Who's #1??

[lifesapuntreturn]

Hard to argue with NDSU.. two FBS wins, undefeated.. hard not to vote 'em #1.

You can not seriously give them credit for two FBS wins can you? Minnesota, okay. Nice job. But Central Michigan wouldn't finish in the top half of the Gateway or the Big Sky!

Both Minnesota and Central Michigan are bad FBS teams but FBS is FBS and a win is a win so I would say yes, NDSU gets full "credit" for two FBS wins.

Where do you draw the line when determining how much credit should be given to any FCS team for any victory, whether it's against a FBS school or another FCS school, or a DII school or whatever? Or to put it another way, what is the definition of a "quality" victory at any level of play, regardless of who the opponent is?

[igo4uni]

Barring a loss on the road this weekend UNI is clearly #1 right now. They are the most tested of the elite teams thus far, and nobody wants to play in that piss pot they call the UNI-Dome. Arena football anyone. Does Jon Bon Jovi or John Elway own your team?

http://www.opiegsu.blogspot.com

LOL......I sure like the home field advantage the fabulous UNI-Dome provides!!

[MrTitleist]

Hard to argue with NDSU.. two FBS wins, undefeated.. hard not to vote 'em #1.

You can not seriously give them credit for two FBS wins can you? Minnesota, okay. Nice job. But Central Michigan wouldn't finish in the top half of the Gateway or the Big Sky!

Actually, I can give them full credit. They beat Minnesota, on their turf, and also beat Central Michigan, on their turf. Not 1, but 2 FBS wins for the Bison. Furthermore, how could I justify NoIowa #1 when they also have an FBS win, but it was over a 1-7 Iowa State team, a team with an identical record as Minnesota. Don't knock NDSU's win over Minnesota when you beat an equally as bad team in Iowa State. Central Michigan is 4-4 on the season, 3-0 in the MAC. That team would dominate in the Gateway. That's why they're not in it. So yes, I can give them credit and pick them as the #1 team.

[skinny_uncle]

Barring a loss on the road this weekend UNI is clearly #1 right now. They are the most tested of the elite teams thus far, and nobody wants to play in that piss pot they call the UNI-Dome. Arena football anyone. Does Jon Bon Jovi or John Elway own your team?

http://www.opiegsu.blogspot.com

LOL......I sure like the home field advantage the fabulous UNI-Dome provides!!

I've decided to quit complaining about that since a poster on Salukitalk pointed out to me that since the start of the 2003 season, my Salukis are 26-3 at the Mac.

[skinny_uncle]

The Mac

[igo4uni]

The Mac

It's hard to win on the road in the Gateway!!

[tplesuk111]

Central Michigan wouldn't finish in the top half of the Gateway or the Big Sky!

Wow , you cannot be serious. Look at the schedule, Central Michigan beat Toledo by 3 touchdowns, the same Toledo team that beat Iowa State. The same Iowa State team that UNI has been bragging about beating all year to this point. So using that logic Iowa State would have to finish at the bottom of the Gateway or the Big Sky, right? Suddenly UNI's victory doesn't look so impressive using your logic.

And if Central Michigan would be in the bottom half of the Big Sky, that means 2-5 (with a FCS schedule) Portland State is a better team the 4-4 (with a FBS schedule) Central Michigan. Yeah, that's another solid argument.

Bottom line for this thread though is both NDSU and UNI have legitimate claims to the #1 and neither team can be "clearly" the favorite. My opinion, as an NSDU fan, is that NDSU is #1 and UNI is a very very very close #2 but it could easily be vice versa.

[GeauxColonels]

I've got NDSU as my #1 and they've been there for a couple of weeks. I started with UNI a little lower than most people, but they quickly moved up to my #2 spot...followed closely by McNeese State at #3.

[Deltapine]

NDSU. Playoff eligible or not, I'm not sure how you can rationalize anyone else to be the best right now.

