The too early 2016 Big Sky Poll

[G-BEARS]

Putting EWU at middle tier is a little low. Their recieving Corp may be the best in all of FCS and their passing offense will be top 10. Putting points on the board in this conference will win a lot of games. If their D can be middle of the pack they could win the conference. I've got Griz, Eags, NAU, UND has top tier in that order.

Couldn't agree more, your top 4 then its everyone else. Only reason I see UND in the top 4 is because of their schedule...otherwise I think its a 3 team race this year.

Eastern D will be better and it appears a new QB will be under center come fall...

Rumor has it the O-Line looks pretty atrocious and that the QB will be running for his life. True or not so much?

Atrocious? absolutely not. Young? definitely. Eastern has a really big offensive line and this spring was their first time together. They'll be fine come the fall and they were fine this spring, just a couple youthful mistakes but not a bad spring in any stretch.

I think the biggest surprise coming out of spring ball is that West or Hennessey didn't win the starting QB job...West looks like he'll possibly go from starter last year to 3rd string this year...

Interesting. Who's the new guy?

 

[HookedonGriz]

Couldn't agree more, your top 4 then its everyone else. Only reason I see UND in the top 4 is because of their schedule...otherwise I think its a 3 team race this year.

Eastern D will be better and it appears a new QB will be under center come fall...

Rumor has it the O-Line looks pretty atrocious and that the QB will be running for his life. True or not so much?

Atrocious? absolutely not. Young? definitely. Eastern has a really big offensive line and this spring was their first time together. They'll be fine come the fall and they were fine this spring, just a couple youthful mistakes but not a bad spring in any stretch.

I think the biggest surprise coming out of spring ball is that West or Hennessey didn't win the starting QB job...West looks like he'll possibly go from starter last year to 3rd string this year...

Interesting. Who's the new guy?

Gage Gubrud. Heard he is pretty good and looks the part. But I also heard the O-Line struggled badly all spring....like where the QBs were all running for their lives all the time. Sounds like running the ball has been issue too because of it. So they'll have to get that shored up first. But you have some stud QBs in what sound like Gubrud and Hennessey. Not sure what has happened to West. He's kind of taken a nose dive. You also have a great prospect coming in your true Freshman Eric Berriere...kind of VA like.

http://goeags.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3725

 

[G-BEARS]

Is Gubrud a RS freshman? Must be pretty good because Hennessey has talent.

 

[HookedonGriz]

Is Gubrud a RS freshman? Must be pretty good because Hennessey has talent.

RS Soph I believe. Sounds like he is getting me majority of reps in spring. marcEag will have to verify, but I think he came in for some series against the Griz last year when West and Hennesey couldn't get anything going at all. If that was Gage, he kinda struggled too but sounds like he's done great this spring.

 

[ajwildcat]

I don't see how you can all automatically just write off Weber St.
They finished tied for 4th, didnt lose any play makers to graduation.
They have an easier schedule this coming year,
Had the #1 defense statistically in Conf last year.
And oh yeah, they beat the Griz in Missoula last season. :twocents:

 

[ilovethecats]

would you mind pointing me in the direction of these average fans. because I would love to hang out with someone so positive. I have heard nothing but the opposite so far so this new perception would be refreshing.

You're correct and I apologize. I should've refered to them as average "pre-spring scrimmage" fans. You know, back in the #winthestate #boom days.

damn. what a let down. here I was hoping there was part of our fanbase oozing optimism. anyone that I have talked to seems to be of the thought we'll have some pretty average years for a bit while we make the transition. I do agree many of us are excited and optimistic about the new coaching regime. i'm guessing we're the first fanbase to be excited about a coaching change though.

Oh, I don't know....I hear UNLV fans were pretty excited about Hauck. :thumb:

D2 was! maybe he could chime in...?

 

[marceagfan5]

Is Gubrud a RS freshman? Must be pretty good because Hennessey has talent.

RS Soph I believe. Sounds like he is getting me majority of reps in spring. marcEag will have to verify, but I think he came in for some series against the Griz last year when West and Hennesey couldn't get anything going at all. If that was Gage, he kinda struggled too but sounds like he's done great this spring.

Gubrud is going to be a RS Soph...He played well in fall camp last year but I think Baldwin was a bit scared to go with him. He played some Mop up duty last year against the Griz and 1 or two other teams, but really nothing with the starting O against a starting D. He had a great spring camp and has been the best QB, took most of the starting QB snaps this spring, especially in the spring game. He's quick and a great athlete, runs in the high 4.6's low 4.7s in the 40 and he does run, unlike a lot of QB's eastern had in the past. Eastern tweeked their offense this year too, its faster than in years prior and also leaves the option for the QB to run, so Gubrud fits right in. Right now its probably between Hennessey and Gubrud as to who will be the starter next year, i'd be shocked if it was West, after spring camp, I'd give the edge to Gubrud. . Eastern also has a really good freshman from Cali coming in next year (who they plan to be their QB of the future), but my money is on him redshirting, but you never know...

