Playoff Matchup 2016

[FrozenTech]

Fixed it for you.

Touché Tony... Touché.

[grizlandbisonfan]

For some reason I love these threads by thebigund. They are like a fine wine that just get better with age.

http://www.bisonville.com/forum/show...f-Matchup-2013

[IzzyFlexion]

Touché Tony... Touché.

That was my porn name in the 1991 critically acclaimed feature film, The Da Vinci Load.

[BisonFanAnn]

The only reason we don't have the nickle is they refused to play for it because of an Indian head.

If they had, due to our previous win in the match ups at the D1 level... said Nickle would be ours. And never again leave its sacred home.

They hide the nickel trophy away, so no one can see the Indian head. We display it proudly, in a way that no one can see the Indian head. They might as well let us play for it.

[thebigund]

Cue the Jock Jams cause this is the main event. That's right, it's all about the D. UND's D seems to be getting bigger and harder each of the last three years while NDSU is trying to maintain their rock hard girth for a fourth year (might want to consult your physician about that). These Playoff Matchups used to be about fire and ice. UND had the high flying passing attack to set the scoreboard on fire and NDSU shit on everyones party like a poorly executed ice bucket challenge. Thanks to Bubba we finally get some quality D on D action, just like wrestling practice, and i wasn't even on the team..... Anyway.... I think we can all agree that yards are a big deal for defense, it's huge to keep teams from crossing half field before half time. But the money maker has always and will always be points scored.

As usual I did a ton of in depth statistical research, used algorithms, a couple semi colons, a few beers. I came across an astounding stat. NDSU gave up only 15 pts/gm last season through 15 contests. That is the stuff of legends..... until you realize that the previous year NDSU yielded 14 puts/gm. Wow surely they must never have been a better FCS defense. Well before that NDSU went on a two year tear of allowing 11 pts/gm for 2 fucking years. And the year before those two? 12 pts/gm.... That is what you call a combination of talent, hard work, and an entire program getting pissed off about the year before and taking it out on everything in their way till they are forced to hand in their uniforms. It's pretty remarkable.

I also noticed a different trend. Over 6 years NDSUs puts/gm allowed has been 18-12-11-11-14-15. Now that is crazy, but it also shows that the level of defense is slipping in the wrong direction. Obviously you can't maintain that level of defensive perfection with how rosters turn over in college so it's bound to happen. I'd expect NDSU to allow 16 or 17 pts/gm this season. Still ridiculously good but keeping with the trend. Now, let's compare UND's D pts/gm allowed, you know, just for fun. I'm only doing this for UND's year in the Big Fluff since we had a few D2's on the schedule in the years leading up to our Big Sky entrance. 34-33-26-25........... Can anyone guess when Bubba was hired? Holy shit those first two years in the Big Sky were rough.... The numbers aren't that impressive but when you consider the shit show that was inherited by Bubba he's done pretty damn well. Wisely he has gone with a bottom up approach to rebuilding his defense. D Line was the foundation obviously. The LBs were the walls. Now the leaky roof is patched. Expect UND to allow under 20 pts/gm this year. O yea.... depth charts.

In the past Playoff Matchup threads I would clump groups together on both sides of the ball to make UND appear deeper..... Not anymore

DE: NDSU has Greg Menard. This dude is an animal. I wanted him at UND about as bad as any player in the last 5 years. His burst of the ball is beyond elite. He stays so low around the corner that it's almost impossible to block him if he gets any advantage on the outside. He's also fast enough to shed a block and run anyone down to the far sideline. I think he's a surefire All American this year. He's one of the reasons I watch NDSU when I can. I think he will be an NFL OLB if he wants to. Brad Ambrosius is a very different type of DE. He does't even sniff Menard with regard to pass rush capability but he is long and tough and can really disrupt against the run. He'll throw in a few sacks here and there but he's more of an eat blocks and get the job done type of player. Jarrod Tuszka and Stanley Jones are two very good young prospects at DE. Great size and motor on each of them. Both poor mans Jared Allen types.