[skinny_uncle]

UNI, McNeese and Montana are all undefeated. Nothing irrational about giving any of them consideration.

[pantherrob82]

Barring a loss on the road this weekend UNI is clearly #1 right now. They are the most tested of the elite teams thus far, and nobody wants to play in that piss pot they call the UNI-Dome. Arena football anyone. Does Jon Bon Jovi or John Elway own your team?

http://www.opiegsu.blogspot.com

Arena? When was the last time you guys even saw snow? I'm sure your boys were glad to be indoors when they came up for the 85 semis.

[igo4uni]

NDSU. Playoff eligible or not, I'm not sure how you can rationalize anyone else to be the best right now.

UNI's opponents have a better win % than NDSU's opponents!! So that means..............nothing!!!

[igo4uni]

If UNI is able to run the gauntlet of the playoffs,they will have proved who is the best team in the nation.

[uncfootballrules]

Both teams have legitimate arguments. Still a few games left, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[skinny_uncle]

If UNI is able to run the gauntlet of the playoffs,they will have proved who is the best team in the nation.

If can be a very big word. I agree whoever survives the playoffs and wins in Chattanooga is #1. They get a trophy and a place in the history books. I can hardly wait for you to get to Chattanooga and see SIU on the other sideline and realize you don't have the DOME magic to protect you.

[Deltapine]

If UNI is able to run the gauntlet of the playoffs,they will have proved who is the best team in the nation.

I agree with that

[jegbomb52]

Central Michigan wouldn't finish in the top half of the Gateway or the Big Sky!

Wow , you cannot be serious. Look at the schedule, Central Michigan beat Toledo by 3 touchdowns, the same Toledo team that beat Iowa State. The same Iowa State team that UNI has been bragging about beating all year to this point. So using that logic Iowa State would have to finish at the bottom of the Gateway or the Big Sky, right? Suddenly UNI's victory doesn't look so impressive using your logic.

And if Central Michigan would be in the bottom half of the Big Sky, that means 2-5 (with a FCS schedule) Portland State is a better team the 4-4 (with a FBS schedule) Central Michigan. Yeah, that's another solid argument.

Bottom line for this thread though is both NDSU and UNI have legitimate claims to the #1 and neither team can be "clearly" the favorite. My opinion, as an NSDU fan, is that NDSU is #1 and UNI is a very very very close #2 but it could easily be vice versa.

You have apparently not been around I-AA very long. Records of people from the MAC are very decieving. After playing Western Illinois would you not say they are better than Central Michigan? For a team in Central Michigan that you dominated Western Illinois sure gave you fits. Do you think Northern Iowa or Southern Illinois wouldn't beat Central Michigan? If you can't answer yes to any of the above statements then no, they would not finish in the top half of the gateway. Hey, don't get pi$$y. I am talking about the conference that you are joining next year.

[tplesuk111]

You have apparently not been around I-AA very long. Records of people from the MAC are very decieving. After playing Western Illinois would you not say they are better than Central Michigan? For a team in Central Michigan that you dominated Western Illinois sure gave you fits. Do you think Northern Iowa or Southern Illinois wouldn't beat Central Michigan? If you can't answer yes to any of the above statements then no, they would not finish in the top half of the gateway. Hey, don't get pi$$y. I am talking about the conference that you are joining next year.

No, Western Illinois is not better than Central Michigan. Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois could beat Central Michigan but that doesn't necessarily mean they would. CMU is 5-3 against other FBS opponents, they are an average FBS team(#69 in Sagarin rankings) which IMO means the top 5-10 FCS schools would have a very decent but not a huge chance to beat them. I think the posters here and on the AGS board don't fully respect the level of play on the FBS level as compared to the FCS level, there's a reason why the FCS is 9-80 this year against the FBS. IMO a convincing win @ Central Michigan is just as impressive as a win, not necessarily convincing, @ UNI or SIU.

