Matt

With the major exception of UND not being in it, I wouldn't mind seeing this scenario. We would find out how good the BSC, and the AC, really is. The AC would have the potential to play a BSC team in every playoff game, including the title. http://www.sportsnet...FCS_Bracket.pdf

There was something in the water for Morningside that year. I believe they tied the AC, and lost a close one on the last play of the game to USD, whom I believe was ranked #1 at the time.

Well that was a brain fart. I suppose I should have remembered that considering they have been in position for an at-large playoff bid.

Plus you left out perhaps the most significant of the defensive stats-scoring defense. This defense gives up more than 31 points per game (all the more disgusting that it includes the mines shutout), good for a tie for 87th place. How does an offense go into a game knowing they need to score at least 30 a game to have a chance to win?

FCS Coaches Poll - October 8, 2012 Team (No. 1 Votes) 2012 Record Points Previous Ranking 1. North Dakota State (26) 5-0 650 1 2. Montana State 6-0 622 2 3. Old Dominion 5-0 594 4 4. Wofford 5-0 558 5 5. James Madison 4-1 526 6 6. Eastern Washington 4-1 524 7 7. Georgia Southern 4-1 484 8 8. Sam Houston State 3-2 449 9 9. Youngstown State 4-1 441 3 10. Lehigh 6-0 424 10 11. Stony Brook 5-1 374 13 12. Appalachian State 4-2 340 14 13. New Hampshire 4-2 304 17 14. Cal Poly 5-0 284 19 15. McNeese State 4-1 251 18 16. Illinois State 5-1 236 11 17. Central Arkansas 4-2 201 20 18. Northern Arizona 4-1 195 21 19. Towson 2-3 193 12 20. Tennessee State 6-0 170 24 21. Harvard 4-0 144 23 22. Delaware 4-2 114 15 23. Eastern Kentucky 4-2 86 16 24. Albany 5-1 73 NR 25. Alabama A&M 6-0 40 NR Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota State (29), Samford (28), Northern Iowa (26), The Citadel (22), Montana (19), Jacksonville State (16), Indiana State (10), Maine (9), UT Martin (6), Bethune-Cookman (2), Sacramento State (2).

UNI finally out The Sports Network FCS Top-25 College Football Poll Team (First-place votes) Record Points Previous Rank 1. North Dakota State Bison (164) 5-0 4,171 1 2. Montana State Bobcats (3) 6-0 3,965 2 3. Old Dominion Monarchs 5-0 3,732 4 4. James Madison Dukes 4-1 3,578 5 5. Wofford Terriers 5-0 3,414 6 6. Eastern Washington Eagles 4-1 3,292 7 7. Georgia Southern Eagles 4-1 2,914 8 8. Youngstown State Penguins 4-1 2,909 3 9. Sam Houston State Bearkats 3-2 2,735 9 10. Lehigh Mountain Hawks 6-0 2,457 11 11. Stony Brook Seawolves 5-1 2,425 13 12. New Hampshire Wildcats 4-2 2,110 14 13. Appalachian State Mountaineers 4-2 2,093 15 14. Illinois State Redbirds 5-1 1,637 9 15. Cal Poly Mustangs 5-0 1,581 20 16. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 4-1 1,575 18 17. Towson Tigers 2-3 1,490 12 18. Tennessee State Tigers 6-0 1,102 NR 19. McNeese State Cowboys 4-1 1,079 21 20. South Dakota State Jackrabbits 4-1 855 23 21. Central Arkansas Bears 4-2 796 24 22. Harvard Crimson 4-0 662 25 23. Eastern Kentucky Colonels 4-2 628 17 24. Delaware Blue Hens 4-2 623 16 25. Samford Bulldogs 5-1 490 NR Others receiving votes: Northern Iowa 414, Albany 383, Alabama A&M 236, The Citadel 153, Montana 143, Richmond 106, Indiana State 81, Maine 63, Sacramento State 49, Stephen F. Austin 46, Bethune-Cookman 46, UT Martin 45, Southern Illinois 45, Jacksonville State 32, Villanova 26, North Dakota 18, Howard 18, Tennessee Tech 9, Jacksonville 8, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 8, Brown 8, Western Illinois 8, Chattanooga 7, Alabama State 6, Duquesne 2, UC Davis 1, Fordham 1

Does anyone else notice Poly keeps being discussed as a top BSC team? Why are they so much more prepared for conference/national prominence than UND after the transition? If we want to fall back on the effects of the transition, needing more time, etc., let's compare apples to apples then.

