RFC Summer Semester: Frontier Conference (FC) Preview (NAIA)

Frontier Conference (FC)--NAIA

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2013 Final Standings

Looking back: The Carroll College (Mont.) Saints won yet another Frontier Conference (FC) championship in 2013, going 9-1 in conference play, while finishing 12-2 overall. In the NAIA playoffs, the Saints advanced to the national semifinals before their season ended with a tough 34-27 loss to the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.).

The only other team from the FC to advance to postseason play was the Rocky Mountain College Bears, who fell to Morningside, 40-21, in the first round.

Looking ahead: Carroll once again should be the team to beat in the Frontier Conference going into the 2014 season. In off-the-field news, the College of Idaho joins the league, while Dickinson State out of North Dakota departs to join the fledgling North Star Athletic Association.

Predicted order of finish (2013 overall record in parentheses):

1. Carroll (Mont.)--(12-2):  The Saints enter the 2014 season ranked No. 2 in the NAIA spring coaches poll. And with so much talent coming back, including All-Americans such as linebacker Sean Blomquist and running back Dustin Rinker, there's no reason they add yet another Frontier Conference crown this fall.

2. Rocky Mountain (8-4):  Believe it or not, however, the Saints will likely have company in the Top 10 to start the season, as the Bears were ranked 10th in that same spring coaches poll.  They'll try to build on their first postseason appearance since 1999.

3. Southern Oregon (7-4): And No. 24 makes three. As in three teams from the Frontier finishing in the Top 25 at the end of the spring. Expect the Raiders to make a big push for the league crown, and maybe more, this season, as they hope to earn their second playoff appearance in three seasons.

4. Eastern Oregon (6-5):  A season-ending four-game winning streak following an 0-4 start has the Mountaineers and their fans thinking bigger and better things for 2014.

5. Montana Western (4-6):  Head Coach B.J. Robertson returns for his second season at the Bulldog helm, hoping that his team can contend for the conference title, as well as a potential playoff berth.

6. Montana State-Northern (4-6): After starting the 2013 season at 4-1, it was "lights out" for the Lights going down the stretch, as they lost five straight games to close out the campaign. It's a situation they must avoid if they have any chance at postseason play at the end of the 2014 season.

7. Montana Tech (3-7):  The Orediggers hope to turn things around a disappointing 2013 season which saw them finish seventh (out of eight teams) in the Frontier Conference.

8. College of Idaho (n/a):  The 'Yotes, which is short for the Coyotes, will take to the football field for the first time since 1977. Their head coach is former NFL quarterback and UC Davis head coach Mike Moroski.

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