First-Round of Playoffs

[Bocephus]

Bold prediction here. I think NAU wins this weekend vs ACU and goes to Fargo and keeps it sorta close. Not saying they keep it within a score but of the top 4 seeds that game is the closest. I know the Word blew them away but I think Brian Wright has made that team improve as the season progressed.

NAU's defense got better at the end of the season but mainly getting Pennington back has help the Offense sustain drives and not put the defense in bad situations. They held Visperas to a poor performance last week. They play in a dome as well and played at Washedup gris and at Arizona so the noise won't be as much of a factor as some other teams.

This could be fools gold, but I just think they have some pieces that will give teams fits. Their defensive front is pretty good and Pennington is mobile. McLaughlin the sophomore #7 is one of the best young defensive players in the BSC.

Im pulling for NAU but I think Abilene wins this one.

Two teams with very similar trajectories this season. ACU looked like complete garbage early in the season (looking at you, Northern Colorado game), but have looked really good at times late in the season. It's anyone's guess imo.

ACUs QB got injured during the last game and didn’t return, and not sure if he’ll be good to go for the NAU game. If not I think NAU probably wins handily, there qb has thrown for 3,500 yards this season.

I’m a big Brian Wright fan, hope he gets it done Saturday.

[catatac]

Well we have our third bye week after finishing our 12-0 regular season. As great as everything has gone it is time to show the rest of the country how talented we are.

UTM at 16 UNH
Lehigh at 9 Richmond
SEMO vs 12 Illinois St
Drake at 13 Tarleton St
Tennessee St at 14 Montana
Eastern Ky at 11 Villanova
Central Conn St at 10 Rhode Island
NAU at 15 ACU

Good games (under 3 point favorites)
UTM at UNH
SEMO vs Illinois St
NAU at ACU

Decent games (7-10 point favorites)
Lehigh at Richmond
EKU at Villanova

Likely bad ones (+10 point favorites)
Drake at Tarleton St
CCSU at Rhode Island
Tennessee St at Montana

Not just saying this because i despise the gris, but i think they're in real trouble of losing on Saturday. Not a well coached team; i could definitely see some guys with one foot out the door mailing it in this weekend. Don't know much about TSU, but it seems the gris have struggled with good teams. My money is on TSU.

I seriously doubt this. I think they're 17 ish point favorites and I'm guessing it will probably be right around there. Jacked up crowd, late ESPN game, they'll all want to try to erase the pain of the ass kicking they just endured. Griz will roll, most fans will think that means "The Griz are Back Baby!!", and then they'll come crashing down to earth the following week in Brookings.

[damnyoutuesday]

I will be 100% shocked if the Griz lose to TSU

[94VegasCat]

I’d be shocked too but I’d freaking love to see them lose in the mecca.

[damnyoutuesday]

I’d be shocked too but I’d freaking love to see them lose in the mecca.

If they lose at home to TSU they genuinely might fire Bobby

[technoCat]

I actually want to see all of the BSC teams roll until they have to play us. So tired of the MVFC getting SOS credit because they are perceived as the best conference.

[CodyCat]

So playing at 8:15 after Thanksgiving and after the ass kicking last week and the last weekend of hunting season and the general overall disappointment with an 8-4 record do the gris get over 15,000 in attendance for this game?

Yes

[Montanabob]

So playing at 8:15 after Thanksgiving and after the ass kicking last week and the last weekend of hunting season and the general overall disappointment with an 8-4 record do the gris get over 15,000 in attendance for this game?

Yes

and then to lose? An early xmas present.

[CodyCat]

So playing at 8:15 after Thanksgiving and after the ass kicking last week and the last weekend of hunting season and the general overall disappointment with an 8-4 record do the gris get over 15,000 in attendance for this game?

Yes

and then to lose? An early xmas present.

I hope they win. Keep Bobby around

[Augustus]

I will be 100% shocked if the Griz lose to TSU

I won't. The gris are nowhere near good enough to rate a #14 ranking. If they are the fourteenth best team in the nation then there's a whole lot of teams that REALLY suck. Nope. They're going down without the chance to get embarrassed in Brookings.

[MSU01]

I’d be shocked too but I’d freaking love to see them lose in the mecca.

If they lose at home to TSU they genuinely might fire Bobby

Not a chance. He has that job until he decides to retire, or it would take a lot worse than 8-4 and a playoff appearance for them to fire him.

[damnyoutuesday]

I will be 100% shocked if the Griz lose to TSU

I won't. The gris are nowhere near good enough to rate a #14 ranking. If they are the fourteenth best team in the nation then there's a whole lot of teams that REALLY suck. Nope. They're going down without the chance to get embarrassed in Brookings.

That's the thing, the rest of FCS is really down this year. Griz will beat TSU and then get their ****** rocked in Brookings

[BobcatBuiltTexan]

I will be 100% shocked if the Griz lose to TSU

I won't. The gris are nowhere near good enough to rate a #14 ranking. If they are the fourteenth best team in the nation then there's a whole lot of teams that REALLY suck. Nope. They're going down without the chance to get embarrassed in Brookings.

