Southland Conference: Evaluations!

[BEAR]

Now we know what teams are rolling and what teams are bipolar, let's take a look at each team and evaluate honestly how the rest of the year should go, who will most likely make the playoffs and who just might share the conference title.

Standings as of 11/4



Southeastern Louisiana
4 - 0
1.000

7 - 2
.778
4-0
3-2
0-0
W6


McNeese State
3 - 1
.750

7 - 2
.778
4-1
3-1
0-0
L1


Sam Houston State
3 - 1
.750

7 - 2
.778
6-0
0-2
1-0
W2


Central Arkansas
2 - 2
.500

5 - 4
.556
3-1
2-3
0-0
L1


Lamar
1 - 3
.250

4 - 5
.444
3-1
1-4
0-0
W1


Nicholls State
1 - 3
.250

4 - 5
.444
3-1
1-4
0-0
L3


Northwestern State
1 - 3
.250

4 - 5
.444
3-1
1-4
0-0
W1


Stephen F. Austin
1 - 3
.250

3 - 6
.333
3-1
0-4
0-1
L2






Gameball: Goes to Southeastern Louisiana. Early on you could tell they were a better team but how much? Proof is in the pudding. Lions are for real.

Jockstrap: Goes to the McNeese Cowboys. Bipolar as any team I've witnessed in person.

Surprise game loss: McNeese to Southeastern Louisiana. Why? I thought that game would have been a slugfest after watching the synchronized demolishing of UCA at UCA by the Cowboys.

Team with the most potential but crashed: SFA. Really good offense but no defense. Can't play half a game.

Future upset? I'd like to say UCA over SLU in Conway, but I can't. That would be the biggest upset and SAM and McNeese fans would love the Bears for it. But there are just too many injuries on the purple/gray team. I'm going to say SAM at SLU. SLU appears to be the hot team but SAM is experienced.

Flanders flip part II?: Saw an amazing leap this past weekend watching SFA against SHSU. I believe it was either #9 DJ Ward or #6 Gus Johnson that ran with the ball and the SHSU defender went to tackle low and he simply jumped over him in the open field.

Now onto the rest of the season:

SLU: 4-0
at UCA (should be a lion win)
SHSU (tossup to likely a lion win IMO)
Nicholls (lion win. If they reach this game with 2 more wins then its all academic)

McNeese: 3-1
at SFA (no idea)
Northwestern (Demons are BIG, but cowboys should win)
at Lamar (tossup IMO, Cowboys have me confused)

Sam Houston: 3-1
Nicholls (win for SAM)
at SLU (yikes! Is this the game of the year?)
at UCA

UCA: 2-2
SLU (just too beat up, Lions win putting Bears out of contention for good )
at Nicholls ( Bear win )
SHSU ( Kats win, too many injuries )

Lamar, Nicholls, Norhwestern, and SFA are most likely out of SLC title contention.


These last 3 weeks are big for 4 teams.


UCA really isn't going to contend but they can play the spoiler for the 3 teams that are left. Giving the Lions a loss would energize the Kats and Cowboys. A SAM loss at UCA would put them most likely as an at large at worst.

SFA can play wrecking ball to the Cowboys hopes of sharing a title if UCA did happen to beat the Lions.

Sam can share that title with SLU too in two weeks with beating the Lions.

Notice the theme here? Beating the lions....

The scenarios go on and on but each week they get less and less possible. Yes, these are scenarios.


It is possible for the Lions to go undefeated and Sam and McNeese to both end up with 2 losses. Who goes to the playoffs as an at large then? A SAM team with an awesome recent history of winning OR a McNeese team that is an unknown but freakin' dangerous when it shows up? You decide! xlolx

Your thoughts?

[msupokes1]

Now we know what teams are rolling and what teams are bipolar, let's take a look at each team and evaluate honestly how the rest of the year should go, who will most likely make the playoffs and who just might share the conference title.

