The Way Too Early 2017 Big Sky Power Poll

[EWURanger29]

The difference in many of EWU's wins, even against MSU, were those receivers. They have a lot of question marks on defense and on the OL. Maybe Baldwin has them playing at as high of a level as this year, but I don't see it. It is kind of a crap shoot for next year. UND will more than likely be the pre-season favorites.

All of the O-Line that played this year were either Freshmen or Sophomores. We had to replace all 5 starters plus the top 2 backups from 2015 this year. They need to improve in run blocking, but I don't think the O-Line is as much of a question mark as WR's. But, as they have shown before, EWU probably reloads at WR. There's plenty of guys that didn't see much playing time this year because of Kupp, Bourne, and Hill.

We don't lose much at all in terms of the defense except Ebukam and Zamora, but those are obviously big losses.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Like last season I will be putting my team choices into tiers to as I feel any of these teams could finish anywhere in their respective ones.

TIER 1:
-North Dakota
-EWU
-NAU

TIER 2:
-Montana
-Weber State
-SUU
-Montana State

TIER 3:
-Cal Poly
-Northern Colorado

TIER 4:
-ISU
-PSU
-UCD
-Sac State

Cal Poly will end the season in either the #1 or #2 tier just like they have 4 out of the 5 years they have played in the Big Sky. It helps that we do not play UND or EWU and get NAU at home from your tier 1 teams. It hurts that we do not get to play Montana and Montana State from your tier 2 teams because I do not think either is going to finish that high.

I agree. Putting the Griz in "TIER 2" has no logical backing right now. How soon we forget...

Remember when EWU finished 6-5 WAAAAAY back at the end of last year and we were all certain their downfall had begun. How soon we forget....

 

[SoldierGriz]

Like last season I will be putting my team choices into tiers to as I feel any of these teams could finish anywhere in their respective ones.

TIER 1:
-North Dakota
-EWU
-NAU

TIER 2:
-Montana
-Weber State
-SUU
-Montana State

TIER 3:
-Cal Poly
-Northern Colorado

TIER 4:
-ISU
-PSU
-UCD
-Sac State

Cal Poly will end the season in either the #1 or #2 tier just like they have 4 out of the 5 years they have played in the Big Sky. It helps that we do not play UND or EWU and get NAU at home from your tier 1 teams. It hurts that we do not get to play Montana and Montana State from your tier 2 teams because I do not think either is going to finish that high.

I agree. Putting the Griz in "TIER 2" has no logical backing right now. How soon we forget...

Remember when EWU finished 6-5 WAAAAAY back at the end of last year and we were all certain their downfall had begun. How soon we forget....

Are you really trying to compare EWU and their run over the last decade or so....to UM and what "could be?" These are not the same things. Do you really believe the Griz will finish among the top three in the BCS next season How about the top 5?

 

[AZGrizFan]

Remember when EWU finished 6-5 WAAAAAY back at the end of last year and we were all certain their downfall had begun. How soon we forget....

Are you really trying to compare EWU and their run over the last decade or so....to UM and what "could be?" These are not the same things. Do you really believe the Griz will finish among the top three in the BCS next season How about the top 5?

I'm not trying to compare anything. EWU has had coaching stability and zero NCUA (or self-imposed) penalties to contend with over the past 5 years--the Griz? Not so much....

But the real truth is that one season's results has very little bearing on the next. I mean, look at UCF for God's sake. They went 0-12 last year, and this year they're playing in a bowl game. Basing NEXT year's performance on LAST year's results is almost as dumb as applying the transitive property to wins and losses to determine potential winners of games.

Disclaimer: I'm not bagging on these guys...most played in their 3rd or 4th system/scheme in 4/5 years, and the schemes weren't even REMOTELY similar. That has got to be difficult for ANY player to make the adjustments.

