National Championship game tonight - NDSU vs Montana State

[MNfootballfan]

I don't think people are laughing at their success. I think many are laughing at what certain NDSU "fans" are interpreting what their success means.

That is very true. I find the Bison program very easy to like. I find their fans very hard to like.... Those two added together makes me luke warm on the Bison - like I said, I am not a Bison lover, but I am not a hater either.

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

A quick google search said they (NDSU) had 12 players on NFL rosters to start the year. For context, we had 14 - Kansas State and Northwestern had 12 also, Iowa State 11, Boise State 10.

So they have 12 players in the NFL... How many of those 12 are actually good? I honestly don't know, but I knowTrey Lance was one of them... And a team spent a pretty hefty price for him.

I know David Montgomery and Brock Purdy are in the pros from Iowa St. And I know they're both pretty good.

It's easier to put out good film against FCS competition that FBS competition. Would you argue that?

 

[upnorthkid]

I am not a Bison lover but also not a Bison hater. Question for those of you that laugh at their success as an FCS power. What have they done in the past 15 years that makes you believe if they went FBS they wouldn't be a good team? Not saying a national threat but even on the Gopher level of success.

They have beat some very good FBS teams - yes, I know it is only one game, not 12 in a row, but I saw a picture of their offensive line from a few years ago - all 5 lineman started a game in the NFL. They have had two quarterbacks drafted in the top 5 and have 3 quarterbacks currently in the NFL. There have been a ton of other players drafted and currently playing.

If they made the move to the FBS it would for sure not be an easy game for the Gophers. Again, not saying they would compete for National Championships but they wouldn't suddenly become an 0-12 team either. A quick google search said they had 12 players on NFL rosters to start the year. For context, we had 14 - Kansas State and Northwestern had 12 also, Iowa State 11, Boise State 10.

I think part of the appeal of playing there is winning. If you’re at that level, you want to play at the best at that level. When you move up and get smacked, people don’t stick around to play under that. The speed is very different in the players they have now vs what you see at D1. Their line would probably be ok for awhile, but you’re not going to keep every kid who wanted to play early for the local school and win. The first year or two are probably the easiest as you keep the guys you have, but then what are you selling if you’re not winning big? Living in Fargo? It’s the same thing you see in any college sport. They are a blue blood if fcs. They’d be a low tier team in the b10 which they wouldn’t qualify to be in. They’d he a mid tier team in the mac. That’s not a bad thing or a good thing but it’s a very different animal as you move up and people are not clamoring to show up at a place that’s going 6-6.

That said , academic standards also help if you can get anyone in to stay more competitive or if you have the right coach. We’ll see where JMU ends up in the Sun belt after being a very good FCS team though I’d say the differential between a very good FCS and a bulk of the MAC Sun Belt etc year in and out isn’t large

 

[disco]

Upgrade in facilities lol? NDSU has an endowment of roughly 460 million compared to the U's roughly 5 plus billion. Being in the Big Ten and a Power Five conference is also about research. They don't even have a medical school or a law school.

To be fair, I believe they did invest in a new indoor practice facility. They also remodeled their basketball arena, but from what I've heard from friends up there, they didn't do a very good job - kind of did it on the cheap.

Here's the thing about the Fargodome. NDSU doesn't own it. Doesn't run it. Doesn't have a say in it. The city owns it. I believe they turned down a referendum to remodel it, which it desperately needed last time I was there.

And they aren't selling out games anymore, and haven't regularly for some time. In a football stadium that literally holds what Target Center holds for Wolves games.

 

[MNfootballfan]

So they have 12 players in the NFL... How many of those 12 are actually good? I honestly don't know, but I knowTrey Lance was one of them... And a team spent a pretty hefty price for him.

I know David Montgomery and Brock Purdy are in the pros from Iowa St. And I know they're both pretty good.

It's easier to put out good film against FCS competition that FBS competition. Would you argue that?

