St Xavier game .. DUMP IT !!

[Chi-bird]

I would actually make the trip to Johnson City if we got that matchup and it had to be on the road. There are some travel considerations and expenses for both teams.....but what a great region to spend Labor Day weekend.

 

[MadBird]

Partly valid point .. and i didn't bother to look up who started or not. I was more interested in their general size across the board, so I looked at the range, not the exceptions at high end.

To me, that reflects not just on their depth, but also what they are used to playing against every day in practice .. and then even somewhat on game days.

Plus the fact that their program has slipped from 5+ years ago does not bode well .. if their 2010 team had played against our 2010 defense, they would have had a few moments to talk about .. but nothing even close to what D-II Central Missouri St did to us that year.

FYI .. I posted a St Xavier game "for sale" Ad on an AGS thread about ETSU schedule. One of their fans posted the schedule and was predicting 7-4 record .. to which I reminded him 7-4 = 6-4 when you beat a Mars Hill type team, So I told him to have his AD call ours and gave him Lyons contact info ... he said he would, like he actually knew him enough for their AD to read his email.

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?200656-ETSU-2018-Schedule

fourthandshort, the Art of the Deal!! St. Xav's vs. Mars Hill, ETSU vs. ISU, everybody's happy!! Good work.

 

[dpdoughbird06]

Partly valid point .. and i didn't bother to look up who started or not. I was more interested in their general size across the board, so I looked at the range, not the exceptions at high end.

To me, that reflects not just on their depth, but also what they are used to playing against every day in practice .. and then even somewhat on game days.

Plus the fact that their program has slipped from 5+ years ago does not bode well .. if their 2010 team had played against our 2010 defense, they would have had a few moments to talk about .. but nothing even close to what D-II Central Missouri St did to us that year.

FYI .. I posted a St Xavier game "for sale" Ad on an AGS thread about ETSU schedule. One of their fans posted the schedule and was predicting 7-4 record .. to which I reminded him 7-4 = 6-4 when you beat a Mars Hill type team, So I told him to have his AD call ours and gave him Lyons contact info ... he said he would, like he actually knew him enough for their AD to read his email.

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?200656-ETSU-2018-Schedule

fourthandshort, the Art of the Deal!! St. Xav's vs. Mars Hill, ETSU vs. ISU, everybody's happy!! Good work.

PLEASE figure out a way to make this happen. Get creative with the numbers. I know it's a little far, but we could bus it if we had to. I have to believe our coaches and players would prefer a long bus ride to playing a meaningless exhibition.

If it's Home-Home then I'm guessing the issue is forgoing the gate from a cheap date like Saint Xavier, but we'd make it back next year by hosting a solid opponent who can give us a game and impress playoff selection committee. There has to be a way to make numbers work - even with each team buying out their placeholder.

 

[Chi-bird]

I wonder if ETSU is looking for an exibition game in that first week, however - considering the following weekend they're headed down the road to play the Vols at Neyland Stadium.

That would be a long bus trip for our guys....but it's completely doable and what a way to build rapport. Otherwise, are there any other alternatives to ETSU that people know of?

 

[fourthandshort]

someone else found the Sept 1st ETSU vs Mars Hill game first ... I just acted like I did and ran with it ! ... it's the hallmark of deal making 101 .. stealing someone else's idea or work ... lot easer than doing it yourself.

 

[TIMMY]

I don't recall the thread from a couple months ago. But I emailed Mr. Lyons about dumping this dogshit game and i never got a reply.

Please don't take this personally. Larry has been very busy working out the details for the Lyons Family Valentines Day Party in the Stadium Club. :shhh:

 

[redbirddad10]

Wow, 4th has me concerned. I hadn't put that much thought into it. But I agree that there are far more concerns with having a FCS team play an NAIA school in Football. Look at the difference between top FCS and lower FCS level schools. What did we do to Butler last year? Scary enough! This isn't good. St X fighting way out of its weight class and that never ends well.

 

[StLRedbird]

Quick forum search shows this topic showing up in a couple dozen threads. Near unanimous opinion of Redbird fans is that this game harms ISU playoff prospects. Occasionally there is a voice saying it's probably budget-related. For the record, here's what Lyons said in an Oct Pantagraph article...

The 2018 schedule also has been finalized with six of the 11 games at home. ISU will play its lone nonconference road game at FBS program Colorado State with home contests against Eastern Illinois and St. Xavier.

The St. Xavier matchup is far from ideal because the NAIA opponent will not count in the eyes of the FCS playoff selection committee.

“There were no other FCS alternatives,” said Lyons.

Link to Pantagraph Article

So, not a money issue, right? The fine folks on this forum have identified an alternative, yet all we get from the AD is silence. Does it take that much effort to make a statement explaining the school's situation or position on the matter? This is absolutely tone deaf.

