North Dakota State

[erk]

Dont see anyone coming close to beating the Bison this year. Man i am going to miss our playoff games with them. Both of our playoff games with them in my opinion were the national championship game. Much respect, congrats on an apparent 3rd nc and good luck to yall the rest of the way.

[JayJ79]

UNI came pretty darn close to beating them.
I said right after that game that that would likely be the closest to losing that NDSU would get this season.

[stevdock]

UNI came pretty darn close to beating them.
I said right after that game that that would likely be the closest to losing that NDSU would get this season.

Yes they did and I agree with you. I'm concerned about Towson if we meet them in Frisco.

I know we came out and played insane football for the first half and probably would have put the hurt on anyone that we played in the first half. But if Coastal beat the Big Sky's second best team, should they have gotten 4 teams in?? Today was a fine example of why UNI could have made the playoffs over some of these other teams.

[SIUSalukiFan]

Yes they did and I agree with you. I'm concerned about Towson if we meet them in Frisco.

I know we came out and played insane football for the first half and probably would have put the hurt on anyone that we played in the first half. But if Coastal beat the Big Sky's second best team, should they have gotten 4 teams in?? Today was a fine example of why UNI could have made the playoffs over some of these other teams.

Let's be fair here - NDSU had had a ton of close MVFC games the past three years but that doesn't necessarily mean more MVFC teams should be in the playoff field. UNI and SIU and other league schools that have given the Bison fits during that span simply are more familiar with NDSU. They have a pretty good idea what a game against the Bison is about. Thus, preparation is a bit easier.

Foes from other conferences, though, are seeing NDSU for the first time in the playoffs.

[centennial]

Let's be fair here - NDSU had had a ton of close MVFC games the past three years but that doesn't necessarily mean more MVFC teams should be in the playoff field. UNI and SIU and other league schools that have given the Bison fits during that span simply are more familiar with NDSU. They have a pretty good idea what a game against the Bison is about. Thus, preparation is a bit easier.

Foes from other conferences, though, are seeing NDSU for the first time in the playoffs.
I think SIU and UNI would have taken out half the field. Both those teams are much harder to beat than Coastal, Furman...

[Bisonwinagn]

I think SIU and UNI would have taken out half the field. Both those teams are much harder to beat than Coastal, Furman...

True but at large teams are not based on potential to win they are based on the best records. They should have won more games if they wanted in the playoffs. Like it or not that's the way it is.

[thebootfitter]

True but at large teams are not based on potential to win they are based on the best records. They should have won more games if they wanted in the playoffs. Like it or not that's the way it is.
Umm... Nope. The field is not selected based on W/L records, although it does seem that historically W/L records have some bearing on the selections. If it were a primary or sole component of the selection process, then where were teams like Youngstown and Chuck South in the field?

[stevdock]

Let's be fair here - NDSU had had a ton of close MVFC games the past three years but that doesn't necessarily mean more MVFC teams should be in the playoff field. UNI and SIU and other league schools that have given the Bison fits during that span simply are more familiar with NDSU. They have a pretty good idea what a game against the Bison is about. Thus, preparation is a bit easier.

Foes from other conferences, though, are seeing NDSU for the first time in the playoffs.

You are absolutely correct but some of these teams that are in the playoffs need to beat some real teams too instead of just saying "well we won enough games on our schedule." If the schedule is awful, then what have they proven??

[semobison]

True but at large teams are not based on potential to win they are based on the best records. They should have won more games if they wanted in the playoffs. Like it or not that's the way it is.

IMO, it is the selection committee's responsibility to get the BEST teams into the playoffs. The Valley got Woofed this year!

[buffalobill]

IMO that is a Double Woof!xthumbsupx

[JayJ79]

meh, the best 8 got in, the rest is just garnish, really.
(not saying that the 8 teams that played this weekend were the best 8, nor that the seeded teams were all part of the best 8. I'm not even certain which teams are actually the best 8, but I feel confident in saying that the best 8 made it into the playoffs at some point)

[Grizzlies82]

IMO, it is the selection committee's responsibility to get the BEST teams into the playoffs. The Valley got Woofed this year!

Sorry guys but typically the playoff field isn't just the best teams. Between some less talented auto qualifiers, and some bad picks, that is just the way it is every year. None the less, saying the Valley got woofed is far from accurate. Yes you may have had teams more deserving than some who got in.

