I'm going to give MajorSpartan the benefit of the doubt and assume he was joking about Mount. Please, Major, tell us your were joking?

The cards fell right for CMU last year in terms of schedule and team composition the same way they fell this year for CWRU. The UAA has been most competitive these past few years since the run by WUStl and it makes for a much more interesting league. Even Chicago got into the championship mix. It is justified for Spartan fans to be optimistic about next year just as it was for Tartan fans this season with the number of returning starters they have. Great players like Brew and Lewis are always missed when they graduate but such is the nature of college ball. WUStl hasn't quite been the same since they lost Brad Duesing and Wethington. As always, it will get down to many variables and factors such as offseason dedication, who actually returns next year and whether they improve or not, how next year's teams gel in terms of chemistry, and, according to Major Spartan, how many players show up to play from those who were admitted to school, right?

Just kidding, of course, but, as several have said, let's focus on Case advancing to the championship game of its bracket. They have a somewhat better draw than CMU did last year playing Wabash instead of a outstanding and productive Wesley team. The bracket is more wide open now, especially with No.1 seed W & J knocked out.

Good Luck Spartans. Make all of us UAA fans proud.

Congratulations to Case Western and Carnegie Mellon on your huge come from behind wins yesterday. "Unusual suspect"? I hope not any more. This is now the second year in a row the UAA has won a first round playoff game. Last year CMU shut out Millsaps. When will the good football being played in this league be recognized? Case runs the table and Carnegie is but a few turnovers and a dropped 2-point conversion from another great season. And WUStl has shown for years that it can play, too. These schools can compete against all but the elite in D-III. Good Luck against Wabash, CWRU!!!

Congrats to CWRU for a great undefeated season and a no.2 seed in the playoffs. We are pulling for you to get a first round win for the program and the UAA. Also, congrats to the other UAA schools for fine seasons. So many schools now are finding out the tough football played in this league by outstanding student athletes.

Well, I certainly must admit how wrong I was in my prediction of the CMU-Wustl game though I did figure CWRU to win big over Chicago. My congratulations to the Tartans for the big win and, in reading the game story and stats, it appears that with the exception of one lost fumble, they avoided turnovers and capitalized on big plays offensively and defensively. This has to take some of the sting out of earlier disappointing losses where turnovers and mistakes were the keys in defeat.

What a great showdown this weekend in Cleveland. Though I wish both teams luck, I have to admit I am pulling for the Spartans to keep their perfect season intact and finish strong with a playoff bid. That would be two years in a row for the UAA and counting. Though certainly, as BD said, it is going to be tough because Wash U is going to be highly motivated.

Good Luck to both teams!! And, best of luck to CMU and Chicago as they finish their seasons.

Case is on a roll and Chicago just doesn't seem to have it this year. Wustl shuts down CMU's error-prone and predictable offense. My guess is CWRU by 28 and Wustl by 20.

Early prediction on the Case-Wash U game anyone?

Congratulations to the Spartans and Bears for victories in the first week of UAA play. Wash U. capitalized on 7 first-half turnovers to build its lead against Chicago. Two of the turnovers went for touchdowns.

Meanwhile, it looks like turnovers and an inconsistent kicking game did in CMU again though much credit should go to CWRU for overcoming its own mistakes in regulation to pull it out in overtime. Also interesting was the decision by the Tartan coaches to go with the backup QB who seemed to fare no better than the starter in CMU's meager passing attack.

Though it may appear the UAA will be decided on 11-3, am I not correct that if CMU beats Chicago and Wash U these next two weeks, and Wash U beats Case in Cleveland, assuming Case has already defeated Chicago, that three of the four teams would then have one loss? And Case would eliminated from that mix if they don't beat Chicago? Therefore, I would suggest it's a little earlier to be predicting the league will be decided in November. There are still alot of games to play though certainly CWRU and Wash U are in the driver's seat.

Plaid, it was not my intent to put all of it Facemeyer and the offense and I apologize if that was the way it came across. I was only trying to discuss with BDTartan that the QB's performance can and does play a major role in a wing-t offense. But, certainly, football is a team game and a win or loss never comes down to one player.

That is what is mystifying about this year's CMU team to those of us who follow the UAA. With almost all of the offense and much of the defense returning from last year's outstanding team, we thought that they would be up to facing the more challenging schedule and, possibly, make a name for not only CMU but the UAA, too. They have hardly been outmanned or blown out of any of their losses, so it must get down to execution and mistakes on the part of all. I'm sure the coaches and players are doing their best to improve on that as they enter league play.

Your interesting point about possession time inspired me to go back to CMU's stats. In the three losses, the Allegheny game was the only game that had more than a 5 minute difference in possession time. Against Hobart, CMU actually had the ball slightly more than its opponent. For the season, CMU has a greater possession time than its opponents.

Regarding respect for the UAA, at least on D3football it is earning more respect as it placed 15th out of 25 conferences in its "Ranking the Conferences" of Sept 27th. I don't recall where the league placed in past years but I'm sure it wasn't that high. That is what a playoff team from last year and great starts on the part of all the schools this year will earn you, I guess.

