Despite playing all but one of its 22 previous FCS Playoff games as a member of the Big Sky, this is the first time the Eagles have played a fellow member of the league. In 1985, when the Eagles were an independent member of FCS (then I-AA) and made their first playoff appearance, Eastern beat Idaho 42-38.
"We know how good Montana is, their tradition and how well-coached they are," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin when the pairings were announced. "We were in a battle again against them earlier this year. We're just excited for the fact we received a bye and a home game."
Eastern's 56-34 victory over Portland State on Nov. 21 in Portland, Ore., clinched the automatic playoff berth given to the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles were the outright Big Sky Conference champions for the second-straight season, won their third-straight league title and picked up their eighth Big Sky crown overall.
The Eagles, who are now 10-2 overall and finished the league season 7-1, are in the playoffs for the 11th time, including their eighth time in the last 11 seasons since 2004. Only top-seeded New Hampshire and Montana – making its record 22nd appearance in the FCS Playoffs -- can also stake claim to that accomplishment.
Ah… here we go, the Battle of the Big Sky. Will Eastern Washington's cocky showmanship reign supreme again, or will Montana vanquish the demons of the Blood Turf, return the land to grass, and take home the Archduke of Baldwin as a trophy? EWU has the better resumé, but Montana is peaking at the right time & I think they'll play better than they did 4 weeks earlier. It likely comes down to whether the Griz can run the ball better than in the first meeting.
Note: I called RBs a "push" because Quincy Forte is questionable.
Here's my assessment of the matchups & my pick for the game:
Mvemjsunpx wrote:Ah… here we go, the Battle of the Big Sky. Will Eastern Washington's cocky showmanship reign supreme again, or will Montana vanquish the demons of the Blood Turf, return the land to grass, and take home the Archduke of Baldwin as a trophy? EWU has the better resumé, but Montana is peaking at the right time & I think they'll play better than they did 4 weeks earlier. It likely comes down to whether the Griz can run the ball better than in the first meeting.
Note: I called RBs a "push" because Quincy Forte is questionable.
Here's my assessment of the matchups & my pick for the game:
Another oddball pick from Venus. Declares EWU better in the majority of the categories he grades, then goes with the homer pick.
SuperHornet's Athletics Hall of Fame includes Jacksonville State kicker Ashley Martin, the first girl to score in a Division I football game. She kicked 3 PATs in a 2001 game for J-State.
SuperHornet wrote:Another oddball pick from Venus. Declares EWU better in the majority of the categories he grades, then goes with the homer pick.
You're assuming every advantage is by the same amount. The special teams & secondary advantages for EWU were slight, while the front-7 advantage for Montana is quite large.
The position comparisons aren't the only factors I use to pick the game, either.
SuperHornet wrote:Another oddball pick from Venus. Declares EWU better in the majority of the categories he grades, then goes with the homer pick.
You're assuming every advantage is by the same amount. The special teams & secondary advantages for EWU were slight, while the front-7 advantage for Montana is quite large.
The position comparisons aren't the only factors I use to pick the game, either.
All that being said, you've never picked against Montana is this series. I get that, but don't pretend that it's because of objectivity.
Mvemjsunpx wrote:
You're assuming every advantage is by the same amount. The special teams & secondary advantages for EWU were slight, while the front-7 advantage for Montana is quite large.
The position comparisons aren't the only factors I use to pick the game, either.
All that being said, you've never picked against Montana is this series. I get that, but don't pretend that it's because of objectivity.
I've picked the Griz the last two years because all talent/statistical/etc. indications are that they should be able to run the ball on EWU without much trouble. It's been a bit mystifying why that hasn't been the case, but I'm thinking the recent tweak to Montana's offensive approach will change that. I believe that factor will ultimately decide the game again. I'm not feigning complete objectivity here, of course, but my thoughts are more objective than you think they are. The Griz played one of their worst games of the season in Cheney & still had a shot. I'll be surprised if they don't play better, so the Eagles will have to play better than they did the first time to win. It's difficult to know what to expect from EWU because they've only played one game in the past 3 weeks.
Last edited by Mvemjsunpx on Thu Dec 04, 2014 9:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mvemjsunpx wrote:
You're assuming every advantage is by the same amount. The special teams & secondary advantages for EWU were slight, while the front-7 advantage for Montana is quite large.
The position comparisons aren't the only factors I use to pick the game, either.
All that being said, you've never picked against Montana is this series. I get that, but don't pretend that it's because of objectivity.
It is a classic case of Good vs. Evil.
Now why would you expect him to choose Evil?????
EWURanger wrote:
All that being said, you've never picked against Montana is this series. I get that, but don't pretend that it's because of objectivity.
It is a classic case of Good vs. Evil.
Now why would you expect him to choose Evil?????
Damn! I knew this was going to happen one day. If EWU wins this game, which is a rivalry playoff game...theyre taking the entire thing. How do I watch the game on ESPN 3? And is it free if I have TWC?
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