Realistic expectations for this year

[damnyoutuesday]

I'm cautiously optimistic about the SDSU game and not sure why everyone is lumping them in the same category with NDSU (yes, I'm aware they were just picked #2 in the MVFC preseason poll). Jimmy Rogers did his alma mater DIRTY, taking basically his ENTIRE coaching staff (only the RB coach wasn't on his staff last year in Brookings), and SIXTEEN players. That's on top of the 5 others that transferred to other FBS teams. They did bring in 12 FBS transfers, but that amount of turnover on the coaching staff AND contributing players is going to be hard to gel as a group, IMO, especially being just the second game in. Combine that with playing in Bozeman... I have to think the Bobcats would be favored in the game.

I would agree. SDSU lost a lot of talent and backfilling that much in one offseason seems unlikely.

100% agree. They very well may be really good, but they’re as big of an unknown as anyone right now. Normally a head coaching change at a strong program like that is tough, but not insurmountable. But a second coaching change in 2 years, with all of the staff that left also, AND losing 20+ players to graduation and portal is a mighty big thing to overcome, especially early.

SDSU is going to be a middle of the pack MVFC team this year. You don’t lose that much talent to the portal and maintain status as a top 10 team. Cats will win big in Bozeman in front of 22,000 fans.

Who’s going to finish ahead of them?

They're far from the middle of the pack imo. I think they'll be 3rd behind the evil empire and the yotes.

I should have added a little more explanation. I see 2 to 3 teams at the top of the MVFC - NDSU, USD and Illinois State. Then the next group has SDSU, UND, Youngstown State and UNI. They will beat each other up and end up with similar records. The rest are bottom dwellers. I think there are big gaps between the groups, and SDSU belongs in the second tier. You don’t lose 21 guys to FBS and expect to maintain the same level of success. Just not going to happen.

If it was 7-8 years ago, I’d agree. I just think sdsu is so far ahead of everyone except NDSU that they can take that hit and still beat those teams. They beat every league opponent by 31 points or more except USD and NDSU.

I agree that SDSU will be in the second tier but will probably end up at the top of that group. New coaching staff, lot of new players and transfers SDSU is not the machine that NDSU is.
I wont be surprised if SDSU struggles against SAC.

I think SDSU is going to murder Sac St. Even if SDSU starts a little down because of the new coach and transfer players, Sac has that problem even worse and they're historically bum ass Sacramento State lol

[catatac]

I'm cautiously optimistic about the SDSU game and not sure why everyone is lumping them in the same category with NDSU (yes, I'm aware they were just picked #2 in the MVFC preseason poll). Jimmy Rogers did his alma mater DIRTY, taking basically his ENTIRE coaching staff (only the RB coach wasn't on his staff last year in Brookings), and SIXTEEN players. That's on top of the 5 others that transferred to other FBS teams. They did bring in 12 FBS transfers, but that amount of turnover on the coaching staff AND contributing players is going to be hard to gel as a group, IMO, especially being just the second game in. Combine that with playing in Bozeman... I have to think the Bobcats would be favored in the game.

I would agree. SDSU lost a lot of talent and backfilling that much in one offseason seems unlikely.

100% agree. They very well may be really good, but they’re as big of an unknown as anyone right now. Normally a head coaching change at a strong program like that is tough, but not insurmountable. But a second coaching change in 2 years, with all of the staff that left also, AND losing 20+ players to graduation and portal is a mighty big thing to overcome, especially early.

SDSU is going to be a middle of the pack MVFC team this year. You don’t lose that much talent to the portal and maintain status as a top 10 team. Cats will win big in Bozeman in front of 22,000 fans.

Who’s going to finish ahead of them?

They're far from the middle of the pack imo. I think they'll be 3rd behind the evil empire and the yotes.

I should have added a little more explanation. I see 2 to 3 teams at the top of the MVFC - NDSU, USD and Illinois State. Then the next group has SDSU, UND, Youngstown State and UNI. They will beat each other up and end up with similar records. The rest are bottom dwellers. I think there are big gaps between the groups, and SDSU belongs in the second tier. You don’t lose 21 guys to FBS and expect to maintain the same level of success. Just not going to happen.

