Well now it’s really getting fun. Jeff and I have been covering this team for 20 weeks now (14 games, 2 byes, and 4 weeks of training camp) and NDSU sits a win away from playing for the national championship. I don’t think I have to tell anyone though that this is the best team the Bison have faced all season. A look at the Georgia Southern stats in a minute. But first a history lesson…
As most of you know, the Eagles were supposed to come to Fargo back on September 10th of this season, but they bought out of the game, here’s my original post on that story: http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/2010/10/29/georgia-southern-is-out/
It only seems fitting that the Eagles now have to come to Fargo, the football gods say these two teams must play this season. Georgia Southern is good. This is not the team NDSU beat 34-14 back in 2006 in Statesboro, and some of their numbers are ridiculous.
Rushing Yards the past 4 games:
- vs Wofford: 290
- vs Alabama: 302 (scored 21 points, most Crimson Tide allowed all year)
- vs Old Dominion: 477 (Defensive coaching staff fired after game)
- vs Maine: 360
The old tried and true notion is if you want to beat NDSU you have to run the football. Georgia Southern hasn’t had a problem doing that all year.
I saw plenty of comments about TV coverage in our PostGame Video Blog yesterday, just wanted to clear a couple things up. The NDSU-Georgia Southern game will be shown on ESPN U Saturday at 1:30, which appromixately 46 million people get here in the U.S. and most importantly nearly everyone gets in the Fargo-Moorhead area, available on DirecTV, Dish Network, MidContinent and Cable One(with digital cable) NDSU specifically requested for the Saturday game to avoid any conflicts with graduation on Friday and to be honest, ESPN was going to chose Montana and Sam Houston State for name recognition and market size. Montana is a known quantity and after what ESPN saw Friday night with 25,000 in the stands and with Sam Houston being an hour from Houston, that’s what won out over Fargo, I’d say the average college fan would have a hard time locating where Georgia Southern is. To be honest, it’s better for tailgating and the amount of exposure NDSU will get will be huge, just think of other sports that have been on ESPN U recently, Men’s Basketball at Iowa State, Softball the last 2 years in the NCAA Tournament and Midnight Madness a couple years ago.
We have a big week planned, stories every night on WDAY 6 Sports and our new video blog will be up tomorrow!
to try and make the argument that it is good we are ESPNU and not ESPN is just plain ridiculous.
ESPN U…really? The argument that it is a high profile channel is laughable, just as Johnny said. Simply put – very few people care about FCS football.
It doesn’t matter if it were on ABC/NBC/CBS/ESPN or ESPNU…the same fans are going to watch the game: the ones that have a close relationship with the teams already. We aren’t going to pull in random viewers either night. Saturday is better for the fans…of both the game and tailgating. Tailgating would be abysmal on Friday, no one will take off work for it, except the extreme hardcores. Plus, the team gets an extra day to prepare and maintain their schedule. Quit crying about Friday/ESPN, we weren’t going to pick up extra viewers, so we might as well let our fans get the most enjoyment out of the experience.
I saw no argument that ESPN U was better than ESPN. All I saw was that Dom stated was that it would be at a better time for tailgating. Howver, a potential audience of 46 million, for a semi-final game indicates that far more people care about FCS football than about teh hockies.
I do have a question about why the other game was a shoe-in for the Friday night game. Location recognition Fargo vs Missoula Montana. Thanks to movie, everyone knows about Fargo, Missoula not so much. The other teams Sam Houston an hour out of Houston vs Ga. Southern, a couple of hours outside of Atlanta, not sure I see any advantage there. Seems to me that a #2 vs #3 game would be more interesting game than a #1 vs #4.game.
The 19,000 of us in the dome on Saturday will be far more important this week than those watching the game on TV. Worry about getting those vocal cords in shape and make sure Georgia Southern remembers the day they played the Bison.
Having the game on Saturday also gives the team an extra day to prep for the triple option and gives Heagle and Smith an extra day to heal. This is bad for national exposure but better for the locals and better for the team right now.