That's the thing, the rest of FCS is really down this year. Griz will beat TSU and then get their ****** rocked in Brookings

Tarleton is a lot better than I think you're giving them credit for. Really good dl,lbs flow to the back well. They have a good solid offense that has speed at the right positions. Tarleton is pretty windy qbs they aren't scared of the cold, now it's nothing like montana cold but they aren't new to the cold. I think it'll be a cost game than many think. I'm picking Tarleton in an upset.

[TomCat88]

I’d be shocked too but I’d freaking love to see them lose in the mecca.

The Griz haven’t won a playoff game in which it didn’t have a return TD since 2015. Six wins in seven seasons.

2023
Delaware fumble return 49-19
Furman kickoff and punt returns 35-28 OT
Ndsu punt return 31-29 2OT

2022
SE Missouri kickoff return 34-24

2021
E. Washington interception return 57-41

2019
SE Louisiana kick and interception return 73-28

2016-2018
DNP

I predict Bergen goes out with a bang. Or does he have another year of eligibility?

[MSU01]

I will be 100% shocked if the Griz lose to TSU

I won't. The gris are nowhere near good enough to rate a #14 ranking. If they are the fourteenth best team in the nation then there's a whole lot of teams that REALLY suck. Nope. They're going down without the chance to get embarrassed in Brookings.

That's the thing, the rest of FCS is really down this year. Griz will beat TSU and then get their ****** rocked in Brookings

Tarleton is a lot better than I think you're giving them credit for. Really good dl,lbs flow to the back well. They have a good solid offense that has speed at the right positions. Tarleton is pretty windy qbs they aren't scared of the cold, now it's nothing like montana cold but they aren't new to the cold. I think it'll be a cost game than many think. I'm picking Tarleton in an upset.

Different TSU, the Griz are playing Tennessee State. Tarleton plays at home against Drake and then goes to South Dakota for the second round.

[Prodigal Cat]

I actually want to see all of the BSC teams roll until they have to play us. So tired of the MVFC getting SOS credit because they are perceived as the best conference.

I agree with this. Except the perception part. They are the better conference. They’ve won every championship for the last dozen years except 2 and routinely have better non conference results. They’ve had a couple all conference title games.

No time like the present to change it though. I think it’s the weakest they’ve been.

[tetoncat]

I actually want to see all of the BSC teams roll until they have to play us. So tired of the MVFC getting SOS credit because they are perceived as the best conference.

I agree with this. Except the perception part. They are the better conference. They’ve won every championship for the last dozen years except 2 and routinely have better non conference results. They’ve had a couple all conference title games.

No time like the present to change it though. I think it’s the weakest they’ve been.

What teams other than NDSU & SDSU have won a title or played in it. SDSU success is more recent. BSC has had EWU, MSU, UM and others who have been to semi.

[Prodigal Cat]

I actually want to see all of the BSC teams roll until they have to play us. So tired of the MVFC getting SOS credit because they are perceived as the best conference.

I agree with this. Except the perception part. They are the better conference. They’ve won every championship for the last dozen years except 2 and routinely have better non conference results. They’ve had a couple all conference title games.

No time like the present to change it though. I think it’s the weakest they’ve been.

What teams other than NDSU & SDSU have won a title or played in it. SDSU success is more recent. BSC has had EWU, MSU, UM and others who have been to semi.

Sam Houston won the '21 spring and JMU won in '17. Neither of those teams are Big Sky. I hate the MVFC bros as much as anyone but until the Cats and other BSC teams start knocking them off and winning the Championship they are the top dogs. If everything goes chalk these playoffs it will be 1 BSC team and 3 MVFC teams in the semifinals.
You could argue in the past, and I have, that the Big Sky is deeper but need to win the last game to really take the steam out of any argument that the Valley is better.

[MTFootball]

In 2014 Illinois State lost in the title game to NDSU.
IN 2016 Youngstown State lost to JMU.

There has been 2 all MVFC title games in the last 10 years.
The Big Sky has only had 3 teams make it to the game in 10 years.

[VimSince03]

I actually want to see all of the BSC teams roll until they have to play us. So tired of the MVFC getting SOS credit because they are perceived as the best conference.

I agree with this. Except the perception part. They are the better conference. They’ve won every championship for the last dozen years except 2 and routinely have better non conference results. They’ve had a couple all conference title games.

No time like the present to change it though. I think it’s the weakest they’ve been.

What teams other than NDSU & SDSU have won a title or played in it. SDSU success is more recent. BSC has had EWU, MSU, UM and others who have been to semi.

Sam Houston won the '21 spring and JMU won in '17. Neither of those teams are Big Sky. I hate the MVFC bros as much as anyone but until the Cats and other BSC teams start knocking them off and winning the Championship they are the top dogs. If everything goes chalk these playoffs it will be 1 BSC team and 3 MVFC teams in the semifinals.
You could argue in the past, and I have, that the Big Sky is deeper but need to win the last game to really take the steam out of any argument that the Valley is better.

And the 2nd best Big Sky team technically has a chance to knock off a top MVFC team to guarantee a Big Sky vs. MVFC title game. Big Sky needs to prove it eventually.