Has the sun set on the Griz Nation?

Will we win another Big Sky Championship?

And if we do, can we go past the first round of the playoffs?

Hauck & crew recruited a strong class of athletes 4 or 5 years ago & they peaked last year as seniors. During those years I kept saying "wait 'til these guys are all seniors, we should win a national championship...." and you know the rest of the story.

Will the boys be all right?

There is no glory to be had in the BSC, even if you win it. Mohammed Ali, in his prime, would have had little reason for beating his chest having punched out PeeWee Herman.

Again, the Big Sky conference was the 3rd rated I-AA conference in the last 5-year period; the top ranked conference in the 4- and 5-year periods prior to '07; and was ranked higher than the Southern Conference every year from '98 - '06.

Silvertip wrote:There is no glory to be had in the BSC, even if you win it. Mohammed Ali, in his prime, would have had little reason for beating his chest having punched out PeeWee Herman.

Post of the year canidate!!!!

You might get into the playoffs, but you won't win the conference. IMO

The Griz won't have as good of a defense (probably) or special teams (almost certainly) and so if the offense can't score more in 2008 then yes, I believe the string will be broken. No playoffs. I'd like to say that I am optimistic that the offense will be better this year but unless there is a radical change of offensive philosophy then there is very little hope.

My prediction? 3rd in the Big Sky, no playoffs and we finally get to say goodbye to RP. Can't wait for 2009...

Oh, yeah, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me eat these words.

I think Silvertip is right on about the Big Sky, but I will take it beyond football and expand it to all sports.

I believe there is a country song that goes something like: poor poor pitiful me...

sounds like you guys need some cheese, a violin, and whatever else that can allow you to sleep after crying.


The Griz are fine! We are in the BSC, not any other power house of a conference, which means we will either win outright, tie, or take second in the conference. This also means we will go back to the playoffs for the hundredth year in a row! Ho Hum!

Our defense will be surprisingly good, and our offense will allow us to win games, though not blowing out anyone. We will have 3 losses at the most, but I predict 2.

All I can do is laugh at crap like this!

I think it's there, and I think the Griz can, and will win the Big Sky this year.


I know, I know - you're all shocked at my opinion.


Griz Nation is stronger than ever, the stadium will hold the most amount of people ever, we're close to breaking ground on many new athletic buildings and plans, from a possible indoor practice facility to new coaches offices and a new (and much needed) academic center.

Our dominance as a football team has been shaken, we're still winning the conference but it's impossible to deny that teams we used to just crush are playing us tight, and 1st round losses in 2003, 2005 & 2007 are stingers, especially 2007 because of the high hopes for that team.

However I don't think the era is over, in fact I think it's just about to redefine itself. This team, the coaches, and the fans are facing a challenge unlike something they've seen in years. For the first time in a while there are other teams that return more dominant and experienced skill players, mainly EWU. There's threats in teams with new schemes, such as PSU. There's also teams that have shown they're getting much better and will be fierce competitors this year, in Weber, NAU & MSU.

I think it's easy to look at the loss of talent from last year, many players we'd seen for 4 straight years, and then look at the other teams around the conference and get worried. Heck, for the first time since 2005 we're not talking about a slam-dunk conference championship.

However, I like a challenge, and I think this team and it's coaches do too. In the spring camp they played very loose and relaxed, the companionship and team-spirit was there. These guys are confident in each other. And although we're going to be seeing a lot of new faces on the field, these guys have been embedded in this program for years, and they're ready to make an impact.

I predict we'll win this conference, it's going to be tough though - almost every game will be a battle, and this team is going to have to change the way it plays games both mentally and with its playbook. Our power running game could still be there, but without Lex the experience falls on our passing game. Our defense will have a lot of guys that will be gunning to make a name for themselves.

This team has a chip on it's shoulder from last year's loss, and I think the Big Sky is going to be reeling from it once they see a Grizzly team that, most likely, will look a lot like 2004's team. At least, that's my hope.

Uh oh. Sky is falling again.

It amazes me the sense of entitlement that our fans seem to have with regard to football.

I challenge ANYONE on this board to point to a program that does not hit some speed bumps every few years. Look at the records. It simply isn't done.

Georgia Southern - nope
Marshall - nope
Youngstown - nope
App St. - on a roll, but had some very down times

Oklahoma - nope
USC - nope
Ohio State - nope
Michigan - nope
Nebraska - nope
Miami - nope
Texas - nope
Alabama - nope
Florida - nope
Florida State - nope

The list could go on and on.

What UM has accomplished the past 15 years in football is historically amazing. But if we think / expect it to continue on indefinitely, without an occasional speed bump, we are being very naive.

this post just confirms how spoiled some Griz faithful have become. I too do not like 1st round playoff losses however the key word is playoff losses. The Griz continue to go there and a disappointing year for the Griz is what a lot of programs out there are striving to get to.

