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Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 11:35 am
by allcat
I think they are deeper than us. All 4 Dakota schools are pretty good. Illinois State is good, Southern Illinois beat ISU.
We have us the gris, maybe Davis. They might just be a little more balanced and that could hurt their rankings.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 11:38 am
by MSU01
Yes, not sure if it's even at all questionable that the MVFC is deeper right now. The Big Sky couldn't even get a 4th team in the playoffs this year.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 11:53 am
by coloradocat
They might be deeper at the top but our depths appear to be endless.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 11:55 am
by mslacatfan
Yes. Not even close currently.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:01 pm
by Catsrgrood
In years past I’d argue the Big Sky was a deeper conference even though the best 1-2 teams in the nation were from the MVFC.
This year is the opposite. The best team resides in the Big Sky, but the MVFC was clearly a deeper conference as a whole.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:04 pm
by ClowderUp
Yes
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:16 pm
by AFCAT
Montana beat North Dakota, South Dakota, and SDSU. Maybe deeper, but not better.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:19 pm
by coloradocat
AFCAT wrote: ↑Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:16 pm
Montana beat North Dakota, South Dakota, and SDSU. Maybe deeper, but not better.
Both the Bobcats and the LLs were blessed with incredible health (and momentum) in December.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:19 pm
by Camo_Cat
AFCAT wrote: ↑Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:16 pm
Montana beat North Dakota, South Dakota, and SDSU. Maybe deeper, but not better.
Agreed. We have the Cats, the griz, and then maybe any combination of Davis or Idaho. The MVFC has NDSU, SDSU, UND, USD, ISU, and throw in Youngstown for good measure. The rest of the Sky needs to step it up. Adding Southern Utah and Utah Tech is not the answer...
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:20 pm
by CalgaryCat
I don’t think it’s even a question. Our best can compete with theirs, but the bottom half of their conference seems much better than ours. I wouldn’t want to have to play a MVFC schedule every year
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:27 pm
by Prodigal Cat
To be fair Illinois St started #6 in the nation. They had some dudes and just lost a few games they shouldn't. They weren't a "last team in" kinda team.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:30 pm
by onceacat
This year? Probably. Although I think that NAU could easily hang with the depleted Dakota schools down the stretch. It all changes year in and year out. It was just a couple years ago that the BSC had 5 teams in the playoffs.
All credit to ISU for a really amazing push down the stretch. I don't think anyone really thought the 'Birds were any better than ISU or NAU or Sac this year, but they really put it together for the most impressive playoff run I can remember in the FCS (4!!!!! road wins
)
And I thought that other than the targeting, they played a really clean, impressive game. Classy post game presser. I was really impressed.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:30 pm
by CatBlitz
Prodigal Cat wrote: ↑Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:27 pm
To be fair Illinois St started #6 in the nation. They had some dudes and just lost a few games they shouldn't. They weren't a "last team in" kinda team.
Correct.
Anyone that thought this would be an easy win wasn't looking at the big picture.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:33 pm
by Catsrgrood
CalgaryCat wrote: ↑Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:20 pm
I don’t think it’s even a question. Our best can compete with theirs, but the bottom half of their conference seems much better than ours. I wouldn’t want to have to play a MVFC schedule every year
I don’t know that their bottom is all that much better when our bottom (Indiana State anyone?) but their middle is much better than our middle.
Or more accurately, their top is deep. Their #5 is way closer to their #1 than our #5 is to our #1.
Cats and grizzLLies will continue to be the top 2 for the foreseeable future. We just need UCD, Idaho, Weber, someone else, to step it up and turn it into more of a 4 or 5 horse race, not a 2 horse race.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:39 pm
by onceacat
Prodigal Cat wrote: ↑Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:27 pm
To be fair Illinois St started #6 in the nation. They had some dudes and just lost a few games they shouldn't. They weren't a "last team in" kinda team.
I mean, 4 losses kinda makes you a bubble team, especially the blowout loss to SIU to end the season...even if one of the losses is FBS. When you look at the box scores, Rittenhouse was super hot and cold, and when his team bailed out his awful performance after SIU and at NDSU, he really upped his game.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:49 pm
by GoldstoneCat
BSC was very top heavy this year. Cats and griz were excellent, Davis was a step down, but NAU was several steps down and the valley had good depth of above-average teams with 2 excellent ones. No question they're deeper. My question is, who can push upward in the BSC. Davis feels like they're one foot out the door. NAU never seems to be able to sustain it. Weber is starting fresh. I think the team/program needs to be idaho but I wonder if they missed it on the hire to replace eck. It feels like the Griz are a shoo-in for second with nobody that close, and they'll be gunning to catch the Cats like never before. Just doesn't feel like there's anyone there to challenge them for that second slot.
Re: Is the MVC deeper than the BSC
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 7:29 pm
by grizzh8r
GoldstoneCat wrote: ↑Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:49 pm
BSC was very top heavy this year. Cats and griz were excellent, Davis was a step down, but NAU was several steps down and the valley had good depth of above-average teams with 2 excellent ones. No question they're deeper. My question is, who can push upward in the BSC. Davis feels like they're one foot out the door. NAU never seems to be able to sustain it. Weber is starting fresh. I think the team/program needs to be idaho but I wonder if they missed it on the hire to replace eck. It feels like the Griz are a shoo-in for second with nobody that close, and they'll be gunning to catch the Cats like never before. Just doesn't feel like there's anyone there to challenge them for that second slot.
I think SUU will be one of the BSC teams that will be decent, with a good year here and there. If Weber can right the ship, I think they could be as well, as should Idaho. Lastly, I know Pocatello is tough place to build a program, but don't sleep on Cody Hawkins led Idaho State next season. They went 6-6 this season, 5-3 in conference and should have beaten the LL's.
Then again, this could all be blown up by the transfer portal in the next few months, so ????