The Sicatoka

How things are right now, today, is how they'll always be. < / irony >

Influence and capabilities of a university extend far beyond those exhibited upon a patch of ground 120 yards by 53.3 yards.

Geez, no one has started this yet; so, welcome to the 2014 season thread. As Coach Schweigert would say, "Day by day." Here's the perfect background for that motto because you don't get to the finished product all at once. You must work to a plan. You must stick with the plan. It won't be easy. It won't be quick. Some days it won't even look like you're getting anywhere. But do the work and you'll end up with something great and be where you want to be and have your goal and dream. But first you must do the work ... Day by day.

They only run KKXL-FM (93.7), not KKXL-AM (1440), on IHeartRadio. IHeart is a Clear Channel thing (and KKXL-AM is Clear Channel). It should be easy enough for them to add it if folks started pinging the station and asking. The only hang-up might be that it runs the same thing most of the day as 100.3 The Fan out of MSP and that's already on IHeart.

How many legged variety?

And there are folks still referring to Stanford or Dartmouth as "Indians".

And that's the only statement in all of this non-sense that matters. Why? Because CAS does care at some level about UND Football, just like UND fans care about NDSU Football. And by "care" I mean you want to play them when they are "up". Beating them when they are down as a program is not what rivalry is about.

Honest opinion: Anyone in the FBS poll in the teens or below (say 13-25) would be in deep trouble against NDSU.

How much will having played Wyoming (Bohl's systems) help Montana at NDSU in a couple weeks?

OK, if policy is still "handle in the residence halls" first, why were the cops called? Something isn't right in this picture.

I understand what you're trying to say, but riddle me this: How does playing a DII help a team looking to become DI? In a strangely twisted and perverse way, RT helped NDSU by forcing NDSU to play DIs and not legacy DIIs.

No kidding. Back in the day, an RA would write you up if they saw alcohol (and you'd get a firm finger shaken at you by the hall director). If that was the policy back then, UPD would've had to set up a precinct office in the lobby of Walsh Hall.

Chimp-monks ... I like it; however, (and there's always a however) ... Logo is already taken -- Providence Friars A monk as a mascot? You want the Catholic Church crashing down on us next?

I threw you a bone.

Saying "Oh the MVFC will open up to you if you join the SL" is one thing. Actually having the invitation on paper is quite another. You go with what's on paper.

Arkansas-LITTLE ROCK (there's a joke there somewhere) VIRGINia State (another joke in the mix there also) Troy University (of Alabama) University of Southern California ... all Trojans.

Goon: Your homework for today is to learn and understand the phrase "tongue-in-cheek".

Hate on it? No, just ... (wait for it) ... grouse about it. I'd prefer to not be prey.

Iowa struggled yesterday with Northern Iowa. Gene Taylor is now at Iowa and knows NDSU. Would Iowa have the nerve to buy out the 2016 game against NDSU?

I know some (NDSU fans) will take great and deep offense at this, but I do sincerely mean this as a great compliment: NDSU does not run anything exceptional; but, they run everything they run exceptionally. - NDSU's blocking schemes are not revolutionary; their guys run them to precision every time, and it's actually surprising when they miss an assignment or a block - NDSU's plays are not revolutionary either; but, again they run them to precise perfection. - NDSU's defense is a base Tampa Two. Nothing earth-shattering there, but again, every player is assignment sharp and makes the tackle that needs to be made. NDSU is playing crisp, assignment sharp, precision football. There's nothing there that can not be replicated ... if a culture where that is the expectation is put in place. NDSU has that culture. Their battle is maintaining it as complacency (and injury) are the enemy. UND has to create that culture and climb that climb. I know that would never have happened under Mussman. I believe it is more possible under Schweigert. One more observation about NDSU: Their guys did not fatigue against Iowa State. They didn't against Kansas State last year either. NDSU's guys seem stronger and fresher at the end of the game. They seem better conditioned. (That was a big part of Dean Blais' UND hockey teams' success: they were fresh late in games.) UND's Football CEO needs to address strength and conditioning as I believe I can correlate that to the present state of the program as well.

A team just doesn't "move up" under the present NCAA rules. To move FCS --> FBS you must have an invitation from an FBS conference. The options aren't great in this region. The nearest FBS conferences are the MAC (and they seem to look east and have closer options like Youngstown State), the Big Ten or Big Twelve (but those two want television sets for cable revenue), or the Mountain West (which has become very southwest, with the closest schools to ND being Wyoming and Boise State). This is where SiouxVolley's theory comes into play.

I look forward to Bubba recruiting players, specifically offensive and defensive linemen, to and for the system he wants to play.

C'mon Fetch ... there's this minor league baseball team in Fargo ... you have to think just a little bit.

Trapper? Hawkeye? Cam Johnson is stuck being "Major Frank Burns"?

Dixon Ward remains UND's only 100-100 guy (110G, 109A, 219 points). The way things are going with scoring in college hockey, that one is going to stand for quite a while. Ed Belfour was playing a different game than everyone else on the ice. This has me thinking about an all-time 20-man line-up card (12F, 6D, 2G). That's brutal ...