National Championship or Bust

[ndsubison1]

18 starters back next year. Every QB is back. I feel like Jensen has the intangibles to be a better QB next season and become a more consistent passer and decision maker next season. Warren Holloway is back. I feel like he can be an elite WR, just need to find more ways to get him the ball. OL has 5 guys back with significant playing and starting time. We all know about the RB position. DJ will be one of the best backs returning next season and started to run ppl over more instead of running around them.

Defense was the reason we made a run in the playoffs. We lose Gratzek and Anderson. But have very capable guys that can step in. We had a lot of promising players on the DL. Perry is athletic, explosive and if he can get stronger he can be the next Gratzek. Secondary will be very good again. If we can get some depth and bring in some guys that can fill in some holes, watch out. The pieces are in place, we just need a few more guys to step up. It can be done.

[DjKyRo]

Great post and I agree - we saw that even in what a lot of people thought would be a "rebuilding year" we have the pieces in place to make a serious run; if a couple calls go our way we could very well be playing for the title this season. No reason to think we don't have the players to make a run at the championship next year.

Cole Jirik is a guy that I think could play a very big role next year - we obviously return both starters on the D-end (and honestly I think Boyer has a very real shot at being an All-American) and it wouldn't surprise me if Bohl played Jirik in a rotation at DT along with filling in for Boyer/Stoczynski when needed. It seems like every time he stepped in he made a big-time play.

Obviously Williams, Olson, Perry and Heagle are four names Bison fans should get VERY familiar with, all were freshman that had a very big impact on our success this year. We have a very good, very young core to build around and if we can just solve that DT spot with Gratzek gone (no small task) there's no reason we shouldn't be able to repeat an impressive defense in the '11 season.

[BisoninNWMN]

We have a very good team (returning players wise) coming back next year but it will not be a "bust" if we do not win the NC. Playing on the road is very difficult during the playoffs. Now if we have home field throughout the playoffs next year then I would probably expect us to do very well.

Anything less than the playoffs will be a bust. Home field throughout......watch out FCS!!!

GO BISON

[semobison]

Ok, lets do somthing we have never done! Lets have a winning record in the MVFC! Win the conference, and then we can talk playoffs or NC. First things first!

[Grizzled]

Big thing for me is finding more depth at DB. That nickel package we ran all year was a good defense for us and helped us solve our problem of getting off the field on 3rd down. Losing our two cb's will be big. Gatlin was probably our most consistent cb this year. Also, the coaches loved having Matt in there at LB. He was always in the right place in pass coverage and baited two QB's into picks this year. Those will be big spots to fill.

Our offense will be better but it will be big to find a punter. As good as our Defense was this year Pelvitz turned the field over for us a few times in the playoffs when field position was key.

I agree Ming, the pieces are in place and its going to be a fun year next year.

[Facts]

Obviously Williams, Olson, Perry and Heagle are four names Bison fans should get VERY familiar with, all were freshman that had a very big impact on our success this year. We have a very good, very young core to build around and if we can just solve that DT spot with Gratzek gone (no small task) there's no reason we shouldn't be able to repeat an impressive defense in the '11 season.

AGREED. Recruiting and coaching are the keys gentlemen. If NDSU can be consistent at both, deep playoff runs may be something fans can become quite accustomed to.

[semobison]

The Key is winning our conference! We have yet to prove that we can take care of business in our own conference! If we continue to be a %500 team in the MVFC, we will be at home watching the playoffs, more often than not! A conference championship should be our immediate goal for next season! There is not a team on our schedule I want to beat more than UNI! A win at Minnesota would be nice, but winning the conference would be much bigger!

[tjbison]

Lets rock this thing called FCS:nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

I'm with ya Ming maybe not next year but sometime in these Soph and Freshmans 4 years we see it lets just hope the world doesn't end in 12/12:p

[99Bison]

You have you kinda go with the "or bust" attitude every year you have a chance. Otherwise you lose urgency...

[X-Factor]

Marcus Williams and Brendin Pierre will be two truly exceptional corners next year. Both of them are easily 1st team all-conference material. The question is what if one happens to get hurt? We do lack any form of depth at the position. In my opinion, that is the only question mark on this whole team...2nd and 3rd string cornerback. Everything else should work itself out in spring ball, but CB requires Bohl to do some solid recruiting right now in order to call that a success next fall. I also wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see some new faces at positions with returning starters, most notably WR.

[WRSDBison]

The only bust I see is in TJbison's avatar.

[Bison05]

You guys are right on - winning the Valley has to be the No. 1 goal. It's time to establish ourselves in this conference. Like it always has it's going to be a grind and we are going to need to establish depth.

With the way the year ended and with 18 starters back we should be ranked high in the country and have high expectations. September can't get here fast enough!

[BadlandsBison]

The only bust I see is in TJbison's avatar.

If thats the alternative to winning a national championship, heck, this is a WIN-WIN. I'd take the bust personally...

[gizmo]

So ya wanna win a national championship, eh? Here's what has to change from 2010 to 2011....

1. To win a NC, your team must start playing football from the opening kickoff. Playing from behind is a great sign of weakness.

2. To win a NC, there must be a huge turnaround in the Bison passing game. This encompasses not only QB play but also receivers, pass blocking and play calling.

3. To win a NC, a team must dominate lesser opponents and win several games easily.

4. To win a NC, a team must have enough depth to win in spite of the inevitable injuries to key players. For example, the Bison struggled when Gratzek was injured in 2010 so what will they do without him in 2011?

IMO, the Bison have a number of things to improve upon to be considered title contenders. Those issues aren't insurmountable but it appears to me that it's a bit of a stretch to think they can all be conquered in one year.

[DjKyRo]

So ya wanna win a national championship, eh? Here's what has to change from 2010 to 2011....

1. To win a NC, your team must start playing football from the opening kickoff. Playing from behind is a great sign of weakness.

2. To win a NC, there must be a huge turnaround in the Bison passing game. This encompasses not only QB play but also receivers, pass blocking and play calling.

3. To win a NC, a team must dominate lesser opponents and win several games easily.

4. To win a NC, a team must have enough depth to win in spite of the inevitable injuries to key players. For example, the Bison struggled when Gratzek was injured in 2010 so what will they do without him in 2011?

IMO, the Bison have a number of things to improve upon to be considered title contenders. Those issues aren't insurmountable but it appears to me that it's a bit of a stretch to think they can all be conquered in one year.

I can agree with all these, except for maybe #3. I'll get to that.

The biggest hurdle facing our defense is replacing Gratzek. We saw how much we missed him the two or three games he was gone and our run D (and pass rush) looked completely different when he was back. Ideally Boyer will improve enough to command a double block off the left end and that should soften things up in the middle for Perry and Gratzek's replacement, who I think will be Drevlow. He showed some very nice things and we could have a very good defensive line again in 2011.

