D2Football.com Midwest Preview

[UNDvince97-01]

Jeff Harlin of D2football.com has picked UND to finish second in the NCC behind conference favorite SCSU. He also has them in the 4th spot for the playoffs in the Midwest in November. I think I agree with his picks for the conference and for the playoffs. I think that if they get on a roll, they could end up finishing 8-2, which would be good enough for the playoffs I hope. We'll have to wait and see, of course, but I just think anytime you a defense with our scheme and coaches, you are going to have a chance at winning. Hopefully they come through. I can't wait till football season and the first UND game.

[UND92,96]

Jeff Harlin of D2football.com has picked UND to finish second in the NCC behind conference favorite SCSU.  He also has them in the 4th spot for the playoffs in the Midwest in November.  I think I agree with his picks for the conference and for the playoffs.  I think that if they get on a roll, they could end up finishing 8-2, which would be good enough for the playoffs I hope.  We'll have to wait and see, of course, but I just think anytime you a defense with our scheme and coaches, you are going to have a chance at winning.  Hopefully they come through.  I can't wait till football season and the first UND game.

It's interesting to contrast the d2football.com pre-season top-25 poll, in which there are 6 midwest region teams ranked and none of them are UND, and Jeff's midwest region power poll, which has UND 4th. Obviously the difference is that the region poll is just one person's opinion as opposed to the overall poll which is voted on by numerous people, but you wouldn't necessarily expect that much of a difference in how teams are ranked. Nevertheless, I think Jeff did a good job.

One small correction or clarification I would make to Jeff's UND preview is that the Sioux don't really have to replace the whole defensive line. True, the three starters are gone, but Momerak, Smith, Newhouse and to a lesser extent Muro have played a lot of football over the past few years and are proven players. There may be some question about Muro's health, and whether he and Duchscher can hold down the nose guard position despite being relatively undersized, but overall I would expect the d-line to be good.

[UNDvince97-01]

UND 92,96

you are right about there being 6 teams from the midwest in the top 25 poll, none of them being UND, while UND is #4 in the midwest power rankings. The other people that vote on that poll dont see the midwest region teams or pay attention to the midwest games like Harlin does. Jeff Harlin is "The" midwest bastion of football knowledge, and he takes alot of pride in his job. I totally respect his opinions of d2 football, especially in the midwest. Frankly, I am not surprised that UND wasnt in the top 25, especially after coming off a 5-6 season. However, I knew Jeff would still take them seriously, and that one bad year would not affect how he sees the UND program and their coaching staff. To be honest, I really dont care about the national polls when compared to the regional polls. All that matters at the end of the season is how you fare in the region polls. Jeff does a very good job with his columns, and I think that a 4th rank in the region is not a farce. He is the most credible source of information in the midwest, in my opinion. I know that YOU arent saying that is a farce, but that's just my take.