2019 Season

[AJS]

21 minutes ago, UND-FB-FAN said:

I know, I know. The schedule is brutal so we should all adjust our expectations a bit. Expect another medicore season, and it will all be okay! As a student-athlete and/or coach trying to compete, you have any idea how stupid that sounds? Man, our fan base is so overly cautious now compared to the good ol’ D2 days. 

Another 6 win season and Bubba should get the axe. This is reality in the FCS; you play the best to be the best. I can’t believe how irrationally conservative some are.

I expect 8 wins with the schedule helping UND, not hurting. 8 wins with that thing and UND could be a seeded team. 

I think most people are on the same page as this, if he doesn't make the playoffs this year he should be gone.  

[Shawn-O]

9 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

That's what SHOULD happen.  Unfortunately, given the demise of expectations, another 6 win season and Bubba will likely get a contract extension and a pay raise.  

Maybe Lennon could create a gig for him at Mary.   

[UND1983]

17 minutes ago, AJS said:

I think most people are on the same page as this, if he doesn't make the playoffs this year he should be gone.  

yeah that like totally makes sense.  Hardest schedule in the country & in the history of the program but if he doesn't win 8 games he needs to be FIRED!!!!

Replace NDSU with Valpo and there is one easy win.  Replace SHSU with Morgan State and there is another.  Hey look, I just made Bubba a better coach according to Siouxsports..  

[UNDBIZ]

33 minutes ago, Nodak78 said:

Yep 8 wins and we will be seated.  I believe 2 bye weeks is a smart move this season.  This schedule will be a bruiser.

I worry that 7-5 would have had us firmly on the playoff bubble, but instead we'll be on the outside looking in at 6-5.

[MafiaMan]

32 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

yeah that like totally makes sense.  Hardest schedule in the country & in the history of the program but if he doesn't win 8 games he needs to be FIRED!!!!  Idiots.

Replace NDSU with Valpo and there is one easy win.  Replace SHSU with Morgan State and there is another.  Hey look, I just made Bubba a better coach according to Siouxsports..  

Well, let's see how that all pans out, shall we?  Sam Houston State was supposedly the "biggest win in the history of the program" last year, then as the season went on, it became painfully obvious that SHSU was incredibly over-rated.  

Let's compare the state of programs, shall we:

UND:  "Well, let's see if Bubba can get to 6 or 7 wins and then we'll go from there.  Maybe we can even sneak into the playoffs!"  

NDSU:  "Well, we lost a ton of talent to graduation and have a new head coach.  What's the expectation?  Another national championship."  

[SWSiouxMN]

If you are that playoff team, you take care of business against these teams (Drake, @ Poly, @ ISU*, SUU, UNC)

and defend the home turf (UC Davis, MSU, SHSU)

There is your 8 wins.

Things can change in a hurry that can make difficult schedules perhaps a little easier. 

Now steal one of these three (@ NDSU, @ Weber, @ EWU), then you have some insurance in case you slip up somewhere or you end up with a real nice seed.

You probably can get away with winning 2 out of the 3 showdown games at home and still make the playoffs, provided you take care of business against those other 5 teams. 

*For once, can you pound ISU 

[UND1983]

Just now, MafiaMan said:

Well, let's see how that all pans out, shall we?  Sam Houston State was supposedly the "biggest win in the history of the program" last year, then as the season went on, it became painfully obvious that SHSU was incredibly over-rated.  

Let's compare the state of programs, shall we:

UND:  "Well, let's see if Bubba can get to 6 or 7 wins and then we'll go from there.  Maybe we can sneak into the playoffs even!"  

NDSU:  "Well, we lost a ton of talent to graduation this year and will be changing coaches again.  What's the expectation?  Another national championship."  

Now compare roughly 120 other FCS programs to them, as well.  What are their expectations?  

[fightingsioux4life]

39 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

Well, let's see how that all pans out, shall we?  Sam Houston State was supposedly the "biggest win in the history of the program" last year, then as the season went on, it became painfully obvious that SHSU was incredibly over-rated.  

Let's compare the state of programs, shall we:

UND:  "Well, let's see if Bubba can get to 6 or 7 wins and then we'll go from there.  Maybe we can even sneak into the playoffs!"  

NDSU:  "Well, we lost a ton of talent to graduation and have a new head coach.  What's the expectation?  Another national championship."  

But @MafiaMan, don't you understand? It's "all about the relationships" and "all about teaching life lessons". Winning doesn't matter. Because this is no different than high school. (sarcasm) 

Hopefully, the hiring of Paul Sather to run MBB is a sign that this mentality is changing under Chaves, but it is still too prevalent around here.

[MafiaMan]

49 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

Now compare roughly 120 other FCS programs to them, as well.  What are their expectations?  

Well, I would hope that most of them aren't thinking that a 7-6 or 7-5 record and "we almost made the playoffs" is a sign of success.  

[UND1983]

22 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

Well, I would hope that most of them aren't thinking that a 7-6 or 7-5 record and "we almost made the playoffs" is a sign of success.  

Who has said 7-5 is a sign of success?  Making the playoffs is a sign of success.

