NCAA D-II football playoff bracket

[PCM]

UND92,96, you did a great job of analyzing the differences between this season's Sioux team and the 2001 team. Your thoughts on expectations for the Sioux mirror my own. I think the wide receiver trio of Stattleman, Lueck and Ahlers is the best I've seen since I started following Sioux football in '92.

The one significant advantage the 2003 Sioux have over the 2001 team is their ability to come back from large deficits. The 2001 team could get a lead and sit on it by playing ball control and relying on a stifling defense, but I find myself wondering if that team could have rallied to win in some of the games the 2003 team won.

[RD17]

[CoteauRinkRat]

UND92,96, you did a great job of analyzing the differences between this season's Sioux team and the 2001 team. Your thoughts on expectations for the Sioux mirror my own. I think the wide receiver trio of Stattleman, Lueck and Ahlers is the best I've seen since I started following Sioux football in '92.

The one significant advantage the 2003 Sioux have over the 2001 team is their ability to come back from large deficits. The 2001 team could get a lead and sit on it by playing ball control and relying on a stifling defense, but I find myself wondering if that team could have rallied to win in some of the games the 2003 team won.

Even after a great season, I along with others obviously have some doubts about this team. They undoubtedly can come from behind and pull a victory out in the last couple mins/secs, but I really don't know if you can continue to do that in the playoffs. Getting a lead early against this Pitt State team could be key. Especially since, although they don't run 99.9 percent of the time as in the past, they still like to run the ball a lot.

[UNDvince97-01]

not that it really matters, bust just FYI. the 2001 team only got behind badly against 1 team. that was @ SCSU. they eventually came back and won that game. albeit it wasnt like the comebacks that UND has had this year, it was still a very impressive comeback against a good team in crappy conditions. just FYI, that's all.

[WYOBISONMAN]

Good luck to the Sioux this weekend. I hope you guys shut up all the MIAA guys that are saying they are the strongest Conf. in D2. What a crock......a 5 way tie for first indicates mediocrity rather than strength. If UND takes the region it means that for the past 4 years the Midwest rep to the semis has come from the NCC (perhaps an argument that more than NDSU and SDSU should be moving up).

[UND Fan]

WYOBISONFAN - We appreciate your well-wishes. There are classy Bison fans - just not many of them! That was a joke!!

[Hansel]

Good luck to the Sioux this weekend. I hope you guys shut up all the MIAA guys that are saying they are the strongest Conf. in D2. What a crock......a 5 way tie for first indicates mediocrity rather than strength. If UND takes the region it means that for the past 4 years the Midwest rep to the semis has come from the NCC (perhaps an argument that more than NDSU and SDSU should be moving up).

I really don't care for the MIAA superiority complex either, the CMSU radio guy said 3 MIAA teams should make the playoffs, even though one of the "co-champs" lost to winona 46-3 at home. I don't know if I can rout for the sioux, but like the NC game in 2001, I don't think I can rout against them

[Smoggy]

As I said earlier I haven't seen much of the team, but I think the 2001 offense was more explosive. They would build leads so fast that they didn't have to do anything else. Kelby is one of the best all around athletes I've ever seen. Too bad for him last year. Imagine if he was able to medical red shirt and got to play this year. No offense to Bow because he's doing fine, but he has struggled at times this year.

I'm really curious to see how this team comes out to begin with. We did just have a week off.

[CoteauRinkRat]

As I said earlier I haven't seen much of the team, but I think the 2001 offense was more explosive. They would build leads so fast that they didn't have to do anything else. Kelby is one of the best all around athletes I've ever seen. Too bad for him last year. Imagine if he was able to medical red shirt and got to play this year. No offense to Bow because he's doing fine, but he has struggled at times this year.

I'm really curious to see how this team comes out to begin with. We did just have a week off.

I've seen every home game and a couple of games on the road this year. I agree that the 2001 team might have been a little more explosive offensively, but this team didn't go 9-1 with having a bad offense either. I think Bow has played more consistenly over the past couple weeks and this will help this team as they head into the playoffs.

[RD17]

The one thing about 2001 is that in most games the defense so thoroughly dominated the game that the offense didn't have to do much to score alot of points. Anytime you're +20 in turnover margin and have 40-50 sacks in a year, the offense is going to get alot of short fields. This year UND has had to go 70 or 80 yards alot more often to score points.

