The Bobcat Nation

Hello everyone! If there was a way both of these teams could lose this weekend, I would be ecstatic. But of course, that’s not happening. So which of the DSUs should we be rooting for in terms of future playoff seeding? If it affects anything at all.

MSUcat44 wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 9:48 am

Hello everyone! If there was a way both of these teams could lose this weekend, I would be ecstatic. But of course, that’s not happening. So which of the DSUs should we be rooting for in terms of future playoff seeding? If it affects anything at all.

I don't know if it matters a whole lot... what REALLY matters is if UND can take one of them down in Grand Forks later in the season. Personally I guess I'll be pulling for the Jackrabbits as I'd rather play them (again) in Brookings rather than NDSU in the dome.

Since we lost to SDSU, pretty much have to root for them. Hopefully Mason is healthy.

BelligerentBobcat wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 10:10 am

Since we lost to SDSU, pretty much have to root for them. Hopefully Mason is healthy.

Agreed! And FTB.

1. It’s a lot easier for the committee to put the Cats above a team they didn’t lose to.
2. If being a rival means anything you know the UND boys would love to knock off their in state rival like they did a couple years ago. Might get up just a bit more for that game than the other.
Both of those point to cheering for the Jacks.

Prodigal Cat wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 10:32 am

1. It’s a lot easier for the committee to put the Cats above a team they didn’t lose to.
2. If being a rival means anything you know the UND boys would love to knock off their in state rival like they did a couple years ago. Might get up just a bit more for that game than the other.
Both of those point to cheering for the Jacks.

Not sure if I'm following your first point? Currently it's NDSU#1, SDSU #1. Are you saying that if SDSU beats NDSU and neither lose any other games, and MSU wins out, that the chances are better for MSU to get seeded higher than NDSU versus SDSU? I would think it's easier for us to leapfrog SDSU, despite them beating us early season.

catatac wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 11:21 am

Prodigal Cat wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 10:32 am

1. It’s a lot easier for the committee to put the Cats above a team they didn’t lose to.
2. If being a rival means anything you know the UND boys would love to knock off their in state rival like they did a couple years ago. Might get up just a bit more for that game than the other.
Both of those point to cheering for the Jacks.

Not sure if I'm following your first point? Currently it's NDSU#1, SDSU #1. Are you saying that if SDSU beats NDSU and neither lose any other games, and MSU wins out, that the chances are better for MSU to get seeded higher than NDSU versus SDSU? I would think it's easier for us to leapfrog SDSU, despite them beating us early season.

I’m not OP, but I really don’t think getting to the #1 seed is attainable for us. I suppose it’s possible if both SDSU’s lose twice, UND loses and we beat Montana, and Tarleton loses, but that’s a lot to ask for.

We’re playing for the #2 seed, and hopefully SDSU beats NDSU handedly, we win out, and hopefully get the 2 seed.

UND looked good yesterday on the road vs So. Illinois. Might’ve had a more impressive win over them than NDSU had considering NDSU was at home. Idk ?

Some people think UND is just better than SDSU with or without Mason. He either has turf toe or a sprained ankle.

Go Hares!

Yeah no way I can root for the Bison in any situation. It's been a decade too long watching them dominate.

Root for a blow out. I think that's more important than who wins.

We lost to SDSU in 2OT essentially by one yard in our second game with a new OC/QB combo. If we can beat the griz by 14+ and the Marker margin is at least that much we could have an argument to jump the loser. Without both of those we Cat-griz might be a battle for the 4 seed.

coloradocat wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 8:49 pm

Root for a blow out. I think that's more important than who wins.

We lost to SDSU in 2OT essentially by one yard in our second game with a new OC/QB combo. If we can beat the griz by 14+ and the Marker margin is at least that much we could have an argument to jump the loser. Without both of those we Cat-griz might be a battle for the 4 seed.

This. A blowout win is ideal, but SDSU winning is probably best case scenario for the easiest route to a (possible) 2 seed.

SDSU all the way. Their fans were super cool in Bozeman. NDSU fans are pretty much like Griz fans, but to the East.

GoCats18 wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 10:20 pm

SDSU all the way. Their fans were super cool in Bozeman. NDSU fans are pretty much like Griz fans, but to the East.

I’ve mostly had great experiences with bison fans. We did have one in our section last Jan that was awful. But overall, they’ve been great and a lot of fun.

BelligerentBobcat wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 12:04 pm

catatac wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 11:21 am

Prodigal Cat wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 10:32 am

1. It’s a lot easier for the committee to put the Cats above a team they didn’t lose to.
2. If being a rival means anything you know the UND boys would love to knock off their in state rival like they did a couple years ago. Might get up just a bit more for that game than the other.
Both of those point to cheering for the Jacks.

Not sure if I'm following your first point? Currently it's NDSU#1, SDSU #1. Are you saying that if SDSU beats NDSU and neither lose any other games, and MSU wins out, that the chances are better for MSU to get seeded higher than NDSU versus SDSU? I would think it's easier for us to leapfrog SDSU, despite them beating us early season.

I’m not OP, but I really don’t think getting to the #1 seed is attainable for us. I suppose it’s possible if both SDSU’s lose twice, UND loses and we beat Montana, and Tarleton loses, but that’s a lot to ask for.

We’re playing for the #2 seed, and hopefully SDSU beats NDSU handedly, we win out, and hopefully get the 2 seed.

