College Sports Madness ranking

[JSUBison]

Another preseason ranking, the author made a good point about the amount of takeaways last year, and winning field position. I think it's a fair unbiased assessment. Like we all know, passing game must improve to make playoffs again.

NDSU #26 (http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/1807)

[EndZoneQB]

Seems like the guy knows his sh*t.

[TransAmBison]

...but everything seemed to go right for the Bison in 2010...

Hmmmm...I would beg to differ on that...

[ndsubison1]

he says our offense will improve but we'll miss the playoffs. i dont see how thats possible unless our defense gets worse, which it def. could but i dont think it will

[NDSUstudent]

Hmmmm...I would beg to differ on that...

Agreed, we had a ton of injuries, lost games we had no business losing and our offense didn't have one complete game.

[mnriverbison]

Agreed, we had a ton of injuries, lost games we had no business losing and our offense didn't have one complete game.

Kind of sounds like my golf game. If only x, y, and z didn't happen, I'd have shot the round I deserved to shoot!

The truth is that many of us didn't think we were even going to the playoffs. It's easy to forget that after the playoff run, but it isn't any less true because of the playoff run.

[TransAmBison]

Kind of sounds like my golf game. If only x, y, and z didn't happen, I'd have shot the round I deserved to shoot!

The truth is that many of us didn't think we were even going to the playoffs. It's easy to forget that after the playoff run, but it isn't any less true because of the playoff run.
What you say is true, but his comment was based off the quote I pulled out where the guy stated everything fell right for the Bison...and I would think that was far from true.

[DjKyRo]

While I don't know that we "got lucky," we did have a few games where one or two plays was the deciding factor. Look at Youngstown State - going for a TD in the final minute or two they decided to throw the ball, stopping the clock as they decided to kick it. Two Justin Howard plays later and we're in the endzone, and who knows what would've happened if any of the three guys who whiffed the tackle would've finished the job on the final play?

[GradBison]

While I don't know that we "got lucky," we did have a few games where one or two plays was the deciding factor. Look at Youngstown State - going for a TD in the final minute or two they decided to throw the ball, stopping the clock as they decided to kick it. Two Justin Howard plays later and we're in the endzone, and who knows what would've happened if any of the three guys who whiffed the tackle would've finished the job on the final play?

Same can be said about the ILSU game, but in reverse.

I don't think I need to remind anyone what happened in that game. :facepalm:

[pwbnd]

I can't think of one single thing that went our way in the Missouri State game.

[344Johnson]

Auburn had tons of close wins and it resulted in being the National Champion. If you want to win games in a tough conference, sometimes luck is going to be a part of it. This guy is assuming we have nothing go right for us. He says we are #26 if we have no luck at all for the whole season. So if we have a bit of good luck and bad luck (like most teams do) where does that leave us?

[mnriverbison]

What you say is true, but his comment was based off the quote I pulled out where the guy stated everything fell right for the Bison...and I would think that was far from true.

Makes sense. I think that the author is saying that we can't count on turnover margin saving our ass like he says it did last year. I'm not sure that was the whole story, and even if it was I'm not sure if winning the turnover battles is always rooted in luck. Either way I don't mind having a nice splash of cold water before the season. The offseason positivity can kind of create a monster when a seaon ends the way last year did.

[TransAmBison]

Makes sense. I think that the author is saying that we can't count on turnover margin saving our ass like he says it did last year. I'm not sure that was the whole story, and even if it was I'm not sure if winning the turnover battles is always rooted in luck. Either way I don't mind having a nice splash of cold water before the season. The offseason positivity can kind of create a monster when a seaon ends the way last year did.
I am also worried about the turnover margin. We had a totally different defense with Gratzek on the field. Let's hope we can replace him.

[SamsRams]

Madness 2011 FCS Football Recruit Rankings:
#129 Danell Miles

Hate knowing he will never be a Bison

[EndZoneQB]

Hate knowing he will never be a Bison

He looked like a goody. I had visions of Daniel Eaves #2

[Bisonwinagn]

Another preseason ranking, the author made a good point about the amount of takeaways last year, and winning field position. I think it's a fair unbiased assessment. Like we all know, passing game must improve to make playoffs again.

NDSU #26 (http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/1807)

Love seeing the bracketology in August! :D

[Herd]

He paints the bison as desperately thin at receiver. I reality I feel that the TE's will be a big part of the passing game this year, especially Veldman. If Brock has some passing outlets at TE, we could improve exponentially. Balance between RBs, WRs, and TEs will be the key. Don't bet against a big year from our TEs catching the ball.

[BisonNeil]

Agreed, we had a ton of injuries, lost games we had no business losing and our offense didn't have one complete game.

Say what?

The number of injuries in the 2010 Bison were at most average, nothing compared to the 2009 version.

I don't agree that the Bison had a "ton" of injuries. They are part of the game and they were very manageable last year since there were very few season ending injuries. Gratzek, Jensen, Anderson all came back. Even Pierre would have been ready for the playoffs with his broken arm.

[BisonNeil]

I am also worried about the turnover margin. We had a totally different defense with Gratzek on the field. Let's hope we can replace him.

I agree completely.

