MIAA Pick'em - Week 1

[Muledad]

UCM
Washburn
UNK
ESU
NWMSU
UCO

[Bigbadbod]

Lincoln @ Washburn. The Mike Racey 'Give Us Your Poor, Downtrodden & Rotten Refuse' Bowl. Abe! Again!! A name synonymous with "BYE" (Thanks so much, Mike!). I'm too lazy to look but if I remember, in all the years that the black and blue Blah Tigers have played in the MIAA they have exactly 1 (ONE) win--and that at home against the Lopers back when UNK was still a struggling junior high school. Tonight's Bye: Even Schurig subbing the cheerleaders in the third quarter will not slow this slaughter fest. Washburn 133, Abe 00 (Prediction: Highest number of injuries for an MIAA game--50, and lowest number in crowd attendance--100).

UNK @ Missouri Southern. I shouldn't care a dime about this one...and mostly I don't. UNK seemed to improve a bit last year...but probably not. Anyway, no problem tonight. Year in, year out, the artsy music lovers in Joplin seem to actually enjoy losing, and actually relish the dark, dank MIAA cellar, so much so that when Mike Racey honored us by bringing Lincoln back on board once again many in the Ozarks were miffed that Abe might somehow usurp Southern's one and only sports claim to fame, viz., always being first at always being last. Speed Goats 31, Southern Song Birds 16.

FHSU @ UCM. 'Tis the "Year of the Braying Beast." The Big Red Asses will Rock, Roll, & Rule the MIAA this year. Why? 1) Boda finally pulls his headquarters out of his hindquarters and actually coaches; 2) the Burg will be totally red, randy and ready for a championship; and 3) a guy named Bolles will have an injury-free season that will witness him in 2020 either suitin' up on Sundays or slingin' pigs in Canada on Fridays. UCM 33, Fort Flop State 13.

PSU @ UCO. Game of the Week. With the absurd silo scheduling whoever loses this one will find themselves pretty much behind the matzo ball for pretty much the rest of the season. Because there are so many questions yet unanswered over in the Planet of the Apes, the 'Rillas could benefit from at least one OC match-up much more than the 'Chos. Still, even with the numerous first game gaffs, goofs and guffaws, this one will be a Kick-Ass Classic. UCO is rising; Pitt is falling. UCO 27, Pitt 26.

NSU @ ESU. Must be a proximity thing but the Hornets are once again faithfully following the Ichabods wherever they lead--this time they are sliding solidly behind the Bods into the World of MIAA Mediocrity and Mundaness. And like the Banal Bods, the Insipid Bees seem perfectly content with their so-so seasonal standings year after year, sun rise, sun set, sun rise, sun set. Fact is: A number of MIAA athletic departments, the Bods and the Bees included, need some serious overhauling from the top down. Buzz State 27, River Squawks 13.

NWMSU @ MWSU. Nothing says "Death to Silo Scheduling" better than this game. Big Rivalries ideally come in the middle/late season when they really mean something, not in the first flipping game of the year in hundred-degree weather! Don't need to add to that since it don't need no addin'. Thugs 44, Barely Bearcats 35.


Postscript: And a final pox on "Mumblin' Jim" and "Spacey" Racey for giving us Lincoln, Rogers, Newman, Haskell, Bacone, and Ozark Bible College, and for their obvious lack of concern for the loss of pride, prestige and cachet in the MIAA. And this stupid "silo" crap. Imagine, three big games to open the season: NW @ MW, Pitt @ UCO and FHSU @ UCM. Ideally, all 6 of these league hopefuls should be meeting at least two weeks deep into the season after the bugs have been removed and all are hitting on 8 cylinders with maximum mo. But nope. Fact is, the better teams may not even win in these first silo tilts and yet it will take half the season for them to catch up, if they catch up at all.

(Expert predictions and keen analysis provided by BBB Sports Solutions, Inc.)

[GoCatsGo5]

Fort Hays State
Washburn
Nebraska Kearney
Emporia State
Northwest Missouri
Central Oklahoma

[HookemHerd]

Fort Hays State @ Central MissouriWashburn - WU wins by 21. Both teams are undisciplined.
Nebraska KearneyEmporia State - kick the sh** out of them.
Northwest Missouri @ Missouri Western - Absolutely terrible this is happening in week one. NW wins and is more prepared. (Probably need to look into the practice of NW players filming summer player run 7on7s and having coaches review and correct). Kind of cheating.
Pittsburg State @ Central Oklahoma - shame this is happening. I should expect UCO to blow it early in the season but be world beaters later on. But have faith they can win.

[ESUyouknowwhattodo]

Fort Hays State @ Central Missouri
Lincoln @ Washburn
Nebraska Kearney @ Missouri Southern
Northeastern State @ Emporia State
Northwest Missouri @ Missouri Western
Pittsburg State @ Central Oklahoma

[Randy]

I'm too lazy to look but if I remember, in all the years that the black and blue Blah Tigers have played in the MIAA they have exactly 1 (ONE) win--and that at home against the Lopers back when UNK was still a struggling junior high school.

Lincoln will be putting a 2 game MIAA winning streak on the line. Their final 2 MIAA games in 2013 were home wins over Northeastern & Baptist. Two teams that were at the bottom with Kearney.

[GorillaTeacher]

Fort Hays State @ Central Missouri
Lincoln @ Washburn
Nebraska Kearney @ Missouri Southern
Northeastern State @ Emporia State
Northwest Missouri @ Missouri Western
Pittsburg State @ Central Oklahoma

[Psycho]

Fort Hays State @ Central Missouri
Lincoln @ Washburn
Nebraska Kearney @ Missouri Southern
Northeastern State @ Emporia State
Northwest Missouri @ Missouri Western
Pittsburg State @ Central Oklahoma

[GorillasAllDay]

UCM
Washburn
UNK
Emporia
Northwest
Pitt state

[da_miner]

Fort Hays State @ Central Missouri
Lincoln @ Washburn
Nebraska Kearney @ Missouri Southern
Northeastern State @ Emporia State
Northwest Missouri @ Missouri Western
Pittsburg State @ Central Oklahoma

[Sac Cat]

Sept 05
Fort Hays State @ Central Missouri
Lincoln @ Washburn
Nebraska Kearney @ Missouri Southern
Northeastern State @ Emporia State
Northwest Missouri @ Missouri Western
Pittsburg State @ Central Oklahoma

[MisterWizard]

[transparent58]

Fort Hays State @ Central Missouri
Lincoln @ Washburn
Nebraska Kearney @ Missouri Southern
Northeastern State @ Emporia State
Northwest Missouri @ Missouri Western
Pittsburg State @ Central Oklahoma

[Predatory Primates]

I did Pick UNO this week, as I think a disciplined, veteran team has the edge here, but who knows. I agree that Southern is a complete sreboot and the last several years mean nothing.

[MisterWizard]