Yes there is no realistic path for the Cats to the #1. And I won't get sucked in again to this debate but suffice it to say I guess I shouldn't be shocked that a bunch of rabid Cat fans can think that there isn't any consequences to losing to SDSU in week 2 but damn. The level of denial is breath taking. That if the Cats win out the committee will just move them up past a team that beat them, that most likely will have a better resume.

The SDSU win @MSU is the best win in all of FCS. Even better than Tarleton's win @ Army. If SDSU wins this weekend they will have the top 2 best wins in FCS and if you start to drill into NDSU's resume its not that great. They have 3 ranked wins but against teams like USD and ILST who keep doing just enough to stay in the back end of being ranked. They won't have a win like the Jacks, the griz, or Tarleton has on their resume. Pair that with my second point and if they lose to UND they will have lost to both of the top 10 teams they played and if the Cats can beat Davis and the griz they will have won 2/3 versus those type of teams. They will have 2 wins better than any the Bison have. They will be dropped below the Cats. For SDSU its much more convoluted. If Tarleton drops one and SDSU loses the marker and the Cats win the Brawl, that puts the Jacks and Cats together in consideration for who would get the 2 and who would get the 3. UTT and UM schedules make it so they have to go undefeated and any losses they incur takes them out of the top 2 consideration. Several have argued against me on this but I think its pretty damn hard for the committee to put the Cats at the 2 and the Jacks at the 3 when there is a head to head staring at them right in the face.

If your planning on watching this game they announced it as being on ESPNU. There are a lot of basic plans that do not carry ESPNU and those broadcasts usually aren't on ESPN+ when they are on the U. That channel kinda exists in this weird middle area.

Prodigal Cat wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 20, 2025 7:46 am

If your planning on watching this game they announced it as being on ESPNU. There are a lot of basic plans that do not carry ESPNU and those broadcasts usually aren't on ESPN+ when they are on the U. That channel kinda exists in this weird middle area.

What a dumb decision by them. Should at least be on normal ESPN.

BelligerentBobcat wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 20, 2025 7:47 am

Prodigal Cat wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 20, 2025 7:46 am

If your planning on watching this game they announced it as being on ESPNU. There are a lot of basic plans that do not carry ESPNU and those broadcasts usually aren't on ESPN+ when they are on the U. That channel kinda exists in this weird middle area.

What a dumb decision by them. Should at least be on normal ESPN.

Really hurts viewership as well. The friday game between Sac and the gris will get 100,000+ viewers and this game will get 30,000. You know every ignorant griz fan will think it was because they were playing and completely ignore the external forces. They do it every time.

During the 2021/2022 National Championship I didn’t get a ‘good’ feel regarding Bison fans, but not bad either. During the 2024/2025 National Championship I thought highly of Bison fans. I didn’t have any interaction with them during our 2023 qrtr final game in Bozeman. However, I’ve always thought that Wrascally Wabbit fans were a ‘class act’.

As far as who we should hope loses NDSU@SDSU ………it’s whoever is more likely to lose @UND. IF the loser of NDSU@SDSU also loses to UND, then we will likely be ranked ahead of them IF we win out. IF the only loss they have is the ‘marker’ game, then I think it’s unlikely we ‘jump’ either of them.

However, IF UND can beat one/both of them and IF we win out, then our argument would be since the gris pulled out a last minute win against UND in Missoula, and we beat the gris in Missoula, and UND beat _DSU, then we ‘might’ jump that team. A big part of that is winning the Brawl and by how much. Does our defense make their offense look silly like UND’s did for 3.5 quarters? Does our offense’s balanced attack make their 3-3-5 defense look like a sieve?

As another poster illuded to.......'we should hope that the gris win all their games up to the Brawl' because then IF we beat them it'll look better on our resume. Even though the thought of 'rooting for the gris' makes me nauseous, he's correct. However, I'm still rooting for Sac St this weekend.

So the best we can realistically hope for is a #2 seed, unless Tarleton is #2 and we could be #3, then I think their is a fair chance we could host a semi-final game because it would be very possible that Tarleton would lose before the semi-final After all, in 2021/2022 we were the 8th seed and we hosted the semi-final game.

GO CATS!!!

The MICKSTER wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 20, 2025 8:37 am

As far as who we should hope loses NDSU@SDSU ………it’s whoever is more likely to lose @UND. IF the loser of NDSU@SDSU also loses to UND, then we will likely be ranked ahead of them IF we win out. IF the only loss they have is the ‘marker’ game, then I think it’s unlikely we ‘jump’ either of them.

However, IF UND can beat one/both of them and IF we win out, then our argument would be since the gris pulled out a last minute win against UND in Missoula, and we beat the gris in Missoula, and UND beat _DSU, then we ‘might’ jump that team. A big part of that is winning the Brawl and by how much. Does our defense make their offense look silly like UND’s did for 3.5 quarters? Does our offense’s balanced attack make their 3-3-5 defense look like a sieve?

As another poster illuded to.......'we should hope that the gris win all their games up to the Brawl' because then IF we beat them it'll look better on our resume.

So the best we can realistically hope for is a #2 seed, unless Tarleton is #2 and we ncould be #3, then I think their is a fair chance we could host a semi-final game because it would be very possible that Tarleton would lose before the semi-final After all, in 2021/2022 we were the 8th seed and we hosted the semi-final game.

This is the correct answer.