That being said, this is the list of guys we lose this year (plus a couple of exits we already know about):

3 Brady Gustafson R-Sr. QB 6-7 235 Billings, Mont. / West HS
9 Yamen Sanders R-Sr. S 6-4 216 Inglewood, Calif. / Culver City HS
11 TJ Reynard R-Sr. CB 5-10 176 Virginia Beach, Va. / Greenbrier Christian
14 Lane Hovey R-Sr. WR 6-4 201 Adel, Iowa / Adel-Desoto-Minburn HS
18 JR Nelson R-Sr. CB 6-2 171 Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Glen Wilson HS
21 Joey Counts R-Sr. RB 5-9 207 Mesa, Ariz. / Desert Ridge HS
37 Caleb Kidder R-Sr. DE 6-5 259 Helena, Mont. / Helena Capital HS
50 Aaron Held R-Sr. LS 6-1 190 Sacramento, Calif. / El Camino HS
60 Jackson Thiebes R-Sr. OL 6-5 301 Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS
68 McCauley Todd R-Sr. OL 6-7 304 Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Washington HS
70 Ben Weyer R-Sr. OL 6-4 301 Bozeman, Mont. / Bozeman HS
71 Devon Dietrich R-Sr. OL 6-4 309 Woodinville, Wash. / Woodinville HS
79 Max Kelly R-Sr. OL 6-7 301 Spokane, Wash. / Gonzaga Prep HS
93 Zach Peevey R-Sr. DT 6-3 274 Missoula, Mont. / Hellgate HS
97 Ryan Johnson R-Sr. DE 6-3 245 Vancouver, Wash. / Mountain View HS
11 Chad Chalich Sr. QB 6-0 201 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / Coeur d'Alene HS
20 John Nguyen Sr. RB 5-7 184 Bellevue, Wash. / Bellevue HS
13 Connor Kaegi So. QB 6-7 205 Ashland, Ore. / Ashland HS
56 Alex Thomas R-So. LB 6-0 211 Great Falls, Mont. / C.M. Russell HS
4 James Homan Jr. WR 6-2 177 Brenham, Texas / Brenham HS

3 QB's (of which not a single one was the fan base ever really universally thrilled about)
5 O-linemen (lots of PT here, but this was THE position which was the consensus worst unit on the field for much of the last 2-3 years)
2 WR's (only one of which caught any meaningful passes)
2 RB's (only one of which had any meaningful playing time)
3 D-Linemen (biggest loss is here in Johnson honestly, given Kidder's late season meltdown and Peevey's general lack of onfield presence/PT)
2 CB's & a S (one CB we played half the season without anyways (and the defense IMHO got noticeably worse after he returned) and the other who never saw the field; and a S that many felt should be benched in favor of Sandry)
1 LB who got demoted to 2nd string ST and has since left for Caroll
1 LS who was by nature of his position complicit in our kicking woes the past 2 seasons as many of the missed XP's were snap-related.

Is there ANYONE on that list that, like in most years past, makes you go..."holy FUCK, how are we gonna replace HIM???" Not for me there isn't....

Conversely, I think the future is VERY bright for the Griz and the players we've recruited in this and the past two classes.... :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[tgreseth]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[Grizbeer]

Remember when EWU finished 6-5 WAAAAAY back at the end of last year and we were all certain their downfall had begun. How soon we forget....

Are you really trying to compare EWU and their run over the last decade or so....to UM and what "could be?" These are not the same things. Do you really believe the Griz will finish among the top three in the BCS next season How about the top 5?

I'm not trying to compare anything. EWU has had coaching stability and zero NCUA (or self-imposed) penalties to contend with over the past 5 years--the Griz? Not so much....

true over the last 5 years EWU has not faced penalties, but they did face penalties from 2008 - 2011 - and in 2009 they went 8-4 with a first round playoff loss (equivalent to 2nd round today), 13-2 and won a national Championship in 2010 and 2011 fell to 6-5 with losses at UW, @ South Dakota, @ #12 UM, and to #4 MSU, but won 6 of their last 7 games down the stretch.

