UT Chattanooga hanging with Kentucky at halftime 14-10 UKY.

in general, higher rankings should lead to a greater chance of home field advantage, but progressively would depend on who won the previous round if one advances. There are probably other factors I don’t know of that play into the location selection.

I think one thing that helped NDSU win all of those titles is that they always had the home field advantage in the playoffs, and the Fargo Dome is more of a home field advantage than most places.

MTV Aggie - I think you meant Merced, not Modesto. Modesto has a JC (I attended there many years ago) and I think they actually have a pretty good football team (I only remember going to to one game).

I don’t think academic excellence and good athletics and student/other support is mutually exclusive. I would note Stanford with the qualifier that their enthusiasm seems to stop at the Stanford band and it seems to be a wine and cheese social with fans sitting on their hands. I noted while watching college game day today, that many years ago, the Penn State students in the know had to explain to others the nuances of the game, traditions, etc., and it has culminated in white out crowds as will be the case today - I am not saying that is a goal.

What makes college football so great - in my opinion - are the traditions passed down that unite alums and current students - such things as marching bands/ fight songs/ others along with rooting for your universities team that builds a sense of community. I am a big Aggie fan ( particularly football) due to my participation in the Aggie band-uh many years ago when we were the principle cheering section for the team and went to all games. I do value the degree I got at UCD and know that it has a good reputation, but my “affection” is not to the calculus classes I took (well didn’t do so great) or the degree program I graduated in. Of course the team was very good then and winning certainly helped. In a water law class I took - an adjunct professor who was a lawyer from Sacramento, talked up the impending playoff game. Probably not something one would hear today.

I guess my point is that academics and athletics don’t necessarily have to be at odds (although I dont like transfer portal built teams- how much loyalty or concern about academics is shown there)? And I do admire teams that have more true student athletes, e.g. Davis, Stanford, Northwestern, (perhaps USD in past years) that win as much with coaching and playing smart as with pure athletic potential.

thanks b&g. That’s why I like the old nomenclature: 1A and 1AA - easier on the brain - at least mine.

Anyone know the status of Devon King? Is he injured? Not playing football now? I know the Ags seem to have good depth in the secondary, but I always thought he was their best cover corner and tackler. Just fun to see him play.

and you can fast forward the Leo ugh most commercials.

can’t “record, but can watch on demand for at least a week subsequently (maybe more but haven’t explored that).

should be a good trip. I have my wife primed to go to the Montana state game next year. She likes the idea of going to Montana. Probably not so much the game although she is a good sport and humors me.

I had a neighbor that called them “felony state university”. That was several years ago but it still makes me chuckle. They were the Montana of FBS. Tennessee was similar at the time.

agreed on the Dixie qb assessment. He is a load (I call him Herman Munster) but keep him in the pocket and you”ll sack him and he is an erratic passer. Dixie hung with Weber for about a half then they simply got worn out and overwhelmed. The Ags should roll them. Hope they do like usd and hit early and hard and take them out of the game early. Their best defensive player (I think a previous poster got his name backwards ) was injured in the Weber game. Dixie plays a murderers row of FCS. Weber, then the Aggies, then South Dakota State, then Montana. There is such a thing as playing better competition to make you better, but I think it may lead as much to discouragement and getting used to losing.

doubt it. TT is great with the ball in the open field, but playing qb is a different animal. As I heard a commentator say while watching another game “the trouble with QBs who are really good runners is that they look to run before going through their progressions.” He might get a shot after HR leaves, but HR is a nifty escape artist who thows well on the move and is just a better passer. So use TT as flanker, empty backfield when appropriate (I.e., near goal line) punt returner (kick returner?) and get him in position to get the ball at other positions. At the time this is the way to go. Who knows in the future, but gaudy high school passing stats do not necessary translate at the college level. From the little I have seen, he doesn’t look like a natural passer.

I watched part of the Idaho-Indiana game. Don’t think Idaho has improved any. Think it was 35-0 before Idaho had a first down much because of special team collapses.

Pick 6 for leathernecks. Pull to within 14-7.

Leathernecks score but home cooking ref call of chop block takes score off board. Still 7-0 Montana.

yes they have a good defense. I really dislike Hauck- so. I admit a bias against them. They don’t appear to have the offensive weapons of say the Ags and EWU, but defense always gets you far.

yes we can beat them. But, need to do it and get the monkey off the back.

Watching Montana- western Illinois. I haver never been so thrilled as when the Ags went into Missoula and gave Montana and Bobby Hauck their worst drubbing at Washington-Grizzly ever (2018)

Use Tompkins as a flanker.

Get out the duct tape for the chain pole. I think refs should carry a multi- tool.

Yes fair catches have their place. But I will say that he doesn’t let the ball hit and roll like a lot of conservative returners. So, all in all, he has save a lot of yardage.

Well I guess hard to work on the running game with guys getting open.