The Sicatoka

You gettin' a little grease from the endorsement deal?

My dream was scoring before half and then to start the third. I got my dream, but it was delayed by one drive (both scores to start third). But up 18 with 22 minutes to go looked really good.

When Boltman comes back the "trickeration" stuff, like: - Tommy wandering off and reading the wrist card - Quincy's TD play roll out jump pass might end up being Boltman. Better? Another receiving threat in traffic in the middle. (That third down play to the TE was when I knew what the outcome would be.)

What I see is what I'd heard: Tommy has the weaker arm and is a little more accurate; he'll struggle deep. Quincy has the big arm but struggles with accuracy. Tommy missed two potential big hits deep. Quincy's TD pass was a floater "run to" by the receiver (and the ball quacked on the way). All that said, this was game 3 for the combo at the top of the QB charts.

I'm a big fan of Salukis, and Jackrabbits, and Coyotes ... for five more weeks. But the practical of me says all that's guaranteed now is 3-5. Lots and lots of work left to do.

I must admit being the first game of the weekend and having the W in hand already does make for good times.

That's how most polls seem created.

Or maybe a FG + missed EP.

Here's what's coming: https://www.cupahr.org/issue/feature/higher-ed-enrollment-cliff/

The pandemic has folks rethink education. On-campus isn't really needed other than for labs and other specialty classes. And how did we learn this? The faculty demanded to be safe and isolated. ... Be careful what you wish for.

Wouldn't it be a step down for Rico?

OK, self-tooting of horn to follow, be warned. These NCHC standings are a trainwreck. Let's go to a five-points per game system so it's easier to understand. It's the second half of the article here. In that system today the full standings would be ... Team RW-OTW-SOW-SOL-OTL-RL Points UND 16-2-0-1-0-4 90 SCSU 12-2-0-0-3-6 71 UMD 11-1-1-2-1-7 67 UNO 9-3-1-1-0-9 62 WMU 8-1-1-3-0-11 53 DU 8-0-1-1-2-10 47 CC 2-0-2-2-2-14 22 Mia 5-0-0-2-1-16 30 Miami would jump to seventh because of more credit (points) for regulation wins. WMU would finish fifth by points and points per game. And it would be clear that UMD needs a regulation win to pass SCSU (as a four point lead in that system requires getting all five points to pass; an OTW and a 4/1 split gives SCSU the 72nd point and they stay second). So, inclosing, as I've said for years now: My system is better 'cause I sezs so. Nadder-nadder-phoo-phoo. < puts soap box away >

If that's the criteria ... both teams are done and can be compared WMU 24 games, 33 pts: 1.375 ppg DU 22 games, 31 pts: 1.409 ppg DU finishes fifth, WMU sixth. CC with 18 points in 22 games; Miami with 18 points in 24 games: CC seventh, Miami eighth. Basically, everything is now locked but SCSU/UMD for second/third. Here's the question: If SCSU(today 14-9-0-0-2-3)/UMD (today 13-8-2-1-1-1) end up tied with 44 pts (meaning UMD wins in OT), who finishes second? EDIT: To my eyes (on these goofy standings) it looks like UMD has to win in regulation to finish second. If they win in OT or SO, yes, points are tied at 44, but SCSU will have more regulation wins and I think that's first tie breaker.

Is this a hockey only competition or is it open to all NCAA athletes competing this spring? If the latter, I humbly offer ...

But you have to run them also to keep the defenses honest. Why start Gee? To make the defense cover everything and to allow the OL to beat on the opposing DL for a few plays and still have a fresh power back.

Um ... UND finished second in the final USCHO poll last spring to an ECB* team (Cornell). Still trying to decipher that one. There's no reason to think a #1 in a poll won't get seeded lower than an ECB team like BC or BU come season's end and tourney time. Or if it's UND UMn 1-2 they'd love to seed the moldin' rodents over the NCHC to acknowledge the great and lofty battles survived in the B1G. Snarky? Cynical? Yup, and yup. But when you're the most binary team (you love 'em or you hate 'em) in college hockey it comes around and happens far too often. *East Coast Bias

No substitutions. You wanna go grinder it's upcharge, bay-bee.

That and $5 will get you a foot long ham sandwich at Subway. The only "poll" that matters is the "pole" you raise a banner on.

That is a screwy schedule. I don't understand why the Thursday night timeslot.

That is doing NDSU things to NDSU.

No to be a wet blanket (which means I'm about to be): Everything UND has done to date only ensures a 2-6 season at worst. Lots and lots of work left to do.

On NDSU's last play of first half (the jump ball that worked) it looked like the QB put everything, and I mean everything, he had to launch that ball ... 40 yards. (Box score calls it a 37 yard TD.) That just doesn't seem right.

Which means it's time to start looking at OL and RBs.

He drops NDSU to 10? Um-yeah-no.

Good call. They missed an opportunity.