Another 1-AA teams beats a Big Ten team

[Bucs90]

North Dakota State beats Minnesota. 2nd loss for Big Ten this year to a 1-AA. Damn good 1-AA's though, as NDSU is 7-0 and we all know App St is 2X defending Nat'l Champs.

[Blue Hen]

That's at least 4 losses to 1AAs in the 2000s for B10 teams, that I can think of.
Sagarin's ratings predicted a 6 point NDSU win....exactly what happened. His combined 1A & 1AA ratings are very interesting, imo.
Too bad NDSU won't be playoff eligible.

[buckeyejim]

That's at least 4 losses to 1AAs in the 2000s for B10 teams, that I can think of.
Sagarin's ratings predicted a 6 point NDSU win....exactly what happened. His combined 1A & 1AA ratings are very interesting, imo.
Too bad NDSU won't be playoff eligible.

North Dakota State is not eligible for the FCS playoffs, BUT they could still win the national championship (or at least a share) if they remain #1 the rest of the way because it's possible that they could still be "voted" #1 even after the FCS Championship Game is played in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Now THAT would be funny! I heard that being discussed on either ABC, ESPN or CBS on Saturday and I instantly thought of you BlueHen.

I have to ask you what you would think IF that did in fact happen?

[GatorGrad]

I thought the winner of the playoff was the NCAA Champion? Who cares who is voted....aren't those polls irrelevant in the Championship Division?

[CJHawkeyes]

I thought the winner of the playoff was the NCAA Champion? Who cares who is voted....aren't those polls irrelevant in the Championship Division?

The playoff winnner is the NCAA champion. That said, I don't under why a team must serve a de facto two year probabtion when transitioning to a higher classification. Besides that, I seem to remember Marshall winning the I-AA one year and the MAC the following year and going to a bowl. Why weren't they ineligible?

[FLORIDA HERD FAN]

Good memory, CJ. That was 1996 and 1997, and I don't recall ever hearing any discussion of a 2-year probation at that time.

A 2-year probation for a program moving down from D-IA to D-IAA would make sense, but a program moving up is already at a serious disadvantage because it takes several years to build up from the D-IAA scholarship level of 63 to the D-IA level of 85.

BTW -- Minnessota was lucky to have hung as well as it did with ND State.

[H.I.]

app. state has already lost twice in the southern conference. they lost to georgia state yesterday. the same georgia state team that lost to 1st place elon the week before in double overtime. a game that i attended. historical note: last weeks elon/gsu game featured the most made field goals (9) in fcs history. i didn't even consider that this was a stat anyone kept. does anyone have a clue for the most fg's made in a fbs game? anyways, it is kind of sad that michigian has a really good chance to finish the big 10 undefeated, but they'd have a worse record if they played a full slate of southern conference games. weird.

[Bucky]

it is kind of sad that michigian has a really good chance to finish the big 10 undefeated, but they'd have a worse record if they played a full slate of southern conference games. weird.


That's quite the statement.

[buckeyejim]

app. state has already lost twice in the southern conference. they lost to georgia state yesterday. the same georgia state team that lost to 1st place elon the week before in double overtime. a game that i attended. historical note: last weeks elon/gsu game featured the most made field goals (9) in fcs history. i didn't even consider that this was a stat anyone kept. does anyone have a clue for the most fg's made in a fbs game? anyways, it is kind of sad that michigian has a really good chance to finish the big 10 undefeated, but they'd have a worse record if they played a full slate of southern conference games. weird.

If you use that logic, I guess Cal or West Virginia would go undefeated in the SEC because they beat Tennessee and Mississippi State repectively. By the way it was Georgia Southern, not Georgia State. Big Difference between Georgia State and Georgia Southern.

[Bucs90]

Um, yeah, if UT and MSU were undefeated in the SEC, that logic would apply. But they aren't. Michigan is undefeated in-conference. That was his point.

I think NDSU is not eligible because they just moved up from D2. IF they win out, but can't be in the playoff, but still get voted #1, well, then thats one quirk in the 1-AA system that needs to be fixed. No system is perfect, but 1-
AA's is the closest to it we have.

[H.I.]

