Quote from: Hawk196 on February 04, 2020, 02:37:53 PM
OK, the acceptance rate/quality football discussion has run its course.

I'd like to start a discussion on NESCAC school's offensive/defensive plans.

Start with Offensive...example XYZ runs a triple option offense. Defensively they run a 3-4

Crickets.

Quote from: Hawk196 on January 30, 2020, 02:32:02 PM

Quote from: Jonny Utah on January 30, 2020, 02:20:01 PM

Quote from: lumbercat on January 30, 2020, 11:45:16 AM
Sure there are a number of different factors but at the end of the day if you have a lower acceptance rate it's more difficult to recruit. My premise is pretty basic.....Wouldn't it be a little easier for the MIT coaching staff if they had a 20% acceptance rate as opposed to a 7% rate?

Easier to what?  Win?  Get the players they want in?  Beat Curry each year?  Be better than Bates? 

These are my points, each school and coach has a different goal.  The Curry staff probably drives around each league in MA talking to HS coaches.  I guess that's easier than what MIT does (calling coaches in different schools each year in different places all over the country?)  Is that the definition of "easy"?  I'm guessing it wouldn't be easier for MIT to recruit at 20% because then MIT wouldn't be MIT, and many of those players might be going to Pitzer or UChicago? 

And obviously the acceptance rate doesn't affect MIT at all as they win their league and games against schools with some of the highest accpetance rates in the country.

I think the problem with Bowdian is its in God's country. They pursued my son, but 6 hours from NJ is too much (we had better option closer to home) and their record.....who wants to get their brain bashed in for 4 years.....

The love of the game, a great education and future opportunities outweigh a losing record on 9 football games a year. If a NESCAC education is the goal I doubt there are many that don't enjoy the benefits of that trade off. The winners bandwagon in the NESCAC includes more than the champ. Who outside these exclusive circles even knows what "NESCAC champ" means.

Quote from: Vandy74 on December 24, 2019, 06:05:35 AM

Quote from: Nescacman on December 19, 2019, 05:21:31 PM
We had the honor of attending the D3 semi-final match-up last Saturday in Allentown, PA featuring the Mules of Muhlenberg (who knew Colby wasn't the only "Mule" out there!) against North Central from Illinois...We attended out of curiosity


Our very unscientific assessment....any and all teams in the NESCAC would get pasted by North Central ......however, we think the upper echelon of the NESCAC from 2019 (MID, Wes, TTUN) would give Muhlenberg a run for their money and we would give them a shot at a win...I've been saying for a long-time that the Centennial League is very comparable to the NESCAC and we continue to believe that after watching Muhlenberg play in person on Saturday.

Interesting observation.  In mid-November of 2013 Middhoops and I followed the Panther basketball team down to F & M for a season opening tournament.  Middlebury had a 4:00 start on Saturday and we decided to check out the campus for a few hours beforehand.  We lucked into watching most of a football game between the hosts and Gettysburg.  Franklin & Marshall won 36-26 and would close out their season the following weekend defeating Delaware Valley in the ECAC Southeast Bowl for a 7-4 slate.  Gettysburg's season ended at 4-6.  Middhoops and I left feeling that we'd seen a good football game but nothing that was played at a level any better than what we'd seen on any given Saturday on Youngman Field.

This post says it all for me. D3 Football is D3 Football. My son has high school's rival's and mates in that game.

Can we buy you dinner? Luger's (Brooklyn) on us...
[/quote]

Yes you can. Say when.

My son's college football career is over and he will be competing in a very different game come next season. This 4 year athletic experience (parent and student) with NESCAC Football ranks high for my son who played 3 sports over 19 years. Thanks for the great commentary, conflict, criticism and community. My enjoyment of this board was unexpected.
My older daughter and son played small college soccer, lacrosse, and baseball in other parts of the country in more traditionally organized leagues without this kind of informed dedicated interaction. This unique experience and the associated educational and professional opportunities have made me a one man NESCAC sports recruiting agency for the league.

Quote from: Jonny Utah on November 12, 2019, 08:39:08 AM

Quote from: GameBall14 on November 11, 2019, 05:34:39 PM
Nice column by Jeff Jacobs in the New Haven Register on Sunday about Wesleyan's Ben Thaw
https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/nhregister/article/Jeff-Jacobs-For-Thaw-Wesleyan-seniors-a-14823130.php?_ga=2.109957190.235030130.1573508794-1202654313.1532372021

Come on New Haven Register.