The penalties, some of which were self-imposed by the institution, are as follows:


Public reprimand and censure.
Three years of probation (Feb. 11, 2009 to Feb. 10, 2012).
Reduction of two overall equivalencies awarded in football from 63 to 61 for the 2008-09 through 2010-11 academic years. (Self-imposed by the university).
Reduction of the number of full-time coaches by one from 11 to 10 for the 2008-09 through 2010-11 academic years. (Self-imposed by the university).
Limitation of the number of incoming freshman who are non-qualifiers to no more than three per year for all three years of probation. The university previously averaged seven incoming freshman non-qualifiers per year over a four year period.
Prohibition of the recruitment of non-qualifiers from two-year institutions for three years. (Self-imposed by the university).
Prohibition of incoming student-athletes who have not been certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center from attending preseason football camp for a period of two years to include 2009-10 and concluding in the 2010-11 academic year. (Self-imposed by the university).
The football team shall end its 2009 season with the playing of its last regularly scheduled, in-season contest and is not be eligible to participate in any postseason competition.
The former head coach shall attend, at his own cost, an NCAA Regional Rules Seminar during each of the three years of probation.
The former head coach will not be allowed to have any contact with his present institutions' football squad during the first three days of practice prior to the 2009 season.
But the real truth is that one season's results has very little bearing on the next. I mean, look at UCF for God's sake. They went 0-12 last year, and this year they're playing in a bowl game. Basing NEXT year's performance on LAST year's results is almost as dumb as applying the transitive property to wins and losses to determine potential winners of games.

http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/9829565/ncaa-penalizes-ewu-over-football-program-violations

Disclaimer: I'm not bagging on these guys...most played in their 3rd or 4th system/scheme in 4/5 years, and the schemes weren't even REMOTELY similar. That has got to be difficult for ANY player to make the adjustments.

That being said, this is the list of guys we lose this year (plus a couple of exits we already know about):

3 Brady Gustafson R-Sr. QB 6-7 235 Billings, Mont. / West HS
9 Yamen Sanders R-Sr. S 6-4 216 Inglewood, Calif. / Culver City HS
11 TJ Reynard R-Sr. CB 5-10 176 Virginia Beach, Va. / Greenbrier Christian
14 Lane Hovey R-Sr. WR 6-4 201 Adel, Iowa / Adel-Desoto-Minburn HS
18 JR Nelson R-Sr. CB 6-2 171 Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Glen Wilson HS
21 Joey Counts R-Sr. RB 5-9 207 Mesa, Ariz. / Desert Ridge HS
37 Caleb Kidder R-Sr. DE 6-5 259 Helena, Mont. / Helena Capital HS
50 Aaron Held R-Sr. LS 6-1 190 Sacramento, Calif. / El Camino HS
60 Jackson Thiebes R-Sr. OL 6-5 301 Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS
68 McCauley Todd R-Sr. OL 6-7 304 Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Washington HS
70 Ben Weyer R-Sr. OL 6-4 301 Bozeman, Mont. / Bozeman HS
71 Devon Dietrich R-Sr. OL 6-4 309 Woodinville, Wash. / Woodinville HS
79 Max Kelly R-Sr. OL 6-7 301 Spokane, Wash. / Gonzaga Prep HS
93 Zach Peevey R-Sr. DT 6-3 274 Missoula, Mont. / Hellgate HS
97 Ryan Johnson R-Sr. DE 6-3 245 Vancouver, Wash. / Mountain View HS
11 Chad Chalich Sr. QB 6-0 201 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / Coeur d'Alene HS
20 John Nguyen Sr. RB 5-7 184 Bellevue, Wash. / Bellevue HS
13 Connor Kaegi So. QB 6-7 205 Ashland, Ore. / Ashland HS
56 Alex Thomas R-So. LB 6-0 211 Great Falls, Mont. / C.M. Russell HS
4 James Homan Jr. WR 6-2 177 Brenham, Texas / Brenham HS

3 QB's (of which not a single one was the fan base ever really universally thrilled about)
5 O-linemen (lots of PT here, but this was THE position which was the consensus worst unit on the field for much of the last 2-3 years)
2 WR's (only one of which caught any meaningful passes)
2 RB's (only one of which had any meaningful playing time)
3 D-Linemen (biggest loss is here in Johnson honestly, given Kidder's late season meltdown and Peevey's general lack of onfield presence/PT)
2 CB's & a S (one CB we played half the season without anyways (and the defense IMHO got noticeably worse after he returned) and the other who never saw the field; and a S that many felt should be benched in favor of Sandry)
1 LB who got demoted to 2nd string ST and has since left for Caroll
1 LS who was by nature of his position complicit in our kicking woes the past 2 seasons as many of the missed XP's were snap-related.