The other factor when comparing 2001 and 2003 is that I think alot of NCC offenses are better (or at least more diverse) than they were two years ago. NDSU had more talent in 2001, but they actually had a gameplan this year. SDSU was content to run Josh Ranek 35 times a game and that wasn't going to work against the Sioux defense of two years ago. UNO had absolutely no passing game two years ago but they threw the ball pretty well this year. St. Cloud is better now than they were in 2001.

[Jeff Harlin]

Well... based on my locale, I guess I'm an "MIAA guy." There's no way the MIAA is the best conference in D2 for football.... It's better than the GLIAC and LSC.... but this season, the GSC, NCC and probably even the SAC were better than the conference with "five co-champs" (see what true parity gets you -- NOWHERE in the playoffs). Just ignore those who tout the MIAA that heavily. In fact, CMSU is just new to the "national" scene, making the playoffs for the first time ever last year. So they are a tad bit naive.

In fact, any team that has new-found success is like that because they don't understand the ins and outs of D2 like you guys. And it's not like D2 has a national TV package enabling us to see whether North Alabama is better than Saginaw or Texas A&M-Kingsville. Thus meaning an avalanche of off-the-wall comments.

[UND92,96]

Pitt's offense is alot more diverse than two years ago. They run less veer and more I and multiple formations and they're not afraid to throw the ball down the field occasionally to keep you honest. If the Sioux defense can stop the big plays (a big if this year) I think they can be contained well enough to win.

Pitt has had alot of trouble with their kicking game. Two missed extra points and a blocked FG at the end cost them their game last week. If UND's punt protection is sound, I think the Sioux have a pretty solid advantage in special teams.

What I find interesting about Philpot's passing numbers is that he's averaging about 230 yards per game despite only throwing about 15 times a game. He's also only completing about 48% of his passes, which makes me think that when they do throw, it's likely to be a deep ball. Their top receiver is only 5'7", which maybe doesn't mean much but hopefully it will prevent a similiar situation to what happened against UNO with its big receivers catching lob passes.

With regard to kicking, their kicker has missed eight extra points and is just 3 of 8 on field goals this year.

[The Sicatoka]

What I find interesting about Philpot's passing numbers is that he's averaging about 230 yards per game despite only throwing about 15 times a game. He's also only completing about 48% of his passes, which makes me think that when they do throw, it's likely to be a deep ball.

Their QB is their leading rusher and has a huge "yards per completion" number.

It's pretty clear what they try to do: Draw you in, then hit you deep.

Know that and play smart.

One by one.

[CoteauRinkRat]

Make someone other than the QB beat you. Key on his run, I don't care, do whatever it takes to make them alter their game plan to try and score on us.

[UND92,96]

I would like our chances if the Sioux defense can hold Philpot to numbers similar to what NW Mo. St. held him to last Saturday:

RUSHING: Pittsburg State-Philpot,Neal 27-86.

PASSING: Pittsburg State-Philpot,Neal 6-16-0-87.

[CoteauRinkRat]

with those numbers, lucky the game was as close as it was.

[bigmrg74]

hey, i'm a rabid fan of the GVSU Lakers. Its good to hear even you guys are ripping on Bentley and how we gotta go all the way out to freakin' Boston. oh well, a bunch of us are loading up in vans and going anyway. hope to meet you guys in the playoffs. Who here doesn't love a rematch?? that, plus nobody wants to face north alabama on their home field for the Championship. anyways, if you guys wanna, you can check out our fan site at

www.gvfootball.com

[Bisonfan1234]

Good luck to the Sioux this weekend. I hope you guys shut up all the MIAA guys that are saying they are the strongest Conf. in D2. What a crock......a 5 way tie for first indicates mediocrity rather than strength. If UND takes the region it means that for the past 4 years the Midwest rep to the semis has come from the NCC (perhaps an argument that more than NDSU and SDSU should be moving up).

While i don't think that the MIAA is the best conference i do think they ahve 5 good teams at the top this year (they're all 8-2). If they were all 5-5 at the top...then i would say they're all average...but they're good.