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Just a little historical perspective…

CrunchGriz

CrunchGriz

Well-known member
People here on eGriz tend to have a somewhat hazy recollection when it comes to some of the great teams Montana has had in the past, especially some of the teams from Bobby 1.0. The teams from 2007, 2008, and 2009 are particularly sainted in Griz lore, and people somehow have the mistaken impression that they blew out every one of the opponents they had in those seasons. Here’s a somewhat telling comparison between the 2025 Griz and those teams, when it comes to one score victories, those games that are within seven points, and 3 score victories, those wins of 17 points or more. These numbers are all from regular season games:

2007
3 one score victories
4 three score victories

2008 (12 game season, like this one)
3 one score victories
7 three score victories

2009
4 one score victories
4 three score victories

2025 (so far)
2 one score victories
4 three score victories

Just looking at this metric, it seems Montana is just about as dominant so far this season as they were in any of those great seasons. I know that there’s a lot more that goes into comparing teams from different years or eras, but I just found this interesting. We tend to canonize certain Griz teams and players from the past, making them bigger in memory, with the wins more dominant, than they were in actuality. Only natural, I guess.
 
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CrunchGriz said:
People here on eGriz tend to have a somewhat hazy recollection when it comes to some of the great teams Montana has had in the past, especially some of the teams from Bobby 1.0. The teams from 2007, 2008, and 2009 are particularly sainted in Griz lore, and people somehow have the mistaken impression that they blew out every one of the opponents they had in those seasons. Here’s a somewhat telling comparison between the 2025 Griz and those teams, when it comes to one score victories, those games that are within seven points, and 3 score victories, those wins of 17 points or more. These numbers are all from regular season games: 2007 3 one score victories 4 three score victories 2008 (12 game season, like this one) 3 one score victories 8 three score victories 2009 4 one score victories 4 three score victories 2025 (so far) 2 one score victories 4 three score victories Just looking at this metric, it seems Montana is just about as dominant so far this season as they were in any of those great seasons. I know that there’s a lot more that goes into comparing teams from different years or eras, but I just found this interesting. We tend to canonize certain Griz teams and players from the past, making them bigger in memory, with the wins more dominant, than they were in actuality. Only natural, I guess.
Click to expand...
 
CrunchGriz said:
People here on eGriz tend to have a somewhat hazy recollection when it comes to some of the great teams Montana has had in the past, especially some of the teams from Bobby 1.0. The teams from 2007, 2008, and 2009 are particularly sainted in Griz lore, and people somehow have the mistaken impression that they blew out every one of the opponents they had in those seasons. Here’s a somewhat telling comparison between the 2025 Griz and those teams, when it comes to one score victories, those games that are within seven points, and 3 score victories, those wins of 17 points or more. These numbers are all from regular season games:

2007
3 one score victories
4 three score victories

2008 (12 game season, like this one)
3 one score victories
8 three score victories

2009
4 one score victories
4 three score victories

2025 (so far)
2 one score victories
4 three score victories

Just looking at this metric, it seems Montana is just about as dominant so far this season as they were in any of those great seasons. I know that there’s a lot more that goes into comparing teams from different years or eras, but I just found this interesting. We tend to canonize certain Griz teams and players from the past, making them bigger in memory, with the wins more dominant, than they were in actuality. Only natural, I guess.
Click to expand...
The level of competition in those three years was substantially better than it is now.
 
HikeGlacier said:
The level of competition in those three years was substantially better than it is now.
Click to expand...
2007 Southern Utah, Fort Lewis, Albany, Weber State, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Idaho State, Montana State, Wofford

2008 Cal Poly, Southern Utah, UC Davis, Central Washington, Weber State, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Idaho State, Montana State, Texas State, Weber State, at James Madison, Richmond

2009 Western State, UC Davis, Portland State, Northern Arizona, Cal Poly, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Weber State, Idaho State, Northern Colorado, at Montana State, South Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin, Appalachian State, Villanova

2025 (so far) Central Washington, North Dakota, Indiana State, Idaho, Idaho State, Cal Poly, Sacred Heart

I'm not seeing ANY difference in the level of competition in the regular season schedule. The teams in bold are playoffs and you can't count that so much. Either way, the level of competition is not "substantially better" it is in fact very similar.
 
mthoopsfan said:
Then look at 1995 and 2001.
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95 was a 2 loss
Griz in Texas said:
2007 Southern Utah, Fort Lewis, Albany, Weber State, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Idaho State, Montana State, Wofford

2008 Cal Poly, Southern Utah, UC Davis, Central Washington, Weber State, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Idaho State, Montana State, Texas State, Weber State, at James Madison, Richmond

2009 Western State, UC Davis, Portland State, Northern Arizona, Cal Poly, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Weber State, Idaho State, Northern Colorado, at Montana State, South Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin, Appalachian State, Villanova

2025 (so far) Central Washington, North Dakota, Indiana State, Idaho, Idaho State, Cal Poly, Sacred Heart

I'm not seeing ANY difference in the level of competition in the regular season schedule. The teams in bold are playoffs and you can't count that so much. Either way, the level of competition is not "substantially better" it is in fact very similar.
Click to expand...
Good analysis here 👍
 