Is there ANYONE on that list that, like in most years past, makes you go..."holy f***, how are we gonna replace HIM???" Not for me there isn't....

Conversely, I think the future is VERY bright for the Griz and the players we've recruited in this and the past two classes.... :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

I asked this before on a different thread and didn't get an answer, but for reference, how did you feel about those kids when they were signed? Did you think the future was VERY bright when they were signed, or did you think why are we signing this bunch of losers? I will concede that I am not a great judge of talent and I am always excited for every class we sign (and think the kids on the bench are better than the starters, ha!), and if I remember right to your credit you always asking for several recruiting classes "where's the beef", so don't be offended by the question, more just curious if the outlook on the last 2 years classes was any differnt than the class that just graduated?

 

[AZGrizFan]

I asked this before on a different thread and didn't get an answer, but for reference, how did you feel about those kids when they were signed? Did you think the future was VERY bright when they were signed, or did you think why are we signing this bunch of losers? I will concede that I am not a great judge of talent and I am always excited for every class we sign (and think the kids on the bench are better than the starters, ha!), and if I remember right to your credit you always asking for several recruiting classes "where's the beef", so don't be offended by the question, more just curious if the outlook on the last 2 years classes was any differnt than the class that just graduated?

Not offended at all. The answer is in the disclaimer, really. I think many of these kids would have performed better (we'll never know, will we? ) had they had consistency of system and coaching staff. And if we uproot Stitt after next year we may exacerbate an already pre-existing problem.

 

[PlayerRep]

I would concerned about replacing Kidder, Peevey, Johnson, Nelson, Held, maybe Nguyen (we'll see which backs step up), maybe some of the o-lineman (altho the young depth may be good), BG, maybe Sanders (he was hurt all year and not at full speed, ankle, I believe; he also was good at calling the secondary signals and get everyone into the right place), maybe Homan (altho there are supposedly several very good redshirt receivers). There needs to be about 7 or so very good d-lineman, in my view. I see only 4 or 5. Don't know about the redshirts or young guys. Can redshirt frosh/sophs step in for seniors who were several year starters? We'll see. Looks like Stitt has been looking for another qb, so must not be overly excited about Phillips. Long snapper? Nguyen was tough and very solid. Great pass blocker, and didn't lose a single fumble in his last 3 years. Good receiver. Nelson irreplaceable. This offense needs a good and smart qb, and it seems like the offense isn't easy to learn.

 

[AZGrizFan]

maybe Sanders (he was hurt all year and not at full speed, ankle, I believe; he also was good at calling the secondary signals and get everyone into the right place),

Did you watch the defense? RARELY were they in the right places....

On Ryan Johnson, we agree. Biggest loss of the SR class.
Kidder I would normally agree, but his late season meltdown changes that for me.
We played half the year without Nelson - went 5-1. Played 5 games with him...went 1-4. :| :|
Peevey had 20 tackles total

 

[Grizbeer]

I asked this before on a different thread and didn't get an answer, but for reference, how did you feel about those kids when they were signed? Did you think the future was VERY bright when they were signed, or did you think why are we signing this bunch of losers? I will concede that I am not a great judge of talent and I am always excited for every class we sign (and think the kids on the bench are better than the starters, ha!), and if I remember right to your credit you always asking for several recruiting classes "where's the beef", so don't be offended by the question, more just curious if the outlook on the last 2 years classes was any differnt than the class that just graduated?

Not offended at all. The answer is in the disclaimer, really. I think many of these kids would have performed better (we'll never know, will we? ) had they had consistency of system and coaching staff. And if we uproot Stitt after next year we may exacerbate an already pre-existing problem.

Thanks, and I agree with your view here. In my opinion changing systems can be a train wreck, and is a high risk gamble, that can payoff big if it works, or destroy a program if it doesn't. It is especially a risky thing if the new system is unique to the coach running it, because if he is successful he will move up and the new coach will not be successful running the old coach's system and it change it, and if not successful he will be moved on and the new coach will change the system again. It is a bad cycle that leads to being good every few years.