UND finally has a legit, deep group of D1 DEs. Drew Greeley and Brandon Dranka were apart of the foundation of that. Both guys are from Bubba's first class and both are mean SOBs on the edge. It's tough to make a lot of plays as a DE in a 3-4 but these guys are always around the ball. Noah Johnson is a big boy at 6-2 273 lbs. He can set the edge and also get after the QB a little bit. He made an immediate impact for UND last year after transferring in. He was a big part of the defensive line resurgence. Alec Carrothers is ol reliable for UND. He works his ass off and is never injured. He's a great depth guy with the ultimate motor. Austin Cieslak is a monster. He's 6'4" 280 lbs and can really move. He was only a fr last year and was already a man out there. OTs struggle to move him in the run game and he can really turn the edge in the pass rush. Watch out for this guy over the next three years because he is something special. He's also an ND kid as most of you should know. Carl Engwall and Carter Wilson are promising FR (aren't they all.) Engwall is a tough run stopper, doesn't really have the twitch to cause too much trouble in the pass game but is another motor guy. Wilson is a nice looking athlete but is a year away size and strength wise, good potential though. The guy to really watch for this year is Mason Bennett. He is a special athlete. He's a long 6'4" and might not be done growing. He's got great speed and flexibility. And he's beefed up a lot over the winter. From everything I've heard he is ready to make an immediate impact as a RFR next season. He might be the most gifted athlete on the entire team.

Advantage: UND - we have more proven depth at the DE position. NDSU has the best player in this comparison with Menard but it remains to be seen what the young guys can do, I'm sure they're great but they haven't really played yet. UND wins this one 5-3 by my count as far as proven good players goes.

DT: UND has been searching for a brick shit house at this position for a while. Tank Harris seems to fit that role perfectly. He's only a SO and 6'3" 300lbs with a big ol booty. Seriously it's bigger than Schaetz's arms. As a fr he plugged things up and showed surprisingly nimble feet for a big boy. His potential is as enormous as his booty and he should have a very good season at a mostly thankless position. Nick Schmitz had a surprise season last year. He's a small town ND kid who busted his ass, like they all do, and worked his way into the lineup as a flexible play anywhere along the line type of guy. He's a key piece now and he's earned it. He's a big guy and plays as a big DE and a smaller DT and does them both really well. He's a tough dude that's always in the middle of the action. It's rare for a TFR to be able to step in and play two gaps in college but Steve Greer is built like a bull. He's build a lot like Schaetz and plays a lot like him. Nothing fancy, always in the way, farm strong.

NDSU has had a nice little run on mean athletic DTs that can disrupt the game on their own instead of just eating blocks. Gratzek - Perry - Tanguay -Who's next? If we're going by chins it will be Aaron Steidl, you heard it here first. So the next great DT at NDSU is Steidl, that's great, but the current one is only a JR? Nate Tanguay is the hear of the NDSU defense. He spits fire and talks about as much shit as I've seen from an interior defensive lineman. He backs it up though, he's a beast. His pad level and hands make him really hard to block and it seems like every time I watch NDSU he absolutely blows up at least one run play. He's a really really good player. Is Grant Morgan that one guy who had tons of FBS offers and lots of gold stars to his name? If so, what the fuck happened? Or is he going to blow up this year? Seriously, I want to know. As I look down the DT roster I notice 1) how many there are and 2) I don't know more than the height and weight for most of these guys.... They're on NDSU's roster so they're all potential All Americans otherwise they'd be a FHawk.

Advantage: NDSU - Tanguay is a monster in the middle but this is more about my boy Steidl, he is going to smash opponent with his chin until they say uncle, and then he'll give them one more for good measure. Grant Hollywood Morgan also provides good depth behind the Midway Monster and Chinasaurus Rex. I was going to be an ass and say UND with the advantage here but I looked at Steidl's roster pic again and got scared...

[thebigund]

OLB: I've heard so many of you twats gush over Pierre Gee-Tucker ever since he was a recruit. He truly was God's gift to football. He's a decent player. Good speed, not very big and has known to miss tackles. His speed is his best asset and it allows him to not be a liability in pass coverage which seems to get more important every year. He's like a shity Travis Beck. On the other side MJ Stumpf is a really nice looking player. He's another smallish OLB for NDSU, but like the rest of them he is in great shape and can run sideline to sideline for 5 quarters. He was pretty impressive against UND last season and has defiantly made good on his potential. He's like a taller, not quite as fast or crazy Travis Beck. Remember when Chris Board was the mammoth safety who was going to kill every opposing player ever? Well he went from a slowish stiff hipped poor instinct having safety to a useful hybrid LB. I'd like to say I always knew he should have been a LB because I did, it was obvious, and you guys are dumb. I expect him to, again, average 2 tackles/game. I guess my next question is who is expected to be the 4th OLB? Or is this going to be like the year where you guys had literally 1 MLB in Grant Olson and he played every snap and didn't get injured even though he had like 200 tackles?