Standings as of 11/4



Southeastern Louisiana

4 - 0

1.000


7 - 2

.778

4-0

3-2

0-0

W6



McNeese State

3 - 1

.750


7 - 2

.778

4-1

3-1

0-0

L1



Sam Houston State

3 - 1

.750


7 - 2

.778

6-0

0-2

1-0

W2



Central Arkansas

2 - 2

.500


5 - 4

.556

3-1

2-3

0-0

L1



Lamar

1 - 3

.250


4 - 5

.444

3-1

1-4

0-0

W1



Nicholls State

1 - 3

.250


4 - 5

.444

3-1

1-4

0-0

L3



Northwestern State

1 - 3

.250


4 - 5

.444

3-1

1-4

0-0

W1



Stephen F. Austin

1 - 3

.250


3 - 6

.333

3-1

0-4

0-1

L2







Gameball: Goes to Southeastern Louisiana. Early on you could tell they were a better team but how much? Proof is in the pudding. Lions are for real.

Jockstrap: Goes to the McNeese Cowboys. Bipolar as any team I've witnessed in person.

Surprise game loss: McNeese to Southeastern Louisiana. Why? I thought that game would have been a slugfest after watching the synchronized demolishing of UCA at UCA by the Cowboys.

Team with the most potential but crashed: SFA. Really good offense but no defense. Can't play half a game.

Future upset? I'd like to say UCA over SLU in Conway, but I can't. That would be the biggest upset and SAM and McNeese fans would love the Bears for it. But there are just too many injuries on the purple/gray team. I'm going to say SAM at SLU. SLU appears to be the hot team but SAM is experienced.

Flanders flip part II?: Saw an amazing leap this past weekend watching SFA against SHSU. I believe it was either #9 DJ Ward or #6 Gus Johnson that ran with the ball and the SHSU defender went to tackle low and he simply jumped over him in the open field.

Now onto the rest of the season:

SLU: 4-0
at UCA (should be a lion win)
SHSU (tossup to likely a lion win IMO)
Nicholls (lion win. If they reach this game with 2 more wins then its all academic)

McNeese: 3-1
at SFA (no idea)
Northwestern (Demons are BIG, but cowboys should win)
at Lamar (tossup IMO, Cowboys have me confused)

Sam Houston: 3-1
Nicholls (win for SAM)
at SLU (yikes! Is this the game of the year?)
at UCA

UCA: 2-2
SLU (just too beat up, Lions win putting Bears out of contention for good )
at Nicholls ( Bear win )
SHSU ( Kats win, too many injuries )

Lamar, Nicholls, Norhwestern, and SFA are most likely out of SLC title contention.


These last 3 weeks are big for 4 teams.


UCA really isn't going to contend but they can play the spoiler for the 3 teams that are left. Giving the Lions a loss would energize the Kats and Cowboys. A SAM loss at UCA would put them most likely as an at large at worst.

SFA can play wrecking ball to the Cowboys hopes of sharing a title if UCA did happen to beat the Lions.

Sam can share that title with SLU too in two weeks with beating the Lions.

Notice the theme here? Beating the lions....

The scenarios go on and on but each week they get less and less possible. Yes, these are scenarios.


It is possible for the Lions to go undefeated and Sam and McNeese to both end up with 2 losses. Who goes to the playoffs as an at large then? A SAM team with an awesome recent history of winning OR a McNeese team that is an unknown but freakin' dangerous when it shows up? You decide! xlolx

Your thoughts?

Not sure who would go. I would be surprised if either got left out at 9-3.

[Sammy94]

Unless Sam, SLU , and McNeese lose 2 of the next 3, all 3 get in.

[FormerPokeCenter]

Not so fast....

The Southland's NEVER had three teams before...and every year there's a deserving FCS team who gets Woffed...

If you're not familiar with that term, ask an AGS old-timer to explain it to you...