 

[krammer]

we need four wide receivers in stitts offense and every offensive line needs five and defensive line needs four.....I believe stitt brought in twenty wide outs last year,,,i do not see the same sense of urgency for the o and d line....he should putway more emphasis in this area imo.....plus we need to develop depth year in and year out.....the play off teams have good lineman...period.

 

[UTGrizFan]

I agree. Putting the Griz in "TIER 2" has no logical backing right now. How soon we forget...

I disagree with this and there is nothing "illogical" about it, taking into account our returning starters and more importantly a favorable schedule getting EWU, UND and NAU at home gives us a good shot at finishing at the top of the Big Sky.

Cal Poly will end the season in either the #1 or #2 tier just like they have 4 out of the 5 years they have played in the Big Sky. It helps that we do not play UND or EWU and get NAU at home from your tier 1 teams. It hurts that we do not get to play Montana and Montana State from your tier 2 teams because I do not think either is going to finish that high.

I really wasn't trying to insult the Mustangs it just seems they fall short of what is expected of them as highlighted by the last couple of years, especially considering the talent they had and what they had accomplished earlier in the year. NAU is another team that highlights this as well but I really do feel the Injury Bug is what did them in this season. I hope they prove me wrong.

 

[bgbigdog]

the play off teams have good lineman...period.

1A QB play
1B Cornerback play
1C Quality O & D lines

UJMU & UYSU have both had outstanding line play.

 

[George Ferguson]

we need four wide receivers in stitts offense and every offensive line needs five and defensive line needs four.....I believe stitt brought in twenty wide outs last year,,,i do not see the same sense of urgency for the o and d line....he should putway more emphasis in this area imo.....plus we need to develop depth year in and year out.....the play off teams have good lineman...period.

They bought in six OL last year, have three committed in this class and have offers to several more. It looks to me like the coaching staff has made OL a HUGE recruiting priority.

 

[SoldierGriz]

Remember when EWU finished 6-5 WAAAAAY back at the end of last year and we were all certain their downfall had begun. How soon we forget....

Are you really trying to compare EWU and their run over the last decade or so....to UM and what "could be?" These are not the same things. Do you really believe the Griz will finish among the top three in the BCS next season How about the top 5?

I'm not trying to compare anything. EWU has had coaching stability and zero NCUA (or self-imposed) penalties to contend with over the past 5 years--the Griz? Not so much....

But the real truth is that one season's results has very little bearing on the next. I mean, look at UCF for God's sake. They went 0-12 last year, and this year they're playing in a bowl game. Basing NEXT year's performance on LAST year's results is almost as dumb as applying the transitive property to wins and losses to determine potential winners of games.

Disclaimer: I'm not bagging on these guys...most played in their 3rd or 4th system/scheme in 4/5 years, and the schemes weren't even REMOTELY similar. That has got to be difficult for ANY player to make the adjustments.

That being said, this is the list of guys we lose this year (plus a couple of exits we already know about):

3 Brady Gustafson R-Sr. QB 6-7 235 Billings, Mont. / West HS
9 Yamen Sanders R-Sr. S 6-4 216 Inglewood, Calif. / Culver City HS
11 TJ Reynard R-Sr. CB 5-10 176 Virginia Beach, Va. / Greenbrier Christian
14 Lane Hovey R-Sr. WR 6-4 201 Adel, Iowa / Adel-Desoto-Minburn HS
18 JR Nelson R-Sr. CB 6-2 171 Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Glen Wilson HS
21 Joey Counts R-Sr. RB 5-9 207 Mesa, Ariz. / Desert Ridge HS
37 Caleb Kidder R-Sr. DE 6-5 259 Helena, Mont. / Helena Capital HS
50 Aaron Held R-Sr. LS 6-1 190 Sacramento, Calif. / El Camino HS
60 Jackson Thiebes R-Sr. OL 6-5 301 Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS
68 McCauley Todd R-Sr. OL 6-7 304 Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Washington HS
70 Ben Weyer R-Sr. OL 6-4 301 Bozeman, Mont. / Bozeman HS
71 Devon Dietrich R-Sr. OL 6-4 309 Woodinville, Wash. / Woodinville HS
79 Max Kelly R-Sr. OL 6-7 301 Spokane, Wash. / Gonzaga Prep HS
93 Zach Peevey R-Sr. DT 6-3 274 Missoula, Mont. / Hellgate HS
97 Ryan Johnson R-Sr. DE 6-3 245 Vancouver, Wash. / Mountain View HS
11 Chad Chalich Sr. QB 6-0 201 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / Coeur d'Alene HS
20 John Nguyen Sr. RB 5-7 184 Bellevue, Wash. / Bellevue HS
13 Connor Kaegi So. QB 6-7 205 Ashland, Ore. / Ashland HS
56 Alex Thomas R-So. LB 6-0 211 Great Falls, Mont. / C.M. Russell HS
4 James Homan Jr. WR 6-2 177 Brenham, Texas / Brenham HS