 

[G-BEARS]

Is Gubrud a RS freshman? Must be pretty good because Hennessey has talent.

RS Soph I believe. Sounds like he is getting me majority of reps in spring. marcEag will have to verify, but I think he came in for some series against the Griz last year when West and Hennesey couldn't get anything going at all. If that was Gage, he kinda struggled too but sounds like he's done great this spring.

Gubrud is going to be a RS Soph...He played well in fall camp last year but I think Baldwin was a bit scared to go with him. He played some Mop up duty last year against the Griz and 1 or two other teams, but really nothing with the starting O against a starting D. He had a great spring camp and has been the best QB, took most of the starting QB snaps this spring, especially in the spring game. He's quick and a great athlete, runs in the high 4.6's low 4.7s in the 40 and he does run, unlike a lot of QB's eastern had in the past. Eastern tweeked their offense this year too, its faster than in years prior and also leaves the option for the QB to run, so Gubrud fits right in. Right now its probably between Hennessey and Gubrud as to who will be the starter next year, i'd be shocked if it was West, after spring camp, I'd give the edge to Gubrud. . Eastern also has a really good freshman from Cali coming in next year (who they plan to be their QB of the future), but my money is on him redshirting, but you never know...

Did you guys bring a QB the year Pflug came to us instead of eastern? If so, which one? Gubrud is a year older by the sounds of it

 

[marceagfan5]

Is Gubrud a RS freshman? Must be pretty good because Hennessey has talent.

RS Soph I believe. Sounds like he is getting me majority of reps in spring. marcEag will have to verify, but I think he came in for some series against the Griz last year when West and Hennesey couldn't get anything going at all. If that was Gage, he kinda struggled too but sounds like he's done great this spring.

Gubrud is going to be a RS Soph...He played well in fall camp last year but I think Baldwin was a bit scared to go with him. He played some Mop up duty last year against the Griz and 1 or two other teams, but really nothing with the starting O against a starting D. He had a great spring camp and has been the best QB, took most of the starting QB snaps this spring, especially in the spring game. He's quick and a great athlete, runs in the high 4.6's low 4.7s in the 40 and he does run, unlike a lot of QB's eastern had in the past. Eastern tweeked their offense this year too, its faster than in years prior and also leaves the option for the QB to run, so Gubrud fits right in. Right now its probably between Hennessey and Gubrud as to who will be the starter next year, i'd be shocked if it was West, after spring camp, I'd give the edge to Gubrud. . Eastern also has a really good freshman from Cali coming in next year (who they plan to be their QB of the future), but my money is on him redshirting, but you never know...

Did you guys bring a QB the year Pflug came to us instead of eastern? If so, which one? Gubrud is a year older by the sounds of it

No...it was a bit odd we were going after Pflug after Hennessey signed the year prior. Gubrud has kind of come out of nowhere as I don't know if he had another FCS offer on the table when he committed 2 years ago...He came in the same year as Hennessey.

 

[mcg]

I don't see how you can all automatically just write off Weber St.
They finished tied for 4th, didnt lose any play makers to graduation.
They have an easier schedule this coming year,
Had the #1 defense statistically in Conf last year.
And oh yeah, they beat the Griz in Missoula last season. :twocents:

That's actually a pretty good post. In the BSC weak schedule is an important attribute.

 

[George Ferguson]

poorgriz, really? You think Cal Poly should be picked higher than the Griz for what they did last September? Umm no. This is big boy football not pop warner. They "hey, we beat you guys so we're better than you" doesn't work at this level. Cal Poly went on to win how many games after they beat the Griz last year? Yeah, thought so. I give the Mustangs their due for their win at Wash-Griz that night. Have no problem admitting they outplayed Montana, and they've actually made a habit of doing that. But, even with their wins over UM, AND MSU for that matter, it literally never gets them anywhere. They have been a fringe playoff contender at best, and last year, they weren't even that. So no, they don't deserve to be higher in the coaches poll and media poll come July.

 

[poorgriz]

poorgriz, really? You think Cal Poly should be picked higher than the Griz for what they did last September? Umm no. This is big boy football not pop warner. They "hey, we beat you guys so we're better than you" doesn't work at this level. Cal Poly went on to win how many games after they beat the Griz last year? Yeah, thought so. I give the Mustangs their due for their win at Wash-Griz that night. Have no problem admitting they outplayed Montana, and they've actually made a habit of doing that. But, even with their wins over UM, AND MSU for that matter, it literally never gets them anywhere. They have been a fringe playoff contender at best, and last year, they weren't even that. So no, they don't deserve to be higher in the coaches poll and media poll come July.

No, I said nothing of the sort. My point was that it's pretty stupid to call the griz a top tier team and Cal Poly a bottom tier team when they beat you last year at home. Also, no....... Cal Poly didn't beat MSU last year, we thumped them.

 

[mcg]

I think poorgriz and bigsky33 are the same guy.