If it was 7-8 years ago, I’d agree. I just think sdsu is so far ahead of everyone except NDSU that they can take that hit and still beat those teams. They beat every league opponent by 31 points or more except USD and NDSU.

Agree. Not too long ago they lost 34 players or something like that and came back the following year and crushed it.

[catatac]

I'm cautiously optimistic about the SDSU game and not sure why everyone is lumping them in the same category with NDSU (yes, I'm aware they were just picked #2 in the MVFC preseason poll). Jimmy Rogers did his alma mater DIRTY, taking basically his ENTIRE coaching staff (only the RB coach wasn't on his staff last year in Brookings), and SIXTEEN players. That's on top of the 5 others that transferred to other FBS teams. They did bring in 12 FBS transfers, but that amount of turnover on the coaching staff AND contributing players is going to be hard to gel as a group, IMO, especially being just the second game in. Combine that with playing in Bozeman... I have to think the Bobcats would be favored in the game.

We'll be favored and should win but the only reason there will be any question marks is because we open week 1 on the road against a top 5 FBS team while SDSU opens week 1 at home against a borderline top 5 BSC team that is full of transfers and a new coaching staff. We may be beat up and without a good idea of what we have at QB while they should win and get to feel out their new staff and roster.

Iron sharpens iron and I'm not expecting a lot out of Suck St. I think getting a strong challenge is more beneficial that a walkthrough game, provided of course there are no injuries. Playing FBS teams, especially highly ranked ones, injuries are definitely a big risk.

Often times injuries are nothing other than bad luck. Although I'd agree if a team that isn't in top physical condition, with top notch training in good fundamentals of how to tackle and take hits, etc... this might be an issue. For a team like the Cats however, I don't think the risk of injury goes up playing an Oregon versus a Northern Colorado. In fact I think one of our coaches spoke to this a few years ago and said injuries are more likely playing a crappy team. Just my $.02.

[BelligerentBobcat]

I think people underestimate how mediocre the FCS is beyond the top 10-15 teams.

[TomCat88]

I think people underestimate how mediocre the FCS is beyond the top 10-15 teams.

And how average the 6-10/15 teams are.

[TomCat88]

I'm cautiously optimistic about the SDSU game and not sure why everyone is lumping them in the same category with NDSU (yes, I'm aware they were just picked #2 in the MVFC preseason poll). Jimmy Rogers did his alma mater DIRTY, taking basically his ENTIRE coaching staff (only the RB coach wasn't on his staff last year in Brookings), and SIXTEEN players. That's on top of the 5 others that transferred to other FBS teams. They did bring in 12 FBS transfers, but that amount of turnover on the coaching staff AND contributing players is going to be hard to gel as a group, IMO, especially being just the second game in. Combine that with playing in Bozeman... I have to think the Bobcats would be favored in the game.

We'll be favored and should win but the only reason there will be any question marks is because we open week 1 on the road against a top 5 FBS team while SDSU opens week 1 at home against a borderline top 5 BSC team that is full of transfers and a new coaching staff. We may be beat up and without a good idea of what we have at QB while they should win and get to feel out their new staff and roster.

Iron sharpens iron and I'm not expecting a lot out of Suck St. I think getting a strong challenge is more beneficial that a walkthrough game, provided of course there are no injuries. Playing FBS teams, especially highly ranked ones, injuries are definitely a big risk.

Often times injuries are nothing other than bad luck. Although I'd agree if a team that isn't in top physical condition, with top notch training in good fundamentals of how to tackle and take hits, etc... this might be an issue. For a team like the Cats however, I don't think the risk of injury goes up playing an Oregon versus a Northern Colorado. In fact I think one of our coaches spoke to this a few years ago and said injuries are more likely playing a crappy team. Just my $.02.

If a team is derailed due to injuries, then it didn't have good depth. If you don't have good depth, you aren't likely to have a good season/team. MSU lost or was without Julius Davis, Humphrey, Perkins, Schmidt, Caden Dowler, Danny U, Polidore, Brody Grebe, Bryce Grebe, Black, JT Reed, Mastel, and probably a few others for all or parts of last season. I recall seasons where MSU lost just a couple players, and it derailed the season.