Conference Champs: Remaining Games

[AZGrizFan]

God I hope both UND and Weber make the playoffs and are put in Montana's bracket. Normally I don't root to be in the same bracket as conference teams, but THIS year, I really, really REALLY want to have the Griz put an ass whooping of epic proportions on those two teams.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Oh, and there's a very good chance Weber only wins one more game this year. So it'll be a moot point.

 

[BadlandsGrizFan]

None of this matters UND will likely win the conference with a joke of a schedule. Montana and EWU will likely both be seeded in the playoffs. For a giant fuck you to UND. The playoff committee isn't as retarded as the Wioux fans. Thank god.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

So North Dakota likely wins out without facing Montana or eastern... well earned conference title. I know they beat cal poly but it's disappointing to see that happen like that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Griz already lost to the #3 team in the conference. They are lucky they aren't going to play the #2, UND, or Weber.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

f

Nice post Captain Obvious. UND and Weber are lucky they don't have to play the Griz. Your
Kittens have one of the lowest strength of schedules in FCS.

Not sure why Weber is lucky they don't play Montana this year since they won in Missoula last year and their team is offensively better this year

I don't know if they are lucky or not, but what happened last year means zero.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

None of this matters UND will likely win the conference with a joke of a schedule. Montana and EWU will likely both be seeded in the playoffs. For a giant f*** you to UND. The playoff committee isn't as retarded as the Wioux fans. Thank god.

Joke or not, that doesn't make UND a bad team.

 

[BadlandsGrizFan]

None of this matters UND will likely win the conference with a joke of a schedule. Montana and EWU will likely both be seeded in the playoffs. For a giant f*** you to UND. The playoff committee isn't as retarded as the Wioux fans. Thank god.

Joke or not, that doesn't make UND a bad team.

They're not a bad team. Just not a team that will get a seed

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

None of this matters UND will likely win the conference with a joke of a schedule. Montana and EWU will likely both be seeded in the playoffs. For a giant f*** you to UND. The playoff committee isn't as retarded as the Wioux fans. Thank god.

Joke or not, that doesn't make UND a bad team.

They're not a bad team. Just not a team that will get a seed

I am not sure the Griz will be a seed either. They might be able to afford a loss, but the next 2 weeks will be yuuuuugggggge

 

[marceagfan5]

I think the biggest issue was until last year, you have to go back to 1994 (i believe), to find a conference or co-conference champ that wasn't EWU or Montana, and last year SUU played neither team and if Weber or UND win it this year the same will be said. The reason that everyone is saying the big sky goes through Montana and to an extent EWU is because for the past 20+ years it has...

 

[WILDCATFAN]

The Griz already lost to the #3 team in the conference. They are lucky they aren't going to play the #2, UND, or Weber.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

f

Nice post Captain Obvious. UND and Weber are lucky they don't have to play the Griz. Your
Kittens have one of the lowest strength of schedules in FCS.

Not sure why Weber is lucky they don't play Montana this year since they won in Missoula last year and their team is offensively better this year

I don't know if they are lucky or not, but what happened last year means zero.

Montana has been tested once this year. (Poly) and they lost. So why is North Dakota not worthy of the title if they win out? Aside from Eastern who they haven't even played yet who's on Montana's resume that makes them worthy?

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

f

Nice post Captain Obvious. UND and Weber are lucky they don't have to play the Griz. Your
Kittens have one of the lowest strength of schedules in FCS.

Not sure why Weber is lucky they don't play Montana this year since they won in Missoula last year and their team is offensively better this year

I don't know if they are lucky or not, but what happened last year means zero.

Montana has been tested once this year. (Poly) and they lost. So why is North Dakota not worthy of the title if they win out? Aside from Eastern who they haven't even played yet who's on Montana's resume that makes them worthy?

I am not saying whether a team is worthy or not. What I am saying is the BSC if flawed because a team does not play everyone, so there is inherent imbalance in the method of deciding the champion. Not only from the perspective of UM but from everyone.

 

[grizcountry420]

Sure, winning the bigsky would be nice but it has become flat unfair and has lost it's luster to me.

My goal for our team as a fan is to go deeper into the playoffs than any other BigSky team.
That's what I believe shows who the true, no bullshit, "bigsky" champ is.

I agree.. This conference is such a mess now. It would be nice to actually play a championship game. Anymore it's all about the last big sky team standing in the playoff. That's kind of how I judge who the better team in the Big Sky..