Corner depth is another issue but it's not as glaring as my point above. We're going to have two very capable starters in Pierre and Williams, and if their backups can be serviceable our defense shouldn't lose any ground despite losing Gatlin in that number.

I'm not sure I agree that we need to dominate teams to win, though. We need to win those games that we should, but we're not playing a UND-esque schedule with 3+ cupcakes. We should beat Lafayette and St. Francis pretty easily, but I won't be up in arms if we only win by a possession - it's about the W, and as long as we're in the playoffs we've got an equal shot at the playoffs. Winning the MVFC is going to be huge, but UNI should be a very tough team again (though we have them at the Dome) and winning in Terre Haute against a still-improving Indiana St. team won't be a cake walk.

Just get those W's.

[4mcruenomore]

Thorton, Thorton!!!!

[BadlandsBison]

I can agree with all these, except for maybe #3. I'll get to that.

The biggest hurdle facing our defense is replacing Gratzek. We saw how much we missed him the two or three games he was gone and our run D (and pass rush) looked completely different when he was back. Ideally Boyer will improve enough to command a double block off the left end and that should soften things up in the middle for Perry and Gratzek's replacement, who I think will be Drevlow. He showed some very nice things and we could have a very good defensive line again in 2011.

Corner depth is another issue but it's not as glaring as my point above. We're going to have two very capable starters in Pierre and Williams, and if their backups can be serviceable our defense shouldn't lose any ground despite losing Gatlin in that number.

I'm not sure I agree that we need to dominate teams to win, though. We need to win those games that we should, but we're not playing a UND-esque schedule with 3+ cupcakes. We should beat Lafayette and St. Francis pretty easily, but I won't be up in arms if we only win by a possession - it's about the W, and as long as we're in the playoffs we've got an equal shot at the playoffs. Winning the MVFC is going to be huge, but UNI should be a very tough team again (though we have them at the Dome) and winning in Terre Haute against a still-improving Indiana St. team won't be a cake walk.

Just get those W's.

Its dang hard to win a game in the MVFC. Take the wins any way you can.

And those first 2 games next season, I hope they challenge the Bison and get them to improve. We will need our A-game for the Goophs.

[gizmo]

I can agree with all these, except for maybe #3. I'll get to that.

The biggest hurdle facing our defense is replacing Gratzek. We saw how much we missed him the two or three games he was gone and our run D (and pass rush) looked completely different when he was back. Ideally Boyer will improve enough to command a double block off the left end and that should soften things up in the middle for Perry and Gratzek's replacement, who I think will be Drevlow. He showed some very nice things and we could have a very good defensive line again in 2011.

Corner depth is another issue but it's not as glaring as my point above. We're going to have two very capable starters in Pierre and Williams, and if their backups can be serviceable our defense shouldn't lose any ground despite losing Gatlin in that number.

I'm not sure I agree that we need to dominate teams to win, though. We need to win those games that we should, but we're not playing a UND-esque schedule with 3+ cupcakes. We should beat Lafayette and St. Francis pretty easily, but I won't be up in arms if we only win by a possession - it's about the W, and as long as we're in the playoffs we've got an equal shot at the playoffs. Winning the MVFC is going to be huge, but UNI should be a very tough team again (though we have them at the Dome) and winning in Terre Haute against a still-improving Indiana St. team won't be a cake walk.

Just get those W's.

Agreed, but there's a great danger in being complacent in barely winning....you're only one bad bounce or bad call away from losing! My point about winning some games easily comes from remembering the years when we actually won championships in D2. During those years, we won big most of the time and actually had very few tight games. We were head and shoulders better than our conference. Granted, the MVFC probably has more balance than the old NCC but you must be significantly better than the conference competition if you want to be national champs.

[SamsRams]

except for the fact that none of these really descrides delaware or ewu and one of them is going to win the nc. Just get to the playoffs and get hot......that's all it comes down to


So ya wanna win a national championship, eh? Here's what has to change from 2010 to 2011....

1. To win a NC, your team must start playing football from the opening kickoff. Playing from behind is a great sign of weakness.

2. To win a NC, there must be a huge turnaround in the Bison passing game. This encompasses not only QB play but also receivers, pass blocking and play calling.

3. To win a NC, a team must dominate lesser opponents and win several games easily.

4. To win a NC, a team must have enough depth to win in spite of the inevitable injuries to key players. For example, the Bison struggled when Gratzek was injured in 2010 so what will they do without him in 2011?

IMO, the Bison have a number of things to improve upon to be considered title contenders. Those issues aren't insurmountable but it appears to me that it's a bit of a stretch to think they can all be conquered in one year.

[roadwarrior]

We were so close to winning the EWU game this year as we all know. If Villanova would have played against us like they did against EWU, we would be lining up trips to Texas for next week.

[gizmo]

Personally, I'd prefer being really good over hoping to sneak into the playoffs and then maybe getting "hot".

[NDSUFan_Sav]

Personally, I'd prefer being really good over hoping to sneak into the playoffs and then maybe getting "hot".

obviously, but it was still good experience this year for our young team and most these guys have a bad taste in their mouth from that last game in EWU and they sound like they're ready to start preparing for next year and make sure that doesn't happen again.

[semobison]

Im hoping this years playoff experience is a springboard for good things to come! We now have higher expectations for next season than we would have if the season would have ended at Missouri State! To become NC contenders we need to do 4 things next year that we havn't done in the Bohl era.
1. Beat UNI!
2. Win in Brookings!
3. Win in Carbondale!
4. Have a winng record in the Valley!
A conference championship would be a great step twords winning a NC. We cant continue to win half our conference games, beat the goph's, and slip into the playoffs again!

[BisonNeil]

18 starters back next year. Every QB is back. I feel like Jensen has the intangibles to be a better QB next season and become a more consistent passer and decision maker next season. Warren Holloway is back. I feel like he can be an elite WR, just need to find more ways to get him the ball. OL has 5 guys back with significant playing and starting time. We all know about the RB position. DJ will be one of the best backs returning next season and started to run ppl over more instead of running around them.

Defense was the reason we made a run in the playoffs. We lose Gratzek and Anderson. But have very capable guys that can step in. We had a lot of promising players on the DL. Perry is athletic, explosive and if he can get stronger he can be the next Gratzek. Secondary will be very good again. If we can get some depth and bring in some guys that can fill in some holes, watch out. The pieces are in place, we just need a few more guys to step up. It can be done.

