Big Sky Power Rankings 10-20

[JALMOND]

Now the picture is getting a little clearer. The top of the conference is once again between three clear cut teams and, after this week with WSU getting a big scare, NAU getting a little scare, and UM getting no scare, we have three teams that not only can contend for the title, but that could possibly make some noise in the playoffs. That said, a big game coming up this weekend that could either provide separation or muddle it up once again. Here are this week's Big Sky power rankings, this week (last week). Let me just say, I might have a lot of explaining to do...

1. Montana (2)---The only one of the top three with a conference loss. So am I actually a Griz fan in PSU clothing? Take a look at it. UM demolishes Sac State, a team that thought they were up and coming within the conference and had two weeks to prepare for the mighty Griz. Combined with the fact that Weber State had to work for their win against Northern Colorado, despite destrying the Bears everywhere but the scoreboard. All three leaders were pretty even (still are) and the Griz had the better performance. This week a trip to Greeley to take on those pesky Bears of Northern Colorado. Can they scare the Griz this weekend?

2. Weber State (1)---Difficulty in getting the ball in the endzone made the game against Northern Colorado close only on the scoreboard. The Wildcats want to be considered in the elite not only within the conference but also throughout the country and the score (the only thing that matters) did not look all that great. This week, the game of the week in conference as they head to Flagstaff to face Northern Arizona. Strange as it sounds, especially after last week, the Wildcats could distance themselves from the rest, including Montana, with a win.

3. Northern Arizona (3)---The Jacks certainly appreciated their offense last week in the game at Idaho State. A slight scare, but a conference road win goes far, regardless of the margin, especially with past struggles at Southern Utah and Northern Colorado. This week, the game of the week within the Big Sky, and the Jacks have it at home against Weber State. A win would do wonders, especially with a game at Montana the following week.

4. Eastern Washington (4)--Sputtering and reeling, the game last week at Montana State was to be the Eagles swan song (no pun intended). Just like the previous two weeks, the Eagles surprised, but this time in a good way as they get a strong road win from the Bobcats. New life for the Eagles (maybe) but a chance as they head into the bye week. Can't count them out yet.

5. Montana State (5)---The year the Bobcats will surprise and contend, but after last week's loss at home to the reeling Eastern Washington team, they have to begin to look possibly at next year. These last two home games, they really needed to win (or at the very least, split) and they could not get one. This week a trip to Sacramento and an angry Hornet team. Can the Bobcats get it going finally?

6. Northern Colorado (8)---After getting your first win of the season, you head into the home of one of the conference leaders and you find yourself with a chance to win the game late, even though you had been outplayed. Why not move up? The Bears, despite getting dominated in every statistical category against Weber State, still ended up losing by only seven points. All it does is it adds to the endless stream of games this year that the Bears had a shot and didn't capitalize. This week, they entertain another one of the big boys in Montana. At least this one is at home.

7. Portland State (7)---A bye week for the Vikings and a chance to avoid some of the scares that happened in the conference this past weekend. Also a chance to heal and reevaluate where they are and where they want to be. Games coming up with both Weber State and Montana could go a long way towards determining who will win the title. First, the Vikings need to get past Idaho State in Portland.

8. Sacramento State (6)---The Hornets thought, heading into the bye week, they really had a strong team. With two weeks to prepare for a big name opponent in Montana, they had to think they could keep it close and then see what happens. Well, what happened was they got demolished by the Grizzlies every way possible. This week, a chance for redemption (maybe) at home against Montana State.

9. Idaho State (9)---A chance for the Bengals to make some noise by hosting Northern Arizona, a team that had struggled on the road this year. By the end of the game, there they were once again on the losing end. When will things get easy? This week a chance against Portland State, but not a great chance as it is on the road.

The breakdown is such that I have UM, WSU and NAU all pretty even at the top. EWU is sort of on an island by themselves, then MSU, UNC, PSU and Sac State all pretty much together. ISU is aways behind everyone.

I know there will be a lot of discussion so have at it.

[bshgriz]

How is Montana better when Weber put it on em. Did you watch that game?

[gbhmt]

How is Montana better when Weber put it on em. Did you watch that game?

They're power rankings. Not who's the best team rankings.

