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Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:43 pm
by BobcatBuiltTexan
As a Bobcat fan if you have to choose.. no picking both..... would you rather win cat-griz and not win a natty or win the natty and lose cat-griz?
Personally I've been a part of a lot if rivalries that matter... I'm always focused on the big picture. Give me a natty while kissing to my rival over beating my rival and not winning a natty. Nobody outside of Montana really good cat-griz as a measuring stick of greatness....I always seek greatness... winning a natty is greatness and puts you in the records of one of the greatest teams.
I really would like to hear how yall approach this thought. I know in Texas, they are more concerned with beating their rivals which in turn had them not in the natty conversation.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:45 pm
by Bocephus
BobcatBuiltTexan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:43 pm
As a Bobcat fan if you have to choose.. no picking both..... would you rather win cat-griz and not win a natty or win the natty and lose cat-griz?
Personally I've been a part of a lot if rivalries that matter... I'm always focused on the big picture. Give me a natty while kissing to my rival over beating my rival and not winning a natty. Nobody outside of Montana really good cat-griz as a measuring stick of greatness....I always seek greatness... winning a natty is greatness and puts you in the records of one of the greatest teams.
I really would like to hear how yall approach this thought. I know in Texas, they are more concerned with beating their rivals which in turn had them not in the natty conversation.
The Cats came so close in 2021 to doing just that. Having seen how that played out. I’d much rather have the NATTY.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:48 pm
by Catsrgrood
100% National Championship
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:48 pm
by ilovethecats
Nattys all day long. I assume nearly everyone thinks that way though I concede we have some old timers that still believe beating the griz is the end all be all.
But I assume nearly all rational fans would take a championship even if it meant losing to the griz by 50.
Though the two tend to go kinda hand in hand in a way. If you’re losing to the griz everytime the chances you’re in a position to win a natty are gonna be slim.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:50 pm
by mslacatfan
Natty
But it’s very, VERY rare that those two things do not go hand in hand.
Typically you need to beat the griz —> in order to get a good playoff seed (home field) —> in order to have a chance at the natty.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:51 pm
by ZebraCat
National championship no question. There are those that would take going 1-11 if that 1 is against UM. Those people are crazy and wrong.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:54 pm
by ilovethecats
mslacatfan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:50 pm
Natty
But it’s very, VERY rare that those two things do not go hand in hand.
Typically you need to beat the griz —> in order to get a good playoff seed (home field) —> in order to have a chance at the natty.
Yep I said the same.
While fun to think about it’s just not a realistic scenario. And I can prove it. We had a stretch of a decade and a half where we did JUST that and didn’t beat the griz once. And we most certainly weren’t in the position to win championships!
This specific game is way more important than just the result one Saturday a year. If you’re on the losing end too many times it’s not going to be good in the bigger picture either.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:01 pm
by coloradocat
For a long time I think many/most people would have said winning Cat-griz because winning a championship was practically unthinkable. Now that we're one of the few title contending programs each year essentially everyone will say a championship.
There's a lot of history to the rivalry which is why until late December 2021 this was a real tough question. Outsiders, especially those with connections to other popular rivalries, will always discount Cat-griz because they haven't lived it and just assume all rivalries (except maybe theirs) are the same. All rivalries are unique in their own ways. Some more than others.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:02 pm
by cat_stache_fever
Win the chipper
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:03 pm
by PapaG
@gtapp is the only poster I recall preferring to win Cat-Gris when it’s come up before.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:38 pm
by catatac
100 percent winning the Natty is more important than winning Cat Griz. This coming from a guy who hates the Griz so much that I'd MUCH rather beat them twice in one year, than beat them just once and then beat some random team in the semi's... and obviously I'm in the minority in that mindset. I'm OK with that. lol
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:52 pm
by 91catAlum
Natty!
10 years ago, the responses to this question would've been very mixed because we lost to um so often for so long. Now that we've had the upper hand over the last decade or so, I think the responses will be at least 95% for winning the natty.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:57 pm
by RockyBearCat
Another championship vote.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:57 pm
by gtapp
Beat the griz!!!!
I would rather go 1-10 and beat the griz then go 10-1 and lose to them!!!!
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 10:35 pm
by jhopmsu79
Cats are gonna do both
Re: Honest question
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 10:44 pm
by BobcatBuiltTexan
gtapp wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:57 pm
Beat the griz!!!!
I would rather go 1-10 and beat the griz then go 10-1 and lose to them!!!!
Please stick to the question at hand.....natty and lose to the griz or beat the griz and no natty.... which one is more important to you?
Re: Honest question
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 9:12 am
by RUACAT
coloradocat wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:01 pm
For a long time I think many/most people would have said winning Cat-griz because winning a championship was practically unthinkable. Now that we're one of the few title contending programs each year essentially everyone will say a championship.
There's a lot of history to the rivalry which is why until late December 2021 this was a real tough question. Outsiders, especially those with connections to other popular rivalries, will always discount Cat-griz because they haven't lived it and just assume all rivalries (except maybe theirs) are the same. All rivalries are unique in their own ways. Some more than others.
This was my mindset until about 10 years ago. Now, Natty all day, every day. I can deal with gris fans chirping at me for a few weeks. They'll regret the rest of the year.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 9:15 am
by gtapp
BobcatBuiltTexan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 10:44 pm
gtapp wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 9:57 pm
Beat the griz!!!!
I would rather go 1-10 and beat the griz then go 10-1 and lose to them!!!!
Please stick to the question at hand.....natty and lose to the griz or beat the griz and no natty.... which one is more important to you?
I think I made that pretty obvious.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 9:20 am
by TomCat88
When the MSU vs SDSU semifinal game was wrapping up in 2021, it seemed like everyone had completely forgotten about the 29-10 loss to UM a month earlier. I could be mistaken on that.
Re: Honest question
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 9:23 am
by Prodigal Cat
mslacatfan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 8:50 pm
Natty
But it’s very, VERY rare that those two things do not go hand in hand.
Typically you need to beat the griz —> in order to get a good playoff seed (home field) —> in order to have a chance at the natty.
Yes, it's this. If you lose that game, I'm not sure the team is good enough to win it all.