My point is now that they are playing an extremely tough schedule it's not the time to demand 8 wins.  Believe it or not, in football who is on your schedule matters.

 

[The Sicatoka]

4 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

Who has said 7-5 is a sign of success?  Making the playoffs is a sign of success.

My point is now that they are playing an extremely tough schedule it's not the time to demand 8 wins.  Believe it or not, in football who is on your schedule matters.

< Northern Iowa joke here > 

[UND1983]

25 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

Well, I would hope that most of them aren't thinking that a 7-6 or 7-5 record and "we almost made the playoffs" is a sign of success.  

Cool meme.  No "winners" in 2018 apparently.

[MafiaMan]

Just now, The Sicatoka said:

< Northern Iowa joke here > 

[UND1983]

Go look at Youngstown State's schedule. Automatic 4-0 to start the year....go 4-4 in the conference and suddenly they got the siouxsports magical 8 wins.

[Shawn-O]

11 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

Go look at Youngstown State's schedule. Automatic 4-0 to start the year....go 4-4 in the conference and suddenly they got the siouxsports magical 8 wins.

8-4 with that schedule and they'll be on the outside looking in.   

[UNDBIZ]

2 minutes ago, Shawn-O said:

8-4 with that schedule and they'll be on the outside looking in.   

Nah, they're in the mvfc.

[Siouxperfan7]

7 wins this year and every year after that gets us in the playoffs in most scenarios given our SOS this year and in the MVFC moving forward.  That should be the bare minimum expectations for UND every year.  Anything less than making the playoffs for this program should be considered an disappointment.

[MafiaMan]

22 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

Cool meme.  No "winners" in 2018 apparently.

Hopefully in 2019.  

[gundy1124]

2 hours ago, UND1983 said:

yeah that like totally makes sense.  Hardest schedule in the country & in the history of the program but if he doesn't win 8 games he needs to be FIRED!!!!

Replace NDSU with Valpo and there is one easy win.  Replace SHSU with Morgan State and there is another.  Hey look, I just made Bubba a better coach according to Siouxsports..  

Is it easy to look at the schedule as a whole and crap your pants.....luckily we take things day by day and even that might get us looking too far ahead.  If we focus hour by hour and put our best effort forward I think we can do better than what most are thinking.  I agree it's the hardest schedule in program history.

[geaux_sioux]

7 minutes ago, gundy1124 said:

Is it easy to look at the schedule as a whole and crap your pants.....luckily we take things day by day and even that might get us looking too far ahead.  If we focus hour by hour and put our best effort forward I think we can do better than what most are thinking.  I agree it's the hardest schedule in program history.

To add to that, you could have looked at last years schedule and said it was really tough. Didn’t work out that way. Never know how some teams are going to be from year to year, especially in the Big Sky.

[nodak651]

Weber is gonna be overrated and does Montana State even have a QB?

[Mama Sue]

Recruits look good, IMHO reading what all of you have written, new OC, and some hype could produce a very solid year....GO SIOUX.

Let’s support the team until we don’t.

[Irish]

3 hours ago, MafiaMan said:

That's what SHOULD happen.  Unfortunately, given the demise of expectations, another 6 win season and Bubba will likely get a contract extension and a pay raise.  

Agree - this is Bubba's 6th season here (at a whopping career of 30-29).  By now the team should be assembled.  People talk like this is his first or second year of rebuilding.  The entire program including who we recruit, who our assistants are, and what schemes we run are totally on him.  It is beyond sad that we expect a 6 win season and think that is fine because we have a hard schedule.  At some point instead of us looking at our schedule and bemoaning the good teams we have to play other teams need to be looking at their schedule and commenting that their schedule is tough because we are on it.  Time for Bubba to get it done.

[AJS]

3 hours ago, UND1983 said:

yeah that like totally makes sense.  Hardest schedule in the country & in the history of the program but if he doesn't win 8 games he needs to be FIRED!!!!

Replace NDSU with Valpo and there is one easy win.  Replace SHSU with Morgan State and there is another.  Hey look, I just made Bubba a better coach according to Siouxsports..  

Replace 8 wins with playoffs and you've got it.

I didn't think I needed a disclaimer, but apparently I did, my opinion on Bubba wouldn't be based on just what happens next year, but his entire body of work. Next year, the potential excuse is tough schedule, last year was the Offensive Coordinator / Special Teams, year before was injuries. I expect more than 0 Playoff wins and 1 Playoff appearances in 6 years.

I'm optimistic going into next year as I always am, I really do think UND is close to being a very good team. There does come a time when you run out of excuses and that time is now for Bubba and his staff.

[geaux_sioux]

19 minutes ago, Irish said:

Agree - this is Bubba's 6th season here (at a whopping career of 30-29).  By now the team should be assembled.  People talk like this is his first or second year of rebuilding.  The entire program including who we recruit, who our assistants are, and what schemes we run are totally on him.  It is beyond sad that we expect a 6 win season and think that is fine because we have a hard schedule.  At some point instead of us looking at our schedule and bemoaning the good teams we have to play other teams need to be looking at their schedule and commenting that their schedule is tough because we are on it.  Time for Bubba to get it done.

And he allowed his OC to absolutely squander the careers of two all time great backs in school history.