College Football Opener

[kalm]

Good article with plenty of love for the FCS from SBnation.

We're close now...

http://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal ... -2014-game" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[htownbearkat]

Nice Pub, if not a little over the top.
We (FCS) will take what we can get.
Next Saturday cant get here fast enough.

[EWURanger]

^^

[JohnStOnge]

Only thing is that it'd be much more interesting THIS year if you were going to have a Big Sky vs. Southland matchup to open the season if it were Southeastern Louisiana instead of Sam Houston State.

I guess it's possible we might be pleasantly surprised but Sam Houston State lost EVERYBODY off those championship game teams and they had a coaching change. I am not optimistic and frankly wonder why they're in the pre season top 25 polls. The reason I say that is that it never was a top I-AA/FCS program on a consistent basis. It had a couple of really good years with one nucleus of players and a particular head coach and now both of those things are gone.

I'm sure I'll watch though. And since I'm in the Southland I'll be pulling for them to at least keep it respectable.

BTW I think Keeler's a good coach. But asking them to be competitive in their first game after losing all of the nucleus of players then changing systems when they're playing an Eastern Washington team with continuity is a bit much.

[JohnStOnge]

The author clearly does not understand how much Sam Houston State has lost from the teams that played in those two national title games and also clearly does not understand that those two teams were not "typical" of the Sam Houston State program.

Let's put this in perspective:

Sam Houston State has only MADE the I-AA/FCS playoffs 7 times in 37 tournaments and 3 of them were when they had at least some players from the nucleus of players they had during 2011 - 2013 along with the head coach they had then. This is NOT a "traditional" I-AA/FCS "power" program historically. It's a mediocre program.

[htownbearkat]

[quote="

Sam Houston State has only MADE the I-AA/FCS playoffs 7 times in 37 tournaments and 3 of them were when they had at least some players from the nucleus of players they had during 2011 - 2013 along with the head coach they had then. This is NOT a "traditional" I-AA/FCS "power" program historically. It's a mediocre program.[/quote]

The Bearkats have been the most (and arguably the only) successful SLC team since 2000 if judged by the playoffs. Maybe not a traditional power yet, and maybe a bit inconsistent. I would wager there are many fans of teams that would of taken that mediocrity.
5 playoff appearances
3 Simi final appearances
2 Finals
10 wins I think the cowboys are next with 3.
10-4 vs BSC and 7 in a row

was fritz only a good coach? Did he leave the cupboard bare? Was SELA able to get good quick with transfers, yes. SHSU will probably take a step back this year, but the team will remain near the top of the SLC. If EWU hasn't learned how to stop the run this game will be close. Our DE line is the deepest it has ever been and will keep the pressure on.

[JohnStOnge]

The Bearkats have been the most (and arguably the only) successful SLC team since 2000 if judged by the playoffs. Maybe not a traditional power yet, and maybe a bit inconsistent. I would wager there are many fans of teams that would of taken that mediocrity.
5 playoff appearances
3 Simi final appearances
2 Finals
10 wins I think the cowboys are next with 3.
10-4 vs BSC and 7 in a row

Yes to some of that to some extent but, again, a lot of that is that one nucleus of players under that one head coach. That one nucleus/head coach combination accounts for 3 of those playoff appearances, 2 of those semifinal appearances, and both championship game appearances. Also most of the Big Sky record.

BTW McNeese State has had more playoff appearances since 2000. If you take "since 2000" literally it's 7 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2006, 2009, 2013). If it means 2000 is included it's 8. Also, McNeese went 11-3 against Sam Houston State during 2000 - 2013 and 10-3 during 2001 - 2013. There is no question as to which program has been superior over the years.

It's true that Sam Houston State has had more semifinal (3 to 1) and championship game appearances (2 to 1). But that, again, has a lot to do with that one nucleus of players and the head coach that's gone now.

Another thing is that I don't think there's any way Keeler is going to have things in place to the extent that he wants to for that first game. In fact, he pretty much said as much during the Southland Conference preview show I saw the other day. He wants to go to a very high offensive play frequency tempo and he said he's not going to be able to do it at the beginning of the season.

For some reason a couple of good years put Sam Houston State on the radar and started making people talk about that program as though it's a top FCS program. At this point it hasn't been established as such. Maybe if things continue now that Keeler's there it will be. But having one really good nucleus of players that brings a program to two national title games does not make a program a consistent power. They did very well in 2011 and 2012. But even in 2013 with the head coach that got them to the title game twice still there, after having lost a substantial portion of that one nucleus of players, they finished one game over 0.500 (4-3) in the Southland Conference.