To be more precise, the Bison have 18 players coming back with starting experience. Perhaps a small detail but I think one worth noting. A few players among those 18 got to be starters because of injuries such as Hinz, and probably Willson (this assumes Anderson and Jemison were the starters, I really can't remember).

Regardless, I look at starters that must be replaced as Arndt and Smith on offense and Gratzek, Anderson and Banks/Gatlin on defense. So, at the very least the Bison have 16-17 returning starters, a good nucleus.

However, as with investments, past success is no predictor of future profits. The 2008 Bison returned 18 starters and went 6-5. Huge losses that proved irreplaceable were Walker and Mays although the Bison struggled that year also to replace the LT Nate Safe and tried a few combinations. Biggest loss from 2007 to 2008, besides these three players, was the leadership factor. Walker and Mays had it. I think Gratzek had it this year, also Lemon who showed real leadership skills in how he handled his demotion and became a special teams terror. So the question remains, who among next years seniors can lead this 2011 Bison? The talent is there, but is the leadership?

[lakesbison]

RING or BUST. period, end of discussion.

[THEsocalledfan]

RING or BUST. period, end of discussion.

I am sorry to admit that I agree with Lakes. I want to see arrogance that the player believe they are better than others in the MVFC and a sense of urgency that bring home a NC to Fargo is long overdue.

[lakesbison]

These players need to have this mindset.

Hell, show them the Champions room from the HALLWAY DOOR, every freakin day of practice, show them the EWU tape every freakin gameday morning/day.

these guys should have only 1 goal. RING.

[SamsRams]

Personally, I'd prefer being really good over hoping to sneak into the playoffs and then maybe getting "hot".that is all you prefer? How about all playboy models from last years issues fly with you in a private jet to the NC? Would you prefer a beer and hot dog at the game also? And then after the title, I bet you prefer the big ten boots iowa state and asks ndsu to join.
our preferences don't matter. You get what you get and as fans we are suppose to enjoy it. I enjoyed last year and it is a fact that ndsu was inches away from the semifinal. So people can live in their preferential world and number off things that need to get done, well that is dream land. I prefer reality and hard work anyday over someones preferences.

[DjKyRo]

that is all you prefer? How about all playboy models from last years issues fly with you in a private jet to the NC? Would you prefer a beer and hot dog at the game also? And then after the title, I bet you prefer the big ten boots iowa state and asks ndsu to join.
our preferences don't matter. You get what you get and as fans we are suppose to enjoy it. I enjoyed last year and it is a fact that ndsu was inches away from the semifinal. So people can live in their preferential world and number off tjings that need to get done, well that is dream land. I prefer reality and hard work anyday over someones preferances.

That would all be awesome, but isn't Iowa State in the Big XII? (or did they swap names due to having ten members now?) ;)

[Mr. Burgundy]

I am sorry to admit that I agree with Lakes. I want to see arrogance that the player believe they are better than others in the MVFC and a sense of urgency that bring home a NC to Fargo is long overdue.

I would like to see continued development of all the young players. I would like to see us win the Missouri Valley and start to dominate the conference. To be a school that is in the top 10 year in and year out. That is where we belong. To say title or bust, well....that is just naive and silly. I hope we can again make a run into the playoffs and have a QB step up so our offense can kill you a few different ways.

if we are in the top 10 every year and keep getting a chance, we will win a National Title. Great to see our recruiting going so well, we are very young and return a ton of starters. Like BisonNeil has stated, if we have some leaders emerge, we will have something special.....again.

[SamsRams]

That would all be awesome, but isn't Iowa State in the Big XII? (or did they swap names due to having ten members now?) ;)

haha, yeah but we are talking about what fans prefer not what is going on in the real world;)

[SDbison]

I would like to see continued development of all the young players. I would like to see us win the Missouri Valley and start to dominate the conference. To be a school that is in the top 10 year in and year out. That is where we belong. To say title or bust, well....that is just naive and silly. I hope we can again make a run into the playoffs and have a QB step up so our offense can kill you a few different ways.

if we are in the top 10 every year and keep getting a chance, we will win a National Title. Great to see our recruiting going so well, we are very young and return a ton of starters. Like BisonNeil has stated, if we have some leaders emerge, we will have something special.....again.
This won't happen without a better offensive gameplan and better execution by the QB's........two things Vigen is responsible for and has done an average job at best (his few games with good calls are matched by fails in several other games). It is so lame to see the Bison go three and out so often.....to be in fear of going for it on 3rd and a yard.....to have QB's overthrow wide open receivers and wide open receivers drop too many catchable passes. This is what has to improve next year. Chances are the defense may be a slight bit less good and the turnover margin not quite as much in our favor next year. This means the offense will need to be able to move the ball at will. No reason this shouldn't happen with all the great players the Bison have. In summary, Vigen's knowledge and effort is a significant factor for next years improvement. Seriously!

[gizmo]

that is all you prefer? How about all playboy models from last years issues fly with you in a private jet to the NC? Would you prefer a beer and hot dog at the game also? And then after the title, I bet you prefer the big ten boots iowa state and asks ndsu to join.
our preferences don't matter. You get what you get and as fans we are suppose to enjoy it. I enjoyed last year and it is a fact that ndsu was inches away from the semifinal. So people can live in their preferential world and number off things that need to get done, well that is dream land. I prefer reality and hard work anyday over someones preferences.

I love your suggestions, especially the Playboy models idea. :D

...and I agree that becoming a really good FCS football program isn't going to happen without a lot of hard work.

There, you won. Are you happy now?

:banghead:

[HerdBot]

I wouldn't go that far. Yes, we have the ability to win it all but a more realistic goal is to win the MVFC and then see what happens in the playoffs. If we can get home field I like our chances. But to not win the Championship is a good way to feel like any level of success is a failure. Had we lost a close game to Villanova I would have been happy. (depressed for a while but in the grand scheme that would have been huge) We need to approach every game as a big game because the conference is a beast. Heck even games against Indiana State and Missoure State are no longer gimmes. We can't win the first 2 and beat the Gophers and think we've actually accomplished something. We need to kick ass every week up until the playoffs. We need to keep the Dakota Marker, beat UNI (for the 1st time), and win on the road against WIU and SIU. It's tough.

To win the Championship here's is what we need to see happen..

1) Stay healthy. Last year we avoided the injury bug and were healthier than the competition come playoff time. We can't have our annual injuries we see in training camp.


2) Need to avoid the offseason of losing players to suspension. We can't lose our depth by seeing players leave. Bohl has done a great job by retaining the last 2 recruiting classes. When they say "Those who stay will be Champions" it's true... and if we do lose a few guys they need to be marginal players who don't have a chance at playing.

