Big Sky Playoff Representatives

[89Hen]

This is NOT smack. The other thread got me thinking about the chance Big Sky teams will have to show their mettle in the playoffs this year and looking at the standings, rankings and schedules... it may be tough for the Big Sky to get an at-large bid. Right now Montana is obviously in the drivers seat and is probably already in, but EWU and MSU are probably the only other teams with a good chance of getting a bid (I'll include NAU because they can still get in at 7-4).

Big Sky Standings
Montana 5-0 8-0
Northern Arizona 4-2 5-4
Montana State 3-2 5-3
Eastern Washington 3-2 5-3
Weber State 3-3 3-5
Idaho State 2-3 3-5
Portland State 2-3 2-6
Northern Colorado 1-4 1-8
Sacramento State 1-5 1-7

Remaining games...

Montana: PSU, @ISU, @MSU
Montana State: NAU, @PSU, UM
EWU: UNC, @NAU, Weber
NAU: @MSU, EWU

Who do you think will be the Big Sky playoff teams?

[Torero Tradition]

With San Diego now out of the playoff picture xlolx

I think the Big Sky Conference can and should get two teams to the playoffs... assuming NAU knocks off Montana State this weekend (San Diego did beat N. Colorado this year) I think the winner of the NAU vs. Eastern Washington game (assuming they win out) will have a great case for the playoffs. NAU may have scheduled themselves out of the playoffs on the difficulty end. Teams have been known to do it on the easy end xrotatehx

[catbob]

If MSU wins out, they will be 8-3 with wins over NAU, Montana and Portland State. They would have a shot at getting in.

If EWU wins out, they will be 8-3 with wins over NAU and MSU. Since they are currently ranked, I think they would have a better shot at getting in than MSU.

If NAU wins out, they will be 7-4 with wins over PSU, EWU, and MSU. But one of those 7 wins was against a DII team... they would have the least likely chance of getting in.

I only see the Sky getting two teams in if either MSU or EWU wins out. If MSU or EWU loses one of their next 3, Montana is the only team going.

[89Hen]

If NAU wins out, they will be 7-4 with wins over PSU, EWU, and MSU. But one of those 7 wins was against a DII team...
xoopsx Missed that. If that's the case, they're already done. xsmhx

[SeattleGriz]

I predicted UM and EWU before the Cats lost this last weekend. In fact as early as when I saw how well EWU played UM and then MSU.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

It would have to be the winner of the EWU /NAU game. Both are known for their offensive power but have pretty good defenses as well. I think NAU has a little better defense while EWU has a slightly better offense. That should be a battle and it's hard to pick a winner in it. If I had to I guess I would think it will be EWU.

[wapiti]

I think MSU's only chance is if they get the auto bid.
MSU would have to win the rest of their games. EWU lose another game and the griz to lose two, one of those being to MSU.
I do not think that is likely to hapeen, but any given saturday it could happen.

[putter]

I would say that Montana and EWU only because NAU has 4 losses. Too bad, I think that NAU became the PSU this year and scheduled themselves out of the playoffs.

[lizrdgizrd]

Can NAU even be eligible for the playoffs without winning the AQ?

[NE MT GRIZZ]

If EWU runs the table they should get in.
One of their three losses is to BYU.

[WrenFGun]

Eastern Washington, to me, is the only team with a shot...unless MSU runs the table, which looks unlikely. EWU would obviously need to run the table, but it's possible.

[WrenFGun]

Right now, EWU would be my predicted 8th At-Large, as GSU has a lot of work to do. UNH, UR, JMU, UD, SIU, Wofford, App St, EWU.

[already123]

NAU will most likely win out and screw over everyones chances of getting in the playoffs. Sucks....

[Peems]

NAU will most likely win out and screw over everyones chances of getting in the playoffs. Sucks....

most likely??? The game against EWU is no gimme.

[joecooll6]

I think youre gonna see (and this is solely my hunch), when its all said and done 4 CAA teams, 3 SoCon teams, 1 MEAC, 1 Southland, 2 Gateway, 1 Big Sky, 1 Patriot League and 1 OVC team with resumes that obviously get them in. That would leave 2 spots for an 8-3 Big Sky team (EWU or MSU), an 8-3 Western Illinois, the 5th place CAA, the 4th place SoCon and the second place OVC (given that they are 8-3) to battle over. Delaware State could also be in that mix if they go 9-2 and dont get a bid, along with Cal Poly if they beat NDSU and finish 8-3.