While I am bummed at the loss to Wofford, many seem to be forgetting if they played us like they played Richmond, the score would have been much different. I never would have thought Wofford would come in to WA Griz with the temps around 15 and hold onto the ball as well as they did. Does anyone remember how they bobbled tons of balls against Richmond at home?

Wofford played a great game with an offense we rarely see.

I see no decline in the Griz.

As for Apps rise to dominance, and the Griz's perceived decline, such is life. Someone on AGS dug up an old thread about how their coach was on the hot seat and was going to lose his job if App didn't do something soon. Of course they changed the offense completely to the new "trendy" spread, and the rest is history.

Apps offense was the most powerful this year of any of the previous, but they still lost two games. That tells me teams are starting to figure out the spread.

I think the Big Sky is going to be really strong and exciting next year. Better than it has been in years. Look at all the talented QBs in the conference - Most of them are still young.

It will be another undefeated regular season, followed by a juggernaut run through the playoffs and culminating in a 7 touchdown woodshedding of App State in the chipper.




I don't see what the problem is.

I for one am not declaring the sky is falling. I completely agree that everyone has their down years (despite the remarkable string of playoff appearances the Griz have). I simply believe that the Griz are in more vulnerable starting position this year than my memory can recollect. This year will be one to humble Griz Nation a bit. My opinion, like it or not and time will tell.

My season tickets have been purchased of course.

BTW - In 2001 I purchased plane tickets to Chattanooga before the season even began. Got there dirt cheap and of course was not disappointed! Haven't done it since and won't this year for sure.

Hmmm. Gotta love the ReMax optimism. Who knows how good you'll be. Should be another very interesting year in the Big Sky. Personally I do think the Griz will finally see a "down" year by your standards but will still win 7 or 8 games. I base this purely on the huge, unprecedented loss of talent, the quality of some of your opponents, and the comments that Bobby has been making. You can claim "Coach Speak" all you want, but I challenge anyone to dig back and find Bobby making comments even remotely close to as negative as what he made this Spring in terms of the team being "Not very good." and others...

I did not say anything about how the Griz would fair, I commented on how the Big Sky in all sports is not as good as the past. I see the Big Sky as mediocre. The football and basketball are not nearly as exciting and the conference has not faired as well versus other conferences. I see the Big Sky as declining as opposed to ascending.

Well, since it is already given that the BSC and UM are not competitive, and generally also rans, why not just drop football, basketball, etc. in favor of club sports? Since, apparently winning National Titles (albeit, in a division no one cares about), winning year after year after year in conference bouts, producing great athletic leaders, not to mention uniting a once floundering alumni, raising more money than ever before to help the University in everything from new Indian culture buildings, to student housing, means very little to those "in the know on this board", lets just drop it all and hope Idaho and Wyoming can fill our fall saturday afternoons... Still, I plan on being at Mustang Stadium, Sept. 6, to watch the invincible Cal Poly team dominate what, according to many of the steady posters here, a sad sack group of rejects that can barely pass a physical...

Knuckle draggers I think is the word you're looking for.

Let me just say this, my expectations this year aren't nearly as high as they have been.

And I'm usually on the optimistic side, (I try to approach life that way.)

So if we win the BSC & make the playoffs, BH and RP will make believers out of me!

I'm rooting for the Griz & hoping it happens!

GO GRIZ!

(Thanks REMAX for your excellent post & recap of the spring ball situation....)

While I agree that the run could end. Comparing Montana to any other 1AA school is a reach. The Griz are what Montana sport fans relate to. For the last five years people having been saying what a great eye for talent Hauch has. This should be simply a reloading year, not a rebuilding year. Hauck will be gone if they do not make the playoffs.

pete wrote:While I agree that the run could end. Comparing Montana to any other 1AA school is a reach. The Griz are what Montana sport fans relate to. For the last five years people having been saying what a great eye for talent Hauch has. This should be simply a reloading year, not a rebuilding year. Hauck will be gone if they do not make the playoffs.

One bad year may not seal Hauck being gone. A great year though this year would really help him land a higher level job finally. Myself I expect the GRIZ to go 10-2, go back to the playoffs, host a 1st round game. Hauck has proven every year our Defense and special teams will be well above average to outstanding. Even this year, kicking and punting will not be as strong, yet I have a feeling the replacements will make the transition easier than many expect. The defense again will be amongst the best and do outstanding in redzone defense. The return game again will be amongst the best in nation.

Offensively, we will learn to spread the wealth around, have a more diverse attack, and more difficult to prepare for. Cole being a SR and our OL we have are huge factors in helping make this year better than expected. I think the drop off will be slight, and for the most part be same ole same ole for the GRIZ. My main concern as always the offensive playcalling in the redzone again. I do hope RP does enough to shut me up this year on his playcalling. That alone will be a huge turning point for this program.

If this plays out the way I think, Hauck finally moves on and we can start the new coach debates here.