[Grizzaholic]

I would still keep Weber at the top and either have Montana and NAU tied at second or NAU at second and Montana at third. (Ducking from whatever dbackjon has to offer) Weber is in the driving seat with NAU riding shotgun. This weekend will answer some questions and then bring up some more.

[gbhmt]

I would still keep Weber at the top and either have Montana and NAU tied at second or NAU at second and Montana at third. (Ducking from whatever dbackjon has to offer) Weber is in the driving seat with NAU riding shotgun. This weekend will answer some questions and then bring up some more.

I'll have a list sometime tomorrow, but I really think that NAU might be at the top. Weber had a rough week with turnovers, and NAU is still cruising, and will get Weber at home. If Weber turns the ball over like that this week, they're not going to win.

[CrazyCat]

Can we have a 1st half power ranking.:(

[gbhmt]

Not much that was unexpected going down in the BSC this week. EWU wins a little more handily than I expected, and UNC gives the turnover-happy Wildcats a little scare. This week is pretty much a three-way tie, but I'll have to split that up anyhow.

1. Northern Arizona- I don't think they are the best team in the Big Sky. But they haven't lost yet, and they'll have the home field advantage this week in the biggest game of their season so far. I've had big thoughts about these guys this year, and they'll be put to the test this week. They edge out Weber this week because of Weber's trouble holding on to the ball against MSU, while NAU won comfortably against ISU.

2. Montana- I am beginning to think that they are the best team in the Big Sky. They have grown tremendously throughout the year and finally started to click against EWU and grew on that success against Sac State. Bergquist is playing superbly, and the defense is finally confident enough to put some pressure on the quarterback. They're looking good this week heading down to Greeley.

3. Weber State- They're still the team to beat. But they had a little sputter this week that was very reminiscent of Montana's outing against Central Washington. The Griz dominated the statistics, but they just couldn't hold onto the ball or capitalize on opportunities and it almost cost them the game. We all said that if they did that against a formidable foe, they'd lose. Well, they did do it again, and Weber State was that formidable foe, and they lost. If Weber does what Griz did, they're going to lose against their formidable foe, NAU. Tune in for the game of the week.

4. Eastern Washington- I still believed in these guys and I think it's been shown this week that it was rightfully so. I still think they have a very good chance of beating NAU and maybe even Weber. Check out the conference playoff possibility summary thread to see Screamin Eagle's scenario putting EWU in the playoffs. It's pretty far-fetched, but I really think that these Eagles could still do their part and run the table in the rest of conference play.

5. Montana State- A loss to the potent Eagles shouldn't set them back too far. While they're out of playoff hopes and a title shot, they can still mess with some things and they remain a solid balanced team. You can expect them to capitalize on the Hornets, whose two weeks of prep for the Griz ended in a disheartening result.

6. Portland State- Chances are, the Vikings weren't looking at ISU during their bye week, but rather at two of the toughest opponents in the conference, Weber and Montana, who are just beyond the Bengals. I'd expect to see the Vikes run wild this week at ISU.

7. Northern Colorado- Despite being wholly outplayed this week, they showed that they've definitely got some fight in them. The team that almost could will face a fired up Griz squad at home this week, and you can expect to see some heart from them in that matchup.

8. Sacramento State- Their head coach said it all: "We thought we were better prepared than we really were." It's rough to practice for two weeks concentrating on a team like Montana and then getting to that Saturday only to face the beating that they received. This is a talented team. Unfortunately, there's not much left for the Hornets. They're gonna be the sleeper team that gives the big teams a scare, though.

9. Idaho State- It's been a rough year. They put up some points against NAU, but they're now another statistic for their tough run defense. And they're taking on one of the best offenses in the nation on the road this week.

Similar to Jalmond's rankings, WSU, NAU, and UM are all by themselves here. EWU is still great in my opinion, but it's a tight race between those three. The race begins this week with NAU and WSU.

[JALMOND]

How is Montana better when Weber put it on em. Did you watch that game?

Three things I look at (one that is definite and the others are subjective)...

1. How they played at one destination (Weber won in Ogden)

2. Would the outcome be different if they played at the other destination (opinion call but I'd favor the Griz in Missoula).