 

[WILDCATFAN]

Not sure why Weber is lucky they don't play Montana this year since they won in Missoula last year and their team is offensively better this year

I don't know if they are lucky or not, but what happened last year means zero.

Montana has been tested once this year. (Poly) and they lost. So why is North Dakota not worthy of the title if they win out? Aside from Eastern who they haven't even played yet who's on Montana's resume that makes them worthy?

I am not saying whether a team is worthy or not. What I am saying is the BSC if flawed because a team does not play everyone, so there is inherent imbalance in the method of deciding the champion. Not only from the perspective of UM but from everyone.

I know I quoted you but it was a general question to all of egriz. It was just me being lazy.

I agree the system is flawed but teams still have to win the games they play. North Dakota is 4-0 in the conference, all alone in first and they deserve it

 

[Diesel]

I don't know if they are lucky or not, but what happened last year means zero.

Montana has been tested once this year. (Poly) and they lost. So why is North Dakota not worthy of the title if they win out? Aside from Eastern who they haven't even played yet who's on Montana's resume that makes them worthy?

I am not saying whether a team is worthy or not. What I am saying is the BSC if flawed because a team does not play everyone, so there is inherent imbalance in the method of deciding the champion. Not only from the perspective of UM but from everyone.

I know I quoted you but it was a general question to all of egriz. It was just me being lazy.

I agree the system is flawed but teams still have to win the games they play. North Dakota is 4-0 in the conference, all alone in first and they deserve it

It is official, there are more UD and Weber fans on egriz than attend their football games.

 

[IdaGriz01]

... I am not saying whether a team is worthy or not. What I am saying is the BSC if flawed because a team does not play everyone, so there is inherent imbalance in the method of deciding the champion. Not only from the perspective of UM but from everyone.

As the saying goes ... "It is what it is" (referring to the BSC scheduling situation). We (most of us anyway) are not dumping on North Dakota. If they win the conference on their record ... then they win the conference and (by the rules) they absolutely deserve it. They can't play a schedule they're not given.

I got to wondering just how the problem looked ... in hindsight. Here's how, with some explanation. I added up the final conference records of the opponents of the top teams at the end of the year-- the teams each actually played. Then, for comparison, I compiled the records of the teams they did not play.

For Southern Utah in 2015, the eight teams they played had a combined conference record of 28-36. The teams they did not play went 21-11 for that season. By comparison, Portland State and the Griz faced -- on average -- opponents that were 4-5 games stronger than SUU. But the "Did Not Play" (DNP) category is the real imbalance. The schedule allowed SUU to avoid teams that were 7-8 games stronger than what PSU and UM played.

2015
SUU 7-1 Opponents combined records: 28-36 … DNP: 21-11
PSU 6-2 Opponents: 33-31 … DNP: 13-19
UM 6-2 Opponents: 32-32 … DNP: 14-18

The previous year was much more balanced in terms of these numbers. EWU's opponents were only 1-2 games weaker than those for the second-place teams. And the DNP category was a wash.
2014
EWU 7-1 Opponents: 28-36 … DNP: 17-15
UM 6-2 Opponents: 31-33 … DNP: 15-17
MSU 6-2 Opponents: 29-35 … DNP: 17-15
ISU 6-2 Opponents: 31-33 … DNP: 15-17

I was shocked, truly, by the numbers for 2013. The opponent-strength margin between EWU and NAU was razor thin. But you have to ask: How the Hell did the Griz finish as high as third? Their opponent strength was 10 games higher than the two top teams, and the teams they did not get to play were the real wimps that year. Based on these numbers, that 2013 teams was way better than we perhaps gave it credit for.
2013
EWU 8-0 Opponents: 28-36 … DNP: 16-16
NAU 7-1 Opponents: 28-36 … DNP: 17-15
UM 6-2 Opponents: 38-26 … DNP: 8-24

This is hindsight, of course. There's no way the scheduling committee could reliably project (based on the records for the previous year, or maybe 2 or 3 years) what would be a "balanced" schedule for every single team.

But the numbers confirm that the system is fundamentally flawed. Given the current size of the conference, and the prohibition on a divisional setup with a final championship game ... I see no reasonable solution. Other than the obvious fact that playoff seeds and at-large bids depend upon other factors than a (now) somewhat-artificial conference championship.

 

[WILDCATFAN]

Montana has been tested once this year. (Poly) and they lost. So why is North Dakota not worthy of the title if they win out? Aside from Eastern who they haven't even played yet who's on Montana's resume that makes them worthy?

