GWFC Rankings-through Week 6

[darell1976]

1. South Dakota (1-0)
2. North Dakota (1-0)
3. SUU (0-2)
4. Cal Poly (0-0)
5. UC Davis (0-0)

Records are GWFC records

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

With USD beating SUU....the GW might not get a playoff bid.

I mentioned this on BV: I think UND, if Muss keeps the philosophy of having a tough running game and having good defenses, that UND will do well in the BSC. BSC is a pass happy finese league and UND could really mix things up coming in and playing hard-nose physical running FB and tough in your face defense.

I'm not a UND fan but they could do fairly well in the BSC if they play that brand of FB.

[darell1976]

With USD beating SUU....the GW might not get a playoff bid.

I mentioned this on BV: I think UND, if Muss keeps the philosophy of having a tough running game and having good defenses, that UND will do well in the BSC. BSC is a pass happy finese league and UND could really mix things up coming in and playing hard-nose physical running FB and tough in your face defense.

I'm not a UND fan but they could do fairly well in the BSC if they play that brand of FB.

But UND needs to get their passing game going because if defenses stop our run...we are f'd.

[GoAgs72]

Well, it looks like Cal Poly and UC Davis in the Turd Bowl with Cal Poly winning by two TD's. Congrats to the Dakotas.

[DJKyR0]

With USD beating SUU....the GW might not get a playoff bid.
.

SUU has the tall task of playing four of their remaining five games on the road and have to win 4/5 to get to 7 DI wins. The FBS win over UNLV is a good win, and USD has a win over then-#1 EWU...aside from that, not a lot of quality wins to be found on SUU's schedule. It's going to be difficult for the GWFC to make the playoffs for sure.

[darell1976]

Well, it looks like Cal Poly and UC Davis in the Turd Bowl with Cal Poly winning by two TD's. Congrats to the Dakotas.

Massey has UND now favored over UC Davis because of the DII loss. UND is underdog to 1 team left on the schedule (Cal Poly, Sioux Falls, UC Davis, N. Colorado, USD) and that is South Dakota. Last game of the year may be for the GWFC title....South Dakota at North Dakota. Last time we see the Yotes on the schedule for at least a few years. Its gonna be a classic.

[slostang]

Massey has UND now favored over UC Davis because of the DII loss. UND is underdog to 1 team left on the schedule (Cal Poly, Sioux Falls, UC Davis, N. Colorado, USD) and that is South Dakota. Last game of the year may be for the GWFC title....South Dakota at North Dakota. Last time we see the Yotes on the schedule for at least a few years. Its gonna be a classic.

You still have to get past Cal Poly so I would not start making those championship banners just yet.

[bojeta]

The great news is that the Great West will be a tight race with plenty of excitement and the heartbreak that goes with it. The bad news is it will be a tight race that may ultimately disqualify all teams from the post season. The lack of an auto bid sucks now more than ever!!

[cpalum]

North Dakota

I give the nod to UND because they have done everything that was expected and even a few things that were not. Fresno State may not have been a win but it was very close and what impressed me most was that they had gas in the 4th Q. Interestingly it is their passing game that looks questionable to me...Cal Poly will have a tough game on the road but UND being a run team favors the Mustangs.

Cal Poly

I have been pretty critical of Cal Poly at times this year but I think it is a bit early to be writing their obit. ......They have done almost exactly what anyone should have expected sans a possible upset at Montana. At times they have looked great...and at times they have underachieved. Next week will tell me a lot about this Mustang team...

South Dakota

Like Cal Poly they have done what I would expect them to do. They won the games that they should and lost the games where they were over matched. In my opinion the only reason that they are ranked so high by many is the fact that they beat EWU early in the season when folks thought EWU was last years EWU...they are not.

SUU

Ok...this is tough for me...on one hand this is the team that stomped UNLV. On the other hand they lost to South Dakota State....I guess I feel the UNLV games says more about how bad UNLV is than how good the T-birds are...Also fair to note they have 3 FCS loses...a conference best.

UC Davis

First, for those that are not aware.....Humboldt is a very very good team... DII or not. Sometimes it is not about if you lose but how you lose....Davis has looked kind of flat to me....I have a feeling that they have some wins ahead, and may still surprise some folks.

[darell1976]

You still have to get past Cal Poly so I would not start making those championship banners just yet.

I can't wait til the game. The crowd should be really good. No excuses its a conference game with hockey out of town. UND always plays a tough game with Cal Poly. I just hope UND doesn't overlook anyone. Maybe that bye week this week was a blessing, that way the team wouldn't overlook Montana Western and be thinking about Cal Poly, and I agree with bojeta...this is going to be the toughest race, and what a way to say goodbye to the Great West. If I was the Big Sky teams I would take note on what is happening here, we are NOT pushovers entering the Big Sky. They are going to have some more good competition starting next season.

[bojeta]

North Dakota

I give the nod to UND because they have done everything that was expected and even a few things that were not. Fresno State may not have been a win but it was very close and what impressed me most was that they had gas in the 4th Q. Interestingly it is their passing game that looks questionable to me...Cal Poly will have a tough game on the road but UND being a run team favors the Mustangs.