 

[Redbirdalum_15]

I just don’t see this team going very far....at all

 

[fourthandshort]

I just don’t see this team going very far....at all

I am 50/50 on this 2018 team at this point.

I think the biggest question mark is DL and this group has always been strong under Spack, so playing without a proven DL will be a big challenge to overcome. I believe we have the bodies, we just don't have the proven experience ... yet.

The 2nd biggest question mark is the DB group, though I think this group will come around sooner than later. And I love the addition if Mike Banks to coaching staff.

Beyond that, I am very comfortable with this roster, especially the run game on offense. And a dominant run game can obscure many shortcomings that may be present early in season. Even our unproven WR group will be more effective as a result. And I like the new WR coach we picked up from Minny.

So long as we can replace UTTERLY USELESS St Xavier game, go 2-1 in non-conference, buying us time to develop our DL and DB groups, while also figuring out our WR group and pass game. I have a lot more confidence in OC Beathard than if we still had OC Dicken.

Offense will be very good, Defense is question mark. Spack has dealt with big losses on defense twice before, and he reloaded/rebuilt them very well both times .. he knows what it takes and what it looks like.

Again, I'm 50/50 right now .. could be uneven start, but I think we figure it out.

 

[Redbirdalum_15]

I just don’t see this team going very far....at all

I am 50/50 on this 2018 team at this point.

I think the biggest question mark is DL and this group has always been strong under Spack, so playing without a proven DL will be a big challenge to overcome. I believe we have the bodies, we just don't have the proven experience ... yet.

The 2nd biggest question mark is the DB group, though I think this group will come around sooner than later. And I love the addition if Mike Banks to coaching staff.

Beyond that, I am very comfortable with this roster, especially the run game on offense. And a dominant run game can obscure many shortcomings that may be present early in season. Even our unproven WR group will be more effective as a result. And I like the new WR coach we picked up from Minny.

So long as we can replace UTTERLY USELESS St Xavier game, go 2-1 in non-conference, buying us time to develop our DL and DB groups, while also figuring out our WR group and pass game. I have a lot more confidence in OC Beathard than if we still had OC Dicken.

Offense will be very good, Defense is question mark. Spack has dealt with big losses on defense twice before, and he reloaded/rebuilt them very well both times .. he knows what it takes and what it looks like.

Again, I'm 50/50 right now .. could be uneven start, but I think we figure it out.

How many wins do you predict?

 

[fourthandshort]

This early with so many question marks on defense, I'm only picking a range. Assuming we replace STX with a winnable game.

- non conf 2-1
- conf I can see 3-5 to 5-3, so call it 6-5 with +/- 1

I do think it is more likely to be 7-4 than 5-6. But 8-3 is a real stretch as of right now.

Ask me after spring ball .. want to see DL and Kolbe under Beathard ... then might bump above range up a game.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

This early with so many question marks on defense, I'm only picking a range. Assuming we replace STX with a winnable game.

- non conf 2-1
- conf I can see 3-5 to 5-3, so call it 6-5 with +/- 1

I do think it is more likely to be 7-4 than 5-6. But 8-3 is a real stretch as of right now.

Ask me after spring ball .. want to see DL and Kolbe under Beathard ... then might bump above range up a game.

Hey Forth.. .since your best estimate is a 6-5 ISU record for the 2018 ISU team which, if that happens, means that ISU will have gone 18-16 for the last 3 seasons with one playoff game/loss (that assumes 6-5 does not make the 2018 playoffs)....does this mean this type of performance/record is much more likely to be the future result vs what happened in 2014 and 2015 seasons? I have a feel for basketball coaching/talent but find it real hard to judge football coaches/talent so interested in your perspective.

 

[fourthandshort]

This early with so many question marks on defense, I'm only picking a range. Assuming we replace STX with a winnable game.

- non conf 2-1
- conf I can see 3-5 to 5-3, so call it 6-5 with +/- 1

I do think it is more likely to be 7-4 than 5-6. But 8-3 is a real stretch as of right now.

Ask me after spring ball .. want to see DL and Kolbe under Beathard ... then might bump above range up a game.

Hey Forth.. .since your best estimate is a 6-5 ISU record for the 2018 ISU team which, if that happens, means that ISU will have gone 18-16 for the last 3 seasons with one playoff game/loss (that assumes 6-5 does not make the 2018 playoffs)....does this mean this type of performance/record is much more likely to be the future result vs what happened in 2014 and 2015 seasons? I have a feel for basketball coaching/talent but find it real hard to judge football coaches/talent so interested in your perspective.

