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NAU - Easy Path to Title?

H

HookedonGriz

Well-known member
DONOR
Was just reading some articles and also looking at Big Sky schedules. It's incredible how the 13 team, unbalanced scheduling can give a team such an easy path to a title. This year it's that way for NAU.

Let this sink in....out of the 7 Big Sky teams who finished at least 5-3 last year, NAU only faces 3 of them. They avoid both MT schools and Idaho. Their game with EWU is a non conference game. Their two toughest conf games (Weber and SUU) are both at home. NAU has a very easy path to the Big Sky title this year. Will they get it done?

NON-CONF
UTEP
EWU (home)
Missouri St

CONF
SUU (home)
Idaho St
Weber St (home)
UNC
CP (home)
UC Davis
Sac St
UND (home)
 
HookedonGriz said:
Was just reading some articles and also looking at Big Sky schedules. It's incredible how the 13 team, unbalanced scheduling can give a team such an easy path to a title. This year it's that way for NAU.

Let this sink in....out of the 7 Big Sky teams who finished at least 5-3 last year, NAU only faces 3 of them. They avoid both MT schools and Idaho. Their game with EWU is a non conference game. Their two toughest conf games (Weber and SUU) are both at home. NAU has a very easy path to the Big Sky title this year. Will they get it done?

NON-CONF
UTEP
EWU (home)
Missouri St

CONF
SUU (home)
Idaho St
Weber St (home)
UNC
CP (home)
UC Davis
Sac St
UND (home)
Click to expand...

If they don't get it done this year then they probably never will.
 
9/1/18 Northern Iowa
9/8/18 Drake
9/15/18 at Western Illinois
9/22/18 Sacramento State (7-4)
9/29/18 at Cal Poly (1-10)
10/6/18 Portland State (0-11)
10/13/18 at North Dakota (3-8)
10/27/18 UC Davis (5-6)
11/3/18 at Southern Utah (9-3)
11/10/18 at Idaho (***)
11/17/18 Montana State (5-6)

One could argue WE have an easy path to the BSC title as well. UNI & Drake at home non-conference. In conference, no EWU. No Weber. No NAU. Two of our three toughest games (Suck St & MSU) are at home. Only real "challenge" would be at SUU, but by that time we should be humming along nicely. In fact, with NAU facing both Weber AND SUU, I'd argue they have a more difficult schedule than we do (except that they get SUU at home).
 
AZGrizFan said:
9/1/18 Northern Iowa
9/8/18 Drake
9/15/18 at Western Illinois
9/22/18 Sacramento State (7-4)
9/29/18 at Cal Poly (1-10)
10/6/18 Portland State (0-11)
10/13/18 at North Dakota (3-8)
10/27/18 UC Davis (5-6)
11/3/18 at Southern Utah (9-3)
11/10/18 at Idaho (***)
11/17/18 Montana State (5-6)

One could argue WE have an easy path to the BSC title as well. UNI & Drake at home non-conference. In conference, no EWU. No Weber. No NAU. Two of our three toughest games (Suck St & MSU) are at home. Only real "challenge" would be at SUU, but by that time we should be humming along nicely. In fact, with NAU facing both Weber AND SUU, I'd argue they have a more difficult schedule than we do (except that they get SUU at home).
Click to expand...

I think Idaho will be tougher than most think. I'm not sure we win that one on the road. Unfortunately I think the cats will be a challenge as well
 
HookedonGriz said:
AZGrizFan said:
9/1/18 Northern Iowa
9/8/18 Drake
9/15/18 at Western Illinois
9/22/18 Sacramento State (7-4)
9/29/18 at Cal Poly (1-10)
10/6/18 Portland State (0-11)
10/13/18 at North Dakota (3-8)
10/27/18 UC Davis (5-6)
11/3/18 at Southern Utah (9-3)
11/10/18 at Idaho (***)
11/17/18 Montana State (5-6)

One could argue WE have an easy path to the BSC title as well. UNI & Drake at home non-conference. In conference, no EWU. No Weber. No NAU. Two of our three toughest games (Suck St & MSU) are at home. Only real "challenge" would be at SUU, but by that time we should be humming along nicely. In fact, with NAU facing both Weber AND SUU, I'd argue they have a more difficult schedule than we do (except that they get SUU at home).
Click to expand...

I think Idaho will be tougher than most think. I'm not sure we win that one on the road. Unfortunately I think the cats will be a challenge as well
Click to expand...
Idaho will definately be a challenge for Montana in Moscow. NAU still has games in late October and November and we know how those go.
 