[SamIam]

The Southland has had three teams in the playoffs before, but not since 2001.

2001: SHSU, McNeese, NWST.
1998: NWST, McNeese, Troy.
1993: McNeese, ULM, SFA.
1988: NWST, SFA, UNT.



Not so fast....

The Southland's NEVER had three teams before...and every year there's a deserving FCS team who gets Woffed...

If you're not familiar with that term, ask an AGS old-timer to explain it to you...

[lionsrking2]

The Southland has had three teams in the playoffs before, but not since 2001.

2001: SHSU, McNeese, NWST.
1998: NWST, McNeese, Troy.
1993: McNeese, ULM, SFA.
1988: NWST, SFA, UNT.

Plus, there's more at-large berths available, and the league is stronger than it's been in a long time.

[McNeese72]

McNeese still has to win some games. I hope the right McNeese team shows up for the rest of the games. I didn't recognize the McNeese team that played against SLU. My confidence is really down right now.

I'm temporarily feeling like this right now:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4jGSvxCRp4

[Texas]

McNeese still has to win some games. I hope the right McNeese team shows up for the rest of the games. I didn't recognize the McNeese team that played against SLU. My confidence is really down right now.

I'm temporarily feeling like this right now:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4jGSvxCRp4
You mean back to normal, since the only game that mattered is gone.

[McNeese72]

You mean back to normal, since the only game that mattered is gone.

Some of you Sam guys need to take a class in sportsmanship and/or class. Of course, you are probably one of those young guys who has one of those attitudes that seem to prevail these days that your opponents are "The Enemy".

Doc

[fmrbearkat]

Some of you Sam guys need to take a class in sportsmanship and/or class. Of course, you are probably one of those young guys who has one of those attitudes that seem to prevail these days that your opponents are "The Enemy".

Doc

Please dont say Sam guys when talking about texas or nickels. Every fan base has them....luckily it seems like the idiots at McNeese are computer illiterate (sure were a whole lot of them in the stands). The cowboy posters on here are quality! I guess SHSU has a better computer class??

[FormerPokeCenter]

The Southland has had three teams in the playoffs before, but not since 2001.

2001: SHSU, McNeese, NWST.
1998: NWST, McNeese, Troy.
1993: McNeese, ULM, SFA.
1988: NWST, SFA, UNT.


I sit corrected...What I should have said is "in it's current configuration", the SLC hasn't been a three bid league....;)

[msupokes1]

I sit corrected...What I should have said is "in it's current configuration", the SLC hasn't been a three bid league....;)

More at large births this year and the fact that the MVFC is only a 2 bid league and the SOCON is only a 1-2 bid league opens it up for the SLC to get 3 teams in.

[msupokes1]

You mean back to normal, since the only game that mattered is gone.

I guess EWU is the only game that matter to SHSU since they haven't beaten anybody else good.

[Sammy94]

I didn't recognize the McNeese team that played against SLU. My confidence is really down right now.

I know how you feel, there was a 2/3 game stretch there that I didn't recognize the Kats either.

[katstrapper]

Next 3 weeks will definitely be interesting....

My shockers were the beat down that McNeese took from SE La and the NW St win over C. Ark. for sure.

Kats have a tough stretch for sure and the trip to Hammond is huge!. Game in Conway wont be easy.

Lions better beware of the Bears this weekend. Bears play pretty well on the stripes in Conway.

McNeese could get beat again on the road at NW St if not careful.

[BEAR]

Bears have nothing to lose this weekend. That's a dangerous team that has that mindset no matter who it is.

But they are just too beat up. Another concussion and a broken ankle cause by a horsecollar tackle in the Northwestern State game just added to our woes. We have ONE RB, two patchwork QBs, very thin CBs and LBs. So much promise to start the year too. Now I have to pick a team to root for in the playoffs. xlolx

[BEAR]

Lions better beware of the Bears this weekend. Bears play pretty well on the stripes in Conway.