3 QB's (of which not a single one was the fan base ever really universally thrilled about)
5 O-linemen (lots of PT here, but this was THE position which was the consensus worst unit on the field for much of the last 2-3 years)
2 WR's (only one of which caught any meaningful passes)
2 RB's (only one of which had any meaningful playing time)
3 D-Linemen (biggest loss is here in Johnson honestly, given Kidder's late season meltdown and Peevey's general lack of onfield presence/PT)
2 CB's & a S (one CB we played half the season without anyways (and the defense IMHO got noticeably worse after he returned) and the other who never saw the field; and a S that many felt should be benched in favor of Sandry)
1 LB who got demoted to 2nd string ST and has since left for Caroll
1 LS who was by nature of his position complicit in our kicking woes the past 2 seasons as many of the missed XP's were snap-related.

Is there ANYONE on that list that, like in most years past, makes you go..."holy f***, how are we gonna replace HIM???" Not for me there isn't....

Conversely, I think the future is VERY bright for the Griz and the players we've recruited in this and the past two classes.... :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

While it is true that last season's results have little bearing on next year's - some things are absolutely predictable. For every anecdote you can provide describing a team that seemed to rise from the ashes (UCF), I can provide an anecdote describing a team predicted to be bad - that was indeed bad (or, good).

UW is very good this year - they are going to be very good next year. It's predictable.
Ohio State is very good this year - they are going to very good next year. It's predictable.
Idaho, Hawaii, Buffalo, KU... are not going to be very good next year - it's predictable.

No transitive properties required for common sense.

The Griz are simply not returning adequate talent next season to finish in the "top tier" of the BSC, and they are currently under led. I hope like hell I am completely wrong. Bookmark this and rub my nose in it if I am. But, right now that's my position.

I assume yours is that they will compete for the title? Top 3?

 

[SoldierGriz]

I agree. Putting the Griz in "TIER 2" has no logical backing right now. How soon we forget...

I disagree with this and there is nothing "illogical" about it, taking into account our returning starters and more importantly a favorable schedule getting EWU, UND and NAU at home gives us a good shot at finishing at the top of the Big Sky.

Cal Poly will end the season in either the #1 or #2 tier just like they have 4 out of the 5 years they have played in the Big Sky. It helps that we do not play UND or EWU and get NAU at home from your tier 1 teams. It hurts that we do not get to play Montana and Montana State from your tier 2 teams because I do not think either is going to finish that high.

I really wasn't trying to insult the Mustangs it just seems they fall short of what is expected of them as highlighted by the last couple of years, especially considering the talent they had and what they had accomplished earlier in the year. NAU is another team that highlights this as well but I really do feel the Injury Bug is what did them in this season. I hope they prove me wrong.

Good Lord, we are starting to sound like cat fans....you know pre-season champs and all...ridiculous. The returning talent - was responsible for last season. Period. Can they improve? Who knows? How much improvement did we see throughout last season? Can they be coached up? That's the million dollar question.

We lost to the cats at HOME last season...so, how does getting EWU, NAU, and UND at home next season give us a shot at "finishing at the top of the Big Sky?" Griz are not what they once were "at home."

 

[AZGrizFan]

I agree. Putting the Griz in "TIER 2" has no logical backing right now. How soon we forget...