Though once again you're falling into the trap of believing "Since North Dakota State is so dominant the entire MVFC would be too." This year's Bison team is extraordinary but it doesn't mean the conference was. The MVFC's second best team was seriously spanked at Eastern Washington. There is little reason to believe UNI, S. Illinois, or Youngstown St would have done any better than the Jackrabbits did. Enjoy ND State's success but don't confuse it for anything other than a demonstration of a dominance by a once in a lifetime team.

[Mattymc727]

Sorry guys but typically the playoff field isn't just the best teams. Between some less talented auto qualifiers, and some bad picks, that is just the way it is every year. None the less, saying the Valley got woofed is far from accurate. Yes you may have had teams more deserving than some who got in.

Though once again you're falling into the trap of believing "Since North Dakota State is so dominant the entire MVFC would be too." This year's Bison team is extraordinary but it doesn't mean the conference was. The MVFC's second best team was seriously spanked at Eastern Washington. There is little reason to believe UNI, S. Illinois, or Youngstown St would have done any better than the Jackrabbits did. Enjoy ND State's success but don't confuse it for anything other than a demonstration of a dominance by a once in a lifetime team.

Couldnt agree more. NDSU is on another level. But even if UNI was the best chance at an NDSU loss, doesnt mean the MVFC is by and large the best conference. If a team is good enough to win, then they will win. IMO, we have the 4 best teams here.

[buffalobill]

Sorry guys but typically the playoff field isn't just the best teams. Between some less talented auto qualifiers, and some bad picks, that is just the way it is every year. None the less, saying the Valley got woofed is far from accurate. Yes you may have had teams more deserving than some who got in.

Though once again you're falling into the trap of believing "Since North Dakota State is so dominant the entire MVFC would be too." This year's Bison team is extraordinary but it doesn't mean the conference was. The MVFC's second best team was seriously spanked at Eastern Washington. There is little reason to believe UNI, S. Illinois, or Youngstown St would have done any better than the Jackrabbits did. Enjoy ND State's success but don't confuse it for anything other than a demonstration of a dominance by a once in a lifetime team.
We may lose the next time we play the Griz, but if this year's team was once in a lifetime what kind of team beat the Griz in 2003 with only 36 schollies at your fabled field of dreams!:) Hail the Bison!

[BisonPride]

We definitely dont disagree about EW against SDSU being a tough game for them but it fell apart late and they dont have the QB to play from behind. What all MVFC fans agree on is that the rest of the BigSky conference is WAY over rated and how SDSU dismantled N Arizona and Sam did the same to Southern Utah proves the point. With Montana losing to Coastal in those conditions and seeing how they got thoroughly embarrassed by NDSU today further proves the point. The last time I saw a team get embarassed like that in the Fargodome was USD who just happened to only lose by 4 to Montana 2 weeks earlier.

Before #2 EIU lost last night the closest they came to losing was double overtime to Southern Illinois. SDSU won at #4 SELA. N Iowa destroyed #6 McNeese by over 30. Name the 3 other Big Sky teams besides EW to either beat or took a top 6 seeded team to OT? Name another conference with 3 other teams who did that this year?

While NDSU appears to be ahead of the rest there are several other teams (proven during the season) that are elite compared to what came out of the Big Sky.

[buffalobill]

We definitely dont disagree about EW against SDSU being a tough game for them but it fell apart late and they dont have the QB to play from behind. What all MVFC fans agree on is that the rest of the BigSky conference is WAY over rated and how SDSU dismantled N Arizona and Sam did the same to Southern Utah proves the point. With Montana losing to Coastal in those conditions and seeing how they got thoroughly embarrassed by NDSU today further proves the point. The last time I saw a team get embarassed like that in the Fargodome was USD who just happened to only lose by 4 to Montana 2 weeks earlier.

Before #2 EIU lost last night the closest they came to losing was double overtime to Southern Illinois. SDSU won at #4 SELA. N Iowa destroyed #6 McNeese by over 30. Name the 3 other Big Sky teams besides EW to either beat or took a top 6 seeded team to OT? Name another conference with 3 other teams who did that this year?

While NDSU appears to be ahead of the rest there are several other teams (proven during the season) that are elite compared to what came out of the Big Sky.
You mean the Big Scare don't you!:D

[frozennorth]

At the end of the season, ndsu's least challenging games will have occured in the playoffs. SDSU was tied for 5th in conference. That isn't to say that ewu wouldn't be the second best in the valley, but they would have more loses than against the big sky.

Caa and mvfc are across the board better conferences right now that the rest.

[PaladinFan]

You look at the SoCon back when the "big 3" were at their prominence. You had three SoCon teams that were perennial top 10/top 5 teams. Wofford had some decent seasons, but the rest of the conference was positively awful.

