The Sports Arsenal's 2017 Ratings And Rankings

[SU DOG]

Sandlapper Spike's work is always interesting and very meticulous. This article may be written with a SoCon and The Citadel slant, BUT it should be of interest to all FCS followers as it spans to include all teams. Take a look:

https://thesportsarsenal.com/2017/07/04/2017-preseason-rankings-and-ratings-featuring-the-citadel-and-the-rest-of-the-socon/

[malibudude]

He missed UND who along with his #3 EWU are favorites for the Big Sky.

[Bucs2016]

Hmmm. So....the "overall rating" lists all college football teams of all divisons. And it has D2 NW Missouri State rated in the top 50...of ALL of college football....ahead of Texas. Like the Longhorns.

No offense to NWMSU. But....no Divison II team is gonna beat a Power 5 blue blood. No matter how down they are.

[JSUSoutherner]

Hmmm. So....the "overall rating" lists all college football teams of all divisons. And it has D2 NW Missouri State rated in the top 50...of ALL of college football....ahead of Texas. Like the Longhorns.

No offense to NWMSU. But....no Divison II team is gonna beat a Power 5 blue blood. No matter how down they are.
Did you see them play last year? I don't know how well they would actually do against Texas but they could have easily held their own with ANY of the FCS and there's quite a few lower tier P5s (Virginia, Rutgers, Purdue, those kind of teams) they could have given a good run for their money. Calling them the NDSU of D2 would be pretty accurate IMO.

I agree their ranking is a bit optimistic, but if there's any D2 program that has the power to knock off a team like that it's NWMSU.

Also, UNI at 6. lol.

[Bucs2016]

Did you see them play last year? I don't know how well they would actually do against Texas but they could have easily held their own with ANY of the FCS and there's quite a few lower tier P5s (Virginia, Rutgers, Purdue, those kind of teams) they could have given a good run for their money. Calling them the NDSU of D2 would be pretty accurate IMO.

I agree their ranking is a bit optimistic, but if there's any D2 program that has the power to knock off a team like that it's NWMSU.

Also, UNI at 6. lol.

They're obviously an incredibly good D2 team. But with 36 scholarships almost half their 2nd string and most special teamers are walk ons. And not 1990s Nebraska walk ons. As for them vs FBS sure they could probably compete and beat some lower ones like Georgia State, Florida Atlantic, etc. Maybe hang in there with Wake Forest types.

But they have em ranked over Texas and South Carolina. NDSU or James Madison might "upset" those two teams today but they have 65 scholarships. At 36 vs 85...they'd just wear them down with a 3-deep of full scholarship 3, 4, 5 star recruits.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

They're obviously an incredibly good D2 team. But with 36 scholarships almost half their 2nd string and most special teamers are walk ons. And not 1990s Nebraska walk ons. As for them vs FBS sure they could probably compete and beat some lower ones like Georgia State, Florida Atlantic, etc. Maybe hang in there with Wake Forest types.

But they have em ranked over Texas and South Carolina. NDSU or James Madison might "upset" those two teams today but they have 65 scholarships. At 36 vs 85...they'd just wear them down with a 3-deep of full scholarship 3, 4, 5 star recruits.



This here.

NW Missouri would get rolled by every P5 team. They would do well against a lot of the FCS but would get beat handily by the upper echelon FCS teams. They are good but 36 schollies is no depth at this level.

[Gangtackle11]

This here.

NW Missouri would get rolled by every P5 team. They would do well against a lot of the FCS but would get beat handily by the upper echelon FCS teams. They are good but 36 schollies is no depth at this level.

Finally sanity about D2 football. Nice team. Beat the bottom feeders in FCS. No shot at FCS big boys.

[clenz]

Also should be said that the academic standard they recruit at is very different than D1. They can go after kids that D1 schools can't. At that level 2 or 3 of those kids make a massive impact. At the FCS level those kids are just another recruit talent wise.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Also should be said that the academic standard they recruit at is very different than D1. They can go after kids that D1 schools can't. At that level 2 or 3 of those kids make a massive impact. At the FCS level those kids are just another recruit talent wise.

Absolutely! The several PSAC schools will take kids that D1 schools won't touch!