BD, not to dicker with you but the stats show Mulkern played in 7 games last year. Perhaps you are forgetting that he returned from his injury to go 2-9-1 versus Wesley in the final game.

I would respectfully disagree that Facemeyer's passer rating isn't bad. Not many successful QBs have ratings in the 80s. But I will agree that for a wing-t team to be throwing alot late in a game while trying to win that game is not a prescription for success. Wing-T offenses are usually not known for the ability to come back from deficits by throwing alot as they spend so much more time practicing the run game.

That begs the question of why the play selection has not allowed hiim to throw more earlier in the game using play action set up by the run. Only the coaches know the answer to that. My only point of contention with you is that the QB can make a big difference in such an offense and I believe the stats and record proved it after researching the past two QBs' performances. We can just agree to disagree, ok?

No doubt that if CMU wins the next three games, that would go a long way to cleansing the bad taste that they must have now after the tough losses the team has suffered. And, no doubt that some of the mistakes they have made may have come by trying too hard and giving that extra effort though, in my opinion, veterans and leaders can't make many of those mistakes if the team is to succeed.

We'll see if the insight you have into any changes the team makes is accurate and, even more important, if they work. I'm sure the staff at Case is going to try to have a few things up their sleeves, too.

That's the great thing about the UAA. Four great programs that are well-coached. The next three weeks will be interesting.

I agree CWRU that the Spartans have had very convincing wins against the teams they have played as well they should if they are truly a good team themselves. Seems to me that CMU made the same claim last year as they soundly beat most of the teams on their schedule. That leads me to suspect that something special might be brewing for Case this season.

I give little credence to D3football's pre-season rankings after the first 30 or 40 teams. Though the staff does a miraculous job of researching the myriad schools in DIII, it is impossible for anyone to predict the variables of a great season such as those we have been discussing (i.e. strength of schedule, team chemistry, etc). I would hope even the gurus of D3football would admit that they might miss the rise of some programs and the fall of others. Take for example Wash U and Wooster, as you named. Or add to the list CMU (now 2-3) and North Central (now 3-2).  D3football's post-season summaries give tribute to such surprises of the season.

Should be a great Academic Bowl this year. And, the Wash U-Chicago game should be telling, too.

Best of luck to all the teams and players.

BD, I have followed your instructions and reviewed your recent posts before writing this. Hopefully, I will not "burn you by making points that you have already made" and will do my best not to "echo what you have already posted".

I could not help but notice in my review of your posts that you stated after a loss that the Tartans are "back on track" and we would "see a major difference" in their play. And, perhaps they took a team too lightly. Stated like a true fan and I applaud you for that.

Unfortunately, CMU lost yet again a game they might have won were it not for making mistake after mistake. RB Gimson, a senior you stated would be a team leader, fumbled twice. Another senior, of course, dropped the 2-point play that would have won the Hobart game a few weeks ago.

You also stated that the QB doesn't really matter in the Wing-T offense. But, Facemeyer this year has a passing efficiency of 87.21 compared to Mulkern last year who had a rating of 155.32 in 7 games. Facemeyer already has been sacked 9 times while CMU was only sacked 8 times all of last year.

Turnovers have also been a major factor this year with CMU now giving the ball away twice as many times as they have taken it for a -7 ratio. Last year's team finished the 11-game season +14.

Comparatively, CWRU's Whalen has a 159 efficiency rating and the Spartans are well-balanced between the run and pass, averaging over 200 yards per game in each. He has thrown only 2 picks (Facemeyer has thrown 3 in far fewer attempts). Case has been sacked 13 times but, of course, has thrown over 100 more attempts than CMU to this point. The CWRU veteran defense is ranked #1 in the UAA and among the top defenses in the nation against the run. The Spartans are +7 in the turnover category.

All that said, CMU has played a tougher schedule with its opponents currently 15-12, but has not beaten a team with a winning record. CWRU's opponents are 7-18, none with a winning record. As with the Tartans last year, can CWRU use the momentum and confidence it has built versus an inferior schedule as a springboard to a UAA Championship and perhaps even a coveted playoff spot?

Wash U is 5-1, its opponents 15-18 (including undefeated Wheaton and winless LaGrange) and has defeated 2 schools with a winning record. Chicago is 3-1, its opponents 9-12.

It should be an exciting next three weeks. I don't make game predictions but I do believe that the road to the league championship, as usual, goes through St. Louis. Chicago had to beat the Bears two years ago to win the league while CMU had the OT thriller last year to capture the crown. CWRU has its work cut out for it as it has to play at CMU and at Chicago while hosting Wash U.

Good luck to all teams over the next 3 weeks. And, I commend you as always for your academic and athletic skills. You are true scholar-athletes.

Let's face it, one often has no idea how a schedule is going to shape up in terms of strength until the season is underway. Sure, there is past history of the teams you are playing, but those fortunes can change from year to year.

