Biggest Suprise thus far?

[Milktruck74]

Being a Chattanooga Moc Fan, I'd like to think that we are one of the biggest turn arounds in FCS. 1-11 in 2008, 6-5 in 2009, ????? But who is your suprise team? Who will make an unexpected run in the playoffs?

[Rob Iola]

SEMO

[danefan]

Being a Chattanooga Moc Fan, I'd like to think that we are one of the biggest turn arounds in FCS. 1-11 in 2008, 6-5 in 2009, ????? But who is your suprise team? Who will make an unexpected run in the playoffs?

Chatty's not a surprise to me. They play a lot of teams tough last year. I actually had them as my Socon favorite coming into the season. Didn't work out, but they are really only a couple plays away from making me look like a very smart man.

To me the biggest surprise has got to be SEMO or Montana State.

[VBR_Productions]

William and Mary being #3 with only one loss at this point is the biggest surprise. They were going to be a good team but they lost a lot of talent on defense from last year's semifinal team.

[Professor Chaos]

Western Illinois and Indiana St in the MVFC have both been surprises. Both teams were 1-10 last year (with Western being 0-8 in conference) and both have winning records this year. InSU has played two DII teams thus far but anyone who's seen them play knows that they are vastly improved. Western Illinois is a bubble playoff team right now which I think is pretty incredible for a team that went winless in conference last year.

[Skjellyfetti]

If Chatty had been able to hang on against App and Jax State and were #1 or #2 in the polls right now... they'd definitely be the biggest surprise. But, this is pretty much where I thought they'd be at this point.

SE Mizzou

[Milktruck74]

SE Mo has been pretty interesting this year. it seams like what have been the lower tier teams are getting better and no matter who you play in FCS you have to come ready to play.

[bookman3]

Completely agree with SEMO being the surprise so far during the season. Although not as big a surprise record-wise as SEMO, Murray State is on the verge of turning things around from the last few years under Griffin. If anyone had told me at the beginning of the season that Murray State would have a legitimate shot at going 7-4 and be getting votes in the polls I would have thought you were crazy. Their offense is pretty impressive. Defense....still not up to par though.

[Buzzcut]

Completely agree with SEMO being the surprise so far during the season. Although not as big a surprise record-wise as SEMO, Murray State is on the verge of turning things around from the last few years under Griffin. If anyone had told me at the beginning of the season that Murray State would have a legitimate shot at going 7-4 and be getting votes in the polls I would have thought you were crazy. Their offense is pretty impressive. Defense....still not up to par though.

Agreed completely. It's good to see these kind of improvements in a conference that receives so little respect. The OVC with a top 5 team? Who'd a thunk it.

[Squealofthepig]

For me:

Strength of the OVC (SEMO, Jacksonville State)
SDSU's 0-4 start and rebound

[JSU02]

Not even OVC followers foresaw the rise of SEMO.

[Redhawk2010]

SEMO has of course had a bad history with football. We've had a couple of decent seasons but really nothing much since moving up to FCS. In 2008 we had a chance to do something special and couldn't get it done. I honestly believe we could have won 8-9 games in 2008. We lost so many close games. In 2009 we took a step backwards. This is a special group that we've got in 2010 and it has been a special season here in Cape Girardeau. I cannot tell anything has really changed that has led to this. We have gotten more experienced. Our coaches are the same; many of the players are the same players; the stadium is still brutal. The only two changes that I can think of in our football program is our new Nike contract the athletic department signed this year and the weight room moving across campus. I doubt those two things played this significant of a role.

But there is a buzz around campus right and around town. People and businesses who would have not before admitted to knowing we have a football team are showing their support. The guys feed off this. The coaches feed off this. I can tell you the Redhawks are practicing on Sunday afternoon/evenings. In years past, by this point in the season they weren't practicing on Sundays anymore.

Right now it is a good time to be a Redhawk!

[slostang]

SEMO and Indiana State.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Bethune Cookman. First year coach, 5-6 last year, and they are kicking *** in the MEAC.

[MR. CHICKEN]

+ WOFFORD.....LISTED @ #32...ON AGS PRE-SEASON POLL....CLIMBIN' TA #8...(NOT AS SURPRISIN'...AS..SOUFF EAST MIZZ ST./INDIANA STATE/BETHUNE-COOKMAN)

- SOUFFERN ILLINOIS..@ #5.....ON AGS PRE-SEASON POLL...WEEK 7...WAS LISTED @ #35.....AN' DIS WEEK......ENTIRE STATE O' ILLINOIS.....IN DENIAL...AWK!!

[chattanoogamocs]

+ WOFFORD.....LISTED @ #32...ON AGS PRE-SEASON POLL....CLIMBIN' TA #8...(NOT AS SURPRISIN'...AS..SOUFF EAST MIZZ ST./INDIANA STATE/BETHUNE-COOKMAN)

- SOUFFERN ILLINOIS..@ #5.....ON AGS PRE-SEASON POLL...WEEK 7...WAS LISTED @ #35.....AN' DIS WEEK......ENTIRE STATE O' ILLINOIS.....IN DENIAL...AWK!!

