Grizalltheway wrote:
Seems like that's the expectation every season...
I don't know about that (I picked them 3-8 last year). Looking at their schedule, they should win an absolute minimum of 5 games and 9 of their games are no worse than toss-ups (all except ASU and Montana).
Mvemjsunpx wrote:
I don't know about that (I picked them 3-8 last year). Looking at their schedule, they should win an absolute minimum of 5 games and 9 of their games are no worse than toss-ups (all except ASU and Montana).
Well, it is in Missoula and NAU hasn't beaten the Griz since 1997. NAU's conference schedule is pretty easy, too, as they dodge MSU, EWU, and Weber.
Going out on a limb here, NAU give ASU with their new coach, new QB and vontaze-less defense a run for their money. NAU is gonna run a lot of pass plays out of the backfield. They can go slot and deep with their depth at WR. They can run will a full house or 2 back or single back set....they are stacked at RB/FB. Lots of looks and lots of weapons. It's close into the 4th when NAU pulls out the victory. NAU beats UNLV and FT Lewis and meets Montana in Missoula 3-0 for a game that will decide the Big Sky Champion when all is said and done. It is going to be interesting. We will need some help from other teams beating up on MSU and Eastern. The Big Sky is always interesting and entertaining.
JackParty wrote:Going out on a limb here, NAU give ASU with their new coach, new QB and vontaze-less defense a run for their money. NAU is gonna run a lot of pass plays out of the backfield. They can go slot and deep with their depth at WR. They can run will a full house or 2 back or single back set....they are stacked at RB/FB. Lots of looks and lots of weapons. It's close into the 4th when NAU pulls out the victory. NAU beats UNLV and FT Lewis and meets Montana in Missoula 3-0 for a game that will decide the Big Sky Champion when all is said and done. It is going to be interesting. We will need some help from other teams beating up on MSU and Eastern. The Big Sky is always interesting and entertaining.
Interesting poll. Each season is new and unique. You never know which teams will catch fire or flame out. Which team will have young players become playmakers and which team will lose their playmakers to injuries.
UM has their share of distractions but I don't think it is going to have as big an impact on the season as some may think, or may hope. There is a lot talent left and some on the way. The coaching staff is solid and enthusiastic. I expect a solid season.
I think NAU will surprise some teams this season. If they ever learn to win the games they should win they will be a force. This may be their season.
Good point Griz. The difference this season for NAU is that there are "winners" on the team. Kids from championship HS teams that "know how to win". There is something to be said for the "winning" culture. I agree that has been missing and that has been the difference between going 3-8 and 8-3. A ton of games they could have won and didn't. This is the year that culture changes. It's not hype.
JackParty wrote:Good point Griz. The difference this season for NAU is that there are "winners" on the team. Kids from championship HS teams that "know how to win". There is something to be said for the "winning" culture. I agree that has been missing and that has been the difference between going 3-8 and 8-3. A ton of games they could have won and didn't. This is the year that culture changes. It's not hype.
We shall see. NAU is a great school, and I would love to see them do better on the field.
FriscoOrBust wrote:Athlon College Football
1. Sam Houston State
2. Georgia Southern
3. North Dakota State
4. Montana State
5. James Madison
6. Old Dominion
7. Towson
8. Appalachian State
9. Youngstown State
10. New Hampshire
11. Delaware
12. Eastern Washington
13. Jacksonville State
14. Indiana State
15. Illinois State
16. Stony Brook
17. Montana
18. Eastern Kentucky
19. Wofford
20. Northern Iowa
21. Murray State
22. Harvard
23. Stephen F. Austin
24. Chattanooga
25. Lehigh
Surprised to see Harvard among top 25 considering the Ivy league has no automatic playoff birth.I think Norfolk St. should occupy spot #22 seeing as how they were in the playoffs last season.
If you use who actually wins the national title each year as a guide, you see that you're probably going to be wrong if you pick last year's national champ to win. Yeah, you'd do a lot better than you would just randomly picking one of the 120+ FCS teams. But at this point you'd have been wrong 28 out of 34 times if I counted right. So it's pretty clear that looking at who ended up #1 last year isn't a real good predictor of who is going to end up #1 this year.
I guess it's relative though. You'd have picked who's going to be #1 correctly about 18% of the time by just tabbing last year's champ and I don't know if it's possible to do any better than that. Still...it's not like it's off the wall to pick another team.
Well, I believe that I must tell the truth
And say things as they really are
But if I told the truth and nothing but the truth
Could I ever be a star? Deep Purple: No One Came
