Weekly Predictions Game: Week 4 vs Eastern Washington

[catatac]

I have a feeling we're all gonna be mad at the refs after this game.

[profisme]

I might have to change my prediction. I am starting to think this might be like in 2010 when EWU won their NC. They hung 37 on the griz the previous week and the cats held them to 7 points in Bozeman. Taiwan Jones ran all over the field in every game except against the cats.

That's because he got hurt in the first half and didn't play again. I hope VA gets a really bad hangnail on his throwing hand!

He did get hurt in the first half, but he did have one carry in the second half for -2 yards. Then he was done for the day.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=302680147

[Cat Grad]

I have a feeling we're all gonna be mad at the refs after this game.

Amen. I wish there was a magic pill we could deliver to all our officials out here and they would simply call the games. I've watched and listened to so many coaches call into question the integrity of those individuals who, for whatever reason, choose to become officials. I enjoy reading the reports from some conferences where replay officials, judges, etc. receive reprimands (and even suspensions) for simply missing calls. I've yet to see anything such as this from our conference's headquarters.

I know officiating is a thankless job. But when you're sitting with a group of colleagues and watching what we know is supposed to be a group of impartial, unbiased individuals blatantly destroy the integrity of the game by inserting themselves into the actual outcome of the final score and have them ask me: "Is every game out there fixed?" one has to wonder.

We all know how the PAC10 officials were questioned on the national level just a few years ago, not to mention the disgust levied against the Mountain West...and our conference?

I hope you're wrong, catatac, and that officiating does not influence the scoreboard this game. Just like a high school game is supposed to be all about the kids and teaching them how hard work, dedication and perseverance will pay dividends, so too should it happen with all college games. Perhaps you're only insinuating poorly trained men, but I'm certainly questioning the integrity and character of our officiating crews and the conference supervisors of these crews as my former colleagues led me to believe. Maybe they are simply bad. I hope that's the case.

[mslacatfan]

I have a feeling we're all gonna be mad at the refs after this game.

Amen. I wish there was a magic pill we could deliver to all our officials out here and they would simply call the games. I've watched and listened to so many coaches call into question the integrity of those individuals who, for whatever reason, choose to become officials. I enjoy reading the reports from some conferences where replay officials, judges, etc. receive reprimands (and even suspensions) for simply missing calls. I've yet to see anything such as this from our conference's headquarters.

I know officiating is a thankless job. But when you're sitting with a group of colleagues and watching what we know is supposed to be a group of impartial, unbiased individuals blatantly destroy the integrity of the game by inserting themselves into the actual outcome of the final score and have them ask me: "Is every game out there fixed?" one has to wonder.

We all know how the PAC10 officials were questioned on the national level just a few years ago, not to mention the disgust levied against the Mountain West...and our conference?

I hope you're wrong, catatac, and that officiating does not influence the scoreboard this game. Just like a high school game is supposed to be all about the kids and teaching them how hard work, dedication and perseverance will pay dividends, so too should it happen with all college games. Perhaps you're only insinuating poorly trained men, but I'm certainly questioning the integrity and character of our officiating crews and the conference supervisors of these crews as my former colleagues led me to believe. Maybe they are simply bad. I hope that's the case.

I think you are over-thinking it. The last part sums it up above. There is no conspiracy, the Big Sky Officials just really suck at their job.

[Bobcat Sig]

I think you are over-thinking it. The last part sums it up above. There is no conspiracy, the Big Sky Officials just really suck at their job.

This. Despite out bias as fans, MSU seems to pull the most bush league of crews in nearly every game. UCA was no exception. They will be a factor in this weekend's and they will enrage the Bobcat faithful. That will only serve worsen the blood bath.

[Cat Grad]

I think you are over-thinking it. The last part sums it up above. There is no conspiracy, the Big Sky Officials just really suck at their job.

This. Despite out bias as fans, MSU seems to pull the most bush league of crews in nearly every game. UCA was no exception. They will be a factor in this weekend's and they will enrage the Bobcat faithful. That will only serve worsen the blood bath.

I hope that's all there is to it. I know I want to believe it.

[Bobcat Sig]

I think you are over-thinking it. The last part sums it up above. There is no conspiracy, the Big Sky Officials just really suck at their job.

This. Despite out bias as fans, MSU seems to pull the most bush league of crews in nearly every game. UCA was no exception. They will be a factor in this weekend's and they will enrage the Bobcat faithful. That will only serve worsen the blood bath.

I hope that's all there is to it. I know I want to believe it.

Me too. Conspiracy theories are fun and an easy out, but the reality here is that the Big Sky Conference just doesn't equip its officials with the tools to be the best that they can be and it affects games.

[Cat Grad]

I think you are over-thinking it. The last part sums it up above. There is no conspiracy, the Big Sky Officials just really suck at their job.

This. Despite out bias as fans, MSU seems to pull the most bush league of crews in nearly every game. UCA was no exception. They will be a factor in this weekend's and they will enrage the Bobcat faithful. That will only serve worsen the blood bath.

I hope that's all there is to it. I know I want to believe it.

Me too. Conspiracy theories are fun and an easy out, but the reality here is that the Big Sky Conference just doesn't equip its officials with the tools to be the best that they can be and it affects games.

One would think the crews will take it upon themselves to rewind the film and grade themselves. I know they have jobs, for the most part, in the real world but I've observed far too many games in this conference where the officiating crew not only affected the final score they actually determined the final score. Surely they understand their reputations are being spread from coast to coast with the exchange of film come the tournament.

I know the conference has some type of rule forbidding us, the casual fan, knowing which plays and infractions they'd (coaches) like the supervisors and conference to review and let us know what the determinations by the supervisors would be, but this should and can be changed.

