Alright, now that the majority of us are done with our annual beat downs of the FBS its time for the real season to start. Montana vs. NDSU EWU vs Montana State UNI vs NoCo JMU vs Nova UNH vs Richmond Wofford GWU going to learn a lot about several teams around FCS this weekend.
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Thoughts on the brackets and some picks
REALLY TOP Conference in the division and we get TWO TWO bids? A 7-5 team from the Big Sky, MVC, CAA are better than a 9-3 from a MEAC team any day of the week. or an OVC team who again played a fluffier non-conf then NDSU. But I digress, OVC and MEAC try not embarrass yourselves today though I have you all but one losing today.
Here we go:
UNH over Lafayette in a laugher(btw I am also of the thought that if a team penalizes their would-be auto bid so that way they don’t get the auto-bid you lose your auto-bid this is the reason why)
Coastal over Bethune cookman- this is the MEAC’s best chance for a win due to a favorable match up, not quite sold on Coastal yet.
Tennessee State over Butler-Yes OVC you get your first playoff win in how many years, but over a non-scholly so in my book doesn’t count.
Fordham over Sacred Heart big.
Furman over South Carolina State, and all Montana State, Delaware, William and Mary, UNI and especially Youngstown State fans wills end a collective angry shake of the fist at the committee. This game will be closer than probably should be but I digress.
Samford over Jacksonville State-See above re:furman and SCST.
The two games that are going to be interesting:
SUU over SHSU-BOLD PROEDICTION. I think Southern Utah is a very good team and if they continue to play well could make a run.
SDSU over NAU-MVC(call me a homer you can write the blog then) But I think SDSU has proven that when they need the wins see vs.UNI, YSU. they will gut them out SDSU is a VERY good 8-4 team. NAU also is an incredible team and think they got snubbed out of a first round bye, but that seems to be the theme of this year.
Talk to you on mondays, to eat some crow or laud my predicts.
The Curse Continues
GW-welcome to conference play. This is why you don’t piss and moan about your ranking until at least week 5. BTW you don’t even play in what is a “major” conference, though I have to admit the Big South is not the also ran of the south anymore It will be exciting to see what happens in that conference in the future.
Of course, I had to open my big mouth and curse my panthers commenting a week before the NDSU that the cats were resurging and have blown four consecutive leads on the way to a scary 4-4 record with several tough games upcoming. I do apologize for my lack of posting, work has been very hectic. Will try harder to stick around.
The revolving Door
Well folks, what a great few weeks of football. In the span of the last three weeks three top-five teams have been knocked off. So really who is fit to challenge NDSU for the National Title? UNI played close with them, but then dropped an egg against a better-than their record SIU. Towson has struggled with its colonial brethren. It looks like a potential re-re-match of SHSU vs NDSU may be in the works as SHSU drubbed then no.2 EWU, however SHSU struggled against a Lamar team that has of yet been unimpressive. While NDSU pulled it out against UNI it appears that yes they can be beat, but will a team put together a complete game and take the W from the Bison? I know that this year is going to remain very interesting when it comes to the playoffs, hold onto your hats lets have some fun.
Week 6
So its week 6 and we know a heck of a lot more from week 5. Gardner webb beat their d2 pretty handly, we will reserve judgment till after this week. I want Saturday to be here so I can watch football and drink beer.
As it is picks this week, last week we went 2-3(freaking bigsky)
This week we have a lot of good action:
#1 NDSU vs #4 UNI-UNI with David Johnson leaping over several defenders to convert a game-winning tw-point conversion as the game ends 15-14. Defense, and whoever has the ball last keys to the game.
#22 UNH vs #2 Towson, I have been a Towson doubter for the most of the season, yes that conneticut win was ok, but its looking a lot like UNI’s win over ISU(FCS over crappy FBS team) this game I think will show how good of a team Towson is. Towson 23-14.
Southern Illinois at #9 SDSU-in Carbondale the egyptaion flying dogs who eat children win, since its in Brookings SDSU 28-24.
#20 Lehigh vs. #8 Fordham-
Fordham 35-21 Not sure but Fordham is playing VERY well.
That’s it boys and girls, have fun be safe and we will see you next week.
Musings for this week and some picks
Alright, so this week after realizing hey someone actually reads this maybe I should put something worthwhile up(call it a EV VS WC) hangover that I could not come up with anything, then while perusing the boards this AM, a point of interest was brought involving a school that I had only ever heard a little about Gardner-Webb. Apparently some of their fans are in a tizzy because they feel “disrespected” because while they have beaten Furman, Wofford, and Richmond they are merely ranked #25 and the question was asked is their a bias towards the power teams conferences vs. the small time conferences? Honestly for this blogger, yes there is(full disclosure this blog nor does this writer participate in any poll) Coming from “smaller schools”(with the exception of Montana North and South Dakota and maybe Maine, we always have to prove ourselves to our older “brother” institutions. Beating three power teams by a combined 15 points(one by three and another by two) to me is not enough to really show that you have “arrived” like many poster on this board when they vote they take in the “body of work” we have all seen teams start fast and then die out towards the end of the season, while I am not saying GW is going down that path, but I feel #25 is right for the time being, you made the top #25 for your current work, as you continue to demonstrate your winning, more respect is given. Just my 2 cents.