3) Need guys to turn into rockstars and have a breakout year. I'm not talking about guys like DJ. He's already the man. I'm talking about players with a ton of potential we haven't seen enough of. That would be specifically Warren Holloway and Matt Veldman. These guys need to product as seniors. We need good players to get great. We need great players to turn into superstars. We need superstars to remain superstars.

4) Develop depth. (this will be a long post) Yes, we're not going to go through next season and be as healthy. We didn't lose any starters on defense. We lost Anderson, Gratzek, and Willson for part of the season. We lost Preston Evans for a while but he still played. That's pretty much it.

We need guys like Grant Olson to get better fast. We need young guys like Carter, Littlejohn, and the rest of the young backers to get up to speed fast so when we lose Evans, Willson, and Jemison to the injury bug we're not screwed.

We need the young guys like Jirek, Perry, and Hagen to get better and take it to the next level.

We need the young DT's with no playing experience like Drevlow, Gimmestad, and Juckem to get good FAST! It can be done but to fill that void left by Gratzek is going to be tough. I think we've got some great players to do it.

The secondary scares me because we have Pierre and Marcus Williams as solid starters but after that it's thin and if we have injuries it could be really scary. The JUCO from Science is going to need to get up to speed FAST. That means getting through the clearning house and practicing early. Wes Hudson is going to have to learn FAST.

On offense our WR depth must make an impact and we need to get better. I think we're OK with Howard and Holloway but after that... it's all up to the young guys. The freshman is arguably the most talented group of guys we've seen in years with with Gebhart, Vraa, Powell Calhoun, and Wahlo. They have a ton of ability but we need one of those guys to emerge.

5) Change the mentality from the hunters to the hunted. Last year we were disprespected by the polls and predictions. This year we're likely to be picked to win the conference. How will the team handle that? Every week teams will bring their best when they play us.

6) Need one of the QB's to emerge. They don't have to turn into Michael Vick but we need to see some major improvement. I think Brock was adequate but there are times when we need to throw the ball more consistently.

7) Vigen needs to continue to improve. Yeah I know people give the guy a lot of crap and he had his moments of good and bad, but I think he's a young coach and improving. I'm sure he will spend the offseason getting better.

If everything on this list happens I'll be confident we can win the Championship. But there are a lot of ? marks.

[unbison]

Grant Olson will get better! I think he will dominate next year were you not at the home playoff game or were you to busy Internet blogging to see him play in that game

[BisoninNWMN]

Grant Olson will get better! I think he will dominate next year were you not at the home playoff game or were you to busy Internet blogging to see him play in that game

Willson
Jemison
Evans
Olson

4 good LBers right there. Olson is a true MLBer and will probably be there most of the year.

IMO, Willson was our best LBer this year.

[HerdBot]

Grant Olson will get better! I think he will dominate next year were you not at the home playoff game or were you to busy Internet blogging to see him play in that game

I didn't mean it in the sense that he sucks but how he needs to take his game to a higher level. Next year he will play a larger role. Great start for a freshman.

[DjKyRo]

IMO, Willson was our best LBer this year.

He was sure fun to watch, the guy just flies all over the field and made a ton of plays in the MSU and EWU games.

[westnodak93bison]

I didn't mean it in the sense that he sucks but how he needs to take his game to a higher level. Next year he will play a larger role. Great start for a freshman.

I agree and he should be pushing 230lb by fall camp. If he is going to be the MLB what would his target weight be?

[BisoninNWMN]

I agree and he should be pushing 230lb by fall camp. If he is going to be the MLB what would his target weight be?


I'm sure the coaches will tell him in the 230s. Mays (similar height) was 244 for the Bison?

Being an 18 year old freshman.....he has room to grow and put muscle on. I bet he is 230-235 by next season.

Bison will have the best LBer corp in the MV and probably one of the best in FCS.

IMO, the defense will be better next year.....just a guess...:D

[On_the_road]

I wouldn't go that far. Yes, we have the ability to win it all but a more realistic goal is to win the MVFC and then see what happens in the playoffs. If we can get home field I like our chances. But to not win the Championship is a good way to feel like any level of success is a failure. Had we lost a close game to Villanova I would have been happy. (depressed for a while but in the grand scheme that would have been huge) We need to approach every game as a big game because the conference is a beast. Heck even games against Indiana State and Missoure State are no longer gimmes. We can't win the first 2 and beat the Gophers and think we've actually accomplished something. We need to kick ass every week up until the playoffs. We need to keep the Dakota Marker, beat UNI (for the 1st time), and win on the road against WIU and SIU. It's tough.

To win the Championship here's is what we need to see happen..

1) Stay healthy. Last year we avoided the injury bug and were healthier than the competition come playoff time. We can't have our annual injuries we see in training camp.


2) Need to avoid the offseason of losing players to suspension. We can't lose our depth by seeing players leave. Bohl has done a great job by retaining the last 2 recruiting classes. When they say "Those who stay will be Champions" it's true... and if we do lose a few guys they need to be marginal players who don't have a chance at playing.

3) Need guys to turn into rockstars and have a breakout year. I'm not talking about guys like DJ. He's already the man. I'm talking about players with a ton of potential we haven't seen enough of. That would be specifically Warren Holloway and Matt Veldman. These guys need to product as seniors. We need good players to get great. We need great players to turn into superstars. We need superstars to remain superstars.

4) Develop depth. (this will be a long post) Yes, we're not going to go through next season and be as healthy. We didn't lose any starters on defense. We lost Anderson, Gratzek, and Willson for part of the season. We lost Preston Evans for a while but he still played. That's pretty much it.

We need guys like Grant Olson to get better fast. We need young guys like Carter, Littlejohn, and the rest of the young backers to get up to speed fast so when we lose Evans, Willson, and Jemison to the injury bug we're not screwed.

We need the young guys like Jirek, Perry, and Hagen to get better and take it to the next level.

We need the young DT's with no playing experience like Drevlow, Gimmestad, and Juckem to get good FAST! It can be done but to fill that void left by Gratzek is going to be tough. I think we've got some great players to do it.

The secondary scares me because we have Pierre and Marcus Williams as solid starters but after that it's thin and if we have injuries it could be really scary. The JUCO from Science is going to need to get up to speed FAST. That means getting through the clearning house and practicing early. Wes Hudson is going to have to learn FAST.

On offense our WR depth must make an impact and we need to get better. I think we're OK with Howard and Holloway but after that... it's all up to the young guys. The freshman is arguably the most talented group of guys we've seen in years with with Gebhart, Vraa, Powell Calhoun, and Wahlo. They have a ton of ability but we need one of those guys to emerge.