UND is pretty loaded here. Brian Labatt is big 6'3" 235 fast and mean. He's a TFL machine. He's a great athlete and had a pick 6 last season. Jake Disterhaupt had a breakout year last season. He put on some weight (converted safety) and it translated to his stats. He plays with a rare fire, kind of like Tanguay, and that allows him to make some plays that you wouldn't think he is capable of. He's one of our more valuable defenders because he can stop the run, rush the passer, and cover the slot a TE or a back. He's really a fun player to watch, also a stud special teamer. Jawon Johnson started the season out as a safety, kind of like Board but without the tackling issues. He was great at stopping the run but didn't have the instincts for pass coverage. After he slid down to the OLB spot he really grew into an asset. He delivers bone crushing hits every game and is a real kamikaze on special teams. He's completely reckless with how he goes into contact and I love it. He gained some good weight this winter and should have a breakout season. Jade Lawrence and Keelan Poole both redshirted last season and impressed the hell out of the coaches in the spring. Lawrence is just really good at football and has surprising movement ability. Keenan Poole is an exciting prospect. He's long and can both cover and rush the passer. He is someone to really watch. He has a bright future ahead of him.

Advantage: UND - not only are UND's OLB showcased more in their scheme but we have three really good players that are proven to NDSU's two.

ILB Well, UND looses their best LB since Digger Anderson.... I can't even bring myself to type his name.... it's a wound that is still a bit fresh. Anyway UND still has plenty of good players in the middle. Taj Rich was Robin to Will Rat...... I just can't. Taj is a tackling machine. He tore his ACL against Portland St last year and before that was basically tied for the team lead in tackles. Beside him will be Connor O'Brien who stepped in after Taj was injured last year and provided a nice spark. He's a sideline to sideline MLB and is capable in pass coverage. He also wears a neck roll so don't fuck with him, he's old school. Dylan Bakker is from Amsterdam and when he's not stoned out of his gourd he is a pretty reliable LB. He can really run and had a couple games with great numbers like his 14 tackle game against Montana. The X Factor in this group is Dijon Murray, a juco transfer who ran a 4.47 40 this spring, has the potential to explode onto the scene this year. His juice film, as reliable as that is, was really good and with his speed he should be an asset on passing downs. From what I hear RFR Donnel Rodgers has a bright bright future. Maybe not this next season but the one after he should be another one to watch because he has exciting potential.

NDSU has the best MLB in FCS and perhaps all of college football in Nick DeLuca. He's just a different animal than NDSU's other LBs and there is no way in hell that those dimwitted Cornhuskers should have let him leave the state. At 6'3" 245 he doesn't even look that bulked up. He's just a proportional extremely fit athlete who is a nightmare. His coverage skills and most of all his hands are impressive. His int in the title game was stupid. He's maybe the best player on either roster. Maybe. Either way, pencil him in as the first team MLB and an NFL draft pick. He's fun to watch even though he's wearing the wrong green. Who's his back up? Matt Plank? Who gives a shit.

Advantage: Nick DeLuca and therefore NDSU. He's just too good.

CB: This one should be fun. Jalen Alison looked pretty good in the action he got. He's got a great frame and can move pretty well. Dakota Reid also seems to be the next guy up. Doesn't have the frame of Alison but that doesn't always matter. Outside of these two I don't think any other corner on the roster has played. This will be an interesting situation for NDSU as I don't remember a time with this much CB youth since Marcus William was a fr. I'm assuming you guys will be fine but I wouldn't mind seeing this position group as a liability for NDSU. As a UND fan, I know as well as anyone that it doesn't matter how good your front 7 is if you have liabilities as CBs.