You can have couple of really good teams in a conference amidst a bunch of bad programs. During those times, the CAA was a "deeper" conference with more "good" teams, but in my opinion their top was not as good as the SoCon's top.

[wmmii]

I think SIU and UNI would have taken out half the field. Both those teams are much harder to beat than Coastal, Furman...

AS in all playoffs some teams have automatic conference bids as did Furman....
Would have put Tribe up against half the field also but not in cards...we beat UNH 17-0 and just lost to Towson 15-9...

[RabidRabbit]

At the end of the season, ndsu's least challenging games will have occured in the playoffs. SDSU was tied for 5th in conference. That isn't to say that ewu wouldn't be the second best in the valley, but they would have more loses than against the big sky.

Caa and mvfc are across the board better conferences right now that the rest.

Four-way tie for second for the Jackrabbits. in the MVFC.

[Professor Chaos]

Couldnt agree more. NDSU is on another level. But even if UNI was the best chance at an NDSU loss, doesnt mean the MVFC is by and large the best conference. If a team is good enough to win, then they will win. IMO, we have the 4 best teams here.
If the same UNI team that came into that Bison game this year played the rest of the year they'd be in the semis right now. That was a great team demoralized by injuries and by letting the #1 team off the hook on the road to steal a victory from them.

[DaBizon]

On the playoff road to Frisco, NDSU outscored opponents 138 - 35.
Neither of the 2 teams still in contention have a snowballs chance in hell at upsetting them in January

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[UNHWildcat18]

Congrats on the win! you guys are surely in a league of your own but not going to lie this talk about how mvfc is so much better to me is in no way true by any means . teams in the MVFC are USED to playing you guys at YOUR place at HOME, your STYLE of play ect ect... I think that NDSU is also far above any team in the MVFC. The UNI game NDSU dominated in every category, I didn't see the highlights but it seems like a game UNI scored a few times quickly and the bison (who dominated the game) just couldn't score enough times to save their lives till the end..(see UNH vs SELU). Getting back to the conference though, a team for example UNH since why not its my team, played a TOUGH game vs maine in 2009 won 27-24. Maine was 5-6 that season. granted UNH was 9-2, bison finished 11-0 7-5 for UNI&SIU. We go down and crap all over a talked about "McNeese" team(won conference, played tough vs tulane. doesn't mean that the Southland was so much worse than us in terms of quality teams or competition, but teams you see year in and year out are going to give you trouble no matter what and will most likely play you better than most playoff teams. However this year I really think NDSU would crush anyone in any conference. CAA teams that didn't make the playoffs gave us more of a fight than SELU.... it's natural, doesn't mean the conference is better... and for those of who may think it, no I am not bitter in any way about tonights outcome lol

[UNHWildcat18]

lol and I just realized the people talking about how "oh mvfc games were the hardest they would probably beat most of the playoff teams" was in another thread...smh

[Da Herd]

Congrats on the win! you guys are surely in a league of your own but not going to lie this talk about how mvfc is so much better to me is in no way true by any means . teams in the MVFC are USED to playing you guys at YOUR place at HOME, your STYLE of play ect ect... I think that NDSU is also far above any team in the MVFC. The UNI game NDSU dominated in every category, I didn't see the highlights but it seems like a game UNI scored a few times quickly and the bison (who dominated the game) just couldn't score enough times to save their lives till the end..(see UNH vs SELU). Getting back to the conference though, a team for example UNH since why not its my team, played a TOUGH game vs maine in 2009 won 27-24. Maine was 5-6 that season. granted UNH was 9-2, bison finished 11-0 7-5 for UNI&SIU. We go down and crap all over a talked about "McNeese" team(won conference, played tough vs tulane. doesn't mean that the Southland was so much worse than us in terms of quality teams or competition, but teams you see year in and year out are going to give you trouble no matter what and will most likely play you better than most playoff teams. However this year I really think NDSU would crush anyone in any conference. CAA teams that didn't make the playoffs gave us more of a fight than SELU.... it's natural, doesn't mean the conference is better... and for those of who may think it, no I am not bitter in any way about tonights outcome lol

a little post game whisky by chance?

[word]

True but at large teams are not based on potential to win they are based on the best records. They should have won more games if they wanted in the playoffs. Like it or not that's the way it is.

What was unh's record?

