Zach Bartlow was the Offensive Player of the Game

@11_zbartlow @EOUAthletics #NAIAFootball @racetodaytona @Play_NAIA

On a day when Montana Tech was without their two biggest offensive threats (due to injuries incurred in previous games), Eastern Oregon University came through for the Frontier Conference without generating an offensive touchdown. This could mark the third year in a row in which a Frontier Conference team makes the national championship game without winning the Frontier Conference. Why is it, again, that the coaches see fit to send only two Frontier Conference teams to the playoffs?

Marian was ranked #1 all season long. Yet they are now 1-3 versus Frontier Conference teams. Massey has Marian at #4 after yesterday’s loss, just two positions ahead of Montana Western, a team the coaches didn’t think should be in the playoffs. Marian’s conference had two teams in the coaches’ top 5 all season long while the Frontier Conference never had more than one team in the top 8. Hmmmmmm….

Up next for EOU is Baker on the road. Massey has EOU as a 70% favorite. Massey has Baker just two spots ahead of Southern Oregon University, another team not in the playoffs even though Baker got home field throughout (while playing no one in Massey’s top 11 and only one team in Massey’s top 20).

Posted on November 27th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: football, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on EOU becomes favorite to make trip to Daytona

Eastern Oregon @ Southern Oregon in a 9-photo photomerge @ Raider Stadium in the rain

It isn’t often that I find myself cheering for Eastern Oregon. Although Massey gave EOU only a 7% chance of victory today, and Massey predicted 41 points for Marian, the score at halftime is EOU 10 and Marian 0. Eastern’s offense hasn’t done anything. The touchdown came via a pick 6.

Maybe the Frontier Conference is even stronger than Massey thought…

Posted on November 26th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: football, photoshop photomerge, Raider Athletics, rain. Comments Off on Eastern Oregon over Marian at the half

Marcus Montano

#21 Keegan Lawrence

#11 Isiah Carter

Julius Rucker

#12 Devvon Gage

Christmas Aumua

Louis Desprez

#72 Tylor King

Matt Retzlaff

Posted on November 23rd, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: christmas aumua, colin davis, devvon gage, football, isiah carter, jacob proul, julius rucker, keegan lawrence, louis desprez, Marcus Montano, Matt Retzlaff, Raider Athletics, sports photography, tylor king. Comments Off on Nine Raiders named to All-Conference Team

@EOUAthletics @MontanaTechFB @MTechDiggers #NAIAFootball @racetodaytona @Play_NAIA

As predicted, the Frontier Conference teams beat their opponents in the first round of the NAIA football playoffs (even though the NAIA coaches seeded them much lower than Massey and hence EOU had to hit the road to win). Also as predicted, some of those non-Frontier Conference playoff teams did not belong in the playoffs, many losing by 30 or more points. Missouri Valley lost by 59 points!

I know the coaches aren’t listening to me, but a grass-roots effort to change the current system has to start somewhere. First of all, two teams from incredibly weak conferences should not be going to the playoffs. The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, for instance, pretty much is a lock for two teams even though those two teams nearly always get creamed in the first round. Tabor and Sterling lost by a combined score of 109-38. The Heart of America Conference is already split into divisions. Taking more than one team from each division is unfair. Missouri Valley showed why a team finishing second in a Heart of America Conference division doesn’t deserve a playoff game. Three or four teams from a conference that has sent exactly one team to the national championship ever? Please.

SOU won the national championship in 2014 without winning the Frontier Conference. The Raiders also made it to the national championship game in 2015 without winning the Frontier Conference. A Frontier Conference team has made it to the national championship game in 10 of the last 14 years (winning the championship in 7 of those years). So why do the coaches fix the voting so that no more than two Frontier Conference teams get in the playoffs but two go from KCAC and three or four go from HOAC?

Massey has Montana Tech at #2 and Eastern Oregon at #4. Both are deserving of another home game in the playoffs, but the coaches have voted for the teams with easier schedules to get home games instead. EOU will likely get beat by Marian on the road this weekend. Montana Tech, if they are healthy, has a good chance of beating Reinhardt on the road.

Posted on November 20th, 2016 under only in ashland. Tags: football. Comments Off on Frontier Conference battles on

Kalan Hoedl

@SOURaiders @SOU_Football

Jacob Proul

Posted on November 15th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: football, jacob proul, kalan hoedl, Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED AF-S VR, Nikon D500, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on Senior Day (part 6 of 6)

Jose Sanchez

@SOURaiders @SOU_Football

Tylor King

Connor Astley

Posted on November 14th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: connor astley, football, jose sanchez, Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED AF-S VR, Nikon D500, Raider Athletics, sports photography, tylor king. Comments Off on Senior Day (part 5)

Austin Schmidt

@SOURaiders @SOU_Football @theschmidtera

Sean McShane and Coach Greg Stewart

Kyle Alexander

Posted on November 13th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: austin schmidt, football, Greg Stewart, kyle alexander, Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED AF-S VR, Nikon D500, Raider Athletics, sean mcshane, sports photography. Comments Off on Senior Day (part 4)

Colin Davis

@SOURaiders @SOU_Football @Rollpride @DJ_SNEAKERHEAD

DJ Willingham and Coach Craig Howard

Jake Scarminach

Posted on November 13th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: colin davis, dj willingham, football, Nikon D500, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on Senior Day (part 3)

Montana Tech in Raider Stadium

@EOUAthletics @MontanaTechFB @MTechDiggers #NAIAFootball @racetodaytona @Play_NAIA

No ranting this time…

Game 1 – Robert Morris (Ill.) (7-3) at Marian (Ind.) (10-0)
Game 2 – Sterling (Kan.) (8-2) at Baker (Kan.) (11-0)
Game 3 – Southeastern (Fla.) (6-2) at Reinhardt (Ga.) (11-0)
Game 4 – Missouri Valley (9-2) at Saint Francis (Ind.) (9-1)
Game 5 – Tabor (Kan.) (8-2) at Morningside (Iowa) (9-1)
Game 6 – Dickinson State (N.D.) (9-2) at Montana Tech (9-1)
Game 7 – Eastern Oregon (8-2) at Doane (Neb.) (9-1)
Game 8 – Grand View (Iowa) (9-2) at Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (10-1)

Montana Tech has earned a home playoff game. Eastern Oregon has not (although Massey has Eastern Oregon at #3).

Many of these playoff teams are mediocre at best. They would finish in 8th or 9th place if they were in the Frontier Conference. Those teams include Missouri Valley, Robert Morris, Southeastern (Florida), Sterling, Tabor, and Dickinson State. These teams will get crushed in the first round. If Montana Western and/or SOU were in the playoffs, that would not be the case.

Massey hasn’t made predictions for these games yet, but based on Massey Ratings as of now, I’m guess Massey will disagree with the coaches when it comes to Eastern Oregon at Doane. The coaches have Doane at #7 and Eastern Oregon at #9. EOU should win by two touchdowns, even on the road. Montana Tech should win by more than three touchdowns.

NAIA headquarters are in Kansas City so it’s not surprising that a weak conference like the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference has two teams in the playoffs even though neither of those teams are in Massey’s top 35.

I lied. There was some ranting. Sorry. However, the coaches’ poll blows and needs to be replaced.

Posted on November 13th, 2016 under only in ashland. Tags: football, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, Nikon D500, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on NAIA football postseason