vs Yotes 4/10

[Mr_Tibbs]

Who knows if this game actually happens, but there needs to be a thread. If it does happen, I'm hoping for a mistake free game with a lot of long drives, similar to SIU. Yotes are terrible on d, and can't run the ball. But they were pretty bad last year too, and if we cough the ball up a few times, we could get bit again. I think the team will be hungry to right the ship against them, but how will the long layoff impact things? Will any yote fans travel to the game?

31-10 Jacks.

[jakejc795]

Who knows if this game actually happens, but there needs to be a thread. If it does happen, I'm hoping for a mistake free game with a lot of long drives, similar to SIU. Yotes are terrible on d, and can't run the ball. But they were pretty bad last year too, and of cough the ball up a few times, we could get bit again. I think the team will be hungry to right the ship against them, but how will the long layoff impact things? Will any yote fans travel to the game?

31-10 Jacks.

Hopefully Jacks will know by Wed. if game will be played, but 'Yote VB tourney journey has reduced any coverage of FB, so who knows what their depth/roster situation is.

I think your score prediction seems accurate, and I think the Jacks score will be influenced more by pulling starters after they obtain relatively comfortable lead in the 2nd half to ensure availability for Marker game rather than anything the 'Yotes do.

[NWHSUandSDSU]

Game canceled

[Mr_Tibbs]

Disappointing, but not surprising. God, this has got to be such a challenge for the players to stay focused. Was planning on flying in for the game, now I'll have to rethink it.

[Southeast]

That ought to be a wrap. Are they really going to continue risking getting players injured continuing this silliness? Fall camp starts in 4 months.

I’m pretty sure I have played more meaningful seasons of Techmo Bowl!

[Mr_Tibbs]

That ought to be a wrap. Are they really going to continue risking getting players injured continuing this silliness? Fall camp starts in 4 months.

I’m pretty sure I have played more meaningful seasons of Techmo Bowl!

For USD? Yeah, probably. For us, I don't see any reason to pull the plug until the fat lady sings. We are in the playoff hunt, and if the other blue bloods are going to play for the title, we should too. Season, including playoffs, will be over in 5 weeks.

[jakejc795]

That ought to be a wrap. Are they really going to continue risking getting players injured continuing this silliness? Fall camp starts in 4 months.

I’m pretty sure I have played more meaningful seasons of Techmo Bowl!

It's not just the risk of injury; it's the increasing risk that playoff games will be impacted with no ability to reschedule without prolonging the playoffs

[jakejc795]

For USD? Yeah, probably. For us, I don't see any reason to pull the plug until the fat lady sings. We are in the playoff hunt, and if the other blue bloods are going to play for the title, we should too. Season, including playoffs, will be over in 5 weeks.

Isn't the championship 5/16? If so, we're closer to six weeks.

Then, if teams follow normal summer schedules they'd be looking at a four to six-week timeframe to resume training for the summer, right?

Sure, they could delay resumption of activities because they played Spring games, but I haven't heard of a plan to do so

[Mr_Tibbs]

Isn't the championship 5/16? If so, we're closer to six weeks.

Then, if teams follow normal summer schedules they'd be looking at a four to six-week timeframe to resume training for the summer, right?

Sure, they could delay resumption of activities because they played Spring games, but I haven't heard of a plan to do so

I'm not sure on the timelines, but all of those issues were pretty well outlined when the decision was made to play in the spring though.

Playoffs aren't going to be prolonged, based on what the basketball tournament did with advancing the non-covid impacted team to the next round. We can all hope that there aren't many of those scenarios in the playoff, but who knows.

As long as the other "major" programs are playing this spring and there is a playoff, we need to be committed to it. If big time teams start dropping like flies and opting out, then there isn't much of a point to continue. Right now, the way I see it, if there's a chance to win a 16 team bracket with NDSU, UND, Delaware, JMU, SHSU, Weber, EWU, JSU, and the other autobids in it, that is worth playing for.

[jakejc795]

I'm not sure on the timelines, but all of those issues were pretty well outlined when the decision was made to play in the spring though.

Playoffs aren't going to be prolonged, based on what the basketball tournament did with advancing the non-covid impacted team to the next round. We can all hope that there aren't many of those scenarios in the playoff, but who knows.

As long as the other "major" programs are playing this spring and there is a playoff, we need to be committed to it. If big time teams start dropping like flies and opting out, then there isn't much of a point to continue. Right now, the way I see it, if there's a chance to win a 16 team bracket with NDSU, UND, Delaware, JMU, SHSU, Weber, EWU, JSU, and the other autobids in it, that is worth playing for.

This is the second time you've mentioned basketball, but has anyone officially cited that as a precedent that will be used for football (despite the significant differences between sports and scheduling)? Zim's recent article doesn't mention that as the default, and he only asks if forfeits might occur.

Also, we can say "we were aware this was a possiblity" when teams agreed to Spring season participation, but that was before rampant recent cancellations and a deteriorating situation

[Mr_Tibbs]

This is the second time you've mentioned basketball, but has anyone officially cited that as a precedent that will be used for football (despite the significant differences between sports and scheduling)? Zim's recent article doesn't mention that as the default, and he only asks if forfeits might occur.

Also, we can say "we were aware this was a possiblity" when teams agreed to Spring season participation, but that was before rampant recent cancellations and a deteriorating situation

VCU had the outbreak right before their first round game against Oregon and Oregon moved on without the game being played. Of anything, basketball is more flexible in rescheduling than football due to the ability to play back to back games, which isn't possible in football. I don't know why they would handle it that way in the tournament and handle it by postponing with football.

[jakejc795]

VCU had the outbreak right before their first round game against Oregon and Oregon moved on without the game being played. Of anything, basketball is more flexible in rescheduling than football due to the ability to play back to back games, which isn't possible in football. I don't know why they would handle it that way in the tournament and handle it by postponing with football.

It's baffling that anyone could look at what's happened in pretty much every conference, particularly recently in the Valley, and expect the playoff teams will somehow avoid positive tests that would significantly impact the merit of any championship, and football being more of a contact sport among a considerably greater number of athletes only increases the risk. Thus, if they commit to the playoffs with a field of 16, I don't think the default is necessarily, "we'll just use the procedures we did for a sport with 90 percent fewer athletes and considerably less contact." Moreover, I'm not aware of any media report of that being the adopted protocol. That's not to say it won't be. I just don't see justification now for your level of confidence.

Cancellation of the VCU game reportedly included local public health authorities, so if that will indeed be the model for the FCS playoffs, I certainly hope all sites adopt universal cancellation metrics, perhaps based upon the most-stringent requirements of all sites having winning bids, to avoid a recurrence of the UNI-Drake fiasco where there were questions as to whether Valley or local protocols took precedence.

I suppose one alternative would be to seed 24 teams with eight being alternates in the event of a cancellation in the opening round, to reduce the likelihood that a team would get an unplanned playoff bye via cancellation

[JACKGUYII]

So what happens to scheduling for next year? We still go to USD for second consecutive year in fall 2021?

[Mr_Tibbs]

So what happens to scheduling for next year? We still go to USD for second consecutive year in fall 2021?

Yes. NDSU at home, UNI at home, @USD, vs UND
Home games next year are NDSU, UNI, UND, SIU, Tarleton, and Dixie State. Our non conference FCS games the next few years leaves a lot to be desired. Davis is about the only power FCS noncon on the schedule for a while.