For the first time since 2007 I am confident in the depth and experience of our CBs. Deion Harris has all the physical tools, he's 6'3" and can run like the wind. His big weakness at UND so far has been experience since he didn't play CB in high school. He has struggled at times and has also shined. He ended up with an impressive 12 PBUs and an ok 2 INTs. This will be his year. Tyus Carter player as a TFR last season. When we were getting our shit kicked in against NDSU he was one of a hand full of UND guys that looked ready and didn't give a shit about who NDSU was. He's a very physical corner who is good in run support. As most guys who played as TFR I'm expecting Tyus to make a big contribution next year and lock the other side down. Jahmere Irvin-Sills transferred to UND from Mississippi State and you could tell that he is an SEC level athlete from day one. He was very raw to start the year but progressed nicely and made some plays late in the year. Version Tucker is an interesting guy, he went to a prep school after receiving a ton of FBS offers and ended up at UND. He's got good size but I'm gonna hold my breathe on this guy til he plays in a real game. Torrey Hunt is a transfer from the Naval Prep Academy. He's 6'1" and blazing fast. Nobody's quite sure if he'll play safety of corner or both but one thing is for sure, this kid is an athletic son of a bitch. He really stood out during the spring game. Shout out to Garret Bolant. This white boy ran a 4.37 40 in the spring. Maybe he can translate that speed to the field and be more than a special teamer.

Advantage: This one is a toss up for me both teams need guys to step up. So I flipped a coin and UND won.

Safety: I start out by swinging for the fences. Cole Reyes is perhaps the best safety in the entire nation, and he's only a junior. He was injured for two games, we lost both, but he still ended up with 71 tackles (8 tfl) on the year. Turns out that Colton Heagle and Christian Dudzik had a love child while at NDSU and his name is Cole Reyes. Cole runs like Dudzik and stops the run like Heagle. He's far and away UND's best player (even better than Santiago) and is up there with DeLuca for best on either team. He's 6'2" 220 and runs a 4.41 40. You may remember Zach Arnell as the guy who has, let's just say, flexible shins..... before his bones did yoga he was Reyes' running mate in the defensive backfield and was a bit of a safety valve for UND's defense. He's got length at 6'2" and good range. He's better against the pass than the run. If he can regain his pre injury form he will start. Tanner Palmborg was a pleasant surprise late season. He was a walk on and had his shirt pulled. As the season went on he became a very reliable player with surprising athleticism. He might start next year, he had a really good spring.

Robbie Grimsley had a really rough start to the season, which I liked. Unfortunately he improved every single game and by the championship he was making plays and was no longer a liability.... He's not the biggest safety but he's good at football. Now that he really understands NDSU's scheme and is used to the speed of the college game I regretfully must admit that NDSU is in good shape at SS thanks to him. If Tre Dempsey is able to stay at FS that will be absolutely huge for NDSU. If not it may start out like last season with the safety position costing NDSU a game or two. Dempsey is a really good player with tremendous coverage and ball skills. He lacks size but makes up for it with his skill. Wimbush seems like the third guy in this group. Could he play FS if Dempsey has to slide to CB? If he can't you will be pulling some shirts at safety again.

Advantage: UND Cole Reyes is just too good.

By my count UND wins this one 4-2. If I were to split the safety position up it would be 4-3 UND since Dempsey is a good FS. But does this mean that UND has the better defense overall? Unfortunately not... UND faces some tough offenses and NDSU has been able to get to the QB without blitzing all the time which is huge. Until UND proves they are better I just can't say they are. Looks infinitely better than in years past which is great but it's time to prove it.

[No_Skill]

Holy hell...you're right about Steidl.

[Vet70]

Bottom line---UND will be 8-3 because it has as easy a schedule as you can imagine. They will make the playoffs, maybe win a playoff game, and then get their ass kicked again by NDSU in the Dome. The Bison will be 10-1, maybe 9-2 against Iowa and the toughest FCS conference in the nation. They will be solid contenders to win six titles in a row, while there are proclamations that the worm continues to turn.

[ZHerd]

Why no 12th man evaluation? Some here have big chins...sometimes even 2 big chins

[NDSU1980]

How's that 2017 fhawker recruiting class taking shape? Is there even a single verbal yet?

Bigund, I mean Big- - - is in charge of giving out verbals, and he can only do one a night, so they are rather slow this year.