Top 5 after this week...

[youngterrier]

Wofford has only played 2 road games By definition, we really can only have like 2 potential "big wins" by your definition in Furman and maybe Chattanooga. I think that makes your point invalid

Maybe some clarity is necessary. I did say Wofford has not won on the road yet. Myself, I like conference road wins and I consider any road wins within the conference as a good win. By Wofford's schedule so far, the only road game they've played is Clemson. The win over App was over a good opponent but you need to be expected to win at home, regardless of the opponent. A win this week at Citadel could be construed as a "quality" win. Georgia Southern beat Samford and Wofford beat Samford, but I am more impressed with the Eagles win because it was on the road. Wofford may be a top 5 team, but I need them to win on the road.

Basically, just show me you can win conference games on the road. Wofford has not had that chance yet, but it is coming.

understandable, but the season is young.....I mean who of quality has UNI and NDSU beaten on the road?

[Trapped in CA]

UNI beat SFA on the road, which is looking less impressive by the day. NDSU over MN is the same situation. Next week should be more conclusive for both teams.

[JBB]

Texas being up 34-0 on Iowa St in Ames is equally impressive as Minnesota being down 38-0 at the half in Ann Arbor. Neither affect my vote.............

UNI is impressive enough without having to cut NDSU down to try in some twisted way to make UNI look better. I don't have NDSU in my top 5 and have UNI at #2. UNI clearly looks like the better team at this point in the season.

I don't go around thumping my chest about playing ISU close...in fact after that game I stated how pissed I was about the L and how there were no moral victories, etc...

My point was had UNI scored 2 more points....or had ISU not completed that 4th and whatever it was holy **** throw the ball into the endzone after having to scramble across the field for a TD with a minute left...UNI would be the #1 team in the nation... However, it seems week after week voters here and AGS have been sliding UNI down because they are doing exactly what they should do...dominating games they should in the fashion that they should. I would also put 1000 dollars on ISU being better than Minnesota to this point in the season.

NDSU, however, has been climbing for doing the exact same thing as UNI...Winning games they should in a manner they should....

I'm missing the logic on that one.

You arent missing the logic, you are making it up. NDSU is undefeated and therefore IS the best team in the division. So far, we havent almost beaten anybody. The BISON have won them all. If your "logic" is correct, UNI and NDSU are equal in the division, so it follows you need a tie breaker. The BISON beat the Gophers. UNI lost to ISU. They also lost in their previous game to Lehigh. The way I see it UNI is climbing out of a 2 game losing streak.

Your point seems to be UNI should be rewarded as if they won at Iowa State.

Furthermore The NDSU BISON just beat Montana a couple games ago by 3 or 4 touchdowns. Their schedule has an inter-divisional game on it with a D2 transition team and they lost their first game.

1) NDSU
2) Georgia Southern
3) Montana State
4) UNI
5) Wofford

[Screamin_Eagle174]

You arent missing the logic, you are making it up. NDSU is undefeated and therefore IS the best team in the division. So far, we havent almost beaten anybody. The BISON have won them all. If your "logic" is correct, UNI and NDSU are equal in the division, so it follows you need a tie breaker. The BISON beat the Gophers. UNI lost to ISU. They also lost in their previous game to Lehigh. The way I see it UNI is climbing out of a 2 game losing streak.

Your point seems to be UNI should be rewarded as if they won at Iowa State.

Furthermore The NDSU BISON just beat Montana a couple games ago by 3 or 4 touchdowns. Their schedule has an inter-divisional game on it with a D2 transition team and they lost their first game.

1) NDSU
2) Georgia Southern
3) Montana State
4) UNI
5) Wofford

[youngterrier]

jury's out on NDSU until they beat a team with a winning record

[JBB]

Its early, the jury is out on everyone. Excuses are just that, excuses. GSU and NDSU are the only teams with a claim to the #1 ranking. NDSUs games have all been intra-divisional playoff counter games. Its the scheduling model being adopted by most teams now that they have seen how well it works for NDSU.

Montana: Played a D2 transitional because they could afford too in a very weak BSC. They have lost a close game. They were completely destroyed by NDSU a few games ago.

UNI: They have lost a close game. If they are the equal to The NDSU BISON the tiebreaker goes to the BISON with their big win over the Big Ten Charter Member BCS/FCS Minnesota Gophers.

What do those two teams have in common: They are being rewarded for moral victories by voters that will claim the title in won on the field. It would appear its won in their heads more than anything!

[youngterrier]

Its early, the jury is out on everyone. Excuses are just that, excuses. GSU and NDSU are the only teams with a claim to the #1 ranking. NDSUs games have all been intra-divisional playoff counter games. Its the scheduling model being adopted by most teams now that they have seen how well it works for NDSU.

Montana: Played a D2 transitional because they could afford too in a very weak BSC. They have lost a close game. They were completely destroyed by NDSU a few games ago.

UNI: They have lost a close game. If they are the equal to The NDSU BISON the tiebreaker goes to the BISON with their big win over the Big Ten Charter Member BCS/FCS Minnesota Gophers.

What do those two teams have in common: They are being rewarded for moral victories by voters that will claim the title in won on the field. It would appear its won in their heads more than anything!

St. Francis a intra-divisional playoff counter team? Sure.

[JBB]

Its early, the jury is out on everyone. Excuses are just that, excuses. GSU and NDSU are the only teams with a claim to the #1 ranking. NDSUs games have all been intra-divisional playoff counter games. Its the scheduling model being adopted by most teams now that they have seen how well it works for NDSU.

