USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

NO!

[West-River_Jack]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

My friend from the school to the south posted this, apparently a Kenneth Massey rating to get us "a bit riled up over here."

Just some interesting information to get you a bit riled up over here. I see that my good friend SD4Ever has come to pay you a visit.

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http://bisonsports.net/bsnblog/index.php/b

USD has 112th toughest schedule
We all knew the Coyotes would play a tough schedule in 2007. Heck, through six games, it’s painfully obvious how difficult it is.

But according to Kenneth Massey’s ratings, USD has the 112th toughest schedule in the nation. That’s not just in Division II. That’s in the ENTIRE country.

That’s right. USD’s schedule is statistically more challenging than schools such as Texas Tech. Oh, and our friends up the interstate.

Massey’s schedule ratings are based the quality of each opponent, adjusted for the homefield advantage. His ratings are the ones used by the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).

Here are the top three schools with the toughest schedules:

1. North Carolina

2. Stanford

3. Auburn

- - - - - - -

And here’s a look at area schools ranked behind USD:

125. MSU-Mankato

132. Central Washington

144. Texas Tech

150. Minnesota-Duluth

153. Nebraska-Omaha

159. North Dakota

172. South Dakota State

174. St. Cloud State

176. Augustana

182. University of Sioux Falls (a NAIA school)

- - - - - - -

For the record, USD’s opponents this season have a combined record of 26-8.

And if you break down the rankings for JUST Division II schools, USD has the SECOND toughest schedule. The school ahead of the Coyotes? None other than Western Washington, USD’s opponent this weekend. Very interesting.

But Massey ratings aside, here are Coyote Fan's own thoughts about the strength of the six teams that USD has defeated which he posted over on the Coyote Board in reference to who in the (D2) region belongs in the playoffs:

http://coyotesports.proboards100.com...ead=1191140209

USD wins

vs Winona State
vs Minnesota State
vs St. Cloud State
vs Western Washington
at Minnesota-Duluth
at Augustana

That is really not all that impressive of a resume of victories. It's not about who ya play but who ya beat. USD has lost all of their big tests. That is why I don't think they belong. Winona doesn't either but they will be likely taking advantage of earned access.

At the beginning of this post I referred to Coyote Fan as my friend, and I meant it. He is a rabid Coyote fan who, self-admittedly, likes to rile us up. I am happy to return the favor using his own words.

[Coyote_Fan]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

My friend from the school to the south posted this, apparently a Kenneth Massey rating to get us "a bit riled up over here."



But Massey ratings aside, here are Coyote Fan's own thoughts about the strength of the six teams that USD has defeated which he posted over on the Coyote Board in reference to who in the (D2) region belongs in the playoffs:

http://coyotesports.proboards100.com...ead=1191140209



At the beginning of this post I referred to Coyote Fan as my friend, and I meant it. He is a rabid Coyote fan who, self-admittedly, likes to rile us up. I am happy to return the favor using his own words.

The overall schedule is tough but the wins are not that impressive so your post really doesn't change my feelings. USD hasn't won their tough games on their schedule. That is true but it is also true that USD has a tough schedule.

It's great that I am such an important figure to most SDSU fans. I also like West River Jack he is a good guy. He is bringing up exactly what I said and that is fine with me.

I said before that a tough schedule does not necessarily make a good team. USD is not that great of a team this year because they don't win any of their tough games. They were a better team over the past couple of years, it just happened to be that they played a weaker schedule.

I have said quite often that I think D2 and FCS are not a great difference and I definately still believe that. USD is not a good road team if they play a good team regardless of division affiliation. If USD played LaCrosse or some of those other Wisconsin D3 schools on the road I could not tell you with any amount of certainty what so ever that they would win those games.

When USD is D1 I will not change my tune about believing that D2 and FCS is not a great difference. It won't matter that USD will be D1 because I won't have lost my respect for D2 like many SDSU fans have. When USD goes D1 they are still going to lose on the road to good D2 teams if they played them. They aren't suddenly going to become a good team on the road just by being up a level.

