Goophs vs Bison ?

[sultan]

There are a lot of rational bison and Sioux fans who believe that their teams could beat the Gophers. The reason they beieve that is the Gophers are especially awful this year. It would not be a major upset or an upset at all to beat the Gophers this year. If the Gophers keep playing like they are the bison will beat them by at least 2 touchdowns.

[UND-1]

There are a lot of rational bison and Sioux fans who believe that their teams could beat the Gophers. The reason they beieve that is the Gophers are especially awful this year. It would not be a major upset or an upset at all to beat the Gophers this year. If the Gophers keep playing like they are the bison will beat them by at least 2 touchdowns.

I never said the Bison couldn't beat the Gophers. I stated that I feel UND could not beat them and also that most Bison fans believe they will win, without a shadow of a doubt.

[sultan]

I guess we do have a differing opinion. I believe the bison and the Sioux are very even this year. I think either team is capable of beating the other. I think we would beat them at the Alerus and they could very well beat us in Fargo (although we do own the Fargodome). Therefore I also believe that we are capable of beating the Gophers too. This is once again contingent on the fact that the Gophers continue to play as bad as they have been playing.

[Matt]

The Sioux should have the opportunity to play Minnesota (please note this is a FOOTBALL topic). That mess is a damn shame.

[Fetch]

After seasons are over there should also be allstar teams, from each state. Then have playoffs & determine the National Champions Who would win ? Calif or Flordia ?

Besides that ...Hunting season would be over

[Tommiejo]

After seasons are over there should also be allstar teams, from each state. Then have playoffs & determine the National Champions Who would win ? Calif or Flordia ?

Besides that ...Hunting season would be over

You know something you just might have stumble on to something there that just might work. I can only say this "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?" GO SIOUX & GO GATORS WHIP UP ON AUBURN IT'S PAYBACK TIME.

SIOUX FAN (HOCKEY) SINCE 1973

[Fetch]

Well I also think Hockey season should take a couple weeks off, when it's over, & then start again

[Matt]

You know something you just might have stumble on to something there that just might work. I can only say this "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?" GO SIOUX & GO GATORS WHIP UP ON AUBURN IT'S PAYBACK TIME.

SIOUX FAN (HOCKEY) SINCE 1973

c'mon...you know the gators title hopes will die at Tiger stadium on Oct 6th in primetime for the nation to see.

[iramurphy]

Serious question, I read a previous poster say you guys would beat U of M this year. Is that how you guys feel about your team or is he the only one. I know UND is good this year, but that seems like a stretch to me. Comments?

You must not have seen either the Gophers play nor the Sioux play. I do think UND could beat the Gophers but it would be close. I think the AC will beat the Gophers by at least three TD's and have made that bet. There are a lot of die hard Gopher fans who wouldn't bet against either NDSU or UND against the Gophers. They have been that bad this year.

UND isn't as good defensively up front as NDSU this year and I think the Gophers would be able to run on us but will have trouble running against NDSU. They will have to pass to beat NDSU and I am not sure they have been consistent enough to do so. I don't think the Gophers would be able to stop us either running or passing. Why would that be a stretch? We have played them before when they were down and almost beat them and we weren't as good offensively in comparison as we are now. That was a long time ago but it was D2 against D1 before the D1AA stuff. Last year NDSU should have won and the Gophers are worse this year.

[Cratter]

It will be an upset if NDSU does NOT win the game against the Rodents.

[siouxpersport]

The Sioux should have the opportunity to play Minnesota (please note this is a FOOTBALL topic). That mess is a damn shame.

That's a big NO from the U of M AD...here's an article from the MN Daily from January.

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/01/17/70334

and some student-athlete comments

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/02/14/70743

[Bison06]

I think a lot of Sioux fans mistake NDSU's success for UND's success. Us playing the gophers close last year was our accomplishment, and us doing that doesn't guarantee that others can like some fans here seem to think. If we beat the gophers this year it will be an upset, and it won't mean that the Sioux could beat them, it also doesn't mean they couldn't. I just think that with all of the success NDSU has had lately that Sioux fans are thinking that they are guaranteed to do the same. Not intended to rile anyone up, just an observation I guess.

[Fetch]

I don't care if we ever play the Goophs or not

But I do think we could give the Bison a lesson this year

Next you Bison will want to try the Vikings

[sioux7>5]

That's a big NO from the U of M AD...here's an article from the MN Daily from January.

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/01/17/70334

and some student-athlete comments

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/02/14/70743

I thought that U of M actually resinded(spelling) that rule and will look at it on a sport by sport basis. I know I heard that they were taking another look at it.

[redarmy]

Bison-34 Gophers-20

[darell1976]

Bison-34 Gophers-20

Sure the Gophs can score 20. HAHA. I say 21-3 NDSU

[Fetch]

Way to Strife DaveK

[Bison06]

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. My opinion is that NDSU fans are mistaken in thinking that their program accomplished something special that isn't easily attainable by another program making the same move who was better than they were for the last decade that they both spent at the D2 level. If a good D2 can do it a great D2 should be able to do it too. That's my opinion, and I believe that Bison fans are fooling themselves to dismiss that theory.

NDSU has had about as successful a transition as is possible, to say they haven't accomplished something special is inaccurate IMO. Do they have ALOT to prove? Yes. I think saying that we were a good D2 team and you are a great D2 team is also inaccurate. I would say they are both great. I'm just saying don't sit here and tell me you guys would beat Central Michigan and beat Minnesota, when NDSU actually did it. This is where the basis for my opinion comes from. UND and NDSU haven't played in many years now. Fans from both sides have no idea how big the gap is between them, it's possible there isn't one at all. All I'm saying is don't base your opinion of NDSU vs. UND on old information. We used to be similar in talent level, we may still be, but it's POSSIBLE that NDSU is way ahead of UND and that is why we have won all of these big games. As opposed to us winning these games because the others teams aren't very good. At least acknowledge what NDSU has done up until this point.

