The Bobcat Nation

To date this the most balanced I can ever recall the BSC being in terms of game scores.

9/23 * Portland State 59, Cal Poly 21
9/23 * Idaho 36, Sacramento State 27
9/23 * Northern Arizona 28, Montana 14
9/23 * Idaho State 35, Northern Colorado 21
9/23 * Montana State 40, Weber State 0
9/23 * UC Davis 24, Eastern Washington 27
9/30 * Portland State 22, Montana State 38
9/30 * Cal Poly 13, UC Davis 31
9/30 * Idaho 44, Eastern Washington 36
9/30 * Sacramento State 31, Northern Arizona 30
9/30 * Montana 28, Idaho State 20
9/30 * Northern Colorado 21, Weber State 28
10/7 * Idaho 42, Cal Poly 14
10/7 * Northern Arizona 27, Weber State 10
10/7 * Montana 31, UC Davis 23
10/14 * Portland State 45, Northern Arizona 21
10/14 * Cal Poly 19, Montana State 59
10/14 * Idaho 21, Montana 23
10/14 * Sacramento State 21, Northern Colorado 13
10/14 * Idaho State 42, Eastern Washington 41
10/14 * Weber State 16, UC Davis 17
10/21 * Portland State 24, Idaho State 38
10/21 * Cal Poly 24, Northern Colorado 17
10/21 * Sacramento State 30, Montana State 42
10/21 * Weber State 23, Eastern Washington 31

13 of 25 games decided by 10 points or less. Only eight by more than 14 (4 are over CP) or more. Biggest blowouts are MSU’s two 40-point wins.

Average PPG Differentials, BSC only:

1. MSU: +27
2. ID: +10.75
3. PSU: +8
4. ISU: +5.25
5. UCD: +2
6. UM: +1.5
7. NAU: +1.5
8. EW: +0.5
9. SAC: -3
10. UNC: -9
11. WEB: -14.75
12. CP: -23.4

So the gap between #1 and #2 is bigger than the gap between #2 and #9.

Also, if you remove MSU's game from the sample of their opponents, the improvement in scoring differential is pretty dramatic.

SAC goes from -3.0 to -0.33.

WEB goes from -14.75 to -4.75.

PSU goes from +8 to +16.

CP goes from -23.4 to -19.25.

The point being that the Cats tend to make their schedule look a little weaker than it really is because they tend to pummel their opponents.

The 2 thru 9 teams (everyone except MSU, CP, UNC and Weber) have only had one game decided by more than 14 points.

9/23 * Idaho 36, Sacramento State 27
9/23 * Northern Arizona 28, Montana 14
9/23 * UC Davis 24, Eastern Washington 27
9/30 * Idaho 44, Eastern Washington 36
9/30 * Sacramento State 31, Northern Arizona 30
9/30 * Montana 28, Idaho State 20
10/7 * Montana 31, UC Davis 23
10/14 * Portland State 45, Northern Arizona 21
10/14 * Idaho 21, Montana 23
10/14 * Idaho State 42, Eastern Washington 41
10/14 * Weber State 16, UC Davis 17
10/21 * Portland State 24, Idaho State 38

Head to head:
UM 3-1
Idaho 2-1
Idaho state 2-1
SAC 1-1
PSU 1-1
Davis 1-1
NAU 1-2
EWU 0-2

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:18 am

Average PPG Differentials, BSC only:

1. MSU: +27
2. ID: +10.75
3. PSU: +8
4. ISU: +5.25
5. UCD: +2
6. UM: +1.5
7. NAU: +1.5
8. EW: +0.5
9. SAC: -3
10. UNC: -9
11. WEB: -14.75
12. CP: -23.4

So the gap between #1 and #2 is bigger than the gap between #2 and #9.

Also, if you remove MSU's game from the sample of their opponents, the improvement in scoring differential is pretty dramatic.

SAC goes from -3.0 to -0.33.

WEB goes from -14.75 to -4.75.

PSU goes from +8 to +16.

CP goes from -23.4 to -19.25.

The point being that the Cats tend to make their schedule look a little weaker than it really is because they tend to pummel their opponents.

I’m not surprised. Worth noting points allowed by MSU in the waning garbage minutes of its games. SAC, PSU, add 3.5 ppg alone.

As for the Vandals, here's how they've done since their win over Montana in 2022:
2022
vs PSU W, 56-21
at SAC L, 31-28
vs EWU W, 48-16
vs Davis L, 44-26
at ISU W, 38-7
at SE La L, 45-42 (playoffs)
2023
at Lamar W, 42-17
at Nevada W, 33-6
at Cal L, 31-17
vs. SAC W, 36-27
at EWU W, 44-36
at Poly W, 42-14
vs UM L, 23-20

Idaho is 8-5, 6-3 BSC with most impressive win being at home vs SAC, which it won with a last second FG. Nevada win is good.

TomCat88 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:54 pm

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:18 am

Average PPG Differentials, BSC only:

1. MSU: +27
2. ID: +10.75
3. PSU: +8
4. ISU: +5.25
5. UCD: +2
6. UM: +1.5
7. NAU: +1.5
8. EW: +0.5
9. SAC: -3
10. UNC: -9
11. WEB: -14.75
12. CP: -23.4

So the gap between #1 and #2 is bigger than the gap between #2 and #9.

Also, if you remove MSU's game from the sample of their opponents, the improvement in scoring differential is pretty dramatic.

SAC goes from -3.0 to -0.33.