Anyway, just as we all know that place where the Clark's Fork and Bitterroot Rivers merge sucks, I suppose we'll simply have to accept we're forced to watch zebras without a clue in this conference.

[John K]

I'm sorry, but I think it's ludicrous to imply that the BSC refs have some sort of agenda against MSU. As the "flagship" programs in the conference, if anything, it would behoove the league to favor MSU and UM, rather than vice versa. And I'd be willing to bet that there are some games involving MSU, in which our opponents' fans are just as convinced that the refs are biased against them, probably even the same games sometimes. It's just human nature to look for and emphasize the calls that go against us, and ignore the bad calls that go the other way. As several people have noted, the refs missed a few against us in the UCA game too, i.e. Prukop going out of bounds on the one TD run, and a face mask on Marino. I'm not defending the BSC refs, as they certainly blow plenty of calls, but I don't believe it's due to any sort of bias, and over the course of the season, I'm sure that things pretty much even out.

[catscat]

I think the key to the whole thing is to play so well that you not only beat the other team, but the zebras too, if necessary. That pretty much happened last Saturday. None of the bad calls killed us (except my standing in Coach's Challenge) and some may have helped us. (I might change my tune after this Saturday and reserve the right to do so.)

[John K]

I'm going with EWU by 49-35. If UW couldn't hold them under 52, I have a hard time believing that we'll do much better. I think it will be very exciting and back and forth for most of the game, sort of like the 1st half was last year, except that it will stay that way a bit longer this time. Eventually though, we'll have a couple of possessions that will either end in FG or no points at all, and that will prove to be fatal. Unless we can force VA into throwing a couple of INT, but so far this year he's thrown 16 TD passes, with only one pick. That's pretty impressive, considering his "gunslinger" reputation. Unlike last year, I think we will at least keep it interesting into the 4th quarter. I'll consider it a moral victory if we come closer to EWU, than UM does against NDSU.

[CelticCat]

I used to get pretty upset at refs, thinking that a holding call in the 1st quarter that brought back a 30 yard run on 3rd and 15 could change the whole outcome of a game. I slowly came to realize over time that reffing rarely affects the final score (in the rare cases where a touchdown is taken away that was obviously in bounds, etc). Good teams will win regardless. Bad calls generally go both ways, and teams move on and overcome.

Then of course I became a ref last year so my view has changed even further to that point. There are going to be games where reffing is questionable, to straight out bad, but if you let it defeat you then you deserve to lose IMO. Mentally tough teams don't let a bad call affect them.

As far as Big Sky reffing goes - there is a severe ref shortage in many areas of the county, including in Washington state where I ref. Hell, last year was my FIRST year reffing any sport of any kind ever, and I ended up reffing 3 varsity games, and have done one each of the first 2 weeks this year so far. There used to be a time in my association where you wouldn't even sniff a varsity game until maybe your 3rd year of doing JV, B and middle school games. I am nowhere near ready for many of the things that happen on a Friday night, but basically I'm thrust out there because we don't have enough guys.

This trickles up - a generation of refs who have been doing it forever are retiring, and no one is replacing them. Reffing is hard, and the best of the best obviously work their way up, but I can't imagine Big Sky refs make that much money. If you are a talented ref, you aren't going to be in the Big Sky very long, if at all, especially if numbers keep declining.

[Bobcat Sig]

I'm sorry, but I think it's ludicrous to imply that the BSC refs have some sort of agenda against MSU. As the "flagship" programs in the conference, if anything, it would behoove the league to favor MSU and UM, rather than vice versa. And I'd be willing to bet that there are some games involving MSU, in which our opponents' fans are just as convinced that the refs are biased against them, probably even the same games sometimes. It's just human nature to look for and emphasize the calls that go against us, and ignore the bad calls that go the other way. As several people have noted, the refs missed a few against us in the UCA game too, i.e. Prukop going out of bounds on the one TD run, and a face mask on Marino. I'm not defending the BSC refs, as they certainly blow plenty of calls, but I don't believe it's due to any sort of bias, and over the course of the season, I'm sure that things pretty much even out.

To be clear, I don't think there is an agenda against MSU. Merely, that it is quite easy for fans to believe that there might be an agenda or bias against them because it's entertaining and an easy answer. I think the Big Sky's case, there's a shortage of good officials and that's shown on a weekly basis.

[76er]

EWU 45 Cats 35. Hope I'm wrong but Ash does not build fire in the belly, our linebackers can't keep up with their inside receivers, VA dumps it short all day. We run the ball enough to hold them under 50.

[catsrback76]

Hey 76er, do I know you???

[Bear]

A ton of points are gonna go up on the board in this one. No way the kittens can keep up though, even against the Eagles' absurdly porous D. Don't know what the combined over/under is, but if it's 100, it's too low. I'll say 63-48 Eagles.


FTC

[coachouert]

Friday evening bump from Indianapolis. I'm boarding a plane and coming home...GATOS!

Submit your scores by noon tomorrow if you haven't already done so.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

55-42 Eags.

[PapaG]

MSU 42
EWU 41

Go 'Cats!

[clawman]

I might have to change my prediction. I am starting to think this might be like in 2010 when EWU won their NC. They hung 37 on the griz the previous week and the cats held them to 7 points in Bozeman. Taiwan Jones ran all over the field in every game except against the cats.

Jones was beat up on the bottom of the pile that game and was out for several games after that. It was a good thing in the long run though because the Eagles became more balanced and you know the rest of the story.
This year the Eagles have far more depth at running back and wide receiver. The impact of VA going down would be difficult to overcome during this game so I would expect the Bobcats to be doing whatever is necessary to take him out.