With a good defense any team can be in games. Without Gratzek last year the Bison went from good to below average, he made that kind of difference, primarily in stopping the interior running game and in applying pressure up the middle.

The Bison need a passing game and it has to improve as this author says. But if I had a choice right now of which I would choose and I could only choose one option for the 2011 Bison; 1) improved QB play, 2) improved WR play, or 3) a Gratzek replacement, I would go with #3 without hesitation. Literally he was the key to the kingdom. If his injury was season-ending, Bison do not go to the playoffs.

[NDSUstudent]

Say what?

The number of injuries in the 2010 Bison were at most average, nothing compared to the 2009 version.

I don't agree that the Bison had a "ton" of injuries. They are part of the game and they were very manageable last year since there were very few season ending injuries. Gratzek, Jensen, Anderson all came back. Even Pierre would have been ready for the playoffs with his broken arm.

Umm...usually when a team is said to have everything go right for them they hardly have any injuries Look at the 2006-2007 Bison teams, few injuries and basically none to key players. So far a team that had everything go right for them, we sure had a ton of injuries.

Last year Gratzek was out for what? 3.5 games? Jensen and Mohler both got hurt multiple times, hell one game we played three different QBs. Jensen had three different injuries himself(collarbone, turf toe and a concussion) Multiple LBs were injured, most coming at the same time(Willson and Anderson). Pierre was injured, who at the time was a starting CB and playing well. Our starting center also went down with an injury.

I'm sorry but when Gratzek got hurt, it hurt the team bad just look at the stats(it was hardly manageable). Him being injured almost cost the team a playoff berth. So the guy's assertion that everything went right is a crock of BS and that is all I wanted to say. If anything it was a normal season as far as luck was concerned, I still think a case could be made that we were a bit unlucky.

[BisonNeil]

Umm...usually when a team is said to have everything go right for them they hardly have any injuries Look at the 2006-2007 Bison teams, few injuries and basically none to key players. So far a team that had everything go right for them, we sure had a ton of injuries.

Last year Gratzek was out for what? 3.5 games? Jensen and Mohler both got hurt multiple times, hell one game we played three different QBs. Jensen had three different injuries himself(collarbone, turf toe and a concussion) Multiple LBs were injured, most coming at the same time(Willson and Anderson). Pierre was injured, who at the time was a starting CB and playing well. Our starting center also went down with an injury.

I'm sorry but when Gratzek got hurt, it hurt the team bad just look at the stats(it was hardly manageable). Him being injured almost cost the team a playoff berth. So the guy's assertion that everything went right is a crock of BS and that is all I wanted to say. If anything it was a normal season as far as luck was concerned, I still think a case could be made that we were a bit unlucky.

Let's get this straight, I'm not saying the author is right that the Bison were lucky, I don't agree with that at all. But I also don't agree with you that the Bison had a "ton" of injuries because that is simply not true, not for the game of football.

You are right, however, about Lund going down with a season-ending injury.

But your memory is a faulty on the rest. According the the season statistics, Gratzek only missed 2 games, not 3.5.

Willson did miss 3 games, and so did Anderson, but the key is they came back. While Pierre did miss half the season, he played in 7 games but he only started 3. Pierre was not the main guy at CB opposite Williams. Banks started 12 games but Gatlin took over most of the playing time.

It was not a bad injury season, it simply wasn't. After 37 Bison football seasons I am here to tell you I would sign up for the number of injuries the Bison last year had anytime. I think it would be virtually impossible for a football team to have fewer injuries in a 14 game season. The Bison had an average number of injuries for a very physical game played by a bunch of hard-nosed football players.

[Herd]

I agree completely.

With a good defense any team can be in games. Without Gratzek last year the Bison went from good to below average, he made that kind of difference, primarily in stopping the interior running game and in applying pressure up the middle.

The Bison need a passing game and it has to improve as this author says. But if I had a choice right now of which I would choose and I could only choose one option for the 2011 Bison; 1) improved QB play, 2) improved WR play, or 3) a Gratzek replacement, I would go with #3 without hesitation. Literally he was the key to the kingdom. If his injury was season-ending, Bison do not go to the playoffs.

Bohl did a nice job recruiting a player that would be a 6'5 280 DL and would be the anchor on the interior line in this his senior season in 2011. Sadly, Garrett Johnson is no longer on the roster. Leevon will do a nice job however.

[NDSUstudent]

I think you completely missed my point, I never said we had a ton of injuries for a normal season. I said we had a ton of injuries for a team that had everything go right for it. That was the guy's point and that is what I was responding to.

Gratzek missed 2.5 games. I do agree losing him has me concerned the most. I think the author tried to pin luck on the amount of turnovers we forced when really it had a lot to do with the pressure the DL put on our opponents. If our DL can repeat what they did last year we should be in for another great year defensively.

[AEBison1998]

Remember one other thing that happened in the same game that Gratzek came back....Heagle started at Safety. I think that was a significant change to the defense as well. Look at the number of tackles for Heagle vs. Lemon. There were two factors at the same time, so it's impossible to say how much was one or the other. My point is that both were VERY important to improving the run defense....and we have one of the two back.