I know some of you like to complain that I say keep bringing up the road vs home thing but USD is such a wierd team when it comes to home vs road that it is an extemely relevant argument. There is an obvious home field advantage in college football that might be a 3-7 point swing but when the Coyotes are involved it's more like 21. Road games count but so do home games and that is why I want to see the Yotes play some of these tougher games at home. With that said USD's home winning streak is very much in jeopardy next weekend as UND comes to town. It has probably not been as vulnerable for awhile as it will be on Saturday.

Is it good that USD is alot better at home vs on the road. In no way is it a good thing. It's just a fact when it comes to the Yotes. I am not making excuses for it I am just pointing out how much of a factor it is. I know it's tough for many of you to believe that I am objective but that is very true. I will settle down the fans next to me that are crying foul at a basketball game if they think a call should have gone for USD when it probably shouldn't have. I believe what I believe in. It's not always right but I would like to think I use logic most of the time.

You can be as critical as you want of me but at least try to be reasonable. If I was such a homer I wouldn't have predicted USD to get crushed at UNO but I did. Not that I am proud that they got killed but I could see it coming. I would say I am less of a homer for my team than 95% of the fans that frequent these boards. Sometimes what I say might not be agreed with by SDSU fans but I don't spout out opinons just to spout them out. I believe USD is regressing as a program. I believe that SDSU football is above average but yet to be able to be upper echelon. I believe that USD would beat SDSU in mens hoops 7 out of every 10 times they played. I believe USD will probably struggle in mens hoops to a degree at D1 but not as bad as SDSU has struggled. I don't know if Boots is the right coach to lead the team to D1. That doesn't mean I absolutely don't believe he is the guy but I just have questions. In football I believe that USD would lose to SDSU on the road. At home as of last year I honestly believed USD would have beaten SDSU and maybe by 2 or 3 touchdowns. This year maybe not so much. I think it would be a close game, maybe 50-50. On a neutral field SDSU is better than USD by about 2 touchdowns. Those are my opinions, some may be wrong, some may be right but I think I have very good reasons for believing what I believe in.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

When USD is D1 I will not change my tune about believing that D2 and FCS is not a great difference. It won't matter that USD will be D1 because I won't have lost my respect for D2 like many SDSU fans have.

Here is where I think most people on this board have a problem with your statements. Acknowledging the difference is not disrespecting the D2 level. I know this post is in a smack thread, but you have said basically the same thing in other posts. Yes, I have gotten smacky about in this when posting under the smack section because, that is what you are supposed to do here.

When SDSU made the switch, I didn't think there was that much of a difference. Seeing both levels at the same time in the same year I now know there is a difference. And it is not just Jacks fans that say that. Mark Ovenden has commented on plays in games about how that was the type of play you do not ever see in the NCC. Terry V just put in his blog about the marked increase in speed in Jacks football program. There are other comments from independent media but I'm not going to take the time to look them up.

I fully expect, because you have done this in the past, that in a year or two you will admit you were wrong about the difference between FCS and D2. I did. I know now why people from other areas of the country thought I was goofy when I told them that the NCC is basically a lower level D-1 conference. Could a team from one of the schools competed? Yes, but the conference was not at the same level and I am glad that we have moved up.

[Nidaros]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

As much as I have in my own mind resisted the possiblity of scheduling USD, I am beginning to think its a good idea to schedule USD. Not for attendance nor revenue, but rather to put to rest where each football program is in terms of progress. Coyote fan has for years claimed that Stig was less than average as a coach, and that SDSU was happy with a average season. Stig is still here and making progress and I would love nothing more than seeing Mierkort with a grim and depressed look on his face, like what we saw in Omaha on national tV this past week. Maybe Ed is not so hot after all. Most teams should be able to beat Quinncy and William Penn. The other thing about the Meirkort era is that he inherited a some talent from John Austin, and the year SDSU announced going to D1, a ton of SD guys headed to Vermillion. Now most of these guys are seniors and after this year and will be gone. USD will need to rebuild their O line. Then too, there are these super athletes who keep showing up in Vermillion, who have been passed over by a ton of other D1 schools, mostly because of academic deficiencies. Under the D1 certification process, that USD will have to follow, many of these people will not get admitted at USD.

