Only Two Conference’s Matter

[u/Top_Judge_1943]

Sorry for the trolling title, but it’s a fun article that got put out by Skyline recently. Discuss, rage, cry, but you can’t deny the truth!

https://skylinesportsmt.com/kemp-guest-column-fcs-polls-are-worthless/

[u/Duckshooters]

Whether you believe the article or not it just goes to show UND belonged in the playoffs last year, even with their record. Especially if you watched them over the entire season.

[u/BellacosePlayer → u/Duckshooters]

Didn't they make it in last year?

[u/Duckshooters → u/BellacosePlayer]

Yes but with a 7-5 record right? Many people outside The Valley or the Big Sky weren't happy.

[u/BellacosePlayer → u/Duckshooters]

ah, I gotcha.

I kinda get their point and I can see why a school from outside those conferences were upset, but its not really a situation where the excluded schools would have whooped on UND either

[u/Particular_Prior5344 → u/BellacosePlayer]

UND beat the brakes off Tennessee Tech who was OVC champions and unbeaten in FCS play. UND definitely deserved to be in.

[u/Responsible_History5 → u/Duckshooters]

I didn’t see any non-valley/sky teams almost beat a ranked FBS opponent last year 🤷‍♂️

[u/No_Bite_7238]

I really dont care about anything the article says. We'll settle this as we always have; on the field.

[u/I_like_race_cars]

This isn’t about disrespecting Tarleton State, Stephen F. Austin, Lehigh, or anyone else.

Sure as fuck reads like it.

[u/imperfectPK → u/I_like_race_cars]

For real lol. Like damn.

[u/I_like_race_cars → u/imperfectPK]

It MAY be meant as a dig at the FBS after re-reading it. I guess that means it did what it was (potentially) trying to do and show how stupid this kinda argument is.

At the same time, I have seen this argument be unironically made a material chunk of Valley and Big Sky fans. So it's not hard to see why the sarcasm was missed at first glance.

[u/montalaskan → u/I_like_race_cars]

I mean, you're unbeaten and can only play the games on your schedule. I have no problem with you being ranked above the Cats in polls.

To me the Big Sky is top heavy. To say that as a conference it's better dismisses how bad Northern Colorado and Utah Tech are.

The Valley is a war zone. Teams from the MVFC that make the playoffs should be battle-tested and ready.

We have playoffs for a reason. An opportunity get in and prove a team belongs.

The rest is just talk.

[u/tdpdcpa]

“This is personal for me. The unrealistic rankings produced by FCS pollsters have placed me in the unenviable position of sticking up for my BSC brothers in Missoula. They need to correct their mistake and put both Montana schools back ahead of these pretenders so we can dispense with the friendliness and get back to picking on each other. I don’t want things getting too chummy around here.”

We are talking about the Week 7 Stats Performance FCS poll and it reads like a comment that I’d read on the weekly thread. If Montana and Montana State keep winning, it takes care of itself.

The whole argument feels flawed by trying to claim the MVFC. I’m sure North Dakota is envious of Montana’s schedule, because the MVFC is that much better than the Big Sky.

The Big Sky was 25-10 last season in OOC FCS games. They were 18-9 at this point last year. This year? They’re just 10-7. That’s just 5th best of all conferences.

Compare that to 19-4 for the MVFC. They don’t need mental gymnastics to feel better about their record, they simply win games.

And before anyone says anything about strength of schedule or matchup comparisons, the second best conference in FCS should simply beat the lesser conferences to the point that you don’t even have to point to that. The Big Sky isn’t doing that. And because of that, losing games, even in the Big Sky, is going to come with a critical lens from the voters.

[u/Particular_Prior5344 → u/tdpdcpa]

If either Montana or Montana State left the Big Sky the conference would fall off a cliff, let alone if both left. NDSU left for FBS and the MVFC is still by far the best league. Even if SDSU left it would still be the top dog. The Big Sky has a whole lot of trash after the top 4-5. The MVFC has Murray State but they’re the exception. Indiana State is next worse and would probably be in the top 1/2 of something like the OVC.

The Big Sky had Cal Poly and SUU who are both mid tier teams in the conference lose to Pioneer teams. That would be unthinkable for a mid tier MVFC team. Even Murray won their Pioneer game.

[u/HoboHillsCoffeeCo → u/tdpdcpa]

To be fair, PSU is probably half of those OOC losses.

[u/Danster21]

I’ve always said this. The Pioneer and the NEC are important, the others kinda suck balls.

[u/thezander8]

This is similar to something I argued a few weeks ago, UCD barely gets to play non BSC/MVFC teams and hasn’t lost to one in more than a decade. That doesn’t just stretch to the era of being the 3rd-6th best team in the Sky but stretches back to when we were a conference bottom dweller.

There are these really small sample sizes especially for the westernmost teams, but the rest of the conferences are going to have to prove they can compete in the very limited chances they get to take swings at the top 2 conferences. That home record pointed out in the article is especially brutal in that regard

[u/SenatorMadness]

An argument for sure, but unlike the Power 4 FBS Snobs, I have confidence that the FCS playoff system can and will correct polling errors

[u/RepresentativeOfnone]

I mean, this is no different than in the FBS right the valley and the top half of the big sky are better than everyone and they only seemingly lose to each other

[u/SirSamuelVimes83 → u/RepresentativeOfnone]

Which is the point the op-ed is making - FBS polls reflect conference strength, whereas FCS polls place objectively weaker teams in the current top 5

[u/ripdoublewide]

He's not wrong. HOWEVER.

The beauty of the FCS is it gets settled on the field and teams from the lower tier conferences get a chance to prove it. I don't really feel that bad when the fifth best team in the Big Sky gets left out. I do have a bit of a gripe when teams like Lehigh and Monmouth get byes and home games though.

[u/Windows_66]

Not to me

[u/AgreeableRaspberry85]

It may be more of a regional thing, but It's definitely a state school vs private school divide. No private school since 09 has won the championship. 

[u/Nj3Fate]

The history of this sport is rooted in those small, private northeastern schools this dude seems quick to dismiss.

[u/_Rooster_]

It might be a trolling title, but the author better be trolling. Do they moonlight as an Alabama fan?

Montana and Montana State are already good. If they were that good they would have won regardless of injuries. Every team across every conference has injuries at this point.

And now that NDSU isn't in the FCS what are the stats then?

Leave this mentality in the FBS.

[u/Top_Judge_1943 → u/_Rooster_]

I thought the humor in the article was quite evident lol

[u/_Rooster_ → u/Top_Judge_1943]

I said that because I was really on the fence. It can be difficult when you're reading something. Thanks for clarifying.

In that case it's good satire and really sticks it to the argument that power teams in the FBS repeat.

[u/Top_Judge_1943 → u/_Rooster_]

It’s not satire. Just a humerous take on what is likely true.