If you use that logic, I guess Cal or West Virginia would go undefeated in the SEC because they beat Tennessee and Mississippi State repectively. By the way it was Georgia Southern, not Georgia State. Big Difference between Georgia State and Georgia Southern.

you're right, i meant georgia southern. i always call them georgia state for some reason. maybe its because georgia state recently joined the caa. i don't know. as for my michigan/southern conference reference - no matter what michigan did this year if they played a full slate of southern conference games - the best they could finish would be 7-1. and as of now, they have a better chance of finishing the big ten undefeated than they would have finishing undefeated in the southern conference because they've already proven they couldn't go undefeated in the southern conference with their loss to app. to start the 2007 college football season. that fact can't be disputed.

[Bucs90]

Ha ha, H.I. I think I caused mass Big Ten outrage when I suggested Gibbs Stadium, Spartanburg, SC, is a tougher place to play than the Big House. Gibbs is home of Wofford College. Within 3 weeks time, App St won AT the Big House and lost AT Gibbs Stadium. Thus, I simply said App St had more trouble at Gibbs than the Big House. Wow did I take a lashing for that one!

[GopherGuy]

Good memory, CJ. That was 1996 and 1997, and I don't recall ever hearing any discussion of a 2-year probation at that time.

A 2-year probation for a program moving down from D-IA to D-IAA would make sense, but a program moving up is already at a serious disadvantage because it takes several years to build up from the D-IAA scholarship level of 63 to the D-IA level of 85.

BTW -- Minnessota was lucky to have hung as well as it did with ND State.

That's an understatement - we were outclassed and should not have been that close at all - in fact, if not for a bad call on a punt with two minutes to play (we got a 15 yard roughing the kicker call which in my mind was clearly only a 5 yard infraction) we could still have won the game. It reminds me of last year when we beat them 10-9 by blocking a FG attempt on the last play of the game to win a game we didn't deserve.

Combined stats for those two games:

Total yards - Minnesota 556, NDSU 965 (including 585 this year, more than our combined total)
First downs - Minnesota 29, NDSU 40
Number of punts - Minnesota 11, NDSU 4
Time of Possession - Minnesota 48:07, NDSU 71:53

[Blue Hen]

They certainly can win a poll but can't be NCAA national champs. It wouldn't bother me...would even be fun if NDSU won some poll. I watched much of that game and agree with Sagarin...that team might be better than 66 Bowl division teams.

[H.I.]

That's an understatement - we were outclassed...

you said it - outclassed. y'all have a clown for a coach. i said as much on this board last spring.

[Blue Hen]

Yes, polls are completely irrelevant in NCAA championship sports....but fun...sort of a sideshow. I think it would be cool for NDSU to have a little 'poll' trophy in its trophy case.

[buckeyejim]

If North Dakota State remains #1, you'll hear announcers during the FCS Championship Game in Chattanooga question that the best team may be sitting home in North Dakota. Ya know, it just might be true and it may taint the winning schools title in 2007. I'll be at the game in Chattanooga again but it will be sad if North Dakota State is not given a chance to prove themselves.

[Bucs90]

Will NDSU ever be a 1-A school? Seems the Dakota's/Montana area needs a 1-A team. Thought Montana could be that team. Hope not though, I love 1-AA football, NDSU is a great team for 1-AA. Especially if they beat a Big Ten team every year or so!

[buckeyejim]

Will NDSU ever be a 1-A school? Seems the Dakota's/Montana area needs a 1-A team. Thought Montana could be that team. Hope not though, I love 1-AA football, NDSU is a great team for 1-AA. Especially if they beat a Big Ten team every year or so!

Montana was once a member of the Pacific Coast Conference (now known as the Pac-10) from 1924-1949. The Grizzlies went 9-79-3 .115 in PCC games and withdrew because they simply were not competitive.

[Bucs90]

That was a whole different era. I think Montana would do quite well in 1A now. They have a distinct campus, a beautiful location. I think the Grizzlies could eventually be a Boise-like team! Would take 8-10 years though.

[GopherGuy]

you said it - outclassed. y'all have a clown for a coach. i said as much on this board last spring.

Yeah, whatever, 8 games in and he's a bum - let's throw him out! He was hired primarily because he's a great recruiter. He had about two weeks between his hiring and signing day last year. You can't even begin to evaluate him until season 3 and even that is pretty early...

[jeff4bucks]

thats correct Gopher Guy, he was hired for his recruiting, having been with Mack Brown at UNC and UT for years. But, you still need a guy who can coach. I'm not saying they won't get better, and Brewster may turn out to be alright, but losing to NDSU and FAU in the same year is an embarassment.