'm right.

ISU 14 @ 31 PSU - Not looking good for ISU. PSU should be able to pull a fairly easy win.

UM 28 @ 20 UNC - The Griz continue the Unforced Mistakes. Unfortunately for the Bears, it won't be enough to get a win.

MSU 34 @ 28 Sac State - The Bobcats looked good for sure, but I'm not completely sold. MSU always finds a way to lose one they shouldn't, and this game could be it. Cal Poly had a let down after beating the Griz. EWU had a let down after beating the Griz. EWU was MSU's Griz game. Will they have a let down too? I hope so, but I don't think so.

NAU 24 @ 27 Southern Utah - I really like this "upset." SUU is better than they appear. 22nd/FCS in total D, 20th/FCS in total O. Hung tough with two FBS teams and gave a strong Texas State squad a fight on the road. NAU might be looking ahead and seeing red. NAU is 7th/FCS in total D, but 43rd/FCS in total O. SUU will be the first birds to shit on the Jacks.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

I'm two games back from JAL (22-5), some good games on the docket, let's see if I can close the gap.

EWU 24 @ 20 WSU - Worried about this game. Could go either way, and I don't have a lot of confidence in BLM. Luckily Weber's D will be easier to move the ball against than the other Cats D was. TJ will play sparingly, but true freshman RB Mario Brown is a smaller version of TJ, not quite as fast but legit 4.4 speed, great balance and vision. Limit the turnovers and EWU comes out on top. I hope I'm right.

ISU 14 @ 31 PSU - Not looking good for ISU. PSU should be able to pull a fairly easy win.

UM 28 @ 20 UNC - The Griz continue the Unforced Mistakes. Unfortunately for the Bears, it won't be enough to get a win.

MSU 34 @ 28 Sac State - The Bobcats looked good for sure, but I'm not completely sold. MSU always finds a way to lose one they shouldn't, and this game could be it. Cal Poly had a let down after beating the Griz. EWU had a let down after beating the Griz. EWU was MSU's Griz game. Will they have a let down too? I hope so, but I don't think so.

NAU 24 @ 27 Southern Utah - I really like this "upset." SUU is better than they appear. 22nd/FCS in total D, 20th/FCS in total O. Hung tough with two FBS teams and gave a strong Texas State squad a fight on the road. NAU might be looking ahead and seeing red. NAU is 7th/FCS in total D, but 43rd/FCS in total O. SUU will be the first birds to shit on the Jacks.

Griz game, as in huge game that a team gets up for. Just as the Griz had beaten us 4 straight, we had beaten MSU 7 straight. It was a big game for them.

[Grizalltheway]

Griz game, as in huge game that a team gets up for. Just as the Griz had beaten us 4 straight, we had beaten MSU 7 straight. It was a big game for them.

No, a big game for them is beating us, in Missoula, after losing 16 years in a row.

[big_meowski]

MSU over SAC- some think upset, i say blowout.
PSU over ISU- someone has to win, i guess.
UM over UNC- will the real UM please stand up?
WSU over EWU- another physical defense equals bad news for EWU.
NAU over SUU- coin toss

[SDHornet]

My picks copied from the other thread:

NAU over SUU - What happened to SUU?
UM over UNC - UM should win handily if they clean up the sloppiness.
PSU over ISU - Meh.
EWU over WSU - Toss up: if TJ is hurt and Higgins is average, WSU can win. If TJ is TJ, EWU wins.
Sac State over MSU - Desperation/homer pick. But I do think it will be a close one if the Hornet D steps up. Also MSU sounds like they will be missing some DL's which could be important as the Hornets are sure to run the ball...and then run the ball some more.

[grizzaholic]

Glad some of you have seen the light and are picking SUU. Hope they don't disappoint.

[BigSkyFootball]

The Thunderbirds will not beat the Lumberjacks this weekend, or any weekend for that matter. Last year, it took a 20 point-4th quarter bu SUU against second-team defensive players to even make the game close. They are presently 1-3; what about 1-3 gives one confidence about their chances? The Lumberjacks, who trailed only 27-20 to Arizona State going into the fourth quarter before losing, have pretty much shut out two other opponents combined, 74-7. They have one of the best QBs in the FCS, and their defense, finally, is playing well. Unless the Jacks, turn the ball over more than usual, the T-Birds will suffer their 4th loss. If I was a T-Bird fan, give me more hope than "it's going to be an upset"

[catbob]

Not sure why everything thinks MSU is just gonna eek out a win. Our strength is run D. We are missing a starting DE most likely for the season now, but are moving an all-conference DT over to DE for the game, and we return our other starting DT from suspension for this game, so we will be fine. We have some hard-nosed, run stopping LBs as well. I was worried about LB speed at the beginning of the year, and while they aren't the fasted bunch, they are tough and have a nose for the ball. If Sac wants to play smashmouth, run the ball football, they better bring their A game.