3. What I call the Chatty-factor, how would it turn out on a neutral field (again, my opinion...very close but I'd give the edge to Montana).

I'm also a sucker for road wins and, even with Weber's win in Bozeman, the Cats are not an AGS top 10 team like Cal Poly. Like I said at the end, I've got UM, WSU and NAU pretty close together as it is. An intangible thrown in here, I could not keep Weber #1 after the close win at home to what was the #8 team last week, even with the huge disparity in all the stats.

As I've said before, all are my opinion...:D

[DuckDuckGriz]

With no explanation

1. WSU
2. UM
3. NAU
4. MSU
5. UNC
6. EWU
7. PSU
8. SAC
9. ISU

[JALMOND]

With no explanation

1. WSU
2. UM
3. NAU
4. MSU
5. UNC
6. EWU
7. PSU
8. SAC
9. ISU

If UNC is the benchmark for the conference as a whole, no wonder those back East think like they do.

This could definitely spark up some good discussion.xnodx

[DuckDuckGriz]

If UNC is the benchmark for the conference as a whole, no wonder those back East think like they do.

This could definitely spark up some good discussion.xnodx

Good point. I just think the Bears are better than they are showing, but this is a power poll after all. It's hard to put your Viks that low - but they are Jekyll and Hyde.

[SeattleGriz]

With no explanation

1. WSU
2. UM
3. NAU
4. MSU
5. UNC
6. EWU
7. PSU
8. SAC
9. ISU

Sorry PAL! When you get to 6K, you can pull that crap. Until then, you need to put some work into your post.

[DuckDuckGriz]

Sorry PAL! When you get to 6K, you can pull that crap. Until then, you need to put some work into your post.

I was lazy. Explained a little in my post above

1. Weber - a win is a win at UNC, and they are otherwise kicking ass.
2. UM - The Griz are beginning to find an identity offensively and may be back to the defense of old after the last 2 games.
3. NAU - Have not lost yet but I will see more when they play MSU, UM, or WSU.
4. MSU - The Cats can play with anyone and lose to anyone. They still have alot of soul searching at QB and their defense is solid up front and spotty through the secondary.
5. UNC - I really think this team is stronger than people think, hopefully they don't show it against the Griz. I don't think it's a fluke that they kept up with Weber.
6. EWU - Talk about a fall from grace. The Eags gave up on their defense a long time ago, but if they can get their pass attack working again like they did against the Cats, they are back in business and up to my #3-4 spot.
7. PSU - Absolutely unpredictable. Who the f knows.
8. SAC - Started out strong, and was offensively inept against UM.
9. ISU - This year's Bad News Bears.

[UNCBears2010]

I was lazy. Explained a little in my post above

1. Weber - a win is a win at UNC, and they are otherwise kicking ass.
2. UM - The Griz are beginning to find an identity offensively and may be back to the defense of old after the last 2 games.
3. NAU - Have not lost yet but I will see more when they play MSU, UM, or WSU.
4. MSU - The Cats can play with anyone and lose to anyone. They still have alot of soul searching at QB and their defense is solid up front and spotty through the secondary.
5. UNC - I really think this team is stronger than people think, hopefully they don't show it against the Griz. I don't think it's a fluke that they kept up with Weber.
6. EWU - Talk about a fall from grace. The Eags gave up on their defense a long time ago, but if they can get their pass attack working again like they did against the Cats, they are back in business and up to my #3-4 spot.
7. PSU - Absolutely unpredictable. Who the f knows.
8. SAC - Started out strong, and was offensively inept against UM.
9. ISU - This year's Bad News Bears.

Finally someone sees the light about UNC!

[I Bleed Purple]

I think it was a fluke that UNC lost by just 7 to Weber. No doubt who the dominate team was had you watched the game and not just looked at the score.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Jalmond,

Here's a scenario: EWU wins out. NAU beats Weber this week, then proceeds to beat Montana later, but lose to MSU (and EWU). There'd be 4 teams with a 6-2 conference record. Weber and Montana would each be 1-2 against the other three. EWU and NAU would be 2-1 against the other three. But NAU would have a loss against us (granted we won out), so we'd win the 4-way tie-breaker for the auto bid.