HookedonGriz said:
AZGrizFan said:
9/1/18 Northern Iowa
9/8/18 Drake
9/15/18 at Western Illinois
9/22/18 Sacramento State (7-4)
9/29/18 at Cal Poly (1-10)
10/6/18 Portland State (0-11)
10/13/18 at North Dakota (3-8)
10/27/18 UC Davis (5-6)
11/3/18 at Southern Utah (9-3)
11/10/18 at Idaho (***)
11/17/18 Montana State (5-6)

One could argue WE have an easy path to the BSC title as well. UNI & Drake at home non-conference. In conference, no EWU. No Weber. No NAU. Two of our three toughest games (Suck St & MSU) are at home. Only real "challenge" would be at SUU, but by that time we should be humming along nicely. In fact, with NAU facing both Weber AND SUU, I'd argue they have a more difficult schedule than we do (except that they get SUU at home).
Click to expand...

I think Idaho will be tougher than most think. I'm not sure we win that one on the road. Unfortunately I think the cats will be a challenge as well
Click to expand...

Ya, your last five games could be brutal, as could four of your first five. I'm not saying you'll lose most of them but I'm sticking with giving you only two games where you'll be heavily favored. The other nine could be tough.
 
AZGrizFan said:
9/1/18 Northern Iowa
9/8/18 Drake
9/15/18 at Western Illinois
9/22/18 Sacramento State (7-4)
9/29/18 at Cal Poly (1-10)
10/6/18 Portland State (0-11)
10/13/18 at North Dakota (3-8)
10/27/18 UC Davis (5-6)
11/3/18 at Southern Utah (9-3)
11/10/18 at Idaho (***)
11/17/18 Montana State (5-6)

One could argue WE have an easy path to the BSC title as well. UNI & Drake at home non-conference. In conference, no EWU. No Weber. No NAU. Two of our three toughest games (Suck St & MSU) are at home. Only real "challenge" would be at SUU, but by that time we should be humming along nicely. In fact, with NAU facing both Weber AND SUU, I'd argue they have a more difficult schedule than we do (except that they get SUU at home).
Click to expand...

I agree with this other than the fact that yes, Idaho will be tough, and the team is in transition. If this was the schedule 2 years from now it would be silly to not predict the Griz to win the conference. We don't really know what kind of team we have but if they are better than people think, could be seen as an "easy" path as well. I'm still sticking with 7-4 as I have from the beginning.
 
AZGrizFan said:
9/1/18 Northern Iowa
9/8/18 Drake
9/15/18 at Western Illinois
9/22/18 Sacramento State (7-4)
9/29/18 at Cal Poly (1-10)
10/6/18 Portland State (0-11)
10/13/18 at North Dakota (3-8)
10/27/18 UC Davis (5-6)
11/3/18 at Southern Utah (9-3)
11/10/18 at Idaho (***)
11/17/18 Montana State (5-6)

One could argue WE have an easy path to the BSC title as well. UNI & Drake at home non-conference. In conference, no EWU. No Weber. No NAU. Two of our three toughest games (Suck St & MSU) are at home. Only real "challenge" would be at SUU, but by that time we should be humming along nicely. In fact, with NAU facing both Weber AND SUU, I'd argue they have a more difficult schedule than we do (except that they get SUU at home).
Click to expand...

It is close their ooc is a lil tougher with EWU, however UNI and WIU are equal to utep and Missouri st. Then Griz have Drake.
I think UND, MSU ,SUU and Idaho Griz will be underdogs in those games. POly and Sac are toss ups.
PSU and DAVIS are only two games Griz should be favored.

Nau will be favored in all of their Conference games except two that will be toss ups (SUU and WSU)
If NAU loses more then 3 games (should be 2) Jerome should be shown the door!

Just my one cent!
 
A few folks are bringing nonconference games into this thread. I'm specifically talking about a path to the big sky title which would only be conference games. There is no easier path than the one in front of NAU
 
HookedonGriz said:
A few folks are bringing nonconference games into this thread. I'm specifically talking about a path to the big sky title which would only be conference games. There is no easier path than the one in front of NAU
Click to expand...
The late games (all conf.) are never easy for NAU.
 
Both UND and UCD will be better teams then last year. UND was decimated by injuries and Dan Hawkins is bringing Davis up.
 
kemajic said:
HookedonGriz said:
A few folks are bringing nonconference games into this thread. I'm specifically talking about a path to the big sky title which would only be conference games. There is no easier path than the one in front of NAU
Click to expand...
The late games (all conf.) are never easy for NAU.
Click to expand...

Very true. They sure have struggled toward the late end of the season for years.
 
alabamagrizzly said:
Both UND and UCD will be better teams then last year. UND was decimated by injuries and Dan Hawkins is bringing Davis up.
Click to expand...

Griz were decimated by injures as well. Hell, every team is (yes, I know UND’s were unreal)...point being, they’re going to be better. We’re going to be better. Not sure just how far people think we’ve fallen if we’re only favored in two and a game against a 1-10 CP team is now considered a “tossup”. :roll:
 
Well for us I just don’t know if we have an easy path until I know what we have as a team. One of the first years where I don’t really have an idea in a while. I had a lot of questions when Stitt started with a new QB but I felt better about the other positions. Definitely some questions I guess it allows me to maybe be pleasantly surprised.



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