Cal Poly

I have been pretty critical of Cal Poly at times this year but I think it is a bit early to be writing their obit. ......They have done almost exactly what anyone should have expected sans a possible upset at Montana. At times they have looked great...and at times they have underachieved. Next week will tell me a lot about this Mustang team...

South Dakota

Like Cal Poly they have done what I would expect them to do. They won the games that they should and lost the games where they were over matched. In my opinion the only reason that they are ranked so high by many is the fact that they beat EWU early in the season when folks thought EWU was last years EWU...they are not.

SUU

Ok...this is tough for me...on one hand this is the team that stomped UNLV. On the other hand they lost to South Dakota State....I guess I feel the UNLV games says more about how bad UNLV is than how good the T-birds are...Also fair to note they have 3 FCS loses...a conference best.

UC Davis

First, for those that are not aware.....Humboldt is a very very good team... DII or not. Sometimes it is not about if you lose but how you lose....Davis has looked kind of flat to me....I have a feeling that they have some wins ahead, and may still surprise some folks.

I like your analysis. A few comments I'd add: 1. Yes, UNLV is bad, but did anyone see them dismantle Hawaii? I just can't make sense of the SUU, UNLV, SDSU, Cal Poly, Hawaii, Davis conundrum. Nothing makes sense when I look at all those linked games! 2. I Second your comments on Humboldt. They would give any FCS team fits and beat a solid portion of them. I'm hoping Humboldt continues their success and considers becoming the 14th member of the Big Sky! 3. Cal Poly WILL improve in performance and consistancy beginning next week. The insurmountable FBS opponents, the letdown in the 2nd half at Montana, and the flat performance against a DII team following a bye are less indicative of their ability. The strong performance against South Dakota State is what I expect to see as they move into a purely FCS environment for the remainder of the season. That being said, the competition is tough from here on out!!

[frozennorth]

Usd
Und ucd, cp
Suu

The middle three should work itself out shortly

[kalm]

The BSC has the #3 rushing offense in the country and the Montana's are and have been very physical run oriented teams. Weber State is an O line factory and NAU runs first to set up the play action. EWU - the most "finesse" team in the conference - mowed down three "physical" teams in NDSU, Nova, and Delaware on their way to the championship last year. Our d-line literally took over those last two games. The "pass happy" "finesse" BSC is a bit overplayed.

[NDB]

The great news is that the Great West will be a tight race with plenty of excitement and the heartbreak that goes with it. The bad news is it will be a tight race that may ultimately disqualify all teams from the post season. The lack of an auto bid sucks now more than ever!!

Tight race. There are 5 bleeping teams. Of course it's going to be close.

[bojeta]

Tight race. There are 5 bleeping teams. Of course it's going to be close.

Seriously? There could be two teams in a conference and it could anything but close and.... there could be 9, 10, 11 teams and it could be very tight. The CAA for instance is probably the tightest race in a long long time.

[LakesBison]

usd #1
cal poly
davis
und
suu

I mean 1 team loses to humboldt and the other has 2 Naia wins, give us a break.

[slostang]

Tight race. There are 5 bleeping teams. Of course it's going to be close.

It was not last season. SUU ran away with it.

[darell1976]

usd #1
cal poly
davis
und
suu

I mean 1 team loses to humboldt and the other has 2 Naia wins, give us a break.

You do know that USD has 2 non DI wins right.

[Hambone]

I can't wait til the game. The crowd should be really good. No excuses its a conference game with hockey out of town. UND always plays a tough game with Cal Poly. I just hope UND doesn't overlook anyone. Maybe that bye week this week was a blessing, that way the team wouldn't overlook Montana Western and be thinking about Cal Poly, and I agree with bojeta...this is going to be the toughest race, and what a way to say goodbye to the Great West. If I was the Big Sky teams I would take note on what is happening here, we are NOT pushovers entering the Big Sky. They are going to have some more good competition starting next season.

You know, at the beginning of the year I thought that if UND was to only get one conference win, it would be Cal Poly. My reason is that UND's defense matches up extremely well with the triple option and UND has played CP tough every year. However, I now find myself with having great concern about the matchup due to the season ending injury to Broc Bellmore. While I think our backups at end are very capable players, Bellmore is something special IMHO. I just don't know how much this loss will hurt the Sioux when it comes to stopping the option.

That said, I am finding myself really hoping that the game with USD is for all the marbles for the conference. A lot of work to do for both teams to get there, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it happened.

[darell1976]

You know, at the beginning of the year I thought that if UND was to only get one conference win, it would be Cal Poly. My reason is that UND's defense matches up extremely well with the triple option and UND has played CP tough every year. However, I now find myself with having great concern about the matchup due to the season ending injury to Broc Bellmore. While I think our backups at end are very capable players, Bellmore is something special IMHO. I just don't know how much this loss will hurt the Sioux when it comes to stopping the option.

That said, I am finding myself really hoping that the game with USD is for all the marbles for the conference. A lot of work to do for both teams to get there, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it happened.