If you think Western Illinois gave NDSU fits you need to rewatch/listen to the game and review the box score. NDSU trailed for 4 minutes in the game and held at least a 2 score advantage the whole second half which included a 20 point cushion going into the 4th qtr.

I'm not knocking the Gateway, it's a tough conference and I look forward to watching the Bison compete against all the good teams in it next year but a lower tier FBS conference (expect the Sun Belt maybe) is still a tougher conference than any in the FCS. See Kent State, a MAC cellar dweller who has a 38-7 win against Delaware State and a 9 point loss to Central Michigan last Saturday.

[skinny_uncle]

Historically, NDSU is 19-25 against the Gateway. I hope you are not knocking it.

[jegbomb52]

You have apparently not been around I-AA very long. Records of people from the MAC are very decieving. After playing Western Illinois would you not say they are better than Central Michigan? For a team in Central Michigan that you dominated Western Illinois sure gave you fits. Do you think Northern Iowa or Southern Illinois wouldn't beat Central Michigan? If you can't answer yes to any of the above statements then no, they would not finish in the top half of the gateway. Hey, don't get pi$$y. I am talking about the conference that you are joining next year.

No, Western Illinois is not better than Central Michigan. Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois could beat Central Michigan but that doesn't necessarily mean they would. CMU is 5-3 against other FBS opponents, they are an average FBS team(#69 in Sagarin rankings) which IMO means the top 5-10 FCS schools would have a very decent but not a huge chance to beat them. I think the posters here and on the AGS board don't fully respect the level of play on the FBS level as compared to the FCS level, there's a reason why the FCS is 9-80 this year against the FBS. IMO a convincing win @ Central Michigan is just as impressive as a win, not necessarily convincing, @ UNI or SIU.

If you think Western Illinois gave NDSU fits you need to rewatch/listen to the game and review the box score. NDSU trailed for 4 minutes in the game and held at least a 2 score advantage the whole second half which included a 20 point cushion going into the 4th qtr.

I'm not knocking the Gateway, it's a tough conference and I look forward to watching the Bison compete against all the good teams in it next year but a lower tier FBS conference (expect the Sun Belt maybe) is still a tougher conference than any in the FCS. See Kent State, a MAC cellar dweller who has a 38-7 win against Delaware State and a 9 point loss to Central Michigan last Saturday.

Okay, maybe they didn't give you fits but you have to admit (after looking at the box scores as you suggested) that you had an easier time with Central Michigan than you did with Western Illinois. That is what I am basing my argument off of. Your right, there is a large disparity between FCS and FBS, not as large as there used to be but there is one. What I am telling you is the MAC is not the poster child for FBS. UNI can't even find an FBS school to play them any more. You will begin having that problem soon as well if you don't stop beating them.

And please, I don't care how good you think DSU is, don't ever put them in the same category as a school from the gateway. Unless you want to change them for Indiana State. Thats about it.

[tplesuk111]

Historically, NDSU is 19-25 against the Gateway. I hope you are not knocking it.

With all but 2 of those as a DII school. They're 18-24 against the Gateway competing with 36 scholarship players against teams with 63 scholarship players, that's pretty good. Again, the Gateway is a very good conference, one of the top 3 in the FCS but it's not the NFL.

And please, I don't care how good you think DSU is, don't ever put them in the same category as a school from the gateway. Unless you want to change them for Indiana State. Thats about it.

Who is DSU? If you are referring to the NDSU Bison you are in for a rude awakening next year if you think they are not in the same category as anyone from the Gateway except Indiana State. They are a consensus top 3 team this year and there won't be much of a drop next year. They will be competitive in the Gateway for at least as long as Craig Bohl is the head coach. The Bison are, at the very least, comparable to any team in the Gateway but to think they are not in the same category is just ignorant.

[tplesuk111]

Deleware State Sorry, wasn't thinkin.

[igo4uni]

I'm a big Delaware State fan.