TSN In the Huddle: Craig Haley's 2013 FCS Predictions

[knucklehead]

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/writers/infcshuddle/archive/haley_08_27_2013.htm




Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - It's been an FCS offseason about scholarships.

Appalachian State and Georgia Southern (and Old Dominion, for that matter) suddenly have too many scholarships.

Patriot League schools still don't have enough (but they're getting there).

Pioneer League schools don't have any (although the door is now open to the playoffs).

The truth of the matter is, no matter the situation, they're all still football players. When they line up, they're there to win a game - no matter who is across the line of scrimmage.

Every down. Every day.

Excellent write-up and predictions. Not at all biased since I'm a Liberty Fan, but he did pick us to beat Kent St and then win the conference and make that first playoff appearance.

[BisonFan02]

- OK, let's get it right out of the way: North Dakota State will win a third straight FCS national championship. Coach Craig Bohl has so many starters and key players returning.

Concur. :D

[WrenFGun]

...



New Hampshire was picked third in the CAA Football preseason poll, but it doesn't have a strong enough defense to push the FCS' longest active streak of playoff appearances to 10.


Boy .. they made it nine straight times, all with fewer berths available, and NOW it's not strong enough? Lazy.

[Bisonator]

- Only one defensive back has won the Buck Buchanan Award. Make way for North Dakota State senior cornerback Marcus Williams to join Bethune-Cookman great Rashean Mathis as the FCS' outstanding defensive player of the year.

xnodx

[Bisonator]

- The best defense will reside at North Dakota State again.

xconfusedx BUTTCHATTY???:D

[MDUNHfan]

I understand why TSN is stating that UHN will not make the playoffs this year. . . . Wofford beat them so soundly last year that the committee decided to split the Wofford squad and have them play at Liberty and at Tennessee State on the same day.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

xconfusedx BUTTCHATTY???:D

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/331/826/05f.jpeg

[Walkon79]

Would love to see the Cats and Bison in Frisco!!

Long way to go though!

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Would love to see the Cats and Bison in Frisco!!

Long way to go though!

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9nhhmh35l1qbvexao1_500.gif

[Sam_Kats]

Great read. Interested to see how it all shakes out.

[fmrbearkat]

Would love to see the Cats and Bison in Frisco!!

Long way to go though!

After the way it went in Bozeman for you and the way it went in Frisco for us im going to go ahead and say no you wouldn't. All of our best bet is to hope they slip up in the dome in December!

[NoDak 4 Ever]

After the way it went in Bozeman for you and the way it went in Frisco for us im going to go ahead and say no you wouldn't. All of our best bet is to hope they slip up in the dome in December!

I'm pretty sure as long as the Bison can get their hands on them, it would matter little how or when.

[Tailbone]

Would love to see the Cats and Bison in Frisco!!

Long way to go though!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHxlolx.

post of the month!

[MTfan4life]

I think Mr. Haley needs to take a closer look at the Big Sky conference schedule. I don't know if it's possible for all 5 of those teams to be in the playoff discussion unless if they pull off some FBS wins. They all essentially play each other. Montana plays all 5 of the top 6 teams in the Big Sky not including themselves and doesn't exactly have a cupcake non-con schedule. NAU plays 4 of the top 5. EWU has 5 brutal road games and also plays MSU at home. I think it'd be a stretch for the Big Sky to get three teams in out of the (Montana, Montana State, Cal Poly, NAU, and EasternW), with the small potential that one other darkhorse sneaks in.

[Walkon79]

After the way it went in Bozeman for you and the way it went in Frisco for us im going to go ahead and say no you wouldn't. All of our best bet is to hope they slip up in the dome in December!

As a fan that wanted to see us in Fargo next month, I would like to have the opportunity. It might quiet the haters for at least a little while, especially if the game was competitive.

[Walkon79]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHxlolx.

post of the month!

What? You don't think it's probable that many MSU fans wanted to see a Bison/Cat matchup?

[Drblankstare]

Part of me really wants to see the cats vs the Bison again. But only because I want to see Coach have to be put in the loony bin.

[da_Bison]

As a fan that wanted to see us in Fargo next month, I would like to have the opportunity. It might quiet the haters for at least a little while, especially if the game was competitive.

no haters, just a frustrated fan base and team im sure, that wanted a good FCS opponent, instead we had to scramble for a game

[CID1990]

Nice writeup. We'll know more about his prediction that El Cid is the most likely SoCon team to steal the title from UTC after the Wofford game in the second week.

[blueballs]

Nice writeup. We'll know more about his prediction that El Cid is the most likely SoCon team to steal the title from UTC after the Wofford game in the second week.

I thought the Citadel was overlooked last pre-season and I think that is the case even more this year.

Option teams with a veteran returning starter at QB and four 5th year SR starters on the o-line tend to be pretty good.

[Grizalltheway]

UM @ MSU will be the game of the season in the Big Sky by the end of the year.

[Sammy94]

MSU can't beat the Kats and are scared to face the Bison, no way they end up in Frisco.

[IBleedYellow]

IT NEEDS TO BE FRIDAY NOWWWWW!!!!

On topic: Pretty good post by TSN. I can't help but laugh at the MSU posters, once your team gets past the Quarters you can talk.