5) Change the mentality from the hunters to the hunted. Last year we were disprespected by the polls and predictions. This year we're likely to be picked to win the conference. How will the team handle that? Every week teams will bring their best when they play us.

6) Need one of the QB's to emerge. They don't have to turn into Michael Vick but we need to see some major improvement. I think Brock was adequate but there are times when we need to throw the ball more consistently.

7) Vigen needs to continue to improve. Yeah I know people give the guy a lot of crap and he had his moments of good and bad, but I think he's a young coach and improving. I'm sure he will spend the offseason getting better.

If everything on this list happens I'll be confident we can win the Championship. But there are a lot of ? marks.

Great post.

[bisonatrix]

Alright, a little cold water here people.....

Yes, this team had a great run, but lets not forget some other things. We still didn't get a winning record in the MVFC. We backed into the playoffs with a 3-0 loss to one of the worst defensive teams in the country. Were it not for some things out of NDSU's control that went in our favor, they very nearly wouldn't have been in the playoffs to make this run.

This team needs to just focus one game at a time. Next season's schedule will get tougher. You can't expect SDSU and SIU to be down again. We have roadies there and at an improved WIU team. IT WONT BE EASY PEOPLE.

Before anyone talks national title, they need to talk conference title. Win that, maybe get homefield throughout the playoffs, and then you can talk title.

And people here and at NDSU need some humility too. The last time we puffed out our chests and thought it was ring or bust because our team was so stacked was 2008.

How'd that turn out again?

[houndawg]

Alright, a little cold water here people.....

Yes, this team had a great run, but lets not forget some other things. We still didn't get a winning record in the MVFC. We backed into the playoffs with a 3-0 loss to one of the worst defensive teams in the country. Were it not for some things out of NDSU's control that went in our favor, they very nearly wouldn't have been in the playoffs to make this run.

This team needs to just focus one game at a time. Next season's schedule will get tougher. You can't expect SDSU and SIU to be down again. We have roadies there and at an improved WIU team. IT WONT BE EASY PEOPLE.

Before anyone talks national title, they need to talk conference title. Win that, maybe get homefield throughout the playoffs, and then you can talk title.

And people here and at NDSU need some humility too. The last time we puffed out our chests and thought it was ring or bust because our team was so stacked was 2008.

How'd that turn out again?



The voice of reason. NDSU could be significantly better next year and still finish third because the MVC will be much stronger next year. UNI and SIU both return lots of starters from the MVC's top offense and defense respectively. Shaping up to be a real dogfight.

[CaBisonFan]

High-five ming. Agreed

[lakesbison]

You all can think whatcha want( and hounddawg your team has gone downhill since kill left!!! )

But im all in on NC or Bust !!

[DjKyRo]

More jacked than ever for the UNI game. Let's do this sh#t.

[MNLonghorn10]

More jacked than ever for the UNI game. Let's do this sh#t.

sounds good. im in the dome lot tailgatin, where you at

[DjKyRo]

sounds good. im in the dome lot tailgatin, where you at

Be there in 20.

[EndZoneQB]

I'm going to put in a request for time off for Frisco in the next couple of weeks.

[onbison09]

I'm going to put in a request for time off for Frisco in the next couple of weeks.

They do an awesome job of putting the game on :nod:

[houndawg]

You all can think whatcha want( and hounddawg your team has gone downhill since kill left!!! )

But im all in on NC or Bust !!

Kill was a hell of a coach, no doubt, and even though it is still mostly his players, it's hard to maintain the level we've become accustomed to during eight straight playoff seasons. Personally I think Lennon is a better game coach, but the jury is out on whether or not he can recruit like Kill. Biggest worry down here is can a coach from North Dakota recruit the speed that Saluki ball requires. We know he can find it, witness Fr RB LaSteven McKinney who has Deji Karim/Taiwan Jones speed, but can he find enough of it. As for Kill, if you want to make some money off your buddies, bet on UM this fall, because regardless of their talent they will come to play.:nod:

[Gully]

Kill was a hell of a coach, no doubt, and even though it is still mostly his players, it's hard to maintain the level we've become accustomed to during eight straight playoff seasons. Personally I think Lennon is a better game coach, but the jury is out on whether or not he can recruit like Kill. Biggest worry down here is can a coach from North Dakota recruit the speed that Saluki ball requires. We know he can find it, witness Fr RB LaSteven McKinney who has Deji Karim/Taiwan Jones speed, but can he find enough of it. As for Kill, if you want to make some money off your buddies, bet on UM this fall, because regardless of their talent they will come to play.:nod:

Kill will be the best coach the Gophers have had in a very long time. They probably won't be that good this year, but they'll improve and be a very competitive Big Ten team in the next few years. Gopher fans weren't thrilled with the hire but what they're getting is the anti-Tim Brewster. Kill will let his team's performances do the talking. He is an excellent coach.

[EndZoneQB]

Kill was a hell of a coach, no doubt, and even though it is still mostly his players, it's hard to maintain the level we've become accustomed to during eight straight playoff seasons. Personally I think Lennon is a better game coach, but the jury is out on whether or not he can recruit like Kill. Biggest worry down here is can a coach from North Dakota recruit the speed that Saluki ball requires. We know he can find it, witness Fr RB LaSteven McKinney who has Deji Karim/Taiwan Jones speed, but can he find enough of it. As for Kill, if you want to make some money off your buddies, bet on UM this fall, because regardless of their talent they will come to play.:nod:

Talked to some traveling fans in Fargo this year and they basically said the same thing about Lennon. They were worried that he wasn't able to relate to the "athletes" on the team as much as they had hoped.

[THEsocalledfan]

Kill will be the best coach the Gophers have had in a very long time. They probably won't be that good this year, but they'll improve and be a very competitive Big Ten team in the next few years. Gopher fans weren't thrilled with the hire but what they're getting is the anti-Tim Brewster. Kill will let his team's performances do the talking. He is an excellent coach.

Forgot one thing:

The U of M is where coaches are sent to when their careers die. Pretty important omission. .

[CaBisonFan]

Forgot one thing:

The U of M is where coaches are sent to when their careers die. Pretty important omission. .

This is a long-proven fact. The only coach that hasn't taken a huge dive since Warmath...and that was Dr. Lou. MN has to be one of the hardest coaching gigs in the country. I call it Sid Hartman Disease. But I also think that the big city campus, without much housing, poses a big problem for a football program.

We have the talent to be one of the top dogs in the MVFC this year. It will come down to leadership and simply having the ability to make the big plays.

[344Johnson]

Forgot one thing:

The U of M is where coaches are sent to when their careers die. Pretty important omission. .

U of M... University of Mary??

[lakesbison]

But I also think that the big city campus, without much housing, poses a big problem for a football program.---cabison..