[clenz]

Absolutely! The several PSAC schools will take kids that D1 schools won't touch!

Northwest Missouri State is full of kids that UNI would have added as depth plays but couldn't due to grades. Many of them end up all Conference or all American down there.

It sounds silly but it makes a massive difference. A few of those guys would be all Conference caliber at the FCS level, but they'd all be really solid depth and contribution players. Not being able to get them to campus because of grades is a massive coup for D2 schools like NWMSU and Pittsburg State

[cx500d]

He missed UND who along with his #3 EWU are favorites for the Big Sky.

I saw that too....I had to search the list a couple times thinking I missed it.

[ElCid]

Sandlapper Spike's work is always interesting and very meticulous. This article may be written with a SoCon and The Citadel slant, BUT it should be of interest to all FCS followers as it spans to include all teams. Take a look:

https://thesportsarsenal.com/2017/07/04/2017-preseason-rankings-and-ratings-featuring-the-citadel-and-the-rest-of-the-socon/

He always writes good articles. But it actually does not include all teams. Only the most noteworthy of FCS and FBS AND, as you mentioned, teams of interest to The Citadel and SOCON. So some very worthy teams, especially out west or up north are not necessarily included.

But Massey is up to date and anyone can check it out and sort to their hearts content.

http://masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=cf2017&sub=11590

[Nickels]

Finally sanity about D2 football. Nice team. Beat the bottom feeders in FCS. No shot at FCS big boys.
I disagree. A FCS semifinalist was beaten by a D2 just a couple of years ago.

[JSUSoutherner]

I disagree. A FCS semifinalist was beaten by a D2 just a couple of years ago.
He said big boys, didn't he?

[DirtyDukes]

He said big boys, didn't he?

https://media.giphy.com/media/26AHLBZUC1n53ozi8/giphy.gif

Also JMU #2? They should have stopped spelling their name after the e in Arsenal. (Nickels let me know if you need me to explain that joke)

[Bucs2016]

I disagree. A FCS semifinalist was beaten by a D2 just a couple of years ago.

Upsets happen. But there is a clear general talent gap between D2 and FCS. 65 vs 36 scholarships alone makes that so. Honestly if NWM played JMU or NDSU in week 1....no one with a sane brain would predict anything other than NWM losing by 2 TDs or more.

[cx500d]

I disagree. A FCS semifinalist was beaten by a D2 just a couple of years ago.

Rhymes with Hammy?

[Schism55]

Upsets happen. But there is a clear general talent gap between D2 and FCS. 65 vs 36 scholarships alone makes that so. Honestly if NWM played JMU or NDSU in week 1....no one with a sane brain would predict anything other than NWM losing by 6 TDs or more.
FIFY :D

[thebootfitter]

Hmmm. So....the "overall rating" lists all college football teams of all divisons. And it has D2 NW Missouri State rated in the top 50...of ALL of college football....ahead of Texas. Like the Longhorns.

No offense to NWMSU. But....no Divison II team is gonna beat a Power 5 blue blood. No matter how down they are.
Ya gotta take these lists with a grain of salt, as they are likely intended.

That being said... while it was long ago, and in a time when DII could offer more scholarships (45?), the NDSU teams of the late 80's very likely could have played ball with some lower tier P5 teams and come out on top. I believe it was 1986 or maybe 1990 that NDSU had a higher rating by Massey than Georgia Southern -- and Georgia Southern coach Erk Russell reportedly said something like, "I wouldn't want to play NDSU. They'd give us everything we could handle." The Georgia Southern teams of that time were the cream of the FCS and could certainly have played with some low tier P5 teams.

[Thumper 76]

I disagree. A FCS semifinalist was beaten by a D2 just a couple of years ago.

Jesus wept you're seriously still defending that embarrassment? That's like getting pulled over, falling out of the car with empty beer cans and a empty whiskey bottle tumbling to the ground with you, and going to court over your DUI you got claiming that you were impaired due to a prescription you were one. Just let it go.

[Bison56]

Jesus wept you're seriously still defending that embarrassment? That's like getting pulled over, falling out of the car with empty beer cans and a empty whiskey bottle tumbling to the ground with you, and going to court over your DUI you got claiming that you were impaired due to a prescription you were one. Just let it go.

That's deep.