To continue the theme of the biggest surprise in the opposite, I say, I say, I say, direction....Eastern Illinois...pre-season top 20 to 0-8. Another team in Mr. Chicken's State of Denial.

[JaxSinfonian]

All of my big surprises are OVC-related:

1) The 0-8 start for Eastern Illinois. As pleasantly surprising as the success of Jax State & SEMO has been, this is the real stunner. Has Bob Spoo built up enough credit in his long tenure to survive such a year? His Panthers have been the real power in the OVC for the last five years. Will he want to come back after this? Is it time for him to hang it up?

2) Jax State's 8-0 start and No. 2 ranking. I thought the Gamecocks missed their chance at an FBS upset last year at Florida State. There's no way I'd have predicted a victory over Ole Miss. I was worried about the offense in the weeks prior to the season's open, but they seem to have survived their habit of mid-game naps and are beginning to take advantage of a profusion of weapons. The defense also has made strides. Crowe has sounded all the right notes, at least in his public statements, to keep the team hungry and prevent them being too satisfied with themselves. I never thought we'd come close to needing all the seats in the newly expanded stadium; now every home game so far has drawn more than the highest-attended game lat year. Obviously, beating Ole Miss the week before the home opener and continuing undefeated was a smart move.

3) SEMO. Ask me on Sept. 1 to pick the OVC's second-highest-ranked team in week 8, and I'd never have said SEMO. I might have guessed anyone else, except perhaps for Austin Peay (sorry, Govs fans). I hope they win two of their next three (losing to Jax State, of course), and keep surprising me and everyone else on into the playoffs. If not for the decline of EKU and the utter collapse of EIU, SEMO's improvement would have me very happy about the state of the conference.

[Bam]

SEMO by far & thanks for the beatdown of lowly ole EKU. :(

[SalukiJim]

+ WOFFORD.....LISTED @ #32...ON AGS PRE-SEASON POLL....CLIMBIN' TA #8...(NOT AS SURPRISIN'...AS..SOUFF EAST MIZZ ST./INDIANA STATE/BETHUNE-COOKMAN)

- SOUFFERN ILLINOIS..@ #5.....ON AGS PRE-SEASON POLL...WEEK 7...WAS LISTED @ #35.....AN' DIS WEEK......ENTIRE STATE O' ILLINOIS.....IN DENIAL...AWK!!

Don't forget about Eastern Illinois. Playoffs last year, winless this year :(

[Redhawk2010]

All of my big surprises are OVC-related:

1) The 0-8 start for Eastern Illinois. As pleasantly surprising as the success of Jax State & SEMO has been, this is the real stunner. Has Bob Spoo built up enough credit in his long tenure to survive such a year? His Panthers have been the real power in the OVC for the last five years. Will he want to come back after this? Is it time for him to hang it up?

3) SEMO. Ask me on Sept. 1 to pick the OVC's second-highest-ranked team in week 8, and I'd never have said SEMO. I might have guessed anyone else, except perhaps for Austin Peay (sorry, Govs fans). I hope they win two of their next three (losing to Jax State, of course), and keep surprising me and everyone else on into the playoffs. If not for the decline of EKU and the utter collapse of EIU, SEMO's improvement would have me very happy about the state of the conference.

Spoo will survive. He'll be fine. He has the tenure to survive this season. I don't see them forcing him out over this season. He had quarterbacks come in this year who had ZERO college experience. At the beginning of the season, he did not have a single quarterback who had taken a snap in a college game. Maybe that's poor planning from previous seasons, but it happened. Also, there were several players kicked off the team during preseason camp due to drugs. He eliminates these problems and moves on. They've stood by him through poor seasons before; I don't see that changing. That said, he may choose to hang it up..


I kind of wish I was making the trip to Jacksonville for this game on November 13. It should be a good one..

[Ivytalk]

In the Ivies, it's Dartmouth.

[SpeedkingATL]

I haven't seen SEMO play this year but just commenting on the SoCon which I follow closely, I am surprised that Wofford is as good as they appear. They had lots of injurys last year but to go from 3 wins to a potential SoCon Championship (let's hope not) and playoff spot (let's hope so) is remarkable.

[darell1976]

I am going with my team North Dakota. with a loss in its next 4 games would give UND their first losing season since 2002. After big hype in the offseason and high expectations for a GWFC title they are now in the cellar and looks to stay there until September.

[Milktruck74]

Wow, my first AGS thread goes 3 pages. Thanks for making me feel relevant....or are you just that bored?

[GeauxLions94]

Gotta go with SEMO as the biggest surprise. Indiana State and Sam Houston State have been pleasant surprises.

On the negative side, you have to say Eastern Illinois (winless at this point) ... can also throw in Elon (2-5) and Texas State (3-4, 0-3 Southland)