USA Today Preseason Poll

[TexasTerror]

Saw this on the NDSU Bison web site and wanted to post. I do not believe I saw this anywhere else...

FCS Preseason Top 25

1. Appalachian State
2. North Dakota State
3. Montana
4. James Madison
5. Massachusetts
6. Cal Poly
7. Richmond
8. Elon
9. Northern Iowa
10. Eastern Washington
11. McNeese State
12. Wofford
13. Southern Illinois
14. South Dakota State
15. Youngstown State
16. Villanova
17. Georgia Southern
18. Yale
19. Delaware
20. Northern Arizona
21. Fordham
22. New Hampshire
23. The Citadel
24. Harvard
25. Sam Houston State

http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=11850&SPID=695&DB_OEM_ID=2400&ATCLID=1506356

[Thundering_Herd]

NDSU #2? Not too sure about that one. Montana at #3 is a huge joke. Poly is about right but Northern Iowa should be higher.

[Syntax Error]

It's a ranking, not a poll... xbangx

[Go...gate]

Yale and Fordham seem about right.

[SoCon48]

#1 plays #12 and ESPN broadcasts it. #1 plays #4 and it doesn't. Go figure.

[Syntax Error]

#1 plays #12 and ESPN broadcasts it. #1 plays #4 and it doesn't. Go figure.ESPN and USA Today, go figure. xcoffeex

[ericsaid]

JMU should be first or second.

[The Cats]

#1 plays #12 and ESPN broadcasts it. #1 plays #4 and it doesn't. Go figure.

#1 plays #4 on a Friday night (Halloween) and it will be on......

[GaSouthern]

GSU & Citadel

OVER-RATED!

[GOKATS]

I think there was a post recently with the composite rankings/polls, but I can't readily find it- any help? It used to be a sticky.xrolleyesx

[CrazyCat]

I think there was a post recently with the composite rankings/polls, but I can't readily find it- any help? It used to be a sticky.xrolleyesx

This one?

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/index.php?blog=5&title=2008-consolidated-fcs-preseason-rankings&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more1606

[GOKATS]

This one?

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/index.php?blog=5&title=2008-consolidated-fcs-preseason-rankings&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more1606

Yep, thanks!!

Go Cats!!

[smallcollegefbfan]

Saw this on the NDSU Bison web site and wanted to post. I do not believe I saw this anywhere else...

FCS Preseason Top 25

1. Appalachian State
2. North Dakota State
3. Montana
4. James Madison
5. Massachusetts
6. Cal Poly
7. Richmond
8. Elon
9. Northern Iowa
10. Eastern Washington
11. McNeese State
12. Wofford
13. Southern Illinois
14. South Dakota State
15. Youngstown State
16. Villanova
17. Georgia Southern
18. Yale
19. Delaware
20. Northern Arizona
21. Fordham
22. New Hampshire
23. The Citadel
24. Harvard
25. Sam Houston State

http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=11850&SPID=695&DB_OEM_ID=2400&ATCLID=1506356

More from the article

Players to Watch
WR Ramses Barden, Sr., Cal Poly
WR Aaron Boyce, Jr., Eastern Washington
QB Liam Coen, Sr., Massachusetts
QB Armanti Edwards, Jr., Appalachian State
WR Terrell Hudgins, Jr., Elon
K Jon Striefsky, Jr., Delaware
RB Tyler Roehl, Sr., North Dakota State
QB Scott Riddle, So., Elon
RB Jordan Scott, Sr., Colgate
RB Mike McLeod, Sr., Yale

[smallcollegefbfan]

This one?

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/index.php?blog=5&title=2008-consolidated-fcs-preseason-rankings&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more1606

They are missing the USA Today and Phil Steele lists. Then all that is left is the TSN and Coaches polls.

[terrierbob]

I'd love it it we whipped the Fightin' Christians aka Phoenix. 'Cause if we do, it means we have a secondary.

[Syntax Error]

They are missing the USA Today and Phil Steele lists. Then all that is left is the TSN and Coaches polls.Really? Are these released yet? What about the Sports Network ranking and the other magazines like CSN etc.?