Huh?? PST 2011

[CaBisonFan]

Kill was a hell of a coach, no doubt, and even though it is still mostly his players, it's hard to maintain the level we've become accustomed to during eight straight playoff seasons. Personally I think Lennon is a better game coach, but the jury is out on whether or not he can recruit like Kill. Biggest worry down here is can a coach from North Dakota recruit the speed that Saluki ball requires. We know he can find it, witness Fr RB LaSteven McKinney who has Deji Karim/Taiwan Jones speed, but can he find enough of it. As for Kill, if you want to make some money off your buddies, bet on UM this fall, because regardless of their talent they will come to play.:nod:

Being a coach from North Dakota has absolutely nothing to do with it. If you're talking about being familiar with some of the hotbeds of recruiting, then I can maybe see your point...but you hire assistants to fill that gap. It may be true that he has big shoes to fill. Have you heard of Lute Olson (AZ basketball), Ron Erhardt (NY Giants), Dale Brown (LSU basketball), or Phil Jackson? They've done OK...:cool:

[CaBisonFan]

But I also think that the big city campus, without much housing, poses a big problem for a football program.---cabison..

Huh?? PST 2011

Come on lakes...you haven't heard about this? Are you telling me that you haven't read the Tribune over the years? More specifically...Hartman. Hartman has made a career writing about this. The smaller city campuses like Nebraska can create a better environment for their football programs. It is a well-documented problem in the history of Gopher football.

[lakesbison]

I've seen gopher football players living quarters at the U...they do just fine, nothing to do with level of play..

[344Johnson]

USC wins in a big city. But yeah, it seems like "college towns" seem to develop better teams. Is that because they are from a college town? I have zero idea.

[CaBisonFan]

I've seen gopher football players living quarters at the U...they do just fine, nothing to do with level of play..

Well...that would explain it...:cool:

[CaBisonFan]

USC wins in a big city. But yeah, it seems like "college towns" seem to develop better teams. Is that because they are from a college town? I have zero idea.

I don't really know the difference, but Coach Wooden used to worry about recruiting small-town kids at UCLA. He felt that the 'lights' of Hollywood were a potential hazard.

I wonder what percentage of the players at USC are from the LA area.

It just seems like the medium-sized cities do better with this. Lincoln, Norman, Ann Harbor, etc.

[BisoninNWMN]

Kill will be the best coach the Gophers have had in a very long time. They probably won't be that good this year, but they'll improve and be a very competitive Big Ten team in the next few years. Gopher fans weren't thrilled with the hire but what they're getting is the anti-Tim Brewster. Kill will let his team's performances do the talking. He is an excellent coach.

Probably right there.

If the Bison can find a passing game to compliment the running game, along with our good defense; it will be hard for any team to beat the Bison next year, including the gophers.

Now if our passing game struggles then anything can happen.....:facepalm:

[344Johnson]

Probably right there.

If the Bison can find a passing game to compliment the running game, along with our good defense; it will be hard for any team to beat the Bison next year, including the gophers.

Now if our passing game struggles then anything can happen.....:facepalm:

I think the Bison will do just fine. The goofs are pretty bad at this point. I mean, oofda, and yeah a new coach might be able to help but is he a miracle worker? If we beat them now, maybe this can be the straw that breaks the camel's back in recruiting. I'd like to steal a couple guys per year who Minnesota wants.

[Herd]

So ya wanna win a national championship, eh? Here's what has to change from 2010 to 2011....

1. To win a NC, your team must start playing football from the opening kickoff. Playing from behind is a great sign of weakness.

2. To win a NC, there must be a huge turnaround in the Bison passing game. This encompasses not only QB play but also receivers, pass blocking and play calling.

3. To win a NC, a team must dominate lesser opponents and win several games easily.

4. To win a NC, a team must have enough depth to win in spite of the inevitable injuries to key players. For example, the Bison struggled when Gratzek was injured in 2010 so what will they do without him in 2011?

IMO, the Bison have a number of things to improve upon to be considered title contenders. Those issues aren't insurmountable but it appears to me that it's a bit of a stretch to think they can all be conquered in one year.

What, do you think we are playing in the top heavy, bottom light Big Sky? The goal should be to win the Valley, period. You do that, and a championship run will ensue. You don't just win championship, you focus on the regular season and finish strong and on a run.

[Bison Dan]

Threads like this provide the maximum amount of disappointment when things go wrong. ie buthockey. For the last month every article written up there was telling them how good they were and the NC is almost a given. Look at the shock suffered by the fans when they lost. They're still saying we're the best team, we just ran into a hot goalie. Nothing good ever comes when getting the horse before the cart.

[TheBisonator]

I don't really know the difference, but Coach Wooden used to worry about recruiting small-town kids at UCLA. He felt that the 'lights' of Hollywood were a potential hazard.

I wonder what percentage of the players at USC are from the LA area.

It just seems like the medium-sized cities do better with this. Lincoln, Norman, Ann Harbor, etc.

The reason why Gopher football (and to an extent Gopher basketball) struggles so much is because the campus is located square in the middle (almost perfectly in the middle, the campus is literally in the geographic centre of the metro) of a metro area of 3.2 million people that has EVERYTHING. Nothing related to Gopher sports will ever be the biggest show in town, mainly cause of the major-4 sports teams.

USC can succeed in LA because 1) The amount of recruiting talent in SoCal is off the charts and 2) No NFL in LA. They ARE the biggest show in town. U of Miami (another urban campus) also is able to pluck the best players literally in a neighborhood. When you're located in the Midwest's 2nd largest city, but in a state (Minn.) and region (Upper Midwest) that's low in terms of the percentage of quality BCS level football recruits being produced, you're gonna have trouble succeeding.

The ironic thing is that this region produces a higher than average number of FCS-capable recruits, which helps us (and programs like UNI and SDSU) immensely.

[344Johnson]

Threads like this provide the maximum amount of disappointment when things go wrong. ie buthockey. For the last month every article written up there was telling them how good they were and the NC is almost a given. Look at the shock suffered by the fans when they lost. They're still saying we're the best team, we just ran into a hot goalie. Nothing good ever comes when getting the horse before the cart.

Agreed, I enjoy dreaming of us winning but we have to keep in mind. Last year we were a team with a ton of potential, and we really weren't very good. Yes, we did good in the playoffs but we were seriously a hair from not being in. We need a lot of luck for us to get it done but hey, we have a damn good shot from a strictly talent perspective! LETS GO BISON!

[BisonNeil]

Forgot one thing:

The U of M is where coaches are sent to when their careers die. Pretty important omission. .

The actual facts are that the U of M hasn't had a clue on how to hire a head football coach.