[Hammerhead]

I'd be OK if this prediction from the article came true:
- Quarterback DeNarius McGhee and Montana State will make amends and get to the FCS national championship game ... only to lose to North Dakota State.

The playoffs might be the only way to get Montana State, Montana, or North Dakota to ever play in the Fargodome. :)



Would love to see the Cats and Bison in Frisco!!

Long way to go though!

[Hammerhead]

Is a win over Georgia State (has the lowest Sagarin rating in the FBS) really an upset for most FCS teams?

[NoDak 4 Ever]

I'd be OK if this prediction from the article came true:
- Quarterback DeNarius McGhee and Montana State will make amends and get to the FCS national championship game ... only to lose to North Dakota State.

The playoffs might be the only way to get Montana State, Montana, or North Dakota to ever play in the Fargodome. :)


Well Montana is tentatively scheduled for '14 in the Dome. Very tentatively.

[Sam_Kats]

Really wish our schools would strike up another home & home. Other than the 2nd half in last yr's game, we seem to play some pretty competitive football. Plus I want to make a trip to ND.

[IBleedYellow]

Really wish our schools would strike up another home & home. Other than the 2nd half in last yr's game, we seem to play some pretty competitive football. Plus I want to make a trip to ND.

Yes!! More moments like this please!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTx__3AIusw

Notice: Our fans aren't nearly as smart as we are now for football. Now the Dome is almost silent when we're on offense.

[Grizalltheway]

Well Montana is tentatively scheduled for '14 in the Dome. Very tentatively.

We didn't back out of the App home-and-home, did we?

[NoDak 4 Ever]

We didn't back out of the App home-and-home, did we?

No offense, we don't trust anyone to come to the FD these days.

[Grizalltheway]

No offense, we don't trust anyone to come to the FD these days.

Fair enough. I guess we did back out after you embarrassed us in our '03 home opener, right? Or was that just a one-off game?

[IBleedYellow]

I'd say Montana State is tentatively scheduled for '13.

Montana will be coming, do you honestly think they want to look like their little brother and back out?

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Fair enough. I guess we did back out after you embarrassed us in our '03 home opener, right? Or was that just a one-off game?

I have yet to see a definitive answer for that one. I've heard that there was supposed to be a payback after/during the transition and it was put off and '14 is the payoff. I may need a little help here. Considering NDSU was still DII, it may have been a paycheck game.

[BisonFan02]

I have yet to see a definitive answer for that one. I've heard that there was supposed to be a payback after/during the transition and it was put off and '14 is the payoff. I may need a little help here. Considering NDSU was still DII, it may have been a paycheck game.

I believe the DII game was a paycheck. Next year's game is the front end of a home/home with NDSU making a trip out to Missoula in 2015...maybe we should back out? :D

[Twentysix]

- OK, let's get it right out of the way: North Dakota State will win a third straight FCS national championship. Coach Craig Bohl has so many starters and key players returning.

Concur. :D

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[Twentysix]

I'd say Montana State is tentatively scheduled for '13.

Montana will be coming, do you honestly think they want to look like their little brother and back out?

Montana State is not scheduled for anything with NDSU atm. They bought out the game(s).

[knucklehead]

Man I hope Montana doesn't buy out of their return trip to Lynchburg, VA scheduled for '15. That game will have The Bill rockin.

[IBleedYellow]

Montana State is not scheduled for anything with NDSU atm. They bought out the game(s).

Playoffs, my friend. Play. Offs.

[UNHFootballAlum]

agreed! when more offensive weapons and QB's who will be better this year, I find it difficult to see UNH not making it in. The defense will not be worse than last year, and I believe that the defense will be more opportunitistic this year and create more turnovers.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

A few comments.

1. I seriously doubt JMU will beat Kent State. NDSU over KSU would have been a better choice for that. As would Cal Poly over Colorado State.

2. Montana State won't make it to Frisco. No offense cats. If MSU had to play Northern Arizona and Cal Poly last year they wouldn't have even bee seeded last year. I absolutely hate not having a round-robin conference schedule because you have teams like Montana State that luck out with their schedule.

3. I don't know how confidently I could say Georgia Southern will have the best offense, but I bet we have a better offense than Sam Houston State with everyone we have returning.

[bjtheflamesfan]

A few comments.

1. I seriously doubt JMU will beat Kent State. NDSU over KSU would have been a better choice for that. As would Cal Poly over Colorado State.

2. Montana State won't make it to Frisco. No offense cats. If MSU had to play Northern Arizona and Cal Poly last year they wouldn't have even bee seeded last year. I absolutely hate not having a round-robin conference schedule because you have teams like Montana State that luck out with their schedule.

3. I don't know how confidently I could say Georgia Southern will have the best offense, but I bet we have a better offense than Sam Houston State with everyone we have returning.


Liberty plays Kent State. I believe JMU is playing Akron

[CrazyCat]

A few comments.

2. Montana State won't make it to Frisco. No offense cats. If MSU had to play Northern Arizona and Cal Poly last year they wouldn't have even bee seeded last year. I absolutely hate not having a round-robin conference schedule because you have teams like Montana State that luck out with their schedule.



What was Cal Poly and Nau's conference schedule like compared to MSU ? CP's conference opp. where 28-36. Nau was 28-39. MSU opp's where 32-35.