Big Sky Power Rankings 10-6

[JALMOND]

It is still early and conference play has just begun, but I think a clear top team is emerging from the pack. While the rest seem to be content with slugging it out amongst themselves (even the bottom teams with the top teams), Montana State is becoming the dominant team so far this season. They just keep rolling along and don't appear to show any signs of slowing down. But just as I say that, they have probably their toughest test coming up this weekend. Things could get turned on their ear quickly in the conference. Here are this week's power rankings for the Big Sky (last week's rankings in parenthesis). All are my opinion only, but I think we know who should be at the top.

1. Montana State (1)---Last week beat Northern Colorado at home 55-17, this week Idaho at home---The Bobcats continue to roll along and jumped on their inferior conference mate quickly and put them away. A strong test awaits them this week against a more qualified opponent. It may be a good thing the game is at home.

2. UC Davis (3)---Last week won at Portland State 27-26, this week Cal Poly at home---The Aggies came on the road and showed why road conference wins are tough to get, even against teams without a win. Still, they were able to get the victory. They face another bottom feeder this weekend. They better not try to sleep through that one.

3. Idaho (4)---Last week beat Northern Arizona at home 23-17, this week at Montana State---The Vandals stayed in control of their game last weekend, aside from a few anxious moments at the end and got a good conference win. They have a tough road game this weekend in conference, but they all are going to be tough now.

4. Weber State (7)---Last week won at Montana 55-48 (OT), this week Northern Colorado at home---In a crazy game at a tough road venue, the Wildcats somehow emerged with a solid conference win and perhaps righted the ship on their season. They return home this weekend and welcome the conference basement dweller.

5. Montana (2)---Last week lost to Weber State at home 55-48 (OT), this week Northern Arizona at home---For the second straight week the vaunted Grizzlies defense went AWOL and this time the offense could not complete their magic. Their defense needs to come back and the schedule does not get any easier this weekend.

6. Northern Arizona (5)---Last week lost at Idaho 23-17, this week at Montana---Even when they are down to good teams, the Lumberjacks never say die attitude is serving them well. They could not complete the comeback last week, but they get to face a team that is trying to find their defense. It is on the road, however.

7. Sacramento State (6)---Last week bye, this week Eastern Washington at home---The Hornets had an extra week to try to recover from their debacle on the road in their conference opener two weeks ago. They are hoping their found their mojo again and are ready to get back to playing, even if it is back on the road a second time.

8. Idaho State (8)---Last week won at Cal Poly 41-38, this week Portland State at home---The Bengals had a crazy back and forth game of their own on the road but ended up on top for a well earned conference road win. They come back home to face a team eager to get their first win at their expense. They better be ready.

9. Portland State (10)---Last week lost to UC Davis at home 27-26, this week at Idaho State---The Vikings are making strides to get better as the season goes along and threw a scare into one of the conference heavies last week. This weekend's game may be one of the easier games on their brutal schedule, but it will be far from easy.

10. Eastern Washington (9)---Last week bye, this week at Sacramento State---The Eagles took last week off to reconvene and work on improving their defense. They hope they have found it as they head out on the road to face one of their conference mates who are trying to get back to the top. A good road win would spell confidence.

11. Cal Poly (11)---Last week lost to Idaho State at home 41-38, this week at UC Davis---Even if the results have not been there, the Mustangs are slowing becoming the surprise team of the conference. They almost got a second win last weekend to stay atop the conference. They do get a true contender on the road.

12. Northern Colorado (12)---Last week lost at Montana State 55-17, this week at Weber State---Nothing has gone right for the Bears so far in this season. A chance for a conference win in the first game disappeared early, then they were put away by the top dog. They hit the road again this weekend, hoping for a win.

RECAP: 1, then 2-7 in a bunch, 8-11 a bit behind, then 12.

[MSUBobcat]

The craziness continued this weekend with my #3 losing (at home no less) to my #7 and my #2 eking out a W on a controversial ending to the game (I did agree there wasn't a good enough angle to overturn the call made by the official standing on the line).

1. MSU (1) - The Bobcats continue to roll over weaker opponents. I hope the 6 week (5 if you don't count FBS New Mexico) diet of cupcakes hasn't made them soft with the more difficult schedule coming up.
2. UC Davis (2) - They maintain their spot with a win by a whisker, mostly because the teams below them didn't do much to deserve to jump them, i.e. Idaho beat a good team at home but not by enough to offset that they lost to Davis (again by a whisker). Eking out W's over lesser foes may come back to bite them soon.
3. Idaho (4) - Idaho has a claim for the #2 spot, with an FBS win and 2 quality wins in ACU and NAU and "moral" victory in coming just short against Davis on the road, but Davis has the H2H and an unblemished record vs FCS, even though they've been playing with fire in 3 of those games.
4. Weber (7) - Starting to get tough to distinguish between the middle tier teams. Weber has a nice win @ Wa-Griz but the rest is pretty meh. The losses to Lamar and McNeese don't look good. Put them above the Griz because beating them at home is no easy task. If it had been OT in Ogden, I might keep UM above WSU.
5. Montana (3) - The Griz have some good wins (Mo St, WCU), a WTF win (EWU) and now 2 FCS losses. For that, they get bumped by one of those losses.
6. NAU (5) - The 'Jacks have a decent win over Sac St (which pushed them to the #5spot last week) and gave Idaho a good game on the road. With Sac on a bye, no reason to flip flop them just yet, but Weber has the better "best win" so they moved up.
7. Sac St (6) - On a bye week, they fell victim to a team below them getting a quality win and bumping them.
8. Idaho St (8) - I almost put PSU here due to coming within a controversy of beating my #2 team, but at some point you have to win games.
9. PSU (10) - I moved them up for their performance against UC Davis because the close loss to UM at home doesn't look as good when my former #7 went to the bear den and coming home with the win.
10. EWU (9) - On a bye week; bumped down for the reason stated above.
11. Cal Poly (11) - Gave Idaho State a tough game. Still, they are at the bottom due to having a win against just the BSC cellar dweller and a DII, but loses to a PFL team and a bottom tier BSC team, close though it may have been.
12. UNC (12) - Took another beating in Bozeman. No reports of clipboards being thrown at minor fans in attendance. Hard to see any games on their remaining schedule to get a W in 2024.

1 appears to be the clear favorite, but they haven't played anyone yet, so this weekend will tell us more. 2-3 looking like playoff teams unless the wheels fall off. 4-7 questions abound in these teams (Weber kicker cost them a game, no idea how they lost to McNeese at home; Griz D has been absent since the 2nd half in Grand Forks, with the exception of playing Morehead St, NAU got whitewashed by UIW, Sac State has a losing record with the best win being Nicholls, but also a big loss to NAU); 8-10 looking to play spoiler in someone's season. 11-12 there's always next year.

[wapiti]

I concur with both of these rankings