Montana: Played a D2 transitional because they could afford too in a very weak BSC. They have lost a close game. They were completely destroyed by NDSU a few games ago.

UNI: They have lost a close game. If they are the equal to The NDSU BISON the tiebreaker goes to the BISON with their big win over the Big Ten Charter Member BCS/FCS Minnesota Gophers.

What do those two teams have in common: They are being rewarded for moral victories by voters that will claim the title in won on the field. It would appear its won in their heads more than anything!

St. Francis a intra-divisional playoff counter team? Sure.

Going into the games this week St Francis had the #16 ranked running back in the FCS Division. NDSU held him to 49 yds. St. Francis is also a playoff counter. They were and Intra-Divisional game schedule in compliance with the "NDSU Scheduling Model" being adopted by most teams in the division hoping to be as successful as NDSU.

[youngterrier]

St. Francis a intra-divisional playoff counter team? Sure.

Going into the games this week St Francis had the #16 ranked running back in the FCS Division. NDSU held him to 49 yds. St. Francis is also a playoff counter. They were and Intra-Divisional game schedule in compliance with the "NDSU Scheduling Model" being adopted by most teams in the division hoping to be as successful as NDSU.

#16?!!!! wow what a shut down defense!!!!! What are they? 1-4? 2-3? and they're not even in the top 20 in rushing. heck they only average a hair under 200 yards per game, not really an elite rushing attack

[LeadBolt]

1: Georgia Southern Eagles
2: Montana State Bobcats
3: Wofford Terriers
4: Northern Iowa Panthers
5: James Madison Dukes

[Vidav]

jury's out on NDSU until they beat a team with a winning record

This.

Seriously I don't really know how you can vote NDSU even top 8. Sure they are undefeated but their wins have all been against supbar teams.

[SuperHornet]

Its early, the jury is out on everyone. Excuses are just that, excuses. GSU and NDSU are the only teams with a claim to the #1 ranking. NDSUs games have all been intra-divisional playoff counter games. Its the scheduling model being adopted by most teams now that they have seen how well it works for NDSU.

People are following NDSU's lead?

[mcveyrl]

Not that this matters much at this point, but you'd be hard pressed to find both quality road wins and a team peaking like JMU. Wins @ W&M and @ Liberty, depending on how you have those teams ranked, but they are probably Top 25, and we just held UR to -12 yards rushing and they were under 100 yds. total offense going into the fourth quarter. Nevermind we used backups at our main skill positions after D. Scott was hurt in the second quarter and racked up over 300 yds. offense (granted UR's pretty torn up on D, so I would discount that stat).

Of course, I don't care if they're ranked 378th all year, if they make the playoffs, I'm good.

[youngterrier]

Not that this matters much at this point, but you'd be hard pressed to find both quality road wins and a team peaking like JMU. Wins @ W&M and @ Liberty, depending on how you have those teams ranked, but they are probably Top 25, and we just held UR to -12 yards rushing and they were under 100 yds. total offense going into the fourth quarter. Nevermind we used backups at our main skill positions after D. Scott was hurt in the second quarter and racked up over 300 yds. offense (granted UR's pretty torn up on D, so I would discount that stat).

Of course, I don't care if they're ranked 378th all year, if they make the playoffs, I'm good.

I'm going to pick JMU to win the CAA....and get a seed.

[FargoBison]

St. Francis a intra-divisional playoff counter team? Sure.

Going into the games this week St Francis had the #16 ranked running back in the FCS Division. NDSU held him to 49 yds. St. Francis is also a playoff counter. They were and Intra-Divisional game schedule in compliance with the "NDSU Scheduling Model" being adopted by most teams in the division hoping to be as successful as NDSU.

Pretty sure some SoCon and CAA teams had that "model" first.....

[mcveyrl]

Not that this matters much at this point, but you'd be hard pressed to find both quality road wins and a team peaking like JMU. Wins @ W&M and @ Liberty, depending on how you have those teams ranked, but they are probably Top 25, and we just held UR to -12 yards rushing and they were under 100 yds. total offense going into the fourth quarter. Nevermind we used backups at our main skill positions after D. Scott was hurt in the second quarter and racked up over 300 yds. offense (granted UR's pretty torn up on D, so I would discount that stat).

Of course, I don't care if they're ranked 378th all year, if they make the playoffs, I'm good.

I'm going to pick JMU to win the CAA....and get a seed.

I'd hold off on that for a little bit...Plenty of toughies left, including next week against what appears to be a stout Maine team - just happy we have them at home.

[FargoBison]

jury's out on NDSU until they beat a team with a winning record

This.

Seriously I don't really know how you can vote NDSU even top 8. Sure they are undefeated but their wins have all been against supbar teams.

You do realize UNI and GSU have the same issue.....I guess UNI has a quality loss if there is such a thing.

[BisonBacker]

While it's nice to be 4-0 I have to agree. Our level of competition has been soft. This week we struggled in the running game against a team that while is improving they have a way to go to be a top tier team. The Minnesota win was fun it's always fun to beat a FBS school. But in the end I see UNI as the favorite to win the conference but that title will go through Fargo I think. Now if we lay an egg in Carbondale this weekend that changes. But if we do win this weekend and beating a Lennon coached team is never easy and he always gets his team up for NDSU than I stand by my comment for UNI to win the league they have to win in Fargo. That will be the biggest game of the year up to that point. I agree with Gil we need to play better next weekend than we did this last one to win against SIU.