As for the rest:
SUU over NAU for my upset pick of the week
UM over UNC
PSU over ISU
EWU over WSU

[Silenoz]

UM 31
UNC 17

MSU 24
Sac 3

EWU 35
Weebs 21


How is Sac gonna score against MSU with that QB, and without a sh#t-ton of TO's and blocked punts in the redzone?

[ajwildcat]

I already posted this in the poll thread, but it fits better here…




Idaho St. 14-30 Portland St. — Likely the only game the Viks will be favored in all year.

Montana St. 24-13 Sac State — Hornets desperately need to find a passing game.

EWU 24-35 Weber — A banged-up Taiwan Jones & a vulnerable EWU secondary make the difference here.

Montana 27-14 NoCo — Even if UM's turnover problems persist, the Bears don't have the kicking game to take advantage.

NAU 24-31 Southern Utah — T-Birds finally get it done after 2 tragic losses to the 'Jacks.

I can agree with all these picks.

[weberwildcat]

SUU over NAU also for my upset pick
UM over UNC
PSU over ISU
WSU over EWU

[SuperHornet]

The Kitties are NOT better than the Griz. No blowout this week.

Chris Diniz is going to stuff MSU at the end.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

The Kitties are NOT better than the Griz. No blowout this week.

Chris Diniz is going to stuff MSU at the end.

So far this season the Kitties ARE better than the Griz. The Griz have potential to get some traction and be much better than they are right now but I've watched all of both teams games. The Cats are better than Griz right now. Sorry brother, that's just a cold hard fact.

[catbooster]

The Kitties are NOT better than the Griz. No blowout this week.

Chris Diniz is going to stuff MSU at the end.

We'll see whether they are at the end of the season. I fully expect the griz to begin getting it together and be tough by the time we play them.

But I think that right now, the Cats are better than the Griz.

[Wildcat Ryan]

SUU over NAU also for my upset pick
UM over UNC
PSU over ISU
WSU over EWU

I agree with all but the NAU/SUU game, I think NAU beats the T-birds.

[big_meowski]

The Kitties are NOT better than the Griz. No blowout this week.

Chris Diniz is going to stuff MSU at the end.

isn't diniz the kicker? he's going to "stuff" MSU?

RIGHT NOW, the cats are better than UM. much more dynamic offense, better QB play, better o-line, better defense, better kicking game. did i miss anything?

griz are still a good team though. fully expect them to be in the kitties way come november.

[JALMOND]

Not sure why everything thinks MSU is just gonna eek out a win. Our strength is run D. We are missing a starting DE most likely for the season now, but are moving an all-conference DT over to DE for the game, and we return our other starting DT from suspension for this game, so we will be fine. We have some hard-nosed, run stopping LBs as well. I was worried about LB speed at the beginning of the year, and while they aren't the fasted bunch, they are tough and have a nose for the ball. If Sac wants to play smashmouth, run the ball football, they better bring their A game.

As for the rest:
SUU over NAU for my upset pick of the week
UM over UNC
PSU over ISU
EWU over WSU

I understand what you're saying, bob. For me, seeing the Hornets play the Griz that close in Missoula impressed me. Now they head back home and play MSU. Yes, the Bobcats should win, but with only two Big Sky teams winning on the road so far this year, obviously you have to be pretty damn good to win on the road, regardless of who you're playing. That is mainly why I kept it at MSU by 3.

[SDHornet]

The Kitties are NOT better than the Griz. No blowout this week.

Chris Diniz is going to stuff MSU at the end.

isn't diniz the kicker? he's going to "stuff" MSU?

RIGHT NOW, the cats are better than UM. much more dynamic offense, better QB play, better o-line, better defense, better kicking game. did i miss anything?

griz are still a good team though. fully expect them to be in the kitties way come november.

I’m assuming SH was referring to Diniz kicking a game winning FG.

[weberwildcat]

EWU @ WSU---The Eagles were brought crashing down to earth last week at Montana State. The Wildcats were putting away a pesky UC-Davis bunch at home. It is still unclear what role Jones will have this week, if he plays at all. The Eagles need other players, namely Mitchell, to step up and take on more of a strong role in order to give themselves a solid chance to win. Problem is, that strong Wildcat defense...WSU 25, EWU 23.

[frinq]

Nice you folks put PSU in the win column. Understandable that the feeling is "meh", since we haven't had a chance in show anything yet. CompughterRankings.com (whateverthe hell that is) has PSU at 30, and Idaho State at 75, so I guess we're doing something right for someone and there's something out there to buttress your prediction this week. About all I can do is smile and say nothing, and wait for the returns. Watch McCaffrey run. Watch our very ordinary QB Cavanaugh hook up a few decent passes (if they aren't knocked down at scrimmage - he's short and throws sidearm) and even run, watch Brown kick a few field goals (he's pretty good at it) - it'll be fun. And yes, we'll win. And I know full well it won't mean a thing until we take on NSU, UNC, NAU etc. Then maybe we'll get some talk about PSU names and stats.