[word]

Congrats on the win! you guys are surely in a league of your own but not going to lie this talk about how mvfc is so much better to me is in no way true by any means . teams in the MVFC are USED to playing you guys at YOUR place at HOME, your STYLE of play ect ect... I think that NDSU is also far above any team in the MVFC. The UNI game NDSU dominated in every category, I didn't see the highlights but it seems like a game UNI scored a few times quickly and the bison (who dominated the game) just couldn't score enough times to save their lives till the end..(see UNH vs SELU). Getting back to the conference though, a team for example UNH since why not its my team, played a TOUGH game vs maine in 2009 won 27-24. Maine was 5-6 that season. granted UNH was 9-2, bison finished 11-0 7-5 for UNI&SIU. We go down and crap all over a talked about "McNeese" team(won conference, played tough vs tulane. doesn't mean that the Southland was so much worse than us in terms of quality teams or competition, but teams you see year in and year out are going to give you trouble no matter what and will most likely play you better than most playoff teams. However this year I really think NDSU would crush anyone in any conference. CAA teams that didn't make the playoffs gave us more of a fight than SELU.... it's natural, doesn't mean the conference is better... and for those of who may think it, no I am not bitter in any way about tonights outcome lol

You saw the pancake blocks right? Oh, but Taft doesn't happen in conference because they are used to it. Your weak conference has been exposed.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Congrats on the win! you guys are surely in a league of your own but not going to lie this talk about how mvfc is so much better to me is in no way true by any means . teams in the MVFC are USED to playing you guys at YOUR place at HOME, your STYLE of play ect ect... I think that NDSU is also far above any team in the MVFC. The UNI game NDSU dominated in every category, I didn't see the highlights but it seems like a game UNI scored a few times quickly and the bison (who dominated the game) just couldn't score enough times to save their lives till the end..(see UNH vs SELU). Getting back to the conference though, a team for example UNH since why not its my team, played a TOUGH game vs maine in 2009 won 27-24. Maine was 5-6 that season. granted UNH was 9-2, bison finished 11-0 7-5 for UNI&SIU. We go down and crap all over a talked about "McNeese" team(won conference, played tough vs tulane. doesn't mean that the Southland was so much worse than us in terms of quality teams or competition, but teams you see year in and year out are going to give you trouble no matter what and will most likely play you better than most playoff teams. However this year I really think NDSU would crush anyone in any conference. CAA teams that didn't make the playoffs gave us more of a fight than SELU.... it's natural, doesn't mean the conference is better... and for those of who may think it, no I am not bitter in any way about tonights outcome lol


A healthy UNI team probably be playing in the other bracket today.

UNH had 2 guys talking trash right away....#4 and #28. Didn't hear a peep from them after the 1st quarter.....xlolx

[X-Factor]

A healthy UNI team probably be playing in the other bracket today.

UNH had 2 guys talking trash right away....#4 and #28. Didn't hear a peep from them after the 1st quarter.....xlolx

UNI's problem is they have no depth. No, they would not be playing today if healthy. Bison have had plenty of injuries this year too. They happened to catch us at just the right time and kept the game closer than it should have been.

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[SIUSalukiFan]

There's no use discussing which MVFC teams could have made noise in the playoff field. As pointed out 6,000 times all UNI and SIU and YSU had to do was win one more game and they had no beef.

But, it is a fact some of the toughest games NDSU has had the past three years were against conference foes. I just looked this up but only two of the 11 playoff opponents of the Bison in the last three years came within 10 points. In 2012 NDSU lost one conference game and won three others by six points or less.

Not really earth-shattering news but it is interesting.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

UNI's problem is they have no depth. No, they would not be playing today if healthy. Bison have had plenty of injuries this year too. They happened to catch us at just the right time and kept the game closer than it should have been.

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Well, I disagree.

A healthy UNI team would have finished 11-1 and probably a #2 or #3 seed.

[X-Factor]

Well, I disagree.

A healthy UNI team would have finished 11-1 and probably a #2 or #3 seed.

That wasn't your comment. You said they would have played in semis. Have you not seen the egg laying by some really good UNI teams in the playoffs over the last 7-8 years? Clearly a trend there if you ask me.

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[Bison Fan in NW MN]

That wasn't your comment. You said they would have played in semis. Have you not seen the egg laying by some really good UNI teams in the playoffs over the last 7-8 years? Clearly a trend there if you ask me.

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Splitting hairs here....

I just think they would have run the table and finished #2 or #3. Ya, they have choked in the playoffs in the past but they would have been a tough out this year if they would have stayed healthy.

Boy, that feels dirty.....defending UNI.....:D