My predicts for this week top matchups:
#1 NDSU vs #6 SDSU-NDSU goes into SDSU and wins a squeaker of a game 17-16 over the Jacks.
#2 EWU vs #4 SHSU-I again applaud high-quality FCS teams scheduling other High-quality FCS teams as non-cons, that is what our division needs to keep itself strong. I picked against SHSU the entire playoffs last year(except the chipper) Well, this one I think the Eagles take 24-13.
#5 UNI vs #9 Mcneese- Alot of talk on this one, I feel that people have been hesitant on UNI despite their 3-0 record apparently the wins weren’t “flashy” or “big enough” over programs like drake and Northern Colorado. I think the playbook will be opened up against Mcneese, David Johnson will be allowed to pound the ball, while Sawyer will keep the DB’s honest with a balanced passing scheme, UNI wins this one 32-17. Call me a homer, when you write the blog you can be a homer to.
#14 JMU vs DEL-Honestly I think this will really show what type of season these two teams will have, JMU almost beat akron but also barely beat SFPA, while Delaware has woodshedding all comers except their own woodshedding from a mediocre Navy team(go Middies) I think this one will be close and whoever has the ball last wins this one 42-40 James Madison.
#7 Montana vs #24 NAU-Montana 38-17
EC Vs. WC
So this is something that has probably been discussed, re-discussed, and just for hecks sake re-hashed, well I have been thinking about this-with the recent defections from FCS to FBS of some powerhouse programs has the EC fallen behind the WC? After 8 straight EC championships the WC has claimed 3 straight with no EC team getting beyond the semi’s. The balance of power took a major shift west when perennial powerhouses Georgia Southern and App State announced their impeding departure from FCS, especially with recent resurgence of programs such as UNI, Montana, and Eastern Washington, not to mention the appearance of 2-time defending champ NDSU. This case was very obvious that the WC is superior to the EC when only one team in the top ten was an EC school. The NCAA may have been ahead of the game in moving the national title game away from the East coast and into a more neutral location. Feel free to post your thoughts.
Closing of the Gap?
Is it or Isn’t it? Is the FCS closing the gap to what is essentially the bottom half of the BCS. One could argue with the recent “upsets” of BCS teams by FCS teams that yes the gap is closing, however this blogs feelings are such that while the gap is closing in fact it is actually spreading, as the “elite” teams of the conferences are getting further away with their lavish facilities, expensive coaches and the like. While your Iowa States, UConns, and South Florida’s are just trying to fill their stadiums. Yes we are beating BCS teams but they again are those bottom dwellers in the conference, Not trying to take away from the wins, but when one of these teams goes undefeated I will be more impressed then what I am now, because honestly I would have been DISAPPOINTED if UNI hadn’t beaten ISU, I would imagine that most of those team’s fans would have been the same way, hence is it really an upset if you feel you should win. I digress, football season has come all is right with the world.
So, haven’t written in awhile
So when I took this job, I told Chris I would write once a month in the offseason, yeah that worked. Getting married, promoted, and buying a house gets in the way, but not sure those are valid excuses, here we go. Its almost time for the best of all times of the year, the football season(though by the weather in the Midwest you could be fooled into thinking it was October already) But alas, I am beginning to dive into conference reports, and here shortly I will make the Cs.com predictions for the season champs/standings. If you have some insider information feel free to post, and comments are always welcome. On a side note, what’s your circle game this year? For this Panther fan, it is definitely the NDSU game in Fargo, as much as we despise some of the Bizon fans, they have shown up and have represented the Valley conference and if UNI wants to get back to the pinnacle of FCS, the road goes through Fargo this year.
What did we learn? Week 5
Well boys and girls sorry for not writing I know your lives are worse off of because of it, here are my thoughts on the past couple of weeks of FCS football.
Eastern Washington, while I was skeptical at first after their Idaho win, they beat an already reeling Grizz team, which ovbiously puts the eagles in the driver seat for the Big Sky title and top four slot, their only true test yet coming in Bozeman against Montana State on Oct. 13
Despite playing a vanilla schedule the NDSU bison came into the dome and made the Panthers pay for their tough schedule by sending the Panthers to 0-4 in DI compeition. The Bison looked legit on both sides of the ball while the panthers looked tired and made mistakes that cost them the game because of those mistakes. The Bison host the up and rising Youngstown State in the Fargodome for homecoming then the ever dangerous Sycamores also in the dome for the true meat of their schedule.
The Citadel played lke the Citadel of old when they turned out a terrible effort against a Moc team that brought their A game and earned a W against the Bulldogs, leaving Wofford as the only unbeaten in Socon play.
the CAA, what to say just wow, it is all over the place there is a Reason the CAA has been so dominant recently is that any given saturday case in point UNH over UD this weekend.
Sorry for you ECB but it is what it is, sending me your own thoughts and I will use it to exppand the East coast.