[CharlestonAppFan]

#1 plays #4 on a Friday night (Halloween) and it will be on......

xeyebrowx

#1 - App State

#4 - James Madison

#12 - Wofford

xscanx xchinscratchx Can someone alert the NCHSSA that we now have 2 games on Friday night :D Can't wait for their reaction to this info

[smallcollegefbfan]

CharlestonAppfan,

Uh oh. They are going to crap a brick when they find out! :)

[The Moody1]

No Furman. It has been a while since they weren't ranked pre-season.

[smallcollegefbfan]

No Furman. It has been a while since they weren't ranked pre-season.

Almost doesn't feel right without Furman in the rankings.

[Eaglesrus]

Looks to me like this is one of those rankings that is almost purely based on last season's results and done by some one who has little actual knowledge of the teams.

[proasu89]

Looks to me like this is one of those rankings that is almost purely based on last season's results and done by some one who has little actual knowledge of the teams.

Not altogether that way to me. Elon at 8 seems to be based on expectations and Wofford would be higher than 12 based on last year.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Not altogether that way to me. Elon at 8 seems to be based on expectations and Wofford would be higher than 12 based on last year.

Maybe a combination of both... xthumbsupx

[X-Factor]

xeyebrowx

#1 - App State

#4 - James Madison

#12 - Wofford

xscanx xchinscratchx Can someone alert the NCHSSA that we now have 2 games on Friday night :D Can't wait for their reaction to this info

It is just their way of attempting to pose a formidable challenge to the three time defending national champs xbowx

[AZGrizFan]

NDSU #2? Not too sure about that one. Montana at #3 is a huge joke. Poly is about right but Northern Iowa should be higher.

EAsy, killer. Montana may be a bit high (like 5 places), but a HUGE joke? Hardly. They're not Indiana State. xrolleyesx

[GrizRchattybound]

EAsy, killer. Montana may be a bit high (like 5 places), but a HUGE joke? Hardly. They're not Indiana State. xrolleyesx

I can't wait until the Griz host NDSU again, hopefully for a playoff game.

This season xcoolx

[ericsaid]

Almost doesn't feel right without Furman in the rankings.

It's not. Harvard and Yale being ranked above Furman shows that its not right.

[smallcollegefbfan]

It's not. Harvard and Yale being ranked above Furman shows that its not right.

I have no problem with them being ranked but as you said just that it looks weird being ahead of Furman.

Harvard has some talent though. I think they have some great players like Chris Pizzotti, Desmond Bryant, Cheng Ho, Matt Luft, etc. Bryant is a monster, when on the field, Luft is a matchup nightmare, Pizzotti has a NFL arm, and Ho gives them a good back with speed. They deserve to be in the top 25 based on what they bring back on paper.

[Thundering_Herd]

I can't wait until the Griz host NDSU again, hopefully for a playoff game.

This season xcoolx

Different game, same result?
xnodx xnodx xnodx xnodx xnodx

[Syntax Error]

I have no problem with them being ranked...Why not come clean and admit who is ranking them? xsmiley_wix

[Syntax Error]

USA Today has never had a good ranking... EVER. Always a homer reporter.

[Grizalltheway]

I can't wait until the Griz host NDSU again, hopefully for a playoff game.

This season xcoolx

NDSU doesn't play road games anymore. Didn't you get the memo? xrulesx

[OhioHen]

Looks to me like this is one of those rankings that is almost purely based on last season's results and done by some one who has little actual knowledge of the teams. (bold in quote added by me to emphasize what I'm questioning)

Then explain last year's national runner-up being ranked at #5 (FOR THEIR CONFERENCE). xconfusedx

[Eaglesrus]

Looks to me like this is one of those rankings that is almost purely based on last season's results and done by some one who has little actual knowledge of the teams.


Not altogether that way to me. Elon at 8 seems to be based on expectations and Wofford would be higher than 12 based on last year.


Maybe a combination of both... xthumbsupx

I think you hit it SCFBFan. Furman was down last year (yeah, I know they beat us xmadx) and we were on the upswing, but with all our ?s this year I think it's premature for us to be ranked # 17 at this point. It seems to me that last year's performance, perhaps coupled with our history, would lead to this ranking more so that what is known about us coming into this season.

[Eaglesrus]

Looks to me like this is one of those rankings that is almost purely based on last season's results and done by some one who has little actual knowledge of the teams.


