Montana Grizzlies take perfect 11-0 record into playoffs

The University of Montana Grizzlies defeated their cross-state rival, the Bobcats of Montana State University, 33-19, on a cold, blustery day in Bozeman.

The Football Championship Series will begin this next Saturday, with the Grizzlies of Missoula hosting a first-round playoff game.  The Grizzlies grabbed the number ONE seed, which I believe they deserve, but must have surprised many of the Eastern Conferences.  The Grizzly opponent will be South Dakota State.

Here is a schedule for the First Round of the FCS Playoff games on November 28, 2009:


November 28 at Missoula, Montana
South Dakota St. (8-3) at No. 1 Montana (11-0)
November 28 at Nacogdoches, Texas
Eastern Wash. (8-3) at Stephen F. Austin (9-2)
November 28 at Richmond, Virginia
Elon (9-2) at No. 4 Richmond (10-1)
November 28 at Boone, North Carolina (ESPNU/ESPNUHD at Noon ET)
South Carolina St. (10-1) at Appalachian St. (9-2)
November 28 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Holy Cross (9-2) at No. 2 Villanova (10-1)
November 28 at Lake Charles, Louisiana
New Hampshire (9-2) at McNeese St. (9-2)
November 28 at Carbondale, Illinois
Eastern Ill. (8-3) at No. 2 Southern Ill. (10-1)
November 28 at Williamsburg, Virginia
Weber St. (7-4) at William & Mary (9-2)

This is a link to the 2009 NCAA FCS Playoff Brackets.

In over 100 years of Grizzly football, only five teams have gone undefeated through the entire regular season.  The Grizzlies have been undefeated in Big Sky Conferenc play, but usually their has been a Division 1-A BCS team on the pre-season schedule that ruined a potential undefeated season right from the start.

The 2009 UM Grizzlies are now ready to match up against the best of the FCS teams.  The top 16 will be chosen for the playoffs.  The Griz anticipate being one of the top FOUR seeds, which will guarantee them two home playoff games, assuming they continue to win.  They were ranked #3 prior to the Bobcat game, and it is unlikely that the Bobcat game will change any of the voters minds about the Grizzly team power.  Many voters seem to believe that the Big Sky Conference does not provide as tough a schedule as some of the other teams face, thus even though the Grizzlies are the ONLY undefeated team, they remained a big question mark for voters back East for the entire season.  Now, however, with FCS Conference leaders doing the voting and seeding, the Montana team may finally be recognized as deserving of the Number One Ranking.  

The Montana Grizzlies will now have an opportunity to prove themselves on the football field against the best that the FCS Division has to offer.