Just for fun here...

[TheBisonator]

We have the next week off, so I think we can afford to at least ponder this kind of thing. The following does not mean we are going to the playoffs. It means we are in the RUNNING for the playoffs. Those are two different things. I think it would be a good mental break for Bison fans next week to see which teams in the FCS will be eliminated from at-large contention and maybe just do a little playoff pondering and daydreaming, since in reality we would have to lose two more games to be mathematically eliminated.

But anyway...

Marist, Rhode Island, Georgetown, Gardner-Webb, Davidson, Youngstown State, Texas State, Indiana State, Sacramento State, SE Louisiana, Illinois State, Tennessee State and Portland State were all mathematically eliminated from at-large contention for the playoffs with their losses today.

North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Western Illinois, Northern Iowa and Missouri State are the only remaining MVFC teams that are still eligible for an at-large playoff bid.

This means there are exactly 50 teams in the FCS (not counting SWAC or Ivy schools or transitionals) fighting for 20 playoff spots (by my best guess - I do not know if a win over Lamar counts as a DI win, for example). Assuming all AQ winners are within that 50, that means 40 teams are fighting for 10 spots. And we're one of them.

We're one of them, folks. Don't lie to yourself and think we aren't.

[NDSUstudent]

I think I have this right(after an edit)....

Playoff Eligibility(51 teams left)

Big Sky(5)
MSU(5-2) must go at least 2-1
EWU(5-2) must go 2-1
Montana(5-2) must go 2-1
WSU(4-3) must 3-1
NAU(3-3) must go 4-0

Big South(1)
Liberty(5-2) must go at least 2-2

CAA(7)
Delaware(6-1) must go at least 1-2
Umass(4-3) must go 3-1
W&M(6-1) must go 1-3
JMU(4-3) must go 3-1
Nova(4-2) must go 2-2
UNH(5-3) must go 2-1
UR(4-3) must go 3-1

Great West(2)
Cal Poly(4-3) must go at least 3-0
UCD(3-4) must go 4-0

MEAC(5)
Hampton(5-2) must go at least 3-1
BCU(6-0) must go 1-2
SCSU(4-2) must go 3-1
FAMU(4-3) must go 3-1
MSU(3-3) must go 4-0

MVFC(5)
WIU(5-3) must go at least 2-1
NDSU(5-3) must go 2-1
UNI(4-3) must go 3-1
MSU(3-4) must go 4-0
SDSU(3-4) must go 4-0

NEC(6)
RMU(6-1) must go at least 1-2
CCSU(4-2) must go 3-1
Duquesne(4-3) must 2-1
Wagner(4-3) must go 3-0
Albany(3-4) msut go 4-0
Monmouth(3-4) must 4-0

OVC(3)
JSU(7-0)
SEMO(7-1)
MSU(3-4) must go at least4-0

PL(3)
Colgate(4-3) must go at least 3-1
Lehigh(5-2) must go 2-2
HC(4-3) must go 3-1

PFL(4)
Jacksonville(6-1) must go at least 1-2
Dayton(6-1) must go 1-2
Drake(4-3) must go 4-0
Morehead St(3-4) must go 4-0

SoCon(5)
App St(7-0)
Wofford(5-1) must go at least 2-2
Chatty(5-2) must go 2-2
Furman(4-3) must go 3-1
GSU(4-3) must go 3-1

SLC(4)
SFA(6-1) must go at least 1-3
SHSU(4-3) must go 3-1
MSU(3-4) must go 4-0
UCA(3-3) must go 4-0

Indy(1)
ODU(4-3) must go at least 3-1

[TheBisonator]

You have Texas State and Coastal Carolina on there, they have been eliminated.

[NDSUstudent]

Yeah I didn't realize CCU had a 10 game schedule. It should be fixed now.

[NDSUstudent]

Week 9 elimination games...teams in bold must win....

Sac St vs NAU
SUU vs UCD
St. Francis vs Cal Poly
Morgan St vs FAMU
SDSU vs Indiana St
SIU vs Missouri St
Albany vs Bryant
Sacred Heart vs Monmouth
Wagner vs CCSU
Murray St vs EKU
San Deigo vs Drake
Jaxsonville vs Morehead St
Nicholls St vs McNeese St
SeLa vs Central Arkansas

[TheBisonator]

Week 9 elimination games...teams in bold must win....

Sac St vs NAU
SUU vs UCD
St. Francis vs Cal Poly
Morgan St vs FAMU
SDSU vs Indiana St
SIU vs Missouri St
Albany vs Bryant
Sacred Heart vs Monmouth
Wagner vs CCSU
Murray St vs EKU
San Deigo vs Drake
Jaxsonville vs Morehead St
Nicholls St vs McNeese St
SeLa vs Central Arkansas

So the teams not in bold are teams we want to win, right??:D

[NDSUstudent]

So the teams not in bold are teams we want to win, right??:D

Yeah, none of them are playing UND so that is right.