I am not saying whether a team is worthy or not. What I am saying is the BSC if flawed because a team does not play everyone, so there is inherent imbalance in the method of deciding the champion. Not only from the perspective of UM but from everyone.

I know I quoted you but it was a general question to all of egriz. It was just me being lazy.

I agree the system is flawed but teams still have to win the games they play. North Dakota is 4-0 in the conference, all alone in first and they deserve it

It is official, there are more UD and Weber fans on egriz than attend their football games.

That's the best you can come up with?

 

[pussycatkillerz]

Bear in mind, und and Mt have 1 different conference opponent this year. Yes, it is EWU. But 1 game aside, they have played extremely comparable schedules this year.

Not really, Montana's schedule is way easier than UND's. It is littered with cupcakes.

Montana will NEVER win the SOS argument. We are the best team in the conference and can't play ourselves.

BOOM
/endthread

 

[grizcountry420]

 

[get'em_griz]

... I am not saying whether a team is worthy or not. What I am saying is the BSC if flawed because a team does not play everyone, so there is inherent imbalance in the method of deciding the champion. Not only from the perspective of UM but from everyone.

As the saying goes ... "It is what it is" (referring to the BSC scheduling situation). We (most of us anyway) are not dumping on North Dakota. If they win the conference on their record ... then they win the conference and (by the rules) they absolutely deserve it. They can't play a schedule they're not given.

I got to wondering just how the problem looked ... in hindsight. Here's how, with some explanation. I added up the final conference records of the opponents of the top teams at the end of the year-- the teams each actually played. Then, for comparison, I compiled the records of the teams they did not play.

For Southern Utah in 2015, the eight teams they played had a combined conference record of 28-36. The teams they did not play went 21-11 for that season. By comparison, Portland State and the Griz faced -- on average -- opponents that were 4-5 games stronger than SUU. But the "Did Not Play" (DNP) category is the real imbalance. The schedule allowed SUU to avoid teams that were 7-8 games stronger than what PSU and UM played.

2015
SUU 7-1 Opponents combined records: 28-36 … DNP: 21-11
PSU 6-2 Opponents: 33-31 … DNP: 13-19
UM 6-2 Opponents: 32-32 … DNP: 14-18

The previous year was much more balanced in terms of these numbers. EWU's opponents were only 1-2 games weaker than those for the second-place teams. And the DNP category was a wash.
2014
EWU 7-1 Opponents: 28-36 … DNP: 17-15
UM 6-2 Opponents: 31-33 … DNP: 15-17
MSU 6-2 Opponents: 29-35 … DNP: 17-15
ISU 6-2 Opponents: 31-33 … DNP: 15-17

I was shocked, truly, by the numbers for 2013. The opponent-strength margin between EWU and NAU was razor thin. But you have to ask: How the Hell did the Griz finish as high as third? Their opponent strength was 10 games higher than the two top teams, and the teams they did not get to play were the real wimps that year. Based on these numbers, that 2013 teams was way better than we perhaps gave it credit for.
2013
EWU 8-0 Opponents: 28-36 … DNP: 16-16
NAU 7-1 Opponents: 28-36 … DNP: 17-15
UM 6-2 Opponents: 38-26 … DNP: 8-24

This is hindsight, of course. There's no way the scheduling committee could reliably project (based on the records for the previous year, or maybe 2 or 3 years) what would be a "balanced" schedule for every single team.

But the numbers confirm that the system is fundamentally flawed. Given the current size of the conference, and the prohibition on a divisional setup with a final championship game ... I see no reasonable solution. Other than the obvious fact that playoff seeds and at-large bids depend upon other factors than a (now) somewhat-artificial conference championship.

This is great information. Thanks for posting it! :thumb:

 

[BadlandsGrizFan]

None of this matters UND will likely win the conference with a joke of a schedule. Montana and EWU will likely both be seeded in the playoffs. For a giant f*** you to UND. The playoff committee isn't as retarded as the Wioux fans. Thank god.

Joke or not, that doesn't make UND a bad team.

They're not a bad team. Just not a team that will get a seed

I am not sure the Griz will be a seed either. They might be able to afford a loss, but the next 2 weeks will be yuuuuugggggge

If we win out we will be a top 5 seed

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Joke or not, that doesn't make UND a bad team.

They're not a bad team. Just not a team that will get a seed

I am not sure the Griz will be a seed either. They might be able to afford a loss, but the next 2 weeks will be yuuuuugggggge

If we win out we will be a top 5 seed

I didn't say they wouldn't. I am just not sure that will be the case.