In part due to the team's strong season last year, which included a home playoff win over New Hampshire, MSU is ranked fourth entering 2012
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcats Enter 2012 Ranked Fourth in the Nation
8/14/2012 7:42:00 AM | Football
MSU earns highest preseason ranking since at least 1985
A year after landing in the top spot of a national poll for the first time in more than three decades, Montana State opens the 2012 campaign ranked fourth in the land by The Sports Network.
The Bobcats pace three Big Sky Conference squads on The Sports Network's preseason top 25. Montana is 11th, while Eastern Washington is 12th.
Familiar names pepper this year's preseason poll. Sam Houston State, last year's national runner-up which defeated the Bobcats in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs, enter the 2012 as the top-ranked team, while defending national champion North Dakota State is ranked second. New Hampshire, the team MSU beat in its second-round playoff game a year ago, is 14th. Stephen F. Austin, MSU's home opponent on September 15, is ranked 20th.
MSU opened 2011 ranked sixth in The Sports Network's poll, in which FCS media and sports information personnel vote, and closed the campaign ranked seventh after losing to eventual national runner-up Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals. In between, MSU spent one week at fifth, four at fourth, two at third, two at second, and one in the top spot.
With that in mind, Rob Ash finds value in a high preseason ranking. “It's a complement to our program, which we all appreciate,” Ash said. “But it's also important because if you take advantage of it by playing well and having a good season it helps at the end of the season in terms of playoff seeding.”
Then Ash smiled the smile of experience. “But, it doesn't matter if you don't take advantage of it by playing well.”
The Bobcats open the 2012 season on August 30 by hosting Chadron State in MSU's first night home game. Kickoff is 7 pm.
1. Sam Houston State (79), 14-1, 3,708
2. North Dakota State (59), 14-1, 2,625
3. Georgia Southern (6), 11-3, 3,249
4. Montana State (3), 10-3, 3,217
5. James Madison (3), 8-5, 2,812
6. Appalachian State (1), 8-4, 2,800
7. Towson, 9-3, 2,674
8. Old Dominion, 10-3, 2,484
9. Northern Iowa, 10-3, 2,168
10. Wofford, 8-4, 2,080
11. Montana, 11-3, 2,018
12. Eastern Washington, 6-5, 1,897
13. Youngstown State (1), 6-5, 1,860
14. New Hamsphire, 8-4, 1,857
15. Delaware, 7-4, 1,810
16. Lehigh, 11-2, 1,514
17. Stony Brook, 9-4, 1,339
18. Eastern Kentucky, 7-5, 1,055
19. Illinois State, 7-4, 1,052
20. Stephen F. Austin, 6-5, 863
21. Maine, 9-4, 721
22. Jacksonville State, 7-4, 625
23. Indiana State, 6-5, 522
24. Central Arkansas, 9-4, 508
25. Harvard, 9-1, 477
The Bobcats pace three Big Sky Conference squads on The Sports Network's preseason top 25. Montana is 11th, while Eastern Washington is 12th.
Familiar names pepper this year's preseason poll. Sam Houston State, last year's national runner-up which defeated the Bobcats in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs, enter the 2012 as the top-ranked team, while defending national champion North Dakota State is ranked second. New Hampshire, the team MSU beat in its second-round playoff game a year ago, is 14th. Stephen F. Austin, MSU's home opponent on September 15, is ranked 20th.
MSU opened 2011 ranked sixth in The Sports Network's poll, in which FCS media and sports information personnel vote, and closed the campaign ranked seventh after losing to eventual national runner-up Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals. In between, MSU spent one week at fifth, four at fourth, two at third, two at second, and one in the top spot.
With that in mind, Rob Ash finds value in a high preseason ranking. “It's a complement to our program, which we all appreciate,” Ash said. “But it's also important because if you take advantage of it by playing well and having a good season it helps at the end of the season in terms of playoff seeding.”
Then Ash smiled the smile of experience. “But, it doesn't matter if you don't take advantage of it by playing well.”
The Bobcats open the 2012 season on August 30 by hosting Chadron State in MSU's first night home game. Kickoff is 7 pm.
1. Sam Houston State (79), 14-1, 3,708
2. North Dakota State (59), 14-1, 2,625
3. Georgia Southern (6), 11-3, 3,249
4. Montana State (3), 10-3, 3,217
5. James Madison (3), 8-5, 2,812
6. Appalachian State (1), 8-4, 2,800
7. Towson, 9-3, 2,674
8. Old Dominion, 10-3, 2,484
9. Northern Iowa, 10-3, 2,168
10. Wofford, 8-4, 2,080
11. Montana, 11-3, 2,018
12. Eastern Washington, 6-5, 1,897
13. Youngstown State (1), 6-5, 1,860
14. New Hamsphire, 8-4, 1,857
15. Delaware, 7-4, 1,810
16. Lehigh, 11-2, 1,514
17. Stony Brook, 9-4, 1,339
18. Eastern Kentucky, 7-5, 1,055
19. Illinois State, 7-4, 1,052
20. Stephen F. Austin, 6-5, 863
21. Maine, 9-4, 721
22. Jacksonville State, 7-4, 625
23. Indiana State, 6-5, 522
24. Central Arkansas, 9-4, 508
25. Harvard, 9-1, 477
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