The committe has shown in the past that it doesnt like to give too many bids to one conference so if a team like Eastern Washington or Western Illinois or an OVC team (probably the Jacksonville State vs: Eastern Illinois winner) or Cal Poly can get to 8-3 they will probably look good for a bid. The 4th SoCon and 5th CAA team will want those teams in those conferences to lose so the committee has no choice but to let them in.

[AZGrizFan]

xoopsx Missed that. If that's the case, they're already done. xsmhx

Well, they technically can still get the autobid, but it's HIGHLY unlikely at this point. THey're toast.

[89Hen]

Well, they technically can still get the autobid
Phew, thanks for saving me. xthumbsupx

[griz_fan_in_SanDiego]

I think, if the Big Sky gets two, it will be Montana and EWU...MSU pretty much slit their own throat with their loss to Northern Colorado

[griz_fan_in_SanDiego]

With San Diego now out of the playoff picture xlolx

I think the Big Sky Conference can and should get two teams to the playoffs... assuming NAU knocks off Montana State this weekend (San Diego did beat N. Colorado this year) I think the winner of the NAU vs. Eastern Washington game (assuming they win out) will have a great case for the playoffs. NAU may have scheduled themselves out of the playoffs on the difficulty end. Teams have been known to do it on the easy end xrotatehx

I think San Diego should just go ahead and join the Big Sky...although I did ask and they said they weren't looking to expand the conference but that could be because no one has expressed interest in joining

[RE/MAXGriz]

MSU's schedule is tough, EWU's isn't so bad.

The Bobcats have to play NAU (good spread offense), @ Portland State (who scored 68 points last Sat) and then home to play Montana (brawl of the wild). It's going to be super tough to get up for three challenging games in a row. They suffered some injuries last week that might also hurt their offense especially (unsure of how severe).

The Eagles have to play in NAU, which promises to be a high scoring game, and other than that they play Northern Colorado at home and Weber State at home (Weber scored 73 against PSU, but other than that their offense has not been too impressive).

EWU has the better chance to win out, the loss that will probably bite them though is against Portland State. PSU has proven they can score points but also that they allow just as much, if not more. Their record right now is an unimpressive 2-6 and they have to play Montana, Montana St and Northern Colorado, they could easily go 1-2 or 2-1 over this stretch, putting them even with a 3 game winning streak at 5-6 on the season. For EWU to have a loss to a 5-6 (or 4-7, or 3-8) team that will kill them when other 3 loss teams from the east will have all their losses against playoff or ranked teams.

That aside I think if EWU wins out I wish they could get in, they're a great team, especially on offense - they could win a game or two in the playoffs I'd bet.

[Proud Griz Man]

This is NOT smack?

Bull-*****!! xcoffeex

[UMass922]

MSU and EWU each have a D-II win on their schedule, so neither can reach more than 7 D-I wins. If either is going to have a chance for an at-large, it's going to have to win out and get some help from outside the conference.

[AZGrizFan]

MSU and EWU each have a D-II win on their schedule, so neither can reach more than 7 D-I wins. If either is going to have a chance for an at-large, it's going to have to win out and get some help from outside the conference.

AND they both have a I-A loss.

Precisely why, from a scheduling standpoint, it makes no sense to schedule both I-A and a D-II game in the same year. xnonox xnonox xnonox xnonox xnonox

[UMass922]

AND they both have a I-A loss.

Precisely why, from a scheduling standpoint, it makes no sense to schedule both I-A and a D-II game in the same year. xnonox xnonox xnonox xnonox xnonox

Agreed; it greatly reduces a team's margin for error.

[Walkon79]

After the disaster in Colorado. UM and EWU is the mostly likely outcome.

[already123]

Not saying it is a gimmie at all!...Im just sayin that NAU is a better team. I think NAU will win out and finish 7-4. And we already know that unless their is some sort of miracle (Montana losing its remaining games) NAU will be finishin the season early

[JALMOND]

I think San Diego should just go ahead and join the Big Sky...although I did ask and they said they weren't looking to expand the conference but that could be because no one has expressed interest in joining

Sidenote to this thread, but being you brought it up, I highly doubt San Diego would accept an invitation to the Big Sky. No doubt the conference would want the Torerros in all sports and I can't see them leaving the WCC in basketball for the Big Sky. Gonzaga has risen the bar in that conference so high that the Torerros would be taking a gigantic step down, just for more football exposure. A move to a football only conference like the Great West makes more sense.