Wooster has been a powerhouse but is off to an 0-3 start including a beating by CWRU. Go figure. Franklin and Marshall drops from 8-3 in 2004 to 3-7 when CMU played them last year. Rhodes, on Wash U's schedule, ranges anywhere from 2 to 7 wins over the last 8 or 9 years. Northwestern, on Chicago's schedule, had 7 and 8 win seasons the past two years, but already has two losses. Wittenberg, who CMU plays next year, had numerous 1 and 2 loss seasons before losing 3, 4, and 5 games over the last few years.

Point is, one can try to schedule for strength with no guarantees of how that will actually work out. That said, I have always respected the scheduling of Wash U who shows no fear in scheduling the Mt. Unions, Trinitys, and Wheatons over the past few years in spite of how it might affect the team's season record. Playing up in competition can help your program improve as you learn how to play the tougher teams. Hopefully, that is what CMU will experience this year as they tackle tougher competition and, if Case has a great season in spite of the lesser schedule, perhaps that will propel the program to a better year next year against better competition.

Regardless, BD, though CMU has alot back from last year, I wouldn't say it is "practically the same team". Most of the offense returned save for an o-lineman here and there and its wide receivers. And, the QB had the experience of filling in for the last few games after the injury to last year's starter wno won seven straight. But, the defense lost all of its ILBs and DBs except for one. And, even more importantly, the kicker graduated, too. Though his stats last year weren't the greatest, he was dependable in crucial situations and won a game in OT against Wash U.

The unmeasurable variable for any football team is the impact the graduating seniors had in terms of leadership. One can put on paper all the returners and look great, but usually, if not always, senior leadership can carry a team a long way, or impair its progress, too. The verdict is still out on the leadership qualities of this year's crop of UAA seniors. That will better be evaluated at the end of the season.

Careful, BD, because the schedule is what it is. I seem to recall some questioning the strength of CMU's schedule last year but, to its credit, CMU ran the table. Let's give credit to Case where it is due. If they are soundly winning games against weaker opponents, they are demonstrating their strength to date. Sure, tougher games remain that will test them but, until then, let's give Case the acclaim that they are due. Just because CMU isn't getting the job done this year doesn't mean we should take anything away from Case's effort until now.

Apparently, Maj will not have his mind changed by anything we say. He experienced a call from a coach in the early '90s and has generalized that if that is how it was then, it must still be that way. But, my how the game has changed since then.

ScotLass, you have a pretty good handle on things except rest assured that national databases are not just for the D-I prospects of the world. High school football players and coaches are sent prospect cards by not only companies that compile these databases but also the athletic departments and college coaches themselves. A good high school coach will be diligent about completing these cards and returning them, not only for the blue chip prospects, but the D-II and D-III prospects on his team, too.

A D-III coach can't rely upon just those names he is able to locate on his own. These databases have become important resources in identifying potential recruits that fit the school's admission standards. He can then follow up by calling and/or mailing potential recruits directly with the info he has obtained from these databases.

Look at the roster of the four UAA schools that play football. These prestigious schools have a national roster. Though a majority of the players may come from the vicinity of the schools, do you really think that the coaches from those schools also went to see high school games in Michigan, Florida, Ohio, New York, and California? More likely, in most cases, the players were identified through prospect cards and data bases as described above.

Best of luck to all UAA teams today.

Though a simplification, for the most part this is how football teams in the UAA, and most of Division III for that matter, are assembled:

1) The football staff begins to assemble lists of potential recruits for the program. This is done largely through national data bases that compile everything from height, weight, 40-times, post-season honors, etc, and, most importantly for the UAA, grade point averages and board scores. For the UAA, what that means in large part is that the schools are competing for the same players since academic standards of admission are so similar. Besides data bases, coaches network with local high school coaches associations to identify possible recruits as well as glean what they can from newspapers and word of mouth. Once potential recruits are identified, coaches do their best within budget limitations to either visit the players at their high schools or at home and bombard them with letters and phone calls from coaches, players, past players and alumni. Time limits are crucial since most schools, especially those in the UAA, must get potential players to apply by admission deadlines. After the Divison I teams have had their pick and the Divsion I-AA  and D-II teams have taken what they can, the D-III teams invite recruits to campus to try to sell them on coming to their school. This usually happens in February and March. Final decisions by recruits can last all the way up until practice starts in August, assuming they have been admitted to the school.

2) Some potential recruits actually contact the coach and show interest in attending the school and playing football. Coaches will try to research the player though they can not stop them from applying and coming out for the team. On occasion, a gem of a player might end up in the program by being the first to contact the coach, rather than vice versa, but not usually.

3) Some players, though very few, will show up on a "walk on" basis. Few of these players will have the potential to impact the program. If they were any good to start with, they would have been previously identified.

Fact is, the coaching staff has a very good handle on who is going to suit up at summer practice before the first practice ever takes place. There is intense competition for players and no program could be competitive without the above described recruiting process.

I suspect that the only impact that increased enrollment at Case may have had is to somewhat increase the pool of athletes that the coach can recruit to the program. He still is going to have to pound the pavement to get the best players he can to attend Case and play football.