Dom, Keep.justifying the ESPNU thing and it keeps making you laughable.
NDSU ALREADY REQUESTED AND GAVE ESPN “OUT”
Total smalltime move, and graduation at the BSA was already set.
Silent Bob and TS, great comments.
ESPN is not a big draw on Friday nights. ESPNU is geared towards college sports so an average fan wanting to see college sports will be tuned to it on Saturday. Lakes, take a breath with your Jimmy Big time attitude. I agree with you on a lot of things when you keep it positive, but your bashing of your favorited teams gets a bit old. If you want to bash, bash the vikings. They are on Fox every week and should not even be on PBS.
Out here.
My thinking is that ESPN is on in 90% of the bars across the country, doesn’t matter what is on. ESPNU just isn’t the same in that its not a “go to” channel for bars. Even if it was, I’m guessing that far fewer people are out having beers with their buddies at 1:30 on a Saturday afternoon.
Either way, its done, it works out well this way for most. Although, Ga. Southern having one less day to pre-pare for NDSU would have maybe done us more good than them. (because they’d really have 2 less days to prepare than normal since Thurs would be a travel day instead of Friday now)
Jeff, I was great to talk football with you after the game Saturday.
What is all the talk about TV coverage. Who cares. Get your tickets and yell your heads off. Tickets purchased, cooler filled, warm gear in truck.
GO BISON
The best way to get exposure is to win titles. Our best opportunity to get to the title game is playing on Saturday IMO.
Go Bison!
Just a little off topic but wanted to throw this out there: I’m a 100% Bison but what is with the color schemes they are pushing for the fans on Saturday? Seems to be a ploy to sell more green shirts.
NDSU is gonna need to score saturday, MWILL could provide explosiveness. Itd be nice to see a slant to him, a randy moss deep throw or a MWILL SWEEP!
no matter how great NDSU’s defense is, we gonna need POINTS.
NDSU needs to score? Really! Did you figure that out all by yourself or did you have help?
It’s great that people can view the game this week on ESPN U who are not able to make the game, but “national exposure”??? No kid in the south will grow up dreaming of playing for the Bison because they saw them play on ESPN U. “TS” nailed it, “It doesn’t matter if it were on ABC/NBC/CBS/ESPN or ESPNU…the same fans are going to watch the game.” and its all about rating for the cable networks. Besides the four schools remaining and their alumni, no one cares about the Division IAA football playoffs.
The problem is nobody cares about the bottom tier of FBS either. Mid-American, Sun Belt and WAC.
Did you know that the Mid-American Championship Game only had 13,000 people attend the game. Really…..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_MAC_Championship_Game
So I think the problem is sistemic of who really cares (outside of alumni) once you get out of the 5 FBS / BCS Conferences.
I think it is much more exciting to be cheering on a number of playoff games with 18,000+ of my friends.
GO BISON!
It is no comparison. ESPN is a lot better than ESPNU. Most sports fans check out ESPN long before they search into some of the other sports channel choices. I agree with other people though that unless youare a follower of a team in the FCS playoffs you aren’t going to watch the game no matter who is playing.
Since ESPN and ESPNU are two channels away from each other on my onscreen guide, I can see what’s on both channels at the same time. I’m not likely to pick what’s on ESPN simply because it’s not ESPNU.
But all of the schools that aren’t playing football now would sure love to be in the same position as NDSU football.
National semifinals, at home, sellout, on national ESPNU TV!
America’s greatest sport and NDSU football sure is creating a big-time buzz!!
I know this isnt Dom’s fault But on wday at 6 why are the first couple interviewed people (arthur fire dept & northern turf dorks) wearing und crap. How embarassing is life for those 2 guys. you’d think theyd realize theres a team in thier own towns in the national football semifinals.
it is better to be on ESPN than ESPNU plain and simple… and if you cannot tell the difference you are stupid