I disagree with this and there is nothing "illogical" about it, taking into account our returning starters and more importantly a favorable schedule getting EWU, UND and NAU at home gives us a good shot at finishing at the top of the Big Sky.

Cal Poly will end the season in either the #1 or #2 tier just like they have 4 out of the 5 years they have played in the Big Sky. It helps that we do not play UND or EWU and get NAU at home from your tier 1 teams. It hurts that we do not get to play Montana and Montana State from your tier 2 teams because I do not think either is going to finish that high.

I really wasn't trying to insult the Mustangs it just seems they fall short of what is expected of them as highlighted by the last couple of years, especially considering the talent they had and what they had accomplished earlier in the year. NAU is another team that highlights this as well but I really do feel the Injury Bug is what did them in this season. I hope they prove me wrong.

Good Lord, we are starting to sound like cat fans....you know pre-season champs and all...ridiculous. The returning talent - was responsible for last season. Period. Can they improve? Who knows? How much improvement did we see throughout last season? Can they be coached up? That's the million dollar question.

We lost to the cats at HOME last season...so, how does getting EWU, NAU, and UND at home next season give us a shot at "finishing at the top of the Big Sky?" Griz are not what they once were "at home."

Unless I'm wrong (and I'm never wrong), EWU was 6-5 last year and went to the semifinals with all that "returning talent" that was responsible for last season. The Griz have WAAAAY more history at the top of the conference than at the bottom....so logic would say there's a greater chance they return to the top (or near it) than stay near the bottom. Too many things going for them to suck permanently, IMHO. And I won't feel the need to "rub your face in it" if you prove to be wrong and I prove to be right...I think that's what they call a "win-win" for Griz fans. :lol:

 

[NorthEndZoneDan]

we need four wide receivers in stitts offense and every offensive line needs five and defensive line needs four.....I believe stitt brought in twenty wide outs last year,,,i do not see the same sense of urgency for the o and d line....he should putway more emphasis in this area imo.....plus we need to develop depth year in and year out.....the play off teams have good lineman...period.

They bought in six OL last year, have three committed in this class and have offers to several more. It looks to me like the coaching staff has made OL a HUGE recruiting priority.

I'm surprised how many seem to have forgotten all about last year's recruiting class, especially the OL, which was a huge priority.

 

[G-BEARS]

I would concerned about replacing Kidder, Peevey, Johnson, Nelson, Held, maybe Nguyen (we'll see which backs step up), maybe some of the o-lineman (altho the young depth may be good), BG, maybe Sanders (he was hurt all year and not at full speed, ankle, I believe; he also was good at calling the secondary signals and get everyone into the right place), maybe Homan (altho there are supposedly several very good redshirt receivers). There needs to be about 7 or so very good d-lineman, in my view. I see only 4 or 5. Don't know about the redshirts or young guys. Can redshirt frosh/sophs step in for seniors who were several year starters? We'll see. Looks like Stitt has been looking for another qb, so must not be overly excited about Phillips. Long snapper? Nguyen was tough and very solid. Great pass blocker, and didn't lose a single fumble in his last 3 years. Good receiver. Nelson irreplaceable. This offense needs a good and smart qb, and it seems like the offense isn't easy to learn.

Quite the statement... Dark times are ahead if this is the case.

 

[UTGrizFan]

Good Lord, we are starting to sound like cat fans....you know pre-season champs and all...ridiculous. The returning talent - was responsible for last season. Period. Can they improve? Who knows? How much improvement did we see throughout last season? Can they be coached up? That's the million dollar question.

We lost to the cats at HOME last season...so, how does getting EWU, NAU, and UND at home next season give us a shot at "finishing at the top of the Big Sky?" Griz are not what they once were "at home."

A little melodramatic much? Funny I never claimed pre-season champs, finishing in the top part of the conference (or a playoff team) however is not impossible, not by a long shot. Congrats you highlighted a single bad game last season at home, so what that automatically means we will lose every other in Missoula, seriously? Our track record has vastly proven that we tend to play better at home and I like our chances in WA Griz a hell of a lot better then on the road if last year was an indicator of anything.