I mean, Sam Houston State never even made the playoffs during two consecutive seasons before that one nucleus of players did its thing.

[kalm]

The Bearkats have been the most (and arguably the only) successful SLC team since 2000 if judged by the playoffs. Maybe not a traditional power yet, and maybe a bit inconsistent. I would wager there are many fans of teams that would of taken that mediocrity.
5 playoff appearances
3 Simi final appearances
2 Finals
10 wins I think the cowboys are next with 3.
10-4 vs BSC and 7 in a row

Yes to some of that to some extent but, again, a lot of that is that one nucleus of players under that one head coach. That one nucleus/head coach combination accounts for 3 of those playoff appearances, 2 of those semifinal appearances, and both championship game appearances. Also most of the Big Sky record.

BTW McNeese State has had more playoff appearances since 2000. If you take "since 2000" literally it's 7 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2006, 2009, 2013). If it means 2000 is included it's 8. Also, McNeese went 11-3 against Sam Houston State during 2000 - 2013 and 10-3 during 2001 - 2013. There is no question as to which program has been superior over the years.

It's true that Sam Houston State has had more semifinal (3 to 1) and championship game appearances (2 to 1). But that, again, has a lot to do with that one nucleus of players and the head coach that's gone now.

Another thing is that I don't think there's any way Keeler is going to have things in place to the extent that he wants to for that first game. In fact, he pretty much said as much during the Southland Conference preview show I saw the other day. He wants to go to a very high offensive play frequency tempo and he said he's not going to be able to do it at the beginning of the season.

For some reason a couple of good years put Sam Houston State on the radar and started making people talk about that program as though it's a top FCS program. At this point it hasn't been established as such. Maybe if things continue now that Keeler's there it will be. But having one really good nucleus of players that brings a program to two national title games does not make a program a consistent power. They did very well in 2011 and 2012. But even in 2013 with the head coach that got them to the title game twice still there, after having lost a substantial portion of that one nucleus of players, they finished one game over 0.500 (4-3) in the Southland Conference.

I mean, Sam Houston State never even made the playoffs during two consecutive seasons before that one nucleus of players did its thing.

But with that success comes better recruiting. I'm guessing the level of talent Keeler is coming into is solid. With a couple of transfers they might be surprisingly good.

[JohnStOnge]

But with that success comes better recruiting. I'm guessing the level of talent Keeler is coming into is solid. With a couple of transfers they might be surprisingly good.

We shall see. I underestimated them during their two runs to the championship game for sure. I pretty much expected them to get beat each game the first time with the exception of the opening round game against Stoney Brook. It'd be a little different if Fritz was still there so that they'd have the same system. For whatever reason it looked like what they were doing under Fritz on offense gave Big Sky teams in general and Eastern Washington in particular problems. Like last year they were definitely a notch below what they'd been the previous two years but their offense still ripped Eastern Washington badly.

But I know Keeler's changing the system because he said so during that Southland preview show. AND he said it's going to take them a while to get it running like he wants to run it. That, to me, is not a real good sign when they're opening with an Eastern Washington team that's expected to be good.

They'll still probably be fast and athletic so we'll see. I'll definitely be watching and I will say that I do appreciate what they've done for the Southland's record against the Big Sky in the playoffs.

[JohnStOnge]

Another thing: Sam Houston State is, I think, in the best spot of any FCS program among those that participate in the playoff tournament in terms of availability of local talent. So if what they did while Fritz was there does kind of break the dam so that they're able to exploit that they could be trouble for a long, long time.

[EWURanger]

I suspect that Sam Houston will be much better than most expect and will give us a real game next weekend. They've brought in a ton of transfers, although we'll see how much all that talent has gelled, I suppose.

[htownbearkat]

I suspect that Sam Houston will be much better than most expect and will give us a real game next weekend. They've brought in a ton of transfers, although we'll see how much all that talent has gelled, I suppose.

The kats will not be gelled until conference at the earliest.
Cant wait for next Saturday.

[htownbearkat]

Another thing: Sam Houston State is, I think, in the best spot of any FCS program among those that participate in the playoff tournament in terms of availability of local talent. So if what they did while Fritz was there does kind of break the dam so that they're able to exploit that they could be trouble for a long, long time.

presented without comment.