In the 48 years since Warmath retired no one except Lou Holtz had a winning record as a head coach, a couple were like Tim Brewster and had never been a head coach. Now, Glen Mason had a losing record but did have a penchant for ressurecting dead football programs, like at the University of Kansas.

So, Kill is only one of two coaches since Warmath that has a winning record as a head coach. I don't think he is ready to have his career die yet. In fact, I think he will be the most successful since Warmath.

[BisonNeil]

I think the Bison will do just fine. The goofs are pretty bad at this point. I mean, oofda, and yeah a new coach might be able to help but is he a miracle worker? If we beat them now, maybe this can be the straw that breaks the camel's back in recruiting. I'd like to steal a couple guys per year who Minnesota wants.

Perhaps, but not as bad as the 2007 Goofers under Brewster, the team that went 1-10.

The 2007 Bison averaged nearly 40 pts per game and gave up only 22 per game and was one of the truly great football teams in Bison history, yet only beat the horrifically bad Goofers 27-21. Yeah, the Bison got a ton of yards but struggled to get points, Biboe missed 2 FGs and stupid penalties by the OL stalled at least two drives.

I personally don't think the 2011 Goofers will be even close to being as bad as the 2007 version. Remember, they have a real head football coach now, not a used car saleman impersonating as a head football coach, and the 2010 Bison have a long, long way to go to produce an offense that can score on a B10 defense (not to mention Perles as OC rather than Vigen). Yes, the 2010 Gopher defense was not that good, but they return 10 starters and I think they will be salty.

Don't kid yourself with delusion, this is going to be a tough, tough game.

[Gully]

I don't think there is anyone predicating an easy game. But I'd be shocked if we get blown out.

[Castor Troy]

Perhaps, but not as bad as the 2007 Goofers under Brewster, the team that went 1-10.

The 2007 Bison averaged nearly 40 pts per game and gave up only 22 per game and was one of the truly great football teams in Bison history, yet only beat the horrifically bad Goofers 27-21. Yeah, the Bison got a ton of yards but struggled to get points, Biboe missed 2 FGs and stupid penalties by the OL stalled at least two drives.

I personally don't think the 2011 Goofers will be even close to being as bad as the 2007 version. Remember, they have a real head football coach now, not a used car saleman impersonating as a head football coach, and the 2010 Bison have a long, long way to go to produce an offense that can score on a B10 defense (not to mention Perles as OC rather than Vigen). Yes, the 2010 Gopher defense was not that good, but they return 10 starters and I think they will be salty.

Don't kid yourself with delusion, this is going to be a tough, tough game.

I heard an interview where Jerry Kill admits that he was surprized at how limited in talent his team is. I thought Brewster had a couple of top 25 recruiting classes. Conzemius was criticizing Brewster judgment of things like speed. They would recruit players for their blazing speed and when they came to campus they just weren't that fast. How do you not catch something as basic as speed.

I agree. The Gophers will be tough to beat.

[westnodak93bison]

I heard an interview where Jerry Kill admits that he was surprized at how limited in talent his team is. I thought Brewster had a couple of top 25 recruiting classes. Conzemius was criticizing Brewster judgment of things like speed. They would recruit players for their blazing speed and when they came to campus they just weren't that fast. How do you not catch something as basic as speed.

I agree. The Gophers will be tough to beat.

Maybe the "used car salesman" coach got fooled by "used car salesman" type HS coaches and players?

[344Johnson]

We will not get blown out. This is a team that but up what...40 on USD...our offense put that on USD.

Our Defense, is tough, damn tough. Kansas was bad yes, but they put all of 3 points up on us. Yeah a couple missed field goals but whatever. We are big up front. We shut the run down, what is Minnesota going to do, probably try and run.

Our offense is capable of running the ball on the goofs, will that become points? I have no idea. I think it could be a lot like the '07 game, just fewer yards. We will hopefully go in ready to play.

BACK to the MAIN POINT, lets win a championship this year!

[OrygunBison]

The reason why Gopher football (and to an extent Gopher basketball) struggles so much is because the campus is located square in the middle (almost perfectly in the middle, the campus is literally in the geographic centre of the metro) of a metro area of 3.2 million people that has EVERYTHING. Nothing related to Gopher sports will ever be the biggest show in town, mainly cause of the major-4 sports teams.

USC can succeed in LA because 1) The amount of recruiting talent in SoCal is off the charts and 2) No NFL in LA. They ARE the biggest show in town. U of Miami (another urban campus) also is able to pluck the best players literally in a neighborhood. When you're located in the Midwest's 2nd largest city, but in a state (Minn.) and region (Upper Midwest) that's low in terms of the percentage of quality BCS level football recruits being produced, you're gonna have trouble succeeding.

The ironic thing is that this region produces a higher than average number of FCS-capable recruits, which helps us (and programs like UNI and SDSU) immensely.

I don't think that this argument is one-size-fits-all. For example, the University of Washington is very near downtown Seattle, in a great neighborhood. It is an outstanding setting for a college campus in a town that arguably has more going on than MSP or LA. Housing is expensive and there are lots of distractions. In spite of this, UW has been the historic athletic powerhouse in the region, some would say top 3 in the western US.

Urban campuses are wonderful in my opinion. The ability of a university to stimulate/be stimulated from an economic engine is powerful. In my view, this is one of the best models because of the sharing of resources and the readily available "research subjects", which can come in many forms in an urban setting.

Good or bad for athletics?? I don't really see a direct link. I think the dynamic is too complex to make a blanket statement. What is clear in L.A. is not readily transferable to MSP, in my opinion.

[BisoninNWMN]

Perhaps, but not as bad as the 2007 Goofers under Brewster, the team that went 1-10.

The 2007 Bison averaged nearly 40 pts per game and gave up only 22 per game and was one of the truly great football teams in Bison history, yet only beat the horrifically bad Goofers 27-21. Yeah, the Bison got a ton of yards but struggled to get points, Biboe missed 2 FGs and stupid penalties by the OL stalled at least two drives.

I personally don't think the 2011 Goofers will be even close to being as bad as the 2007 version. Remember, they have a real head football coach now, not a used car saleman impersonating as a head football coach, and the 2010 Bison have a long, long way to go to produce an offense that can score on a B10 defense (not to mention Perles as OC rather than Vigen). Yes, the 2010 Gopher defense was not that good, but they return 10 starters and I think they will be salty.

Don't kid yourself with delusion, this is going to be a tough, tough game.



Ya, you're probably right in the tough game part. But I still believe that if this passing offense (Vigen) can consistently move the chains on 3rd down and take pressure off the running game, the Bison will be tough to beat....even for the Gophers.