What are your thoughts on NAU beating Weber and Montana, but losing to MSU and EWU? :D

[I Bleed Purple]

Jalmond,

Here's a scenario: EWU wins out. NAU beats Weber this week, then proceeds to beat Montana later, but lose to MSU (and EWU). There'd be 4 teams with a 6-2 conference record. Weber and Montana would each be 1-2 against the other three. EWU and NAU would be 2-1 against the other three. But EWU (if we win out) would have a loss against us, so we'd win the 4-way tie-breaker for the auto bid.

What are your thoughts on NAU beating Weber and Montana, but losing to MSU and EWU? :D

You keep believing you'll beat two of the three top teams in conference, one on the road. True fan there. One win and the Kool-Aid is flowin'. xthumbsupx

[bigskyrocks]

quick question ive been reading about the scenario that the griz beat nau nau beats weber and weber already beat griz and all win remaining games. who has tie breaker. they would all be 7-1. does overall record come into play or is it offensive points scored or something like that.

[GolfingGriz]

1. WSU They survived, thats what it takes some weeks to win a conference title.

2. UM Looked good Saturday. That loss to Weber is starting to look better and better each week.

3. NAU Better conference record than UM, but now their fun starts.

4. EWU Their good and could play an important role in the conference winner.

5. MSU IDK, its the end of October and they still haven't had a close game.

6. UNC Only one conference win, but played NAU and Weber close...UM next?

7. PSU Could rank them as high as 4, but they lost to my #8 team

8. CSUS From what I saw Saturday, they only have three good players.
Don't know how they stayed close to Weber and CSU

9. ISU They're bad, 0-12 bad? Sure looks like it.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

You keep believing you'll beat two of the three top teams in conference, one on the road. True fan there. One win and the Kool-Aid is flowin'. xthumbsupx

I'm not saying it will happen, I'm saying it's a possibility. Just because NAU and Weber have the best records in the sky, it doesn't mean they're the best teams... NAU has only played the lower tier of the sky so far, and Eastern still has one of the best offenses in the country. If our defense actually comes to play like they did against MSU, we can easily beat any team in the conference.

There's no kool-aid.... just common sense; you can't count EWU out just yet.

[uofmman1122]

If our defense actually comes to play like they did against MSU, we can easily beat any team in the conference.Except Montana. xlolx:pxsmiley_wix

[gbhmt]

quick question ive been reading about the scenario that the griz beat nau nau beats weber and weber already beat griz and all win remaining games. who has tie breaker. they would all be 7-1. does overall record come into play or is it offensive points scored or something like that.

There's no official tiebreaker. It'd technically be a shared title. As for who gets the autobid, it'll most likely be Montana. Best performance in a medium-difficult OOC schedule, best overall record, etc.

[AZGrizFan]

Jalmond,

Here's a scenario: EWU wins out. NAU beats Weber this week, then proceeds to beat Montana later, but lose to MSU (and EWU). There'd be 4 teams with a 6-2 conference record. Weber and Montana would each be 1-2 against the other three. EWU and NAU would be 2-1 against the other three. But NAU would have a loss against us (granted we won out), so we'd win the 4-way tie-breaker for the auto bid.

What are your thoughts on NAU beating Weber and Montana, but losing to MSU and EWU? :D

How about NAU losing to Weber and Montana and beating MSU and EWU. THAT scenario is 1000 times more likely... xnodx xnodx xnodx

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Except Montana. xlolx:pxsmiley_wix

Our defense didn't come to play... case in point. xcoffeex

[Shellin]

Our defense didn't come to play... case in point.

Unfortunately neither did your offense :)

[Screamin_Eagle174]

How about NAU losing to Weber and Montana and beating MSU and EWU. THAT scenario is 1000 times more likely... xnodx xnodx xnodx

Naw, that one doesn't work for me. xlolx

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Unfortunately neither did your offense :)

That or Montana's defense did. Throw in gusty wind, and there you go.

[Canyoncat]

Except Montana. xlolx:pxsmiley_wix


Seems like everyone's defense plays well gainst us:o

[I Bleed Purple]

That or Montana's defense did. Throw in gusty wind, and there you go.