Last year was a top 10 level team .. but offensive inconsistencies due largely to OC (and lack of QB confidence) caused us to go 6-5. We took SDSU to overtime and lost due to OC play calling. We played NDSU down to wire before their late score .. but that close game turned on just 2 plays in Q3. We handled USD when they were still healthy and full strength. We destroyed a very respectable YSU team on road. So last year was much better than a 6-5 team .. more like an 8-3 level team, that would have made noise in playoffs ... mid-season slump underestimating NAU and then coaches lost the team going to SIU for their homecoming game.

That said, since 2011, I think this program is a top 10 to 15 program without any doubt. But when you play an FBS and then the juggernaut that is MVFC ... sometimes 7-4 is a very good year and ought to be a playoff lock.

So predicting 6-5 in a down year isn't that bad. But I see Spack rebuilding the defense like he always does .. just a question of how long it takes into fall season. And I think we quickly assembled a much improved coaching staff .. impressive feat. So my arrow is still tending up on Redbird football. Won't be surprised to see us go 7-4 and do some damage on playoffs .. but that is assuming defense comes together by end of 1st month of fall season.

 

[fourthandshort]

This early with so many question marks on defense, I'm only picking a range. Assuming we replace STX with a winnable game.

- non conf 2-1
- conf I can see 3-5 to 5-3, so call it 6-5 with +/- 1

I do think it is more likely to be 7-4 than 5-6. But 8-3 is a real stretch as of right now.

Ask me after spring ball .. want to see DL and Kolbe under Beathard ... then might bump above range up a game.

Hey Forth.. .since your best estimate is a 6-5 ISU record for the 2018 ISU team which, if that happens, means that ISU will have gone 18-16 for the last 3 seasons with one playoff game/loss (that assumes 6-5 does not make the 2018 playoffs)....does this mean this type of performance/record is much more likely to be the future result vs what happened in 2014 and 2015 seasons? I have a feel for basketball coaching/talent but find it real hard to judge football coaches/talent so interested in your perspective.

Last year was a top 10 level team .. but offensive inconsistencies due largely to OC (and lack of QB confidence) caused us to go 6-5. We took SDSU to overtime and lost due to OC play calling. We played NDSU down to wire before their late score .. but that close game turned on just 2 plays in Q3. We handled USD when they were still healthy and full strength. We destroyed a very respectable YSU team on road. So last year was much better than a 6-5 team .. more like an 8-3 level team, that would have made noise in playoffs ... mid-season slump underestimating NAU and then coaches lost the team going to SIU for their homecoming game.

That said, since 2011, I think this program is a top 10 to 15 program without any doubt. But when you play an FBS and then the juggernaut that is MVFC ... sometimes 7-4 is a very good year and ought to be a playoff lock.

So predicting 6-5 in a down year isn't that bad. But I see Spack rebuilding the defense like he always does .. just a question of how long it takes into fall season. And I think we quickly assembled a much improved coaching staff .. impressive feat. So my arrow is still tending up on Redbird football. Won't be surprised to see us go 7-4 and do some damage on playoffs .. but that is assuming defense comes together by end of 1st month of fall season.

last point .. going 6-5 the past 2 seasons is in no way comparable to Spacks first 2 seasons at 6-5 .. the conference is better at the top and much deeper than it was in 2009-10.

 

[fourthandshort]

much needed bump ...

nice job with recruitment coaches, huge crop and some promising looking players. Especially impressive in that we turned over 6 coaches including both OCs and our recruiting coordinator.

So with that done ... right now, replacing the STX game is THE highest priority we have if we're thinking about making playoffs in 2018 ... 7-4 means 2-1 nonconf, 5-3 conf ... but 7-4 = 6-4 and puts us on a bubble leaning the wrong way.

AD Lyons ... get er dun !!!!!!!

 

[TIMMY]

Thanks to the character of Coach Spack, I don't see us reneging on this game.

 

[MadBird]

Is there any way this can help us?? Do some switching around somehow??

Mississippi Valley State (FCS): Mississippi Valley State University is looking for a home game on 09/15/18 for the upcoming 2018 season. If interested, please contact Antwoine Williams, Director of Football Operations at antwoine.williams@mvsu.edu.

http://footballscoop.com/the-scoop/

Edit: guess we don't need to switch, we have a bye 9/15. So, here's the answer boys, not a home game, but, well, but, the ticket renewals just went out, so maybe there's no hope??

 

[Reggie]

That is the problem, everybody is looking for home games. I would not expect the St. Xavier game to be dropped for a road game.

 

[MadBird]

I'm desperately brainstorming -- would the NCAA give us an exemption to the 11 game schedule limit, and we could just take this game so we have 11 DI games + the "exhibition game" vs. St. X??