USD has a ton of things to attend to in going D1, its just not fund raising for scholarships but on campus, they really need their faculty involved in order to keep up the academic integrity. People have told us going D1 would ruin academics. The truth of the matter at D2, NCAA academics requirements have a ton of loopholes and many of the members of D2 take advantage of them.

[JimmyJack]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

I have said quite often that I think D2 and FCS are not a great difference and I definately still believe that...

...said the guy whose D2 team has been outscored 55-7 in two FCS games.

Delusional: A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

[valleyrabbit]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

...said the guy whose D2 team has been outscored 55-7 in two FCS games.

Delusional: A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

While the Jackrabbits outscored these two teams 78-34 and went 3-0 with two of these games on the road.

[jackmd]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

Delusional: A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

It does no good to point out to a delusional person that what they believe is false. They know its true. So, don't waste your time some people are wrong some are right. On this point yotefan is wrong. Because he is delusional he can't see it any other way. Fact is FCS is at a higher level in all aspects, scholarships, coaching staff, facilities, competition, on-field talent, etc... The same way FBS is at a higher level than FCS.

Would yotefan argue that NAIA schools like USF could compete on a weekly basis with DII schools? I hope not. Sounds like Augie is going to give them a shot next year, I guess will see what one game shows.

Facts, the sun rises in the east and FCS is better than DII.

[Coyote_Fan]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

Here is where I think most people on this board have a problem with your statements. Acknowledging the difference is not disrespecting the D2 level. I know this post is in a smack thread, but you have said basically the same thing in other posts. Yes, I have gotten smacky about in this when posting under the smack section because, that is what you are supposed to do here.

When SDSU made the switch, I didn't think there was that much of a difference. Seeing both levels at the same time in the same year I now know there is a difference. And it is not just Jacks fans that say that. Mark Ovenden has commented on plays in games about how that was the type of play you do not ever see in the NCC. Terry V just put in his blog about the marked increase in speed in Jacks football program. There are other comments from independent media but I'm not going to take the time to look them up.

I fully expect, because you have done this in the past, that in a year or two you will admit you were wrong about the difference between FCS and D2. I did. I know now why people from other areas of the country thought I was goofy when I told them that the NCC is basically a lower level D-1 conference. Could a team from one of the schools competed? Yes, but the conference was not at the same level and I am glad that we have moved up.

Don't forget as well that Terry also said something to the effect that USD's skilled players were better/faster (or whatever it was) than SDSU's and he wasn't sure it was even close.

[jackrabit1]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

Don't forget as well that Terry also said something to the effect that USD's skilled players were better/faster (or whatever it was) than SDSU's and he wasn't sure it was even close.

And what did those "Better Skill Players" do for you against UNO?

Give me a good solid TEAM any day... like SDSU!

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

Don't forget as well that Terry also said something to the effect that USD's skilled players were better/faster (or whatever it was) than SDSU's and he wasn't sure it was even close.

Yeah, it was something to that effect. I went back to try and locate it but couldn't find. I remember that he also put a couple of qualifiers in the statement. I remember Renaldo Nehemiah playing with the 49ers, absolutely the fastest player on the field, if he was in his track uni, and absolutely not the best receiver on the field.

[JackJD]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

I'd be interested in hearing what if Terry has the same opinion at this point in the season. Bet he doesn't.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

I know this isn't smack against anyone, but I just hate the term "skill position."

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

There's no doubt that USD has played a tougher schedule this year than the last couple of years. I commend them for that. But, it appears to have backfired big time. They can play tough teams, but they obviously can't beat tough teams. Unless, of course, they're playing in the vaunted dome

[EQguy]

Re: USD, Do They Play a Tougher Schedule Than SDSU?

What Terry said was that "considering the competition" (St. Cloud). USD appears to have more explosive skill players/ not better.

Here is a question I would like answered. After reading the very well done article in the Argus on Amos Allen how is he still a Soph? Near as I could tell he has played at 3 different schools making this his 4th year. Shouldn't he be a senior or at least a junior? Somebody in the USD compliance office might want to get on this before they start practicing next fall.
I don't know the compliance manual well but an athlete has 5 years from the start of his first semester to complete his eligibility in D-I. Something else for yote fans to worry about next year.