(bold in quote added by me to emphasize what I'm questioning)

Then explain last year's national runner-up being ranked at #5 (FOR THEIR CONFERENCE). xconfusedx

Maybe I overstated that bolded part, but I still think that there are teams in this ranking (ours, for instance) that are ranked more on last year's performance (and in our case probably history) than a realistic view of our prospects for this year. I also think that there are teams that deserve to be ranked here (Furman) just as much as we do, but we had a better result last year. Now, I certainly hope that who ever did this is wrong about us.......and we end up much higher than this ranking xnodx

[Bison77]

NDSU doesn't play road games anymore. Didn't you get the memo? xrulesx

We'll have no problem coming to Missoula - we always win there. xthumbsupx

[mlbowl]

Different game, same result?
xnodx xnodx xnodx xnodx xnodx

Yeah, I can see why you'd be so cocky....you guys really took it to usxrolleyesx

[ElonPride]

I'd love it it we whipped the Fightin' Christians aka Phoenix. 'Cause if we do, it means we have a secondary.

Most Elon fans liked the Fightin' Christians mascot.......I'd actually prefer it!

[SeattleGriz]

NDSU #2? Not too sure about that one. Montana at #3 is a huge joke. Poly is about right but Northern Iowa should be higher.


I would agree that Montana being #3 is too high, but calling it a huge joke just isn't right. You seem to put some merit into this poll by taking offense.

ESPN and USA Today are always making mistakes in regards to FCS. The only reason I believe they have Montana that high is because it is a familiar name.

[Syntax Error]

BTW, the ranking is from USA Today Sports Weekly.

[JohnStOnge]

NDSU #2? Not too sure about that one. Montana at #3 is a huge joke. Poly is about right but Northern Iowa should be higher.

Dude, as I've written before, you really ought to reconsider the "Thundering Herd" thing. It's played. Marshall was the Thundering Herd. Your team is the "Bison," which is a much better nickname. Stick with it and ditch the "Thundering Herd" stuff. When you use "Thudering Herd" you associate yourself with perhaps the worst case of "we think we're more than we are" in the history of college football.

[ericsaid]

Dude, as I've written before, you really ought to reconsider the "Thundering Herd" thing. It's played. Marshall was the Thundering Herd. Your team is the "Bison," which is a much better nickname. Stick with it and ditch the "Thundering Herd" stuff. When you use "Thudering Herd" you associate yourself with perhaps the worst case of "we think we're more than we are" in the history of college football.

Marshall fans know their football team is terrible, they never underestimate how bad they will be. I have a friend who is going to Marshall, if anything they enjoy forcasting how bad they'll lose to what teams.

[FargoBison]

Dude, as I've written before, you really ought to reconsider the "Thundering Herd" thing. It's played. Marshall was the Thundering Herd. Your team is the "Bison," which is a much better nickname. Stick with it and ditch the "Thundering Herd" stuff. When you use "Thudering Herd" you associate yourself with perhaps the worst case of "we think we're more than we are" in the history of college football.

"The Thundering Herd" has been associated with NDSU athletics for a while, this isn't one guy trying to put that label onto the school.

[smallcollegefbfan]

"The Thundering Herd" has been associated with NDSU athletics for a while, this isn't one guy trying to put that label onto the school.

Very true. Just that those who have been around the FCS a long time think of Marshall as the thundering herd because that was their mascot. You guys certainly make a good replacement though. xthumbsupx

[ericsaid]

There can't be a substitute to the 1-aa Marshall Thundering Herd.

[Thundering_Herd]

Yeah, I can see why you'd be so cocky....you guys really took it to usxrolleyesx

We did. You choked. We won. xpeacex

[Drblankstare]

It looks to me that NDSU is about 5 spots too high and the same with SDSU, but It seems im always wrong.

[Thundering_Herd]

Dude, as I've written before, you really ought to reconsider the "Thundering Herd" thing. It's played. Marshall was the Thundering Herd. Your team is the "Bison," which is a much better nickname. Stick with it and ditch the "Thundering Herd" stuff. When you use "Thudering Herd" you associate yourself with perhaps the worst case of "we think we're more than we are" in the history of college football.

NDSU's mascot is the Bison, but their 'nickname' is the Thundering Herd. I grew up with Bison FB and watching the 'herd' and all of their great teams in the 80s. To me, there's the 'Thundering Herd' of North Dakota State and that's it! So, you want to dwell on a team (called The Thundering Herd of Marshall) that you used to play, knock yourself out.