WEB goes from -14.75 to -4.75.

PSU goes from +8 to +16.

CP goes from -23.4 to -19.25.

The point being that the Cats tend to make their schedule look a little weaker than it really is because they tend to pummel their opponents.

I’m not surprised. Worth noting points allowed by MSU in the waning garbage minutes of its games. SAC, PSU, add 3.5 ppg alone.

Yes indeed. Makes the difference even more stark. How about ISU?

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:18 am

TomCat88 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:54 pm

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:18 am

Average PPG Differentials, BSC only:

1. MSU: +27
2. ID: +10.75
3. PSU: +8
4. ISU: +5.25
5. UCD: +2
6. UM: +1.5
7. NAU: +1.5
8. EW: +0.5
9. SAC: -3
10. UNC: -9
11. WEB: -14.75
12. CP: -23.4

So the gap between #1 and #2 is bigger than the gap between #2 and #9.

Also, if you remove MSU's game from the sample of their opponents, the improvement in scoring differential is pretty dramatic.

SAC goes from -3.0 to -0.33.

WEB goes from -14.75 to -4.75.

PSU goes from +8 to +16.

CP goes from -23.4 to -19.25.

The point being that the Cats tend to make their schedule look a little weaker than it really is because they tend to pummel their opponents.

I’m not surprised. Worth noting points allowed by MSU in the waning garbage minutes of its games. SAC, PSU, add 3.5 ppg alone.

Yes indeed. Makes the difference even more stark. How about ISU?

Yeah, ISU, one of the many enigmas in the BSC this year. Maybe they're really good, I thought PSU was. How was ISU down 27 in the fourth quarter vs. EWU though? NAU beats UM, PSU beats NAU, ISU beats PSU, ...

TomCat88 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 26, 2023 10:26 am

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:18 am

TomCat88 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:54 pm

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:18 am

Average PPG Differentials, BSC only:

1. MSU: +27
2. ID: +10.75
3. PSU: +8
4. ISU: +5.25
5. UCD: +2
6. UM: +1.5
7. NAU: +1.5
8. EW: +0.5
9. SAC: -3
10. UNC: -9
11. WEB: -14.75
12. CP: -23.4

So the gap between #1 and #2 is bigger than the gap between #2 and #9.

Also, if you remove MSU's game from the sample of their opponents, the improvement in scoring differential is pretty dramatic.

SAC goes from -3.0 to -0.33.

WEB goes from -14.75 to -4.75.

PSU goes from +8 to +16.

CP goes from -23.4 to -19.25.

The point being that the Cats tend to make their schedule look a little weaker than it really is because they tend to pummel their opponents.

I’m not surprised. Worth noting points allowed by MSU in the waning garbage minutes of its games. SAC, PSU, add 3.5 ppg alone.

Yes indeed. Makes the difference even more stark. How about ISU?

Yeah, ISU, one of the many enigmas in the BSC this year. Maybe they're really good, I thought PSU was. How was ISU down 27 in the fourth quarter vs. EWU though? NAU beats UM, PSU beats NAU, ISU beats PSU, ...

It’s MSU and then a big jumble until you get to the bottom feeders. But I thought ISU was one of those bottom feeders and they clearly aren’t.

This reminds me of recent years in the Pac-12. First half to two-thirds of the season, you think they have 3-4 really good teams. Then somebody like Washington is 7-0 and loses to somebody like a 2-5 Arizona State team and the whole thing falls apart. I just don't know who's good (MSU?), who's bad (Davis?), who had one bad game (gris?), who was good and gave up (Weber?), who's coming on strong in late October (ISU?), etc. Love the consistency MSU has played with. Every team has hiccups; not letting them turn into bad losses is what great teams have to do almost every year.

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 26, 2023 10:55 am

TomCat88 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 26, 2023 10:26 am

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:18 am

TomCat88 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:54 pm

Lord Vigo wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 25, 2023 11:18 am

Average PPG Differentials, BSC only:

1. MSU: +27
2. ID: +10.75
3. PSU: +8
4. ISU: +5.25
5. UCD: +2
6. UM: +1.5
7. NAU: +1.5
8. EW: +0.5
9. SAC: -3
10. UNC: -9
11. WEB: -14.75
12. CP: -23.4

So the gap between #1 and #2 is bigger than the gap between #2 and #9.

Also, if you remove MSU's game from the sample of their opponents, the improvement in scoring differential is pretty dramatic.

SAC goes from -3.0 to -0.33.

WEB goes from -14.75 to -4.75.

PSU goes from +8 to +16.

CP goes from -23.4 to -19.25.

The point being that the Cats tend to make their schedule look a little weaker than it really is because they tend to pummel their opponents.

I’m not surprised. Worth noting points allowed by MSU in the waning garbage minutes of its games. SAC, PSU, add 3.5 ppg alone.

Yes indeed. Makes the difference even more stark. How about ISU?

Yeah, ISU, one of the many enigmas in the BSC this year. Maybe they're really good, I thought PSU was. How was ISU down 27 in the fourth quarter vs. EWU though? NAU beats UM, PSU beats NAU, ISU beats PSU, ...

It’s MSU and then a big jumble until you get to the bottom feeders. But I thought ISU was one of those bottom feeders and they clearly aren’t.

They might still be bottom feeders. They pulled out that win vs EWU, still almost lost at the end, then rode the momentum to PSU. I just think the cycle of teams that look good, getting beat and vice versa continues. Let's see if ISU can beat SAC on the road. The QB is carrying them.