Rjones61 said:
We are going to be carrying the weight next year and possibly the next as well. Is there really anybody who will be able to play ball next year? Who could possibly challenge us?
University of Montana: Weren't all that great this year and have a definite rebuild year. They turn one dimensional with the loss of their quarterback and lose the majority of their starting linebacker corps.
Montana State: Denarius McGhee is gone. We saw how vulnerable Montana State was without their quarterback being 100 percent. That paired with the loss of Kirk, Ellis, Bleskin and many other good players, Montana State will be very down next year. They will be in deep recovery.
Portland State: Portland State had the talent to be a bubble team in the playoffs this year. The only thing that held them back was Portland's absurdly terrible coaching staff. Since there have been no announcements for the removal of their coaching staff, I am going to assume that Portland State will be held back again and deteriorate as talented players request a transfer. If their coaching staff pulls their head out of their asses, I might believe they pull off a winning season next year.
Cal Poly: Very heavy senior class of 24 (a larger proportion on their touted defense). Also in rebuild. However, many of their key positions are returning. This is a team I could see as Big Sky runner up. Contender? No.
Sacramento State: These guys were supposed to be contenders this year. However, with a signing class of 26 last year, I think it is safe to say they had a young team. With Safron coming back, this is a team I can see as Big Sky runner ups. Contenders? With the team we have coming next year, not a chance.
Northern Arizona: Were overrated this year. No quarterback and Zack Baumann, who carried the offense, is graduating. I don't think we'll see NAU for a little while.
Southern Utah: Also overrated. As soon as SUU knocked off Montana State, I said, "The Big Sky isn't nearly as strong as I thought it was if SUU is now a contender for runner up". They return their strong defense, but with the loss of a huge chunk of the d-line, they once again won't have the offense to get it done.
Idaho State, Weber, Colorado, North Dakota, and UC Davis? ..... LOL
I know it's too early to talk about next season, but come on. We run the table next year. We will be the only playoff ready team for 1-2 years.
EDIT: I was under the impression JJ from UM was graduating. Apparently he is around for another year. With an experienced quarterback and a good skill position returning, Grizzlies will most likely take runner up next year.
I think it'll look like this going into next season:
1.) EWU - Clear-cut favorite until proven otherwise. Our biggest losses are on the O-Line in Murphy, Forgette, and Miller. Saying that, we have depth there. We return all of our good tackles, and I could easily see Jake Rodgers sliding into one of those Guard positions and Butorac is basically a shoe-in to start at Center. I'm not sure who the other Guard will be. On defense, biggest losses are on the D-Line with Pulu, Larry, and Katoa. Those are some big losses, but probably mitigated some with the amount of players we rotate there.
2.) Montana - You can't count them out to compete for a BSC title every year. They have as much talent as we do at most positions. Questions are mostly coaching, IMO.
3.) SUU - A really good defense will take you a long way, and they get a lot of transfers. Need to get better offensively to contend for a conference title, though.
4.) Sac State - Will win a lot of games because of their good QB and offense. Need to get better defensively to be a real contender. I see Sac State winning as many as 8 games in 2014.
5.) MSU - Probably a re-building year for them, but they have a lot of talent so depending on how things go I could see them anywhere from #2 to #6. Biggest questions are obviously at QB and whether they can improve on their poor defense.
6.) Cal Poly - They have to replace a lot of their defense. Could go higher if they can figure that out, because offensively they'll be pretty good.
7.) Portland State - So hot and cold, but they have some guys that can play, as we all know. Their big WR is legit.
8.) Idaho State - Should continue to build on the relative improvements they made this season under a good coach and young team. I think they'll win as many as 6 games in 2014.
9.) UC Davis - I am starting to wonder how much success Davis will have in the Big Sky. So far they've been a disappointment. Probably a .500 team in 2014.
10.) NAU - 2013 was probably NAU's best chance in a long time to do anything in the playoffs. They won't be able to rely on Bauman for the majority of their offense, so they need to figure out their QB situation. Most likely a 4 or 5 win season.
11.) UND - Not a lot of success the past couple of years, new coaching staff, etc. I don't see them winning more than 3 or 4 games in 2014.
11.) Weber State - Will be interesting to see what they can do with a new HC. Most likely a total re-building year for the Wildcats, though.
13.) UNC - UNC needs to just scrap their entire coaching staff and start over. I don't see the Bears improving under Collins.