I know I'm going to get more hate, but I'm going to say it anyway. Historical perspective is grand, but the last time we won a national championship was almost 25 years ago, and what we did from 2007-2009 doesn't help us win a national championship today. The reality is that we need to be able to beat NDSU and/or SDSU either in the semis or in the championship game. While I think this team has a lot of building blocks to get there, there are also some glaring weaknesses. The weaknesses aren't necessarily insurmountable if the coaches take the right approach. This team simply isn't going to out-NDSU NDSU. What I mean by that is we don't have the workhorses in the trenches to beat them at their own game. So we need to play OUR own game. Bobby just needs to give up his stubborn ways and forget about low scoring games and throw the ball like it's 1995 and outscore everybody. I'm hoping and praying for the ghost of Papa Bear to overtake Bobby in his sleep. (Haha I'm just kidding I don't believe in that kind of stuff.) It still might not win us the natty but I think it's a better option than what he's tried to do the last few years. And honestly I do see some signs of hope. They have been more creative with play calling, whether that means Bobby has just taken the reins off of pease or what I don't know, but we've seen full quarters where they just go out and blow the doors off. IE the first quarter against sacred heart. I'm hoping and praying that's what we see the whole game this weekend at Sac. Hopefully that's enough rose-colored glasses for some of you, but I doubt it. Ha.
 
Da Boyz Mom said:
I know I'm going to get more hate, but I'm going to say it anyway. Historical perspective is grand, but the last time we won a national championship was almost 25 years ago, and what we did from 2007-2009 doesn't help us win a national championship today. The reality is that we need to be able to beat NDSU and/or SDSU either in the semis or in the championship game. While I think this team has a lot of building blocks to get there, there are also some glaring weaknesses. The weaknesses aren't necessarily insurmountable if the coaches take the right approach. This team simply isn't going to out-NDSU NDSU. What I mean by that is we don't have the workhorses in the trenches to beat them at their own game. So we need to play OUR own game. Bobby just needs to give up his stubborn ways and forget about low scoring games and throw the ball like it's 1995 and outscore everybody. I'm hoping and praying for the ghost of Papa Bear to overtake Bobby in his sleep. (Haha I'm just kidding I don't believe in that kind of stuff.) It still might not win us the natty but I think it's a better option than what he's tried to do the last few years. And honestly I do see some signs of hope. They have been more creative with play calling, whether that means Bobby has just taken the reins off of pease or what I don't know, but we've seen full quarters where they just go out and blow the doors off. IE the first quarter against sacred heart. I'm hoping and praying that's what we see the whole game this weekend at Sac. Hopefully that's enough rose-colored glasses for some of you, but I doubt it. Ha.
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What are the glaring weaknesses? I don’t think anyone has even been saying the Griz will advance deep in the playoffs without continuing and significant improvement.
 
Griz in Texas said:
2007 Southern Utah, Fort Lewis, Albany, Weber State, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Idaho State, Montana State, Wofford

2008 Cal Poly, Southern Utah, UC Davis, Central Washington, Weber State, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Idaho State, Montana State, Texas State, Weber State, at James Madison, Richmond

2009 Western State, UC Davis, Portland State, Northern Arizona, Cal Poly, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Weber State, Idaho State, Northern Colorado, at Montana State, South Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin, Appalachian State, Villanova

2025 (so far) Central Washington, North Dakota, Indiana State, Idaho, Idaho State, Cal Poly, Sacred Heart

I'm not seeing ANY difference in the level of competition in the regular season schedule. The teams in bold are playoffs and you can't count that so much. Either way, the level of competition is not "substantially better" it is in fact very similar.
Click to expand...
The problem here is you're trying to talk logically to someone who purposely avoids it.
 
I wouldn't hang too much on margin of victory. The team that racked up points the most in the regular season was the 1999 Griz. They looked unstopable w/ the exception of the PSU scorefest. But that team lost to Youngstown at home in the first round. Lots of heartburn that day.
 
CrunchGriz said:
People here on eGriz tend to have a somewhat hazy recollection when it comes to some of the great teams Montana has had in the past, especially some of the teams from Bobby 1.0. The teams from 2007, 2008, and 2009 are particularly sainted in Griz lore, and people somehow have the mistaken impression that they blew out every one of the opponents they had in those seasons. Here’s a somewhat telling comparison between the 2025 Griz and those teams, when it comes to one score victories, those games that are within seven points, and 3 score victories, those wins of 17 points or more. These numbers are all from regular season games:

2007
3 one score victories
4 three score victories

2008 (12 game season, like this one)
3 one score victories
8 three score victories

2009
4 one score victories
4 three score victories

2025 (so far)
2 one score victories
4 three score victories

Just looking at this metric, it seems Montana is just about as dominant so far this season as they were in any of those great seasons. I know that there’s a lot more that goes into comparing teams from different years or eras, but I just found this interesting. We tend to canonize certain Griz teams and players from the past, making them bigger in memory, with the wins more dominant, than they were in actuality. Only natural, I guess.
Click to expand...
Great post. I make this point often, but without the metrics to support it. People have selective memory when it comes to those "glory days", and that we actually struggled in a number of games, as all teams do
 
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