The games of 2006

[crazycat]

OK as usual I can’t wait to start thinking about the games. So why not predict every sweet-smelling last one of them? Here goes:

@ Colorado – We can’t expect more than 10 points. Not because CU is so good, but we just seem to be too up in the air for game one, but it’ll get better. I’m hoping we hit 200 yards, but that will be tough, too. If we do get over 10, it’ll be the defense and special teams. CU 31, MSU 10. (0-1, 0-0)

v. Chadron St. – Chadron has a better chance beating us than we had beat CU. A big day for the running game. MSU 28, Chadron St. 10. (1-1, 0-0)

v. Cal-Davis – Game of the year for us. This is the game that, if needed, would get us into the playoffs. The defense carries the day with one of its best efforts of the year. MSU 17, Cal-Davis 7. (2-1, 0-0)

v. Eastern Wash. – We gain a measure of revenge. The defense shuts down Cole and the offense has its best game to date. MSU 34, EWU 15. (3-1, 1-0)

@ NAU – Hiccup. Things go awry in Flagstaff after the big blowout of ’04. Offense has a letdown and defense wears out down the stretch. This game lingers late in the year, because a win here would’ve meant playoffs were a lock. NAU 20, MSU 17. (3-2, 1-1)

v. Portland St. – MSU gets its house back in order. The defense gives Sawyer Smith fits and the running game flows. MSU 27, PSU 3. (4-2, 2-1)

@ SSU – Carbon copy of the previous week. Team shows a measure of invincibility in this one and fans start to really believe. MSU 44, SSU 10. (5-2, 3-1)

@ Idaho St. – Like always whenever expectations are high, MSU flops. But not drastically. Bengals pull it out. ISU 21, MSU 19. (5-3, 3-2)

v. Weber St. – MSU knows it has to win the last three games and the defense steps in to make sure it happens. MSU 27, WSU 0. (6-3, 4-2)

v. No. Colo. – Bobcats build on last week’s win and get a spark from the passing game early. MSU 36, UNC 13. (7-3, 5-2)

Bye

@ Montana – It all comes down to this. Win and in. Had MSU beat lowly NAU, this game wouldn’t have been so critical. The Bobcat defense is too much and knows UM too well. MSU 21, UM 7. (8-3, 6-2)

[Helcat72]

Very credible!

[LTown Cat]

I LOVE FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!

[CelticCat]

Who is going to be scoring all these points?

[catatac]

Who is going to be scoring all these points?

Who is going to be scoring all these points?

I predict a nice even mix of Jefferson, Wheaton, Lulay, Groves, Taito, Carpenter or Rolovich, and Hastings...

[LTown Cat]

Who is going to be scoring all these points?

Losing Lulay hurts---obviously, as well as Gatewood. From the sounds of things Wheaton and Jefferson could make the receiving corps even better than last year (I remember an awful lot of Lulay's passes being dropped) and the running game is solid. If the quarterbacks can walk and talk at the same time I would venture to say it may almost be easier to score this year than last.

[crazycat]

Who is going to be scoring all these points?

Me thinks the D will drop in and score a few and set up a few more with the short field. This is how we've scored many points in the past. Special teams play (blocked punts) might even chip in. It's not like I'm counting on the defense to set up scoring opportunities, it's just that it's what they'll do, they always have.

[whitetrashgriz]

crazycat - against isu...will that 19 points be 2 td's, a fg, and a safety? or 4 field goals and a t.d. with an extra point?

[crazycat]

crazycat - against isu...will that 19 points be 2 td's, a fg, and a safety? or 4 field goals and a t.d. with an extra point?

Hopefully both.

[anacondagriz]

@ Montana – It all comes down to this. Win and in. Had MSU beat lowly NAU, this game wouldn’t have been so critical. The Bobcat defense is too much and knows UM too well. MSU 21, UM 7. (8-3, 6-2)

OK crazycat since you seem to be more than realistic & very unbiased in your opinions I would like to see your break down of the Griz season.

[CARDIAC_CATS]

Who is going to be scoring all these points?

Who is going to be scoring all these points?

I predict a nice even mix of Jefferson, Wheaton, Lulay, Groves, Taito, Carpenter or Rolovich, and Hastings...

Yep, our offense should be very balanced this year .. run/pass. I think teams are much more solid in the long run that have good run/pass balance and don't just throw it all the time. Hastings gives us a good leg so if we can move the ball between the 25-30 we are in business (which I think we will do). Barnhardt too, I think he is going to have a break out year. He is very athletic.

[catatac]

@ Montana – It all comes down to this. Win and in. Had MSU beat lowly NAU, this game wouldn’t have been so critical. The Bobcat defense is too much and knows UM too well. MSU 21, UM 7. (8-3, 6-2)

OK crazycat since you seem to be more than realistic & very unbiased in your opinions I would like to see your break down of the Griz season.

Here - lemme try it...

Get pounded by Iowa and it won't be pretty, 45 to 3 or thereabouts.
Pull out another squeaker against South Dakota State, 13 to 10.
Handle Sac easily at home, 44 to 17.
Lose to PSU at their place, 35 to 31.
Beat Eastern at their place, 28 to 17.
Beat NAU in your place, 41 to 24
Beat Weber at their place in a tight one (OT), 24 to 21.
Lose at home to ISU in another close one, 31 to 27.
Lose at home to Poly (first back-to-back losses at home in ?), 35 to 25
Throttle NC (Still fighting for the league crown), 49 to 13.
Lose to the Bobcats... 16 to 6.

