Big Sky Conference Football: 2012 Spring Power Rankings

[ilovethecats]

as cat fans...of course we hope the griz are down. but for the last thirty years we hear every year how they will be bad...and every year they dominate! look no farther than last season. this time last year some cat fans were screaming from the rooftops that the griz would be terrible. they would start off 1-3, lose to the cats, and miss the playoffs. hmmmm. they wax the cats at home before starting a playoff run that lead to the semis.

i'll believe the griz are down when i see it.....

[CARDIAC_CATS]

as cat fans...of course we hope the griz are down. but for the last thirty years we hear every year how they will be bad...and every year they dominate! look no farther than last season. this time last year some cat fans were screaming from the rooftops that the griz would be terrible. they would start off 1-3, lose to the cats, and miss the playoffs. hmmmm. they wax the cats at home before starting a playoff run that lead to the semis.

i'll believe the griz are down when i see it.....

If JJ starts for them I see the Griz being very good again. I think their biggest loss besides their defensive players are the WR's they lost. It will be interesting to see if they can plug in as good of WR's as those guys. Their OL is still massive and if they get a lead can blow teams off the line in the second half to keep the lead. They will definately be top 3 in the Big Sky this year in my opinion. Way too much talent and home field advantage (and payments to the refs ).

[LTown Cat]

Actually, if the griz don't lose any players this summer related to the problems in Missoula they should be the favorite. They are a very strong team and will score a lot of points. Their defense won't be as good as 2011 but it won't be bad either!

No they shouldn't, because they lost 8 or 9 starters on D and 5 on O to graduation. Don't care how good they think their backups are, they will struggle at first, especially in light of new coordinators, HC, and the drama surrounding the program. 7-4 at best.

1. Same Coordinators. Only lost their head coach. No one else.
2. They will be better on offense than last year especially when you consider how bad JJ played the first half of last year.
3. One year they lost 19 starters under Glenn and went to the NC game the next year.
4. The drama will have ZERO impact unless players are removed from the team (which has not happened yet). If anything it could be used as a motivator.
5. I hope you are right!!!

Actually I believe they lost their D coordinator and thought they also lost their O coordinator...

Otherwise points 2-5 are spot on.

[catamaran]

o coordinator to boise; d coordinator to wazzu

[Silenoz]

Yes, both coordinators are new

And saying 7-4 at best is pretty ridiculous... I think most of you will agree with that

[AlphaGriz1]

Plus it was Screaming beagle that said it so.......................

[TomCat88]

Well. A-hem. I'll bet the first 5 takers a case of beer that UM makes the playoffs this year.

[AlphaGriz1]

This is me running the opposite direction this year!

I am to you, what ILTC is to me!

[ilovethecats]

classless....

[TomCat88]

This is me running the opposite direction this year!

I am to you, what ILTC is to me!

Aww c'mon. That was the best 20 bucks you ever spent.

[codecat]

Actually, if the griz don't lose any players this summer related to the problems in Missoula they should be the favorite. They are a very strong team and will score a lot of points. Their defense won't be as good as 2011 but it won't be bad either!

No they shouldn't, because they lost 8 or 9 starters on D and 5 on O to graduation. Don't care how good they think their backups are, they will struggle at first, especially in light of new coordinators, HC, and the drama surrounding the program. 7-4 at best.

1. Same Coordinators. Only lost their head coach. No one else.
2. They will be better on offense than last year especially when you consider how bad JJ played the first half of last year.
3. One year they lost 19 starters under Glenn and went to the NC game the next year.
4. The drama will have ZERO impact unless players are removed from the team (which has not happened yet). If anything it could be used as a motivator.
5. I hope you are right!!!

As has been said, the griz did lose their DC, but other than that I have to agree with gtapp. What they have going is the depth where the guys that have been in the rotation that we have hardly heard of just waiting to break out their sophomore or Junior year. I think that this is a place the we are trying to get to that will take us to the next level, but as noted in another thread this morning, we lost another 5 guys, 4 of which had invested those one or two years in the program necessary to build.

[CapitalCityCat]

With JJ. 8-3
Without. 4-7 (per my sig)

[allcat]

Well. A-hem. I'll bet the first 5 takers a case of beer that UM makes the playoffs this year.

I'm in.

[TomCat88]

Well. A-hem. I'll bet the first 5 takers a case of beer that UM makes the playoffs this year.

I'm in.

Haha, you trying to win that money back from last year?

OK, that makes two. One person PM'd me. Now I need to remind you guys that UM plays an all FCS schedule this year, so a 7-4 record will almost certainly get them in the playoffs.

[gtapp]

I was thinking that the griz coordinators were the same that went through spring ball. Yes, they lost both coordinators but not to the problems unrelated to football and both of the new guys were there for spring ball. Should ease the transition!

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Yes, both coordinators are new

And saying 7-4 at best is pretty ridiculous... I think most of you will agree with that

UM had a new HC and coordinators in 2010, and struggled to 7-4, and didn't lose nearly as many starters. This year, the Griz face 3 top 10-15 teams in EWU, MSU and App State, and play AT Weber, where the Griz have lost the last two against the Wildcats.

[DaCats21]

Well. A-hem. I'll bet the first 5 takers a case of beer that UM makes the playoffs this year.

I'm in.

Haha, you trying to win that money back from last year?

OK, that makes two. One person PM'd me. Now I need to remind you guys that UM plays an all FCS schedule this year, so a 7-4 record will almost certainly get them in the playoffs.

Im not completely convinced that the griz will make the playoffs (9 starters gone on D, new coaches, etc...)

Butttttt, an all FCS schedule does help them. We also have to keep in mind that with the expaned Big Sky, 3-4 teams from the conference will make the playoffs

[LongTimeCatFan]

Well. A-hem. I'll bet the first 5 takers a case of beer that UM makes the playoffs this year.

I'm game, this year we're playing for Copper John's Scotch Ale for me and I assume Bud for you.

[TomCat88]

Well. A-hem. I'll bet the first 5 takers a case of beer that UM makes the playoffs this year.

I'm game, this year we're playing for Copper John's Scotch Ale for me and I assume Bud for you.

That's 3. Two more and we're all set. Also, we need to clarify it's a case of domestic/commercial beer (Miller, Bud, Coors, etc) or $20 worth of your choice (Kettlehouse, Lewis and Clark, Blackfoot, etc.). And if you want just throw out a $20 bill that's cool, too. Tracking down all that beer last year in the parking lot got old fast.

[allcat]

Well. A-hem. I'll bet the first 5 takers a case of beer that UM makes the playoffs this year.

I'm in.

Haha, you trying to win that money back from last year?

OK, that makes two. One person PM'd me. Now I need to remind you guys that UM plays an all FCS schedule this year, so a 7-4 record will almost certainly get them in the playoffs.

I know this is probably a bad bet, just want to see them have a down year.