(this post is for DAVE, I know there are alot of fans here that respect what NDSU has done as much as I respect UND's program.)

[Fetch]

Fargo to me is still something farmers sprayed on Sneaky Wild Oats

[Hayduke]

NDSU has had about as successful a transition as is possible, to say they haven't accomplished something special is inaccurate IMO. Do they have ALOT to prove? Yes. I think saying that we were a good D2 team and you are a great D2 team is also inaccurate. I would say they are both great. I'm just saying don't sit here and tell me you guys would beat Central Michigan and beat Minnesota, when NDSU actually did it. This is where the basis for my opinion comes from. UND and NDSU haven't played in many years now. Fans from both sides have no idea how big the gap is between them, it's possible there isn't one at all. All I'm saying is don't base your opinion of NDSU vs. UND on old information. We used to be similar in talent level, we may still be, but it's POSSIBLE that NDSU is way ahead of UND and that is why we have won all of these big games. As opposed to us winning these games because the others teams aren't very good. At least acknowledge what NDSU has done up until this point.

(this post is for DAVE, I know there are alot of fans here that respect what NDSU has done as much as I respect UND's program.)

I have to agree with Bison06. NDSU has done a good job in transition. Hopefully, UND's transition will go as well.

In the meantime, if you want to look at an athletic program in shambles, IMHO it's the University of Northern Colorado. They never had the facilities or the support for the transition. Both NDSU and UND have the facilities AND the support. Granted, the Bears made the move into the Big Sky Conference, which is the only positive move they have done. Everything else has been a disaster.

[bincitysioux]

Fargo to me is still something farmers sprayed on Sneaky Wild Oats

Ha, ha! As a farmer, I can honestly say that Fargo sucks!!!

[Diggler]

Sure the Gophs can score 20. HAHA. I say 21-3 NDSU

There is no way the Gophers will hold NDSU to three TD's. Walker could walk for three TD's while using a walker and listening to a Walkman against that horrid Gopher defense.

[Bison06]

NDSU was a great D2 program from 1983 to 1990, winning five championship games. From 1991 to 2003 they were merely good in my opinion, earning only one trip to the national semifinals. During this same time period, UND made five trips to the national semifinals and two trips to the championship game. Based on my criteria, that makes UND great and NDSU during that era. In the previous era NDSU was great and UND was average, but I was referring to the era immediately preceding the move to I-AA.

NDSU has made a very good transition from D2 to I-AA. They're actually more competitive at the I-AA level now than they were at the D2 level just five short years ago, which speaks loudly as to how little difference there is in the caliber of play between the two levels. Considering how dominant UND has been in recent years at the D2 level combined with how easily NDSU has managed to consistently beat I-AA competition, UND would have to take huge steps backward in order to have difficulty at the I-AA level. In my opinion they should be able to step in and be a top 20 team with the players they have right now, and should only get significantly better with all the extra scholarships they have to offer beginning next season.

We'll just have to agree to disagree, but I will say that where I believe your logic is fundamentally flawed is your assumption that competing at one level has anything to do with competing at the next. Competing one year, for that matter, has little bearing on the next. The players and coaches we are winning with now were not present 3-4 years ago(other than Coach Bohl and maybe one other coach) so how does how we did during our D2 days have anything to do with our success now? This is where we disagree, you think that because UND is good/great now that they will be in the future at the next level, all I am saying is that it guarantees nothing, it barely even suggests that you will be. Just a difference of opinion between you and I.

[iramurphy]

We'll just have to agree to disagree, but I will say that where I believe your logic is fundamentally flawed is your assumption that competing at one level has anything to do with competing at the next. Competing one year, for that matter, has little bearing on the next. The players and coaches we are winning with now were not present 3-4 years ago(other than Coach Bohl and maybe one other coach) so how does how we did during our D2 days have anything to do with our success now? This is where we disagree, you think that because UND is good/great now that they will be in the future at the next level, all I am saying is that it guarantees nothing, it barely even suggests that you will be. Just a difference of opinion between you and I.

What NDSU did at the D2 level and performing at the top of D2 for a number of years positioned them better for success at the D1AA level. Their reputation and traditions did indeed help with the success they have now. What makes the difference isn't that the schools competed successfully at D2 but how they went about achieving that success that makes the difference.

UND will do well at the D1AA level because they are already positioned for success by how they are doing things in most programs right now. THe tradition and success of UND and the reputation of the University will be a big reason for UND's success. It isn't so much they were one of the top powers in D2 but how they became that power.

The Fargo-Moorhead community got on board and have supported the move with $$$ and an upgrade in facilities. Add that to the schools athletic history and tradition and we could have predicted success.

UND Alumni have gotten on board with additional $$$ and facilities have been upgraded and UND will also be successful for the same reasons.

[Bison06]

You guys make very good points that I agree with. Murphy I too believe that it matters how you win and not just that you win. Dave I agree that there are many schools that win year in and year out, but remember all of the schools on your list haven't changed levels in the last 50 years, if ever. I believe UND will be successful at the DI-FCS/DI-AA level, my point is that it isn't guaranteed to go as well as NDSU's transition to the next level based on your higher level of success in your final years of D2. NDSU went through a MAJOR coaching change that was the big reason for the programs turnaround. I believe we have had the best coaching staff in our history over the last 5 years. Anyway, we are in agreement on most points. Good Luck to the Sioux during the rest of the season.