Higgins seemed to have no trouble in rain, snow, and gusty wind. Looking for excuses, eh. xsmiley_wix

[NoCoDanny]

Weber always seemed to have the most chilled out and cool fans and now they are arrogant pricks, you'd think they'd at least get a season or two at the top of the conference before they had such a sense of entitlement. Oh well, if they are also Jazz fans then that's the connection. xlolx

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Higgins seemed to have no trouble in rain, snow, and gusty wind. Looking for excuses, eh. xsmiley_wix

We'll see how well he throws the ball right after getting dropped by Greg Peach. xlolx xlolx xlolx

[I Bleed Purple]

Weber always seemed to have the most chilled out and cool fans and now they are arrogant pricks, you'd think they'd at least get a season or two at the top of the conference before they had such a sense of entitlement. Oh well, if they are also Jazz fans then that's the connection. xlolx

It comes from watching average football for 20+ years. And so one year when you're good, you know you're good.

Also, I really like connecting believing a 450 yard dominating game equating to a 7 point win as a fluke for the losing team to a sense of entitlement. Such an obvious connection. Seems like NoCo fans have delusions on how good their football team actually is. Oh well, if they are also Bronco fans then that's the connection. xrolleyesx

[I Bleed Purple]

We'll see how well he throws the ball right after getting dropped by Greg Peach. xlolx xlolx xlolx

Dude has amazing stats from what I've seen. What's with the other 10 on the field?

[bshgriz]

They're power rankings. Not who's the best team rankings.

That doesn't even make any sense. xconfusedx

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Dude has amazing stats from what I've seen. What's with the other 10 on the field?

Lance Witherspoon and Jason Belford are also savages and have plenty of sacks, hurries and tackles among them. Ryan Kelly had 2 picks last week, one for a score, earning him Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week. Hopefully after this second bye week we can get healthy again... we've been without starting MLB Makai Borden since the Portland State game.

3 other names you'll be hearing A LOT in the coming years: Zach Johnson, Matt Johnson, and Taiwan Jones... all RS Freshmen. The Johnson brothers are in on almost every play, and Jones led the D in tackles last week.

[already123]

Now the picture is getting a little clearer. The top of the conference is once again between three clear cut teams and, after this week with WSU getting a big scare, NAU getting a little scare, and UM getting no scare, we have three teams that not only can contend for the title, but that could possibly make some noise in the playoffs. That said, a big game coming up this weekend that could either provide separation or muddle it up once again. Here are this week's Big Sky power rankings, this week (last week). Let me just say, I might have a lot of explaining to do...

1. Montana (2)---The only one of the top three with a conference loss. So am I actually a Griz fan in PSU clothing? Take a look at it. UM demolishes Sac State, a team that thought they were up and coming within the conference and had two weeks to prepare for the mighty Griz. Combined with the fact that Weber State had to work for their win against Northern Colorado, despite destrying the Bears everywhere but the scoreboard. All three leaders were pretty even (still are) and the Griz had the better performance. This week a trip to Greeley to take on those pesky Bears of Northern Colorado. Can they scare the Griz this weekend?

2. Weber State (1)---Difficulty in getting the ball in the endzone made the game against Northern Colorado close only on the scoreboard. The Wildcats want to be considered in the elite not only within the conference but also throughout the country and the score (the only thing that matters) did not look all that great. This week, the game of the week in conference as they head to Flagstaff to face Northern Arizona. Strange as it sounds, especially after last week, the Wildcats could distance themselves from the rest, including Montana, with a win.

3. Northern Arizona (3)---The Jacks certainly appreciated their offense last week in the game at Idaho State. A slight scare, but a conference road win goes far, regardless of the margin, especially with past struggles at Southern Utah and Northern Colorado. This week, the game of the week within the Big Sky, and the Jacks have it at home against Weber State. A win would do wonders, especially with a game at Montana the following week.

4. Eastern Washington (4)--Sputtering and reeling, the game last week at Montana State was to be the Eagles swan song (no pun intended). Just like the previous two weeks, the Eagles surprised, but this time in a good way as they get a strong road win from the Bobcats. New life for the Eagles (maybe) but a chance as they head into the bye week. Can't count them out yet.