That puts you at 5 losses, might be 1 too many. Maybe PSU or ISU goes the other way to put you at 4 losses and keep playoff hopes alive.

[crazycat]

@ Montana – It all comes down to this. Win and in. Had MSU beat lowly NAU, this game wouldn’t have been so critical. The Bobcat defense is too much and knows UM too well. MSU 21, UM 7. (8-3, 6-2)

OK crazycat since you seem to be more than realistic & very unbiased in your opinions I would like to see your break down of the Griz season.

Anything for you AnacondaGriz. For consistency sake, lets review my league picks. You’ll see I have UM at 6-2, 7-4.

I've decided to re-do my prediction for the BSC. Why? Because I can and because it's just too fun. Also because I think the BSC isn't going to do so well in the non-conf games.

MSU 6-2, 8-3...The Cats will eek past Cal-Davis. Beat UM in Msla, but lose at ISU and at NAU.
UM 6-2, 7-4...The Griz lose to Cal Poly late in year. Swogger's passing pct. stays on a par with what it was at WSU sub .50%. They also get run on by EW's big line and Cole and lose there.
ISU 6-2, 7-4...Lose to UNLV and Idaho. Good team, but they stumble on road against EW and UM.
EWU 6-2, 7-4...Two losses to I-As. Loss at MSU and to WSU.
PSU 5-3, 5-6...Lose all the non-conf. games. Beat WSU, UNC, ISU, NAU, and SSU.
WSU 5-3, 5-6...Lose to CSU and Cal Poly. MSU, UM, and PSU all beat the W'Cats.
NAU 2-6, 3-8...Beat Dixie, but lose to AZ and Utah. Big win vs. MSU and they beat UNC.
SSU 1-7, 1-10...Beat UNC.
UNC 0-8, 0-11...Skunked.

MSU and EWU are 2-1, but MSU beats EWU to win league. MSU is only BSC team to make it to the playoffs.

Am I picking on the Griz? Sure. But not much. I see the league having trouble winning non-conf. games. UM has three tough ones in Iowa (an even tougher than normal I-A team and SDSU and Cal Poly two pretty good I-AAs.

@Iowa – I really think UM is pushing its luck. The lure of easy money has a mighty strong appeal as Don Henley put it. The moral to that song had something to do with you either end up getting busted or dead. Iowa is a mean bunch of hombres. Iowa 52, UM 10. (0-1, 0-0)

v. SDSU – This was close last year and after not getting much, and maybe losing a little in Iowa, it’ll be tough again. Defense looking good. UM 17, SDSU 10. (1-1, 0-0)

v. SSU – A week off helps a lot. Swogger to Chambers, Hilliard finally get to showcase skills after three weeks of football. UM 38, SSU 7. (2-1, 1-0)

@PSU – A nice win in a tough environment. The offense struggles against a now seasoned PSU defense, but Griz D comes through. UM 20, PSU 17. (3-1, 2-0)

@EWU – The Eagles get a win that propels them on to another good season. UM can’t slow down Cole up the middle. EWU 31, UM 21. (3-2, 2-1)

v. NAU – I don’t recall NAU ever really being a threat to win in Missoula. Everything clicks. UM 41, NAU 9. (4-2, 3-1)

@ Weber St. - McBride wants this bad, but the Griz have things ironed out after NAU. UM 32, WSU 19. (5-2, 4-1)

v. Idaho St. – A big game and UM begins to look like they’ll win another title and roll into the playoffs after this one. Gutierrez does the usual “I’ve played in louder places’” line, but he of all people just can’t handle Wash-Griz. UM 27, ISU 13. (6-2, 5-1)

v. Cal Poly – The methodically improving Mustangs and their flex D follow their blueprint to beat UM from the 2005 playoffs. This one hurts. CP 31, UM 12. (6-3, 5-1)

@UNC – UM looking ahead to MSU, but not that much as they re-build conf. UM 35, UNC 10. (7-3, 6-1)

v. MSU – You’ve already seen this, but…It all comes down to this. Win and in. The Bobcat defense is too much and knows UM too well. MSU 21, UM 7. (7-4, 6-2)

[info197176]

Pretty close on the Cats crazy..but I think you'll beat NAU...you're just to physical for a finesse team like NAU. And winning by two touchdowns in Wa -Griz?? Again, I know how you got the name "crazy"..you guy's might win but it will be close if you do (e.g. 2002)....remember 2004? You "knew us well" that year too...

[crazycat]

Pretty close on the Cats crazy..but I think you'll beat NAU...you're just to physical for a finesse team like NAU. And winning by two touchdowns in Wa -Griz?? Again, I know how you got the name "crazy"..you guy's might win but it will be close if you do (e.g. 2002)....remember 2004? You "knew us well" that year too...

I always leave room for a couple unexpected ("crazy") things to happen. Hence the loss to NAU and the win by 14 (gasp!) over you guys. But that happens when UM drives to the MSU 2-yd line with 30 seconds to go trailing 13-7. They try a --- you guessed it -- Shovel Pass and Epikopo King intercepts it, goes the distance and MSU goes for and makes the 2-pt convo. So, you see, it will still be very close.

Later a shaken coach Hauck tries to say Epikopo on the post game TV show and comes off sounding like Porky the Pig. I know I would.

CelticCat tried to impersonate me by saying he was 'crazy' today, but as you can see I'm still crazy and he's still Celtic. He won't admit it, but we're brothers. Same last name and all.