D2 National Championship + I-AA semi-finals on TV

[Young Drachma]

Let's just say, watching this game, there is a clear difference in the levels of talent and where they draft off after you leave FCS and FBS.

Feels like a high school game, by and large. I imagine the crowd at the Tucker game last night was bigger than what they've got down in Florence, AL right now for this D2 championship.

Minnesota Duluth vs. Northwest Missouri State.

[JonInMiddleGA]

When I saw your thread title I couldn't help but wonder whether there weren't also more people watching the GHSA championships last night/today than will watch the D2 game.

[kcchief19]

Sure, the players are a smaller, slower and less talented than at bigger schools. But Rod Smith went into the Division II Football Hall of Fame this weekend and I know there wasn't anybody at the Tucker game last night that could have guarded him. Darrell Green could have guarded him -- he's in the DII Hall of Fame too. The first guy in the DII Football Hall of Fame was a running back -- a guy named Walter Payton.

My point: They are good kids and work hard. That's worthy of our respect.

[kcchief19]

When I saw your thread title I couldn't help but wonder whether there weren't also more people watching the GHSA championships last night/today than will watch the D2 game.
I've had it on and off so I haven't seen a shot of the crowd. But how many people would have been at the GHSA championships if they were played in Maryville, Missouri, or Duluth, Minnesota?

Then again, up here in the midwest, high school football is just something you do before basketball season starts; :)

Too bad to see the Bearcats struggling. Doesn't matter that they won back-to-back titles in '98-'99 -- this is their fourth straight title game appearance and they've lost the last three entering today. The KC paper was comparing them to the Buffalo Bills.

Their '99 win maybe the most entertaining football game I've ever seen. The Bearcats were down 16 points late in the fourth quarter and finally won in four overtimes.

[JonInMiddleGA]

But how many people would have been at the GHSA championships if they were played in Maryville, Missouri, or Duluth, Minnesota?

I was thinking more of the TV audience than the butts in seats.

[Young Drachma]

Sure, the players are a smaller, slower and less talented than at bigger schools. But Rod Smith went into the Division II Football Hall of Fame this weekend and I know there wasn't anybody at the Tucker game last night that could have guarded him. Darrell Green could have guarded him -- he's in the DII Hall of Fame too. The first guy in the DII Football Hall of Fame was a running back -- a guy named Walter Payton.

My point: They are good kids and work hard. That's worthy of our respect.

I didn't really mean to be dismissive about them. I'm a former D3 athlete and I was mostly making a judgment vis a vis D1 football versus what we're seeing on TV right now.

[Young Drachma]

I've had it on and off so I haven't seen a shot of the crowd. But how many people would have been at the GHSA championships if they were played in Maryville, Missouri, or Duluth, Minnesota?

Then again, up here in the midwest, high school football is just something you do before basketball season starts; :)

Too bad to see the Bearcats struggling. Doesn't matter that they won back-to-back titles in '98-'99 -- this is their fourth straight title game appearance and they've lost the last three entering today. The KC paper was comparing them to the Buffalo Bills.

Their '99 win maybe the most entertaining football game I've ever seen. The Bearcats were down 16 points late in the fourth quarter and finally won in four overtimes.

They're playing this game on a neutral site in Alabama, it's not a home game for either team, but it probably would be better to do it somewhere that fans could actually come.

[JonInMiddleGA]

They're playing this game on a neutral site in Alabama, it's not a home game for either team, but it probably would be better to do it somewhere that fans could actually come.

I'm guessing the location made more sense back in the 90's when North Alabama was in the midst of their title run than it does now.

[Young Drachma]

I'm guessing the location made more sense back in the 90's when North Alabama was in the midst of their title run than it does now.

I was thinking that, too.

[kcchief19]

They're playing this game on a neutral site in Alabama, it's not a home game for either team, but it probably would be better to do it somewhere that fans could actually come.
Florence, Alabama seems like one of the most remote places you could play the game. I guess it's like Omaha and the College World Series; the city supports it and that's what makes it work. It's a trek from Maryville and Duluth to get to Florence, and Florence looks like it's hell and gone from anywhere major -- Memphis, Nashville and even Birmingham look to be 2-3 hours away.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And I say any/all of this speaking as someone who traveled to a neutral site I-AA title game and sat in a freezing rain to watch a game where I had only the vaguest connection to either team (knew the father of the punter for one team).

[Young Drachma]

At least NW Mo. St. scored. It was getting ugly there seeing them not putting up any points. 21-7 Duluth.

[kcchief19]

Never say die with the Bearcats ... they seem to have nine lives.

[kcchief19]

Onside kick time.

[kcchief19]

It looked like Minnesota Duluth fell on the ball but I'm not sure he actually had control of it. No way the official who made the call could have known for sure he had possession of it at the bottom of the pile.

[mckerney]

Then again, up here in the midwest, high school football is just something you do before <s>basketball</s> hockey season starts; :)

Fix'd

[mckerney]

It looked like Minnesota Duluth fell on the ball but I'm not sure he actually had control of it. No way the official who made the call could have known for sure he had possession of it at the bottom of the pile.

From what it looked like on the limited replay angles they have it was a bad call. Too bad, I was hoping NW Missouri State would pull it out.

[Young Drachma]

The Northern Iowa-Richmond NCAA Semi-Final is on now too. The Kurt Warners are playing at home at the UNI Dome. Should be interesting to see how that goes...

[Chubby]

how do these athletes not only live after a playoff but still pass their classes?!?!?!?!?!?

[wade moore]

The Northern Iowa-Richmond NCAA Semi-Final is on now too. The Kurt Warners are playing at home at the UNI Dome. Should be interesting to see how that goes...


Go SPIDERS!

After a devestating loss by JMU yesterday, they're the CAA's last hope.

JMU was doomed when their superstud QB went down just before halftime. Their backup put up a valiant effort, but it just wasn't enough.

[terpkristin]

That was a great end to the Richmond - UNI game. I was over at a friend's house watching, he's a Richmond alum. I'll probably watch the final with him, too. He's a guy that doesn't drink, he said if he'd had anything alcoholic in the house, he'd have been slamming them back in the 2nd half.

/tk

[kcchief19]

I'm a Valley guy so I had to root for UNI. That was a great comeback by Richmond. Can't believe UNI couldn't get the first down to run out the clock. Once Richmond got stopped on fourth down, it seemed like it was over. Great effort by the Spiders.

[Young Drachma]

I'm excited for the Richmond v. Montana FCS championship. Should be awesome.