[kalm]

AND they both have a I-A loss.

Precisely why, from a scheduling standpoint, it makes no sense to schedule both I-A and a D-II game in the same year. xnonox xnonox xnonox xnonox xnonox

And there-in lies the problem for us westerners. You need the money game, but there's not exactly a plethora of mid-majors to beat up on for the I-A wins. And nobody seems to want to or can afford to travel cross-country without guaranteed money. Hence the DII's.

[griz_fan_in_SanDiego]

Sidenote to this thread, but being you brought it up, I highly doubt San Diego would accept an invitation to the Big Sky. No doubt the conference would want the Torerros in all sports and I can't see them leaving the WCC in basketball for the Big Sky. Gonzaga has risen the bar in that conference so high that the Torerros would be taking a gigantic step down, just for more football exposure. A move to a football only conference like the Great West makes more sense.

I don't know about that...the winner of the Big Sky tournament gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament just like the WCC winner. Gonzaga has risen the bar but I can guarantee most people don't even know that USD and Gonzaga are in the same conference for basketball. It's Gonzaga that's been noticed and not the WCC as a whole. No other team in that conference has done anything to really brag about or be noticed for.

[JALMOND]

I don't know about that...the winner of the Big Sky tournament gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament just like the WCC winner. Gonzaga has risen the bar but I can guarantee most people don't even know that USD and Gonzaga are in the same conference for basketball. It's Gonzaga that's been noticed and not the WCC as a whole. No other team in that conference has done anything to really brag about or be noticed for.

Sorry. The WCC is getting more and more known. The last few years they have been ranked by most publications as the 10-12 best conference in the country. Last year, ESPN started to show a WCC game on its midnight EST time slot on Mondays (and in Feburary it wasn't Gonzaga they were showing). It makes no sense for the Torerros to give up all this just for more exposure for the football team. Like I said, it makes more sense, if they are looking, to move to a football only conference like the Great West, as the Big Sky will not let them in for football only. I think the Northridge experiment kind of soured the conference on possible expansion into southern California anyway.

[GrizRchattybound]

ahhh hell with the entire BSC, don't let any of em' in.


xlolx

I think if the Griz and EWU win out they deserve to both be in. Griz as a top seed, and EWU on the road for a regional game. Sadly, it just appears there are not enough tickets to go around, they need to expand the playoff's to 24. top 8 get a bye, so on and so forth.... to hell with these 10 & 11, 12 game regular seasons schedules, just so we can give the BCS mongo's some sort of sick twisted pleasure of a body bag game. (that's what they think anyway)


xnodx xnodx xnodx

I say fug em, Let's dance!

[Peems]

Not saying it is a gimmie at all!...Im just sayin that NAU is a better team. I think NAU will win out and finish 7-4. And we already know that unless their is some sort of miracle (Montana losing its remaining games) NAU will be finishin the season early

What makes you think NAU is a better team? For me it's hard to judge, EWU has a better QB in Nicholls(my opinion only) and they know what they are doing. Watching NAU it seems like Kriesen makes some interesting plays and sometimes makes dumb decisions, I think it will be a great game, but EWU has hit a stride as of late and I think they will be tough for anyone in this subdivision to stop.

[Ivytalk]

I think the Big Sky is a one-trick pony this year. I voted for Montana only, given a 16-team field.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

I think the Big Sky is a one-trick pony this year. I voted for Montana only, given a 16-team field.

We have a decent shot. The other 15 teams better hope we don't get a bid... SIU and UNI know how we put up the points on the road. :D

[already123]

What makes you think NAU is a better team? For me it's hard to judge, EWU has a better QB in Nicholls(my opinion only) and they know what they are doing. Watching NAU it seems like Kriesen makes some interesting plays and sometimes makes dumb decisions, I think it will be a great game, but EWU has hit a stride as of late and I think they will be tough for anyone in this subdivision to stop.

I would argue that both are very dangerous QBs...though COMPLETELY different. Kriesien could argueably be the most dangerous QB in the BSC (as far as coordinators not wanting to face him). The same could be said about Nichols. As far as the "mistakes" go, I dont know where you are coming from exactly with that. Offensively, both teams are great, NAU might have the edge on defense (as the create many turnovers). ITs hard to say, it was just my opinion.