2023 National Championship: #1 South Dakota State vs #2 Montana

[ElCid]

I don’t know anything about Massey, I know 2013 NDSU was 17 on Sagarin

I have the history going way back. I'll try to remember to check but I think that #17 was the highest going just from memory. I do remember that one of the worst champ rating number was like around 75. All depends on how connected they are and obviously how good the FBS performs against their FCS opponents in that year.

[Chalupa Batman]

The Jankes are the ones to watch out for. We only really throw to them, Wilde, and Heins.

You guys used to throw to the RB's a decent amount too but I haven't seen much of that the last few games. You'd be smart to bring that back, having a few screen plays in the bag will come in handy against the Griz blitzes. Unfortunately I don't think we've run one since the Obama administration.

[caribbeanhen]

No FBS game for S Dak St this year, any truth in that is because no FBS really wanted to play the Jack a lopes?

Oklahoma St next year?

[ElCid]

This SDSU team is better than the 2013 Bison, prove me wrong, go player for player on O and D. They have advantages almost everywhere. I know it is hard to gauge but they are clearly better at the skill positions on offense, their QB is better, their RB's are better, their receivers are a hell of a lot better and they are better at TE and probably better at O line. I think the D is pretty close.

I'm sure everyone realizes you can't compare the computer ranking numbers from different years. Totally different animals each and every year. So I'll take your word for it.

#20 is good, but without SDSU playing an FBS game, the transitive connections get further separated and much more unreliable. Like SDSU played YSU, who played Ohio St. Or they played Mercer who played Ole Miss. Not knocking the Bunnies at all, but they'd get beat by a bunch of FBS teams they are rated over in Massey. It's one of its flaws. At a glance, they might win 3-5 games over the top 40 which are nearly all P5. Just an opinion. I might give them an even chance for the next 25 and favor them for all else. Depth would be telling.

[uofmman1122]

It may a be few long weeks at this rate.

Griz will be a formidable foe and should be a fun game. I only watched the Furman game in the playoffs and bits of the NDSU game, but the QB play at times would concern me if I was a MT fan.

Do the Griz rotate D-line or have a core group of 5-7? The Jacks have worn down every defensive front they've played this year, the Jacks O-line vs MT D-line is the matchup I'm most interested as a fan.

This simultaneously makes me really nervous, and somehow actually gives me a little bit of confidence (with a caveat).

McDowell has looked....uh....downright bad the last 2 games. Worse than he's looked all season. That's a credit to Furman and NDSU, but he's making bad decisions and overthinking reads he wasn't struggling with just weeks ago. For example, I think he left nearly 100 yards of scrambles on the field by not taking easy, open running lanes last Saturday, opting to make bad throws, instead. If SDSU can befuddle him like he has been, they'll win easily, but if he can get to playing loose like he was before the Furman game, his playmaking can keep us in it.

He's a frustrating QB to defend against because he's not the best thrower, and he's incredibly awkward running the ball at times, but you lose track of him and suddenly he's either lobbing it to one of our 3 great receivers that's gotten open, or gangling down the field 20 yards at a time after escaping the pocket lol

[Utgrizfan]

Sorry, didn't realize we were on Egriz here and was sure this thread was about the upcoming game, not the self help thread for Montana fans. Also, you realize most of the people who have posted in this thread aren’t actually Jacks fans, right?

That being said, let me be the first to offer you some cheese…

I mean you're the chief offender so far in regards to apparently getting offended/upset when people dare bring up anything but a dominating SDSU win or discuss the game objectively, sorry different opinions seem to be hurting your feelings, seems you need the cheese more then me.

[Utgrizfan]

This simultaneously makes me really nervous, and somehow actually gives me a little bit of confidence (with a caveat).

McDowell has looked....uh....downright bad the last 2 games. Worse than he's looked all season. That's a credit to Furman and NDSU, but he's making bad decisions and overthinking reads he wasn't struggling with just weeks ago. For example, I think he left nearly 100 yards of scrambles on the field by not taking easy, open running lanes last Saturday, opting to make bad throws, instead. If SDSU can befuddle him like he has been, they'll win easily, but if he can get to playing loose like he was before the Furman game, his playmaking can keep us in it.

He's a frustrating QB to defend against because he's not the best thrower, and he's incredibly awkward running the ball at times, but you lose track of him and suddenly he's either lobbing it to one of our 3 great receivers that's gotten open, or gangling down the field 20 yards at a time after escaping the pocket lol

It looked to me he may have been told not to scramble or try to plush the ball downfield as much as possible, There were a couple times during the game where he could have taken off for 15+ yards but instead kept looking and took a sack, cost us FG range once and potentially a TD. Good news is we have three weeks to get completely healthy on the offensive line which will help and for him to work out some things.

[JSUSoutherner]

Got my ticket to Frisco. Hope this game is a good one.

[Gil Dobie]

Got my ticket to Frisco. Hope this game is a good one.

I would rather have hernia surgery than go to the Jacks game. That was my choice.

Griz have a chance, if they have a good game, special teams and defense scores, and the bunnies make some mistakes.

Don't plan on sitting at this game.

Get a good BBQ experience at Hutchins, best BBQ in DFW.

[UNHWildcat18]

Got my ticket to Frisco. Hope this game is a good one.

So uh, what colors will you be wearing? I admit, when I was a kid and started following FCS football I obviously was a UNH fan and payed attention to the A-10 to then CAA teams at then time. However I actually rooted for the Griz as well, figured I needed a team far away to root for when UNH was out, Montana and NH are very similar. No FBS teams, very outdoorsy state, rural type attitude for the most part, loved the stadium and the jerseys.

That being said I could never justify the money and time unless it was UNH playing in Frisco lol. I hope the Griz pull it off in Frisco, and I don't root for them in a general sense anymore like when I was a kid.