 

[George Ferguson]

Poorgriz, But in FACT Cal Poly WAS bottom tier team last year and the Griz were NOT. Poly finished 3-5 in the Big Sky and 4-7 overall. The Griz, 6-2 in the Big Sky and 8-5 overall. Are u that thickheaded and hate the Griz so much you can't even read the Big Sky standings?

 

[brewskis]

poorgriz, really? You think Cal Poly should be picked higher than the Griz for what they did last September? Umm no. This is big boy football not pop warner. They "hey, we beat you guys so we're better than you" doesn't work at this level. Cal Poly went on to win how many games after they beat the Griz last year? Yeah, thought so. I give the Mustangs their due for their win at Wash-Griz that night. Have no problem admitting they outplayed Montana, and they've actually made a habit of doing that. But, even with their wins over UM, AND MSU for that matter, it literally never gets them anywhere. They have been a fringe playoff contender at best, and last year, they weren't even that. So no, they don't deserve to be higher in the coaches poll and media poll come July.

No, I said nothing of the sort. My point was that it's pretty stupid to call the griz a top tier team and Cal Poly a bottom tier team when they beat you last year at home. Also, no....... Cal Poly didn't beat MSU last year, we thumped them.

Enjoy poly with Gregorcat. That dude couldn't even spell triple option.

 

[siouxfan512]

UND has a pretty favorable schedule all around and has a very dynamic rb we are all aware off. But can they get it done on the defensive side of the ball? Are they dynamic enough on offense outside of Santiago? They get Poly, SUU, Weber and NAU at home this year which sets them up nicely. But I could see them stumbling on the road whether it be at MSU, Sac St, or Idaho State (who beat them last year). Im just not convinced this team has enough consistency to win the conference. They were very hot and cold last year and I know much of it had to do with injuries but I'm not sure I see them winning 7 games in the conference.

It seems to me that there is no clear front runner. Most of these teams can beat each other on any given week. It will be fun to see how it all shakes out.

Pretty spot on assessment. If UND can't get it done this year, we are in trouble. Santiago was an awesome surprise last season, and it sounds like he looks even better this spring. Defense was good (minus that ridiculous blowout in Missoula ) Our secondary was certainly young and suspect to some big plays. Sounds like they should be better this year, though still unproven.

On the one hand, we lost two very close games to Idaho St and Weber last season and could have been a 9-2 team. Many could say it was due to injuries with our QB being out, but the truth is, good teams fight past those situations. Again, going back to MT smoking ND despite your QB injuries.

When it comes to this season, I also see no front runner. As we saw last year, match-ups are everything. As evidenced by a terrific post on siouxsports.com:

"UND beat Wyoming. Wyoming beat Nevada. Nevada beat Buffalo. Buffalo beat Ohio. Ohio beat Marshall. Marshall beat Purdue. Purdue beat Nebraska. Nebraska beat Michigan State. Michigan State just beat #2 Ohio State.
UND: THE TOP OF THE BCS
BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE! :lol: "

Biggest question mark for UND will have to be our passing game. If Clive Georges can stay health, then we have a solid deep threat. After that there is a lot of room for players to step up and prove themselves. Iwarri Smith had potential to move to WR, but is no longer with the team. Tim Dulin (RS Freshman) has terrific size and length, but is unproven. Seibel sounds like he could be out for the season with a knee injury. A nice true freshman coming in, buy again, unproven. I also expect to see them use Santiago in the passing game a bit.

Can't wait for some football!

 

[Old Shep]

The Griz are the second best team in the Big Sky. How's that you say? All the rest are tied for 1st!

 

[jcu27]

1. PSU
2. UM
3. EWU
4. NAU
5. UND
6. SUU
7. Cal Poly
8. MSU
9. UNC
10.Sac St
11. UC-Davis
12 Weber St
13. Idaho St

 

[WILDCATFAN]

1. PSU
2. UM
3. EWU
4. NAU
5. UND
6. SUU
7. Cal Poly
8. MSU
9. UNC
10.Sac St
11. UC-Davis
12 Weber St
13. Idaho St

Anything can happen but I cant see Weber at 12, last year Weber was a missed field goal away from a possible playoff berth, finished tied for 4th with #1 overall defense in the Big Sky. and are returning almost the entirety of their team from last year, not to mention Weber's schedule is a bit more favorable this year than it was last year. While I wont say Weber will finish in the top 4. I will say they will not finish 12th.

 

[SWeberCat02]

1. PSU
2. UM
3. EWU
4. NAU
5. UND
6. SUU
7. Cal Poly
8. MSU
9. UNC
10.Sac St
11. UC-Davis
12 Weber St
13. Idaho St

Anything can happen but I cant see Weber at 12, last year Weber was a missed field goal away from a possible playoff berth, finished tied for 4th with #1 overall defense in the Big Sky. and are returning almost the entirety of their team from last year, not to mention Weber's schedule is a bit more favorable this year than it was last year. While I wont say Weber will finish in the top 4. I will say they will not finish 12th.

You expect a poll on eGriz to be logical?