5. Montana State (5)---The year the Bobcats will surprise and contend, but after last week's loss at home to the reeling Eastern Washington team, they have to begin to look possibly at next year. These last two home games, they really needed to win (or at the very least, split) and they could not get one. This week a trip to Sacramento and an angry Hornet team. Can the Bobcats get it going finally?

6. Northern Colorado (8)---After getting your first win of the season, you head into the home of one of the conference leaders and you find yourself with a chance to win the game late, even though you had been outplayed. Why not move up? The Bears, despite getting dominated in every statistical category against Weber State, still ended up losing by only seven points. All it does is it adds to the endless stream of games this year that the Bears had a shot and didn't capitalize. This week, they entertain another one of the big boys in Montana. At least this one is at home.

7. Portland State (7)---A bye week for the Vikings and a chance to avoid some of the scares that happened in the conference this past weekend. Also a chance to heal and reevaluate where they are and where they want to be. Games coming up with both Weber State and Montana could go a long way towards determining who will win the title. First, the Vikings need to get past Idaho State in Portland.

8. Sacramento State (6)---The Hornets thought, heading into the bye week, they really had a strong team. With two weeks to prepare for a big name opponent in Montana, they had to think they could keep it close and then see what happens. Well, what happened was they got demolished by the Grizzlies every way possible. This week, a chance for redemption (maybe) at home against Montana State.

9. Idaho State (9)---A chance for the Bengals to make some noise by hosting Northern Arizona, a team that had struggled on the road this year. By the end of the game, there they were once again on the losing end. When will things get easy? This week a chance against Portland State, but not a great chance as it is on the road.

The breakdown is such that I have UM, WSU and NAU all pretty even at the top. EWU is sort of on an island by themselves, then MSU, UNC, PSU and Sac State all pretty much together. ISU is aways behind everyone.

I know there will be a lot of discussion so have at it.





Uh....there was absolutely NO struggle against ISUxnonox

[UNCBears2010]

Uh....there was absolutely NO struggle against ISUxnonox

You're right, ISU made it fairly close with a TD or two late, but that was a blowout.

[JALMOND]

Jalmond,

Here's a scenario: EWU wins out. NAU beats Weber this week, then proceeds to beat Montana later, but lose to MSU (and EWU). There'd be 4 teams with a 6-2 conference record. Weber and Montana would each be 1-2 against the other three. EWU and NAU would be 2-1 against the other three. But NAU would have a loss against us (granted we won out), so we'd win the 4-way tie-breaker for the auto bid.

What are your thoughts on NAU beating Weber and Montana, but losing to MSU and EWU? :D

I think most everyone addressed this, but being you asked me, my take...

1. EWU has two difficult games left (I'm not talking about Sac State and UNC) in NAU at home and WSU on the road. Even if you were to beat NAU at home, you have to go to Ogden and you've only won once on the road (well, twice at that time provided you win in Greeley).

2. Can't see NAU losing to MSU in Flagstaff. Then again, can't see them winning in Missoula (I believe Sauers has never done that).

3. If we are all trying to make up scenarios for our own respective teams, how about Portland State winning out. We hold serve at home (stay perfect), we have games at Montana State and, what could be the most difficult one, at Weber State. We win out, we are also at 6-2 conference and would have wins over EWU, WSU, and UM. Far fetched, yes, but still possible (maybe more likely than EWU winning out).

[DuckDuckGriz]

I think most everyone addressed this, but being you asked me, my take...

1. EWU has two difficult games left (I'm not talking about Sac State and UNC) in NAU at home and WSU on the road. Even if you were to beat NAU at home, you have to go to Ogden and you've only won once on the road (well, twice at that time provided you win in Greeley).

2. Can't see NAU losing to MSU in Flagstaff. Then again, can't see them winning in Missoula (I believe Sauers has never done that).

3. If we are all trying to make up scenarios for our own respective teams, how about Portland State winning out. We hold serve at home (stay perfect), we have games at Montana State and, what could be the most difficult one, at Weber State. We win out, we are also at 6-2 conference and would have wins over EWU, WSU, and UM. Far fetched, yes, but still possible (maybe more likely than EWU winning out).

I know this deviates from the point of your post, but Sauers has never beaten Montana at all, home or away, since taking over at NAU.

[already123]

yea...its pretty bad