16-1 since the birthday cake was installed. xlolx

[Sam_Kats]

Wow. Unreal how many injuries the Bears have suffered this year.

[McNeese72]

16-1 since the birthday cake was installed. xlolx

Aaahhh! I see you guys have embraced Cbuck's observation of the stripes. I'll never forget that quote by him the first time we played on it. "Looking down on that field makes me want to light candles and sing Happy Birthday"

Doc

[BEAR]

Wow. Unreal how many injuries the Bears have suffered this year.

Well McNeese had a couple of years like this and so have a few other teams in the FCS this year. Just bad luck I guess. I'd say I can't wait for next year but you're looking at next years team on the field right now. Yeah, they'll have some experience but not the natural progression they were supposed to have. Redshirt freshmen were meant to weight lift and learn the plays, not actually play and break ankles. Big difference between a high school kid and a JR in college. They just run faster, hit harder, and their bodies are usually more developed. Redshirting is for their benefit... we can see what happens when they lose it. Sad.

[McNeese72]

McNeese could get beat again on the road at NW St if not careful.

Hell, we could lose any of the last three games. Especially, (not taking anything away from the Lions as they are good) if the McNeese team that played at UNI and against SLU shows up.

Doc

[McNeese75]

Katstrapper for what is worth, McNeese plays Northwestern State at home this year

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[BEAR]

Aaahhh! I see you guys have embraced Cbuck's observation of the stripes. I'll never forget that quote by him the first time we played on it. "Looking down on that field makes me want to light candles and sing Happy Birthday" Doc

Eh whatever fans want to call it is fine with me. I'll take a 16-1 anytime..most fans would. Funny, Conque still calls the Cowboys the "gold standard" of the SLC..yet I haven't seen any gold chains around their necks at games.... xlolx

[McNeese72]

Well McNeese had a couple of years like this and so have a few other teams in the FCS this year. Just bad luck I guess. I'd say I can't wait for next year but you're looking at next years team on the field right now. Yeah, they'll have some experience but not the natural progression they were supposed to have. Redshirt freshmen were meant to weight lift and learn the plays, not actually play and break ankles. Big difference between a high school kid and a JR in college. They just run faster, hit harder, and their bodies are usually more developed. Redshirting is for their benefit... we can see what happens when they lose it. Sad.

The McNeese fans can very much sympathize with the Bears and the UNI Panthers with this. We've been down that road before ourselves. By the end of the last two seasons, the Cowboy team that finished the season wasn't near what started the season.

Doc

[McNeese72]

Eh whatever fans want to call it is fine with me. I'll take a 16-1 anytime..most fans would. Funny, Conque still calls the Cowboys the "gold standard" of the SLC..yet I haven't seen any gold chains around their necks at games.... xlolx

That's just coachspeak. You guys have done pretty well for yourselves since you joined the conference.

Doc

[McNeese72]

Katstrapper for what is worth, McNeese plays Northwestern State at home this year

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That didn't help us much with SLU, now did it? I hope the real Cowboys show up for the last three games instead of those imposters that played against SLU and earlier against UNI. ;)

Doc

[BEAR]

That's just coachspeak. You guys have done pretty well for yourselves since you joined the conference.

Doc

I can't wait to see how good ACU does in conference. That was a heck of a team when we played them in division II.

[fmrbearkat]

Eh whatever fans want to call it is fine with me. I'll take a 16-1 anytime..most fans would. Funny, Conque still calls the Cowboys the "gold standard" of the SLC..yet I haven't seen any gold chains around their necks at games.... xlolx

Eh..I'll take dingy old Bowers with that 20-0 win streak and not having to hurt myself watching the boys play!

[katstrapper]

Katstrapper for what is worth, McNeese plays Northwestern State at home this year

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My bad. I was responding about NW St game and was thinking about McNeese on the road this weekend at SFA.

[McNeese75]

It should be interesting

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