We now lost 1 player on offense (Brandon Quesenberry) and now Broc Bellmore who IMO is the greatest FG/XP blocker in Sioux history. I don't know how many kicks he has blocked but it seemed like at least 1 every game. That will be a blow to the defense, but I think Cal Poly and USD are winnable since we are at home, and the crowd should be good. The UC Davis game is my biggest worry since its on the road and we haven't beaten them since the 2001 DII playoffs (which I attended!!). It is going to be a great finish and I wish the other 4 teams luck on the GWFC finale!!

[344Johnson]

The BSC has the #3 rushing offense in the country and the Montana's are and have been very physical run oriented teams. Weber State is an O line factory and NAU runs first to set up the play action. EWU - the most "finesse" team in the conference - mowed down three "physical" teams in NDSU, Nova, and Delaware on their way to the championship last year. Our d-line literally took over those last two games. The "pass happy" "finesse" BSC is a bit overplayed.

Not sure you watched Montana St. play against NDSU, but NDSU was a lot bigger, a lot meaner, and a lot more physical. There is a big difference in Physical play and Running the ball. (see difference between Missouri Valley and Big Sky). To say EWU mowed the teams down is an overstatement. They won the games, but by no means did they "mow" any of them down. Bo Mitchell took over games with his arm, hardly what I would call physical. And there is nothing wrong with being a finesse team, if that is what works for your players then that is what works.

[Hambone]

We now lost 1 player on offense (Brandon Quesenberry) and now Broc Bellmore who IMO is the greatest FG/XP blocker in Sioux history. I don't know how many kicks he has blocked but it seemed like at least 1 every game. That will be a blow to the defense, but I think Cal Poly and USD are winnable since we are at home, and the crowd should be good. The UC Davis game is my biggest worry since its on the road and we haven't beaten them since the 2001 DII playoffs (which I attended!!). It is going to be a great finish and I wish the other 4 teams luck on the GWFC finale!!
I believe the number is 7 FG/XP blocks for his career.

[darell1976]

I believe the number is 7 FG/XP blocks for his career.

xbowx One of the greats!!!

[frozennorth]

You do know that USD has 2 non DI wins right.

They also have 2 wins over scholarship DI teams, twice as many and und.

[darell1976]

They also have 2 wins over scholarship DI teams, twice as many and und.

So what. I was correcting your fellow Bison mate that USD also has 2 non-DI wins as he quoted " I mean 1 team loses to humboldt and the other has 2 Naia wins, give us a break."

[LetsGoSioux!]

The great news is that the Great West will be a tight race with plenty of excitement and the heartbreak that goes with it. The bad news is it will be a tight race that may ultimately disqualify all teams from the post season. The lack of an auto bid sucks now more than ever!!

Accctuuallyyyyy, the great news is that our fine teams won't be competing in a makeshift conference next year! CHEERS! xthumbsupx

[cpalum]

Accctuuallyyyyy, the great news is that our fine teams won't be competing in a makeshift conference next year! CHEERS! xthumbsupx

You know I agree with that but it is interesting to me.....If you look at the GWC and its alumni (NDSU etc.) if everyone would have stuck around the GWC could have really been something. Barring less than ideal geography the GWC could have been one of the better FCS conferences in the country. Happy to see Cal Poly headed to the Big Sky but it's kind of ironic.

[darell1976]

You know I agree with that but it is interesting to me.....If you look at the GWC and its alumni (NDSU etc.) if everyone would have stuck around the GWC could have really been something. Barring less than ideal geography the GWC could have been one of the better FCS conferences in the country. Happy to see Cal Poly headed to the Big Sky but it's kind of ironic.

Except Northern Colorado.:(

[BisonBohl]

Really too bad USD and UND had such low quality OOC opponents scheduled this year. Its tough to get a real fair assessment of where they are at right now. However they have won whats on their schedule.

[frozennorth]

Except Northern Colorado.:(

Every conference needs its patsy.

[joeybrownerhof]

Really too bad USD and UND had such low quality OOC opponents scheduled this year. Its tough to get a real fair assessment of where they are at right now. However they have won whats on their schedule.

Congrats on the Minnesota win. USD at first glance isn't that great but lets look at it a little more closely.

NDSU BIG WINS:
Minnesota
Southern Illinois

USD BIG WIN:
Southern Utah
Eastern Washington


Get this. EVERY and I mean EVERY rating system, Sagarin, Massey, Self, etc has
Southern Utah and Eastern Washington rated higher than both Minnesota and Southern Illinois.

NDSU beat St. Francis, USD beat Lindenwood. The same systems have Lindenwood much higher than St. Francis. Again, NDSU is a top notch team and I hope they go all the way. I am also not saying that NDSU schedule is easy. I just wanted to point out that the USD schedule isn't great but not as bad or god awful that many think. The NW Okie St was weak but playing (or at least getting the paycheck) Wiscy and AFA weren't pushovers either. I guess the real test is this weekend. They play Ill. State on the road. A team the Bison defeated at home.

[NDB]

Really too bad USD and UND had such low quality OOC opponents scheduled this year. Its tough to get a real fair assessment of where they are at right now. However they have won whats on their schedule.

counting moral victories against Idaho, Fresno, Air Force and Wisconsin?