I'd argue that the fact they are in the NFL means they are good and good film against FCS competition only gets you to training camp. Once you are at training camp NFL teams don't care where you come from or how you get there... with the exception of a rookie drafted in the first three rounds.

 

[MNfootballfan]

I think part of the appeal of playing there is winning. If you’re at that level, you want to play at the best at that level. When you move up and get smacked, people don’t stick around to play under that. The speed is very different in the players they have now vs what you see at D1. Their line would probably be ok for awhile, but you’re not going to keep every kid who wanted to play early for the local school and win. The first year or two are probably the easiest as you keep the guys you have, but then what are you selling if you’re not winning big? Living in Fargo? It’s the same thing you see in any college sport. They are a blue blood if fcs. They’d be a low tier team in the b10 which they wouldn’t qualify to be in. They’d he a mid tier team in the mac. That’s not a bad thing or a good thing but it’s a very different animal as you move up and people are not clamoring to show up at a place that’s going 6-6.

That said , academic standards also help if you can get anyone in to stay more competitive or if you have the right coach. We’ll see where JMU ends up in the Sun belt after being a very good FCS team though I’d say the differential between a very good FCS and a bulk of the MAC Sun Belt etc year in and out isn’t large

Totally agree with you that the appeal of playing there is winning. I also think if they went to the Mountain West, MAC, etc they would be able to fit right in after a recruiting class or two. Again, do I think they would make a dent in the national scene? Absolutely not. Do I think they would be fine competing in some lesser leagues... yes.

 

[upnorthkid]

Totally agree with you that the appeal of playing there is winning. I also think if they went to the Mountain West, MAC, etc they would be able to fit right in after a recruiting class or two. Again, do I think they would make a dent in the national scene? Absolutely not. Do I think they would be fine competing in some lesser leagues... yes.

I would agree they’d compete in lesser leagues but it’s not what their fan base argues in that they think they’d stroll in and compete in the B10.

I think the hard part is once you are in the MAC or similar, your recruiting appeal actually drops as you’re not competing every year on the national scene. The same as if NW went to the MAC (and lost the B10 money, etc) that they would move down a similar level as the rest of the MAC rather than dominate it year after year. NDSUs appeal now is that they shit kick teams at that level and if you’re at that level, you want to go there to play and win and get the best coaching you can at that level. That comparative advantage goes away when you move up and the resources playing field levels or goes into your disadvantage rather than advantage

 

[MNfootballfan]

I would agree they’d compete in lesser leagues but it’s not what their fan base argues in that they think they’d stroll in and compete in the B10.

I think the hard part is once you are in the MAC or similar, your recruiting appeal actually drops as you’re not competing every year on the national scene. The same as if NW went to the MAC (and lost the B10 money, etc) that they would move down a similar level as the rest of the MAC rather than dominate it year after year. NDSUs appeal now is that they shit kick teams at that level and if you’re at that level, you want to go there to play and win and get the best coaching you can at that level. That comparative advantage goes away when you move up and the resources playing field levels or goes into your disadvantage rather than advantage

That is true - but I think there is a culture of winning and that doesn't disappear when they switch levels. Could they be a Boise State? Very possible.

Their fan base is what makes them unlikeable. They have unrealistic expectations on who/what they are, but I get it. They have ended more seasons as National Champions than they haven't. When they play big teams they generally do well. They beat Iowa when Iowa was 13 in the country, beat Iowa State, K-State, nearly beat Colorado, beat us two times in a row. It is hard to shut up their fans when our last two times to shut them up ended up with them winning. We can say it was a Brewster team or Kill's first year but the bottom line is they beat us.

 

[Strongazzoffer]

Are you able to share a link to such comments made by NDSU fans because it sounds like something sad Gopher fans would make up?

Are you able to share a link to such comments made by NDSU fans because it sounds like something sad Gopher fans would make up?

You could probably find what you're looking for between pages 825 and 830 of this forum