(12-17-2016 09:40 AM)moehler Wrote: well, GS and App, maybe a couple of other teams can atleast make a case for the greatest FCS program, but my opinion, and again its just my feeling, I have put zero effort in my conclusion, that NDSU is the greatest program, not only because they won a record 6? championships in a row, but they have won probably in that 6 year period, more games against FBS programs, and some quality programs, KSU, Iowa than App and GS did during the run in the FCS , yes, I know we beat Michigan, but the reality is we got our asses kicked a lot more often than we won. I will say this in App/GS defense, NDSU has made their run in an FCS that doesn't seem have nearly the same quality of programs when App/GS were dominate. Losing both of us to the FBS has helped clear the way for NDSU, and I might be way off base here, but it just seems that the traditional FCS dominate programs have had a drop in quality the last 10 years, and other than NDSU, no one really stepped in to fill the void, again, just observation, could be totally wrong.
I'm confident in saying that the 96 Marshall squad would have never lost to NDSU. And the 96 Montana team would have went 4-1 or 5-0 against NDSU.
No one on NDSUs defense could have kept up with Randy Moss and once you start double or even triple teaming him then Eric Kresser would have just thrown the ball to the other side. Or handed the ball off to Doug Chapman.
The 96 team just wasn't Eric Kresser and Randy Moss, there wasn't just one or two of them that got a shot in the NFL. On that roster 22 was either drafted or got an UDFA contract. Some of those included Eric Kresser, Randy Moss, Chad Pennington (Red Shirt 96), Rogers Beckett, Doug Chapman, BJ Cohen, Chris Hanson, John Grace, Billy Lyon and John Wade.
The 96 Montana team was just as loaded. As Marshall and Montana started the season off ranked #1 and #2 in the nation and stayed there the whole year.
The powers that once were in IAA and are still there haven't been real powers in a long time. Those would be Furman, Youngstown State, McNeese State, SF Austin, Western Carolina, Delaware and Montana. In the last 8-12 years most of these schools have been missing in action, both McNeese State and Montana have had some decent seasons but nothing dominate.
Two things have really hurt IAA. Schools like Boise, Marshall, and Nevada and even NE Louisiana (UL Monroe) leaving in the mid 90s. And then you started having schools pop up adding football and schools like Albany, Gardner-Webb, Abilene Christian reclassifying. That spreads players out that some of the older powers would get. Couple that now with App State and Go Southern leaving, it starts to leave a gap in talent, or those with talent.
Ive said it before, in 5-7 years I can see the IAA playoffs and championship game being exclusive to ESPN3.
If IAA were to lose JMU, NDSU (MAC only option) and someone else such as Youngstown or Sam Houston. That division would be in real trouble then.
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how bad would NDSU destroy the Sun Belt??
