FCS Playoffs

[DINforlife]

While this weekend is conference championship weekend at the FBS level, it’s also the second round of the FCS playoffs. Anybody going to be tuning into watch any of those games today?

While a bit of a niche thing here in the East, I know FCS is a bit bigger in a few places west of the Mississippi, especially in the mountain west region. I’ll be pulling hard for my Socon teams today (both intrigued by and sweating the Furman/UIW matchup) and then for the underdogs (Go Griz!) and chaos (GW, Richmond, UD, Weber, UNH) everywhere else. Should be a great day of football!

 

[danmayland]

I’m headed to the Montana St. V Weber St. game here in a couple hours! I’ll be watching/keeping track of the other games pretty closely. We have a saying around these parts… Eat Grizzlies, Go Cats Go!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DINforlife]

I’m headed to the Montana St. V Weber St. game here in a couple hours! I’ll be watching/keeping track of the other games pretty closely. We have a saying around these parts… Eat Grizzlies, Go Cats Go!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That one could be a knock-down, drag-out. I know you’re hoping for a repeat of Weber’s special teams meltdown!

 

[mtwarden]

I'll root for both Montana teams. If the Grizzlies are firing on all cylinders (it's happened a few times this season) then they have a chance. North Dakota is always tough and seem to be even tougher in December. Personally I think they could move up to FBS without too much trouble.

I'm guessing Weber won't commit four bad snaps this game, which will make it very interesting.

Sac State has had a rough go in the playoffs- three time Big Sky Conference winners and yet have lost both first round (home) games. I'm sure they want to get that monkey off their back. Richmond is no pushover though so that game should be good.

 

[stank.243]

Go Big, Go Blue, Go Jacks!!

 

[CHSD]

Pulling for South Dakota State.

 

[MT257]

Go MSU!

 

[william schmaltz]

The Bison have a coaching problem. Uninspired players underperforming their potential and it starts at the top. Kinda the crap part of winning, everyone keeps buying our coaches away. (our last coach is coaching his team in the Big 12 championship right now) They have a good enough team to win it again, but we will see. Have two future NFL players injured on top of it. I kinda checked out a few years ago (as did most NDSU fans, they’re having a hard time selling playoff tickets). And to be clear, North Dakota already lost out!

It’s time for them to move up, they’re losing the excitement. From what I heard locals hardly even watch regular season games anymore. We will see what happens with a lot of conferences having teams moving around the next few years.

 

[Mt Al]

GO CATS!!!!!!! Anything could happen here today.

UM could knock off NDSU, they're on a high and NDSU clearly has leadership issues and no way to hide that.

 

[DINforlife]

Well, my Paladins lost a heartbreaker in San Antonio (that UIW offense is absurd, but we shot ourselves in the foot), but it looks like everyone who was supposed to win won. Alas, I must grit my teeth and pull for Samford next round. *throws up in mouth*

 

[Dust Rider]

Bobcat game was great! Tommy Mellott is on fire and it’s year to shine! The team is strong. Go Cats Go!

 

[MT257]

The Bison have a coaching problem. Uninspired players underperforming their potential and it starts at the top. Kinda the crap part of winning, everyone keeps buying our coaches away. (our last coach is coaching his team in the Big 12 championship right now) They have a good enough team to win it again, but we will see. Have two future NFL players injured on top of it. I kinda checked out a few years ago (as did most NDSU fans, they’re having a hard time selling playoff tickets). And to be clear, North Dakota already lost out!

It’s time for them to move up, they’re losing the excitement. From what I heard locals hardly even watch regular season games anymore. We will see what happens with a lot of conferences having teams moving around the next few years.

I don't think NDSU should move up. They have set the bar, it is time for the other teams to rise to the occasion and knock them off. Should they move up where do they go? I don't see it being economical for them to move to a bigger confrence with out increasing cost all the way around. What is the coaching problem you mentioned?

 

[MT257]

Bobcat game was great! Tommy Mellott is on fire and it’s year to shine! The team is strong. Go Cats Go!

Good to see Isiah suit back up this year. Hopefully his few bobbles today are just from not playing the whole season.

 

[downthepipe]

I will be watching the Bobcats for their run. They have a very difficult path to the title these next 2 weeks. But their offensive weapons and line are as good as any team in the nation.

 

[Gobbler36]

Played in the FCS so I love this time of year, I’m biased but I almost enjoy the FCS playoffs more than I do the FBS games. played for GA Southern back when they were still FCS, so I always root for any socon teams besides Furman
like to see my former coach win at Samford!

 

[Fishn4eyes]

Go Cats go!! Great win Saturday, hope they keep it going Friday night against W&M.

 

[wmd]

Go Jacks!
I hope we have more fans show up this Saturday then were there last Saturday.
wmd

 

[william schmaltz]

I don't think NDSU should move up. They have set the bar, it is time for the other teams to rise to the occasion and knock them off. Should they move up where do they go? I don't see it being economical for them to move to a bigger confrence with out increasing cost all the way around. What is the coaching problem you mentioned?

Entz is uninspiring and flat. He shows nearly no emotion and doesn't seem to get his team to play up. He reminds me of Ryan Day of Ohio state - born on third base and think they hit a triple as Mr. Harbaugh has said. They were handed keys to the Ferrari and the success up to this point is because of their predecessors; the next few years will paint the true picture if they have what it takes by doing it with their recruits and their program. I will say that the way he gathered his team and gave them a talk on class and finishing smart after the cheap shot that hurt Waege late in the game was a huge show of leadership and stuff like that goes a long ways. We will see. I still don't think NDSU is as good the score Saturday says they are.

Basically every other team that has played in the FCS title game the last decade has moved up besides NDSU. I'm not saying Big 10 or 12 (although they already wrestle big 12), but Mountain West makes sense to me. Unfortunately, they are in a crap spot geographically for anything besides the Big 10. And that isn't happening for a number of reasons that would take decades and a city 5x the size of Fargo to resolved.

 

[74Bronco]

NDSU fan since early 80's, all hunting trips had them on the radio when we were not walking for pheasants or deer. The problem moving up is the geography, plain and simple. IMO. The programs moving up are either down south or east, plenty of options. Big 10/12 or Mountain West have no interest in Fargo. Or Grand Forks, Brookings etc. I honestly think MT and MT State have a better chance with Mountain West than NDSU with any conference.
Also would like to see more parity in D3 than Mount Union and MHB, UW Whitewater. D2 seems to have the most parity in the last 20 years over any level.

 

[DINforlife]

The other thing about NDSU moving up is that it drags all the other sports with it. It wouldn't just be football. The travel budget alone would be brutal. As an FCS fan, I'd love to see other schools close the gap instead of the power schools continue to move up as that leaves the rest of FCS all the poorer. I hated that we lost JMU.

In addition, if the Bison were to move up, do you think they'd rather play for a shot at a lesser bowl game for a G5 conference each year? That's about all they'd have to look forward to initially. Being a Furman fan, my animosity toward App St and Georgia Southern runs deep, but I almost felt sorry for them in their final regular season matchup. Both were previous FCS powerhouses with multiple national titles to their name and here they were at 6-5 (App) and 5-6 (GSU) both desperately trying to win for a bowl game in Myrtle Beach or some such place. GSU won and stormed the field to celebrate a 6-6 season, (3-5 in conference play). Erk Russell was probably rolling over in his grave. No offense, @Gobbler36.