Our O-Line should be good this coming year and our defense will keep us in every game.

Yes, any FBS game will be tough but I am expecting a win.


GO BISON

[CaBisonFan]

Perhaps, but not as bad as the 2007 Goofers under Brewster, the team that went 1-10.

The 2007 Bison averaged nearly 40 pts per game and gave up only 22 per game and was one of the truly great football teams in Bison history, yet only beat the horrifically bad Goofers 27-21. Yeah, the Bison got a ton of yards but struggled to get points, Biboe missed 2 FGs and stupid penalties by the OL stalled at least two drives.

I personally don't think the 2011 Goofers will be even close to being as bad as the 2007 version. Remember, they have a real head football coach now, not a used car saleman impersonating as a head football coach, and the 2010 Bison have a long, long way to go to produce an offense that can score on a B10 defense (not to mention Perles as OC rather than Vigen). Yes, the 2010 Gopher defense was not that good, but they return 10 starters and I think they will be salty.

Don't kid yourself with delusion, this is going to be a tough, tough game.

These are some good points. Let me add this: The Bison stats against the 2007 Gophers were the third best when compared to Big 10 schools that they played. The only two teams that beat up on them more (statistically) were Ohio State and Illinois.

Defensively we'll be fine. We simply 'must' be able to run the ball to stay in this game however. Our passing game is still suspect.

Playing at their house is always a disadvantage.

[Gully]

These are some good points. Let me add this: The Bison stats against the 2007 Gophers were the third best when compared to Big 10 schools that they played. The only two teams that beat up on them more (statistically) were Ohio State and Illinois.

Defensively we'll be fine. We simply 'must' be able to run the ball to stay in this game however. Our passing game is still suspect.

Playing at their house is always a disadvantage.

I don't know about the last point, CA. I think there will be a pretty loud roar every time the herd does something good. Plus, this team seems to play it's best on a big stage, which a Big Ten stadium would be (even if it is the Gophers).

[DjKyRo]

I don't know about the last point, CA. I think there will be a pretty loud roar every time the herd does something good. Plus, this team seems to play it's best on a big stage, which a Big Ten stadium would be (even if it is the Gophers).

'Hey, 30,000 Bison fans in TCF > 19,000 in the FargoDome. Those 11,000 make some noise. :)

Just imagine if the Gophers upset USC the week before. :omfg:

[coldspot]

'Hey, 30,000 Bison fans in TCF > 19,000 in the FargoDome. Those 11,000 make some noise. :)

Just imagine if the Gophers upset USC the week before. :omfg:

USC<goofs<Bison?


NDSU TO THE PAC12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


kidding:hide:

[ndsubison1]

'Hey, 30,000 Bison fans in TCF > 19,000 in the FargoDome. Those 11,000 make some noise. :)

Just imagine if the Gophers upset USC the week before. :omfg:

they play miami oh. the week before

[ndsubisonx]

We saw what we can do last December. Jensen will be a vastly improved QB. Hopefully he can improve his consistency and stay healthy. That's the key. We have a lot of special players back. This upcoming season could be very special. I would not be surprised to see NDSU playing on that Friday night in January. How epic would a NDSU-Eastern Washington title match be?

[THEsocalledfan]

We saw what we can do last December. Jensen will be a vastly improved QB. Hopefully he can improve his consistency and stay healthy. That's the key. We have a lot of special players back. This upcoming season could be very special. I would not be surprised to see NDSU playing on that Friday night in January. How epic would a NDSU-Eastern Washington title match be?

I'd rather play a team for the title where the fans actually care. Like Montana, etc.

[OrygunBison]

I'd rather play a team for the title where the fans actually care. Like Montana, etc.

Wow, that pretty much sums up what I would have responded with as well. I went to that EWU game. Terrible playoff host.

[lakesbison]

it was like Valley City on a Hillbilly Herione high.

just a dump.

[THEsocalledfan]

Wow, that pretty much sums up what I would have responded with as well. I went to that EWU game. Terrible playoff host.

Plus, they deserve to be treated like UND and be formally santioned by the NCAA for installing red turf. The offense? Being stupid.

[coldspot]

it was like Valley City on a Hillbilly Herione high.

just a dump.

and the liquor stores closed at 9. thank god they had beer at the grocery store (take notes north dakota, if I ran a grocery store all I would see from that is $$$$$$$$$)

[344Johnson]

Plus, they deserve to be treated like UND and be formally santioned by the NCAA for installing red turf. The offense? Being stupid.

Haha this is "Post of the Year" material. The offense? Being stupid. haha
Maybe we should get yellow turf? We'd be the leading cause of headaches in the upper midwest

[gotts]

Haha this is "Post of the Year" material. The offense? Being stupid. haha
Maybe we should get yellow turf? We'd be the leading cause of headaches in the upper midwest

No, we wouldn't. We would still be a distant second to alcohol.

[CAS4127]

No, we wouldn't. We would still be a distant second to Answer Guy.

Had to ftofy Gotts--couldn't resist!

[Facts]

Alright, a little cold water here people.....

Yes, this team had a great run, but lets not forget some other things. We still didn't get a winning record in the MVFC. We backed into the playoffs with a 3-0 loss to one of the worst defensive teams in the country. Were it not for some things out of NDSU's control that went in our favor, they very nearly wouldn't have been in the playoffs to make this run.

This team needs to just focus one game at a time. Next season's schedule will get tougher. You can't expect SDSU and SIU to be down again. We have roadies there and at an improved WIU team. IT WONT BE EASY PEOPLE.

Before anyone talks national title, they need to talk conference title. Win that, maybe get homefield throughout the playoffs, and then you can talk title.

And people here and at NDSU need some humility too. The last time we puffed out our chests and thought it was ring or bust because our team was so stacked was 2008.

How'd that turn out again?

MPLS??????

[bisonfan11]

To a degree I agree that our goal to be NC or bust. In fact our goal EVERY year should be to win the National Championship. That said we need to understand that things could screw up the '11 season. Then again we need to expect our youngsters need to step up in case of the inevitable injuries. I fear that we are paper thin at some key positions. I hope I am wrong.

[duluthbison]

Haha this is "Post of the Year" material. The offense? Being stupid. haha
Maybe we should get yellow turf? We'd be the leading cause of headaches in the upper midwest

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/SmileyBoy/BisonField.jpg
courtesy of the bisonator

[IzzyFlexion]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/SmileyBoy/BisonField.jpg
courtesy of the bisonator

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww127/vacillate/gifbox/Vomit.gif

sorry n8r,
just funnin'

[ndsubison1]

national champions!!!

[80ALUM]

national champions!!!
You called it!