Your Thundering Herd and my Thundering Herd are totally different. I'm not changing it

Love, Thundering Herd
xnodx xnodx xnodx

[X-Factor]

I can't wait until the Griz host NDSU again, hopefully for a playoff game.

This season xcoolx

Me too! Except WE will be the ones doing the hosting :D

[Scooter]

Dude, as I've written before, you really ought to reconsider the "Thundering Herd" thing. It's played. Marshall was the Thundering Herd. Your team is the "Bison," which is a much better nickname. Stick with it and ditch the "Thundering Herd" stuff. When you use "Thudering Herd" you associate yourself with perhaps the worst case of "we think we're more than we are" in the history of college football.

Fair enough, Marshall sucks. I did a little research with a little help from fellow Bison fan, tony and here's what I came up with. NDSU changed their name to the Bison in 1919, that is before they were even NDSU. The first reference that can be found referring to the Bison as the Thundering Herd is from a Bismarck ND newspaper in October of 1928.



Marshall University was called Big Green in the 1920's and first was referred to by a sports writer as Thundering Herd in reference to a popular movie "Thundering Herd" in the late 1920's, based off a 1925 novel of the same name. The name quickly drew criticism because some thought that it didn't represent W Virginia very well. In 1933 a sportswriter started referring to The Big Green as the Boogercats and other sports writers followed suit. This was kept alive for a few years. Eventually they decided to go with Big green and thundering Herd. It wasn't until 1965 that the student body voted to go with Thundering Herd and take the Buffalo as their mascott.

Now, here's the rub with this claim by Marshall...If the first usage of Thundering Herd was in refernce to the popular movie "Thundering Herd" in the late 1920's, there is a problem... that movie didn't come out until 1933. So... Marshall took on the Buffalo mascott in 1965 and the first reference to thundering herd wasn't actually until 1933 (if the official Marshal website is correct on the origin of the first Thundering herd reference) then actually NDSU is the first team to be referred to as the Thundering Herd.

Marshall first reference... 1933....NDSU 1928
Marshall mascott..Buffalo 1931...NDSU 1919 (Bison) looks like they followed us.
(1931 buffalo mascot purchased voted on and became perminent mascot in 1965)
Just thought you should know.xcoffeex

On further research it is actually very unclear just when Marshal started using thundering herd. The first Buffalo mascott was purchased in 1931. One source says that it was first coined in reference to a Zane Grey novel Thundering Herd in 1919, which is improbable since the book wasn't even published until 1925. One thing is certain both schools have a long, long history with the Thundering Herd name.

[Ronbo]

Marshall fans know their football team is terrible, they never underestimate how bad they will be. I have a friend who is going to Marshall, if anything they enjoy forcasting how bad they'll lose to what teams.

You are just a bad coach away from failure at ANY division. Ask Georgia Southern.

Marshall had Bob Pruett from 1996 to 2004 and their record was 94-23. They hired a former Marshall star Mark Snyder as Head Coach in 2005 and have had a record of 12-23 since. They have just had a 3 year stretch with a bad coaching staff. They are a well supported program with a good history. They will be back soon. Snyder will be on the hot seat this season.

[Eaglesrus]

You are just a bad coach away from failure at ANY division. Ask Georgia Southern.

Marshall had Bob Pruett from 1996 to 2004 and their record was 94-23. They hired a former Marshall star Mark Snyder as Head Coach in 2005 and have had a record of 12-23 since. They have just had a 3 year stretch with a bad coaching staff. They are a well supported program with a good history. They will be back soon. Snyder will be on the hot seat this season.


Please leave us out of this, we're trying really hard to forget.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard and Yale both ranked, eh? It could come down to The Saturday Before Thanksgiving again.xnodx




As it should!

[JeffMullen]

UD only #19? Come on...

[ericsaid]

UD only #19? Come on...


It's okay, two Ivy League schools are ranked.xeyebrowx

[Tod]

We did. You choked. We won. xpeacex

At least you admit it was because we choked. xoopsx

[bulldog10jw]

Harvard and Yale both ranked, eh? It could come down to The Saturday Before Thanksgiving again.xnodx




As it should!

How about a close one this year. xnodx