[TheBisonator]

Yeah, none of them are playing UND so that is right.

Here's something ironic: UND is leading Cal Poly 14-13 in the 3rd. If any Bison fan goes by the notion that there needs to be as few at-large contenders as possible, they would want UND to win, so that Cal Poly has an elimination game next weekend.

But I don't think any Bison fan would want that...

[TheBisonator]

UND leads Cal Poly 21-13, holy sheeott....

[bisonfan11]

Aww heck, let's just do this thing. Let's go 3-0 and be play-off eligible. Why not us???

[TheBisonator]

Aww heck, let's just do this thing. Let's go 3-0 and be play-off eligible. Why not us???

We need to be 2-1 to get playoff eligible. But a 7-4 record wouldn't give us a good chance to get in.

Win the next three, and we not only will be in the playoffs, but we may also host a game.

[bisonfan11]

We need to be 2-1 to get playoff eligible. But a 7-4 record wouldn't give us a good chance to get in.

Win the next three, and we not only will be in the playoffs, but we may also host a game.

I firmly believe that we have the talent (even though we are a young team) to go at least 2-1, but why stop there? We now have an important bye, and if the coaching staff can "get down" to business with some of the lack of football discipline (aka penalties) we might be in better shape than we think. (Oh yeah, a #2 wide-out would help Mohler tons as well) I might have been down on a few problems with the team in terms of Bohl and the coaching staff, but now is a good time for Bohl and the coaching staff to focus this team and expect this young team to do more (not make more excuses why the team is inconsistent).

[WYOBISONMAN]

We better win out.

[onbison09]

This team has the talent to win out and they could also lose out. Maybe that's a little over the top but we are really bipolar. Getting some guys healthy will definitely help

[DjKyRo]

Having the bye this late in the year definitely helps, we'll be battle-tested going into the most important two-game stretch of the season. SIU is going to be insane.

[NDSUstudent]

Here is the update for which teams can still get 7 DI wins....

Playoff Eligibility(42 teams)

Big Sky(4)
MSU(6-2) must go at least 1-1
EWU(6-2) must go 1-1
Montana(5-3) must go 2-0
WSU(5-3) must 2-1

Big South(1)
Liberty(6-2) must go 1-2

CAA(7)
Delaware(6-1) must go 1-2
Nova(6-2) must go 1-2
W&M(6-2) must go 1-2
Umass(5-3) must go 2-1
UNH(5-3) must go 2-1
JMU(4-4) must go 3-0
UR(4-4) must go 3-0

Great West(1)
Cal Poly(5-3) must go 2-0

MEAC(4)
BCU(7-0)
Hampton(5-3) must go 3-0
SCSU(5-2) must go 2-1
FAMU(5-3) must go 2-1


MVFC(4)
WIU(6-3) must go 1-1
NDSU(5-3) must go 2-1
UNI(5-3) must go 2-1
MSU(4-4) must go 3-0

NEC(3)
RMU(7-1)
CCSU(5-2) must go 2-1
Duquesne(5-4) must 2-0

OVC(2)
JSU(7-0)
SEMO(8-1)

PL(3)
Lehigh(6-2) must go 1-2
HC(4-3) must go 3-1
Colgate(4-4) must go 3-0

PFL(3)
Dayton(7-1)
Jacksonville(7-1)
Drake(5-3) must go 3-0

SoCon(5)
App St(8-0)
Wofford(6-1) must go 1-2
Chatty(5-3) must go 2-1
Furman(4-4) must go 3-0
GSU(4-4) must go 3-0

SLC(4)
SFA(6-2) must go 1-2
SHSU(4-4) must go 3-0
MSU(4-4) must go 3-0
UCA(4-3) must go 3-0

Indy(1)
ODU(5-3) must go 2-1

[NDSUstudent]

Here are this week's elimination games...teams in bold must win....

Lafayette vs Colgate
Drake vs Dayton
Savannah St vs ODU
Beathune-Cookman vs Hampton
Missouri State vs SDSU
App St vs Georgia Southern
Weber St vs Montana St
McNeese St vs Sam Houston St
Central Arkansas vs Texas St
JMU vs Richmond
Cal Poly vs USD

A huge game for us is Cal Poly vs USD. A USD win there helps our SOS and removes a team from our region. Lets go Yotes!

[HandoEX]

Thanks Student!


GO YOTES!!!

[missingnumber7]

The CAA is the league to watch, a lot of the teams that are close play each other in the next few weeks. It is definately going to be an interesting 3 weeks. The BSC is going to come down to the Cat/Griz game. The Bison just need to take care of business and the chance is definately there for us.

[BraxtonT]

Cal Poly vs USD

A huge game for us is Cal Poly vs USD. A USD win there helps our SOS and removes a team from our region. Lets go Yotes!

If only the Sioux would have beaten Poly a couple weeks ago, then we wouldn't have to be hoping for a 'Yotes win.