How about we be like the fans in Grand Forks-the hockey fans! How long would they tolerate this kind of play in the hockey program?

From Kolpack blog back in February: "Linebacker Don Carter and defensive lineman Joe Horvath will miss spring football for academic reasons" Appears he didn't make the grade. (insert joke here)

We are about halfway through the season. We already know which team is showing up. We can pretend we don't, but we do. A solid, efficient offense that can score points. The entire league knows that. The book is out on this defense now too. They could fake it to start the season because there wasn't much tape on them to start the season, but there is plenty of film out there now on this squad. Near the bottom half of the league in sacks, tackles for loss, total defense. Middle of the pack at creating turnovers, scoring defense, and vs the pass. Only team worse against the run is Idaho St. That puts a lot of pressure on the O to be next to perfect every game. Fortunately, this Eastern matchup is more favorable. Unfortunately, it's on the road. I like Eastern 41-36

With MSU's run game, I'd say this week is more winnable.

That sounds good, but is nothing but talk if penalties have no teeth. Let's hope things change.

I don't have the facts of the case that they do to tell them what should or shouldn't have been done. I can tell you as a coach I'd probably suspend those minors that admit to me they were drinking, whether they were charged or not. But then, every program has rules for alcohol offenses, not so with this petition thing. If i'm the prez or AD I may take my cue from the legal process as well to figure out what punishment is fitting. I certainly wouldn't argue with the AC for suspending everyone, or anyone else that thinks they should be. I just don't carry the expectation that they should have been suspended. My problem with the punishment not fitting the crime lies mainly with the statue and the deferred imposition of sentence. Anyone that feels strongly about the injustice of the petitions not getting on the ballot should focus their energy with changing the law and the penalties first. Railing against the AC seems a waste of time and energy if you genuinely care about the issue.

Why would you expect the AC to treat this infraction more severely than the law? Jaywalking at least carries a fine with it. This had no fine, and won't even be on their record in a year. It appears only Ojuri is suspended due to his prior record rather than the seriousness of this charge. Perhaps I'm alone here, but if this is a nothing infraction to the legal system, I hardly expect a 3rd party like the AC to treat it with more reverence.

Isn't your real gripe here, judging from the penalties in court, in the eyes of the law these crimes are literally next to nothing since in a year the records' of the guilty will be clear? Clearly you feel strongly about these crimes. However, it is unreasonable to expect the AC to treat this as a more serious matter than the law. The AC doesn't have the power to put more teeth into this fraud statute. The legislature does though. You may want to start there.

All that's happening here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMLHh8KvxVE

Technically, they weren't even fined. A fine may have given the implication the judicial system gave a s**t.

I think we need to be careful with this. This is comical right now, and it's fun to throw one liners around with it, and I certainly hope every coach in the athletic department can make hay with it on the recruiting trail, but there will be a time when UND player f**k up again. Remember the whole hockey team is on double secret probation right now. What exactly do those players "deserve" at this point, and who is the arbiter of that? The court? The court has spoken, and in their eyes this infraction is literally next to nothing. The AC? Yes, they bungled their PR, but they've acted now as well. Now some sit here and say they "deserve" more? I don't want the responsibility of deciding who "deserves" more punishment after the court and the university has acted. At some point my team will be on the other end of that. I'm willing to let it go.

It's not sports news unless the worldwide leader runs with it. http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8452749/ten-north-dakota-state-bison-players-plead-guilty-petition-fraud The yin and the yang of being the undefeated, #1 ranked, defending national champion.

So was the judge getting after the lawyer for grandstanding the issue with a plea deal in hand? Basically like "yeah I can tell how important this issue is to you with that plea deal in your hand".

As Peters (Assistant Cass County State’s Attorney Tracy Peters) began to talk about the effects on North Dakota voters and those behind the measures, Herman interrupted. “If you want to be a zealot for this cause, you don’t come into this courtroom with deferred impositions in hand,” he said.

I admire your willingness to mix it up here.

Are you really here talking about forced overconsumption? That's been an AC tradition long before Satter, Simdorn, and Hansen were busted. I'm sure you have stories.

I thought so, but if that's all this amounts to I'm not surprised the legislature is considering a stiffening of the penalties.

Doesn't it mean something like record clear after one year provided they do not commit any same or similar offenses? School of law folks?