You aren't that big or important to require a subscription.  (FYI there is a paywall there)

Great article! There is no pay wall. You need to give your email address and signup for the newsletter. It is actually this way because they are small.and not "that big". Whatever that means. Interesting season, my son is done and it was fun watching him play these last 4 years. I'll be back when I get a nephew or grandchild interested  in this unique football experience. Hoya Saxa -- Vale Amici Mei

[/quote]
Location is a serious, serious challenge for the Maine schools - no doubt about it - but not an insurmountable one or those schools would stink at everything.   They don't and are in reality highly competitive in a number of sports.  So let me pose this question, one that I have posed to a good friend from Bowdoin - what are realistic goals for the Maine schools in football given history, location, etc?  In my view, CBB should aspire to be somewhere around .500 almost at best every year with a few outlier 7-2 years and maybe 2-7 years littered in the mix.   Maybe even a .400 winning percentage is a reasonable goal, again with an outlier or two along the way.   Setting long-term goals much higher than that is, IMHO, patently unrealistic and subject to great levels of disappointment.
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The Maine schools will be better when they decide to recruit like Trinity. Diversifying both the locations and recruited player population. No need to seek forgiveness for being in beautiful Maine. Sell the location, education and opportunity to play and rock the boat. There are great students and borderline D1 players from my neck of the woods riding the benches at programs that have little to offer above the NESCACS  save their D1 status. Many of those guys could get the equivalent of full rides in Financial Aid and have no idea what they are missing. Cost more to deliver that message and build the network on HS coaches at player rich private schools in NJ, Md, Virginia, Delaware and DC. Many of these guys go on to play D3 Ball after riding the benches anyway and many meet and exceed NESCAC academic requirements but are hesitant to use ED status. A plan with focus is all that is needed. Reducing the academic standards is not needed. Some don't play after not getting scholarship offers. The 411 in the right hands is all and this league will change and get faster, bigger and stronger. I suspect "Hartford State" kinda labels that are thrown around on this board will accompany the 1st school that pulls this trigger. It is low hanging fruit in my informed opinion. There is not much of a D3 football tradition in my region. hit ADs and HS coaches and get the 411 out there and have a plan.  Some have played in HS programs that have teams that could compete in the NESCAC and  some can boast Hs teams with size talent and speed I I don't see in this league. Lots of motivated smart kids don't play because they don't know there is a place for them in this league. It would mean less opportunities for ME, VT, NH, MA, CT and RI boys.

Quote from: Nescacman on October 02, 2019, 10:14:22 PM

Quote from: PolarCat on October 02, 2019, 07:20:23 PM

Quote from: JEFFFAN on October 01, 2019, 09:00:05 PM

Quote from: footballluv on October 01, 2019, 07:25:39 AM

Quote from: JEFFFAN on September 29, 2019, 08:12:13 PM
E
Not piling on in asking this ... but what do the Trinity fans believe is happening with their team?   I don't doubt that they might end up 7-2 but they sure haven't looked very good so far.

Those Vermont teams must have an advantage in recruiting, talent, and their SAT optional admission standards is what happened. Right? Vermont State(Middlebury) is spending more money on football. It's got to be some off the field advantages that others have over Trinity.  smdh.

Or I guess the uber commitment to football must not have been as strong as years past, right?

Or maybe the karma from those post blowout scoreboard shots finally caught up to them?

Or maybe the squash team took 2 or 3 of HCOF Jeff's annual 30 "c-band" slots...

Haters! I guess there are no trash talkers anywhere else in the NESCAC. Wow PolarCat. If losing two games is Karma for Trinity, how would you metaphysically describe the Bowdoin win-loss record? It must be a real Valley of Hinnom.

Quote from: JEFFFAN on September 29, 2019, 08:12:13 PM
E
Not piling on in asking this ... but what do the Trinity fans believe is happening with their team?   I don't doubt that they might end up 7-2 but they sure haven't looked very good so far.

Those Vermont teams must have an advantage in recruiting, talent, and their SAT optional admission standards is what happened. Right? Vermont State(Middlebury) is spending more money on football. It's got to be some off the field advantages that others have over Trinity.  smdh.

Quote from: lumbercat on September 12, 2019, 09:23:13 PM
I guess NESCACMAN and his weekly NESCAC pigskin prognostications are officially an element of history.

Although he never picked against the spread he did a very entertaining post each week with predictions and comments on every game.  He knew how to to elicit some great emotions and opinions. A lot of fun but it doesn't look like his raucous, irreverent arsenal will be returning.

We have Al Davis in retirement. Frankie U is hanging out at the Log. ColbyFootball has smoothed some hard feelings out and is doing Yoga while he tackles the NESCAC recruiting circuit again. And who was the the Amherst Dad from LA who trolled then board for political stuff?  Forgot about him but when he said he delivered the LA Times to the greatest of all time Jim Brown  everybody took notice.
And last, the inimitable Polarcat with his acerbic wit and great insights on the league from an Ivy prospective.

Heres to the newbies who come in as their kids enter a great 4 year experience playing football in the NESCAC. Enjoy the tailgates and your son's experience. All the clinics and recruiting are are over. Time to let em play. It will be a great ride.

LOVE IT!

Wesleyan  Football Preview 2019 https://spark.adobe.com/page/RdglbAW5h505A/

Well done.

Quote from: nescac1 on September 10, 2019, 03:40:18 PM
footballuv we are roughly on the same page.  The reason I knocked Tufts down a bit is because (I believe) they lost their entire offensive line to graduation, as well as everyone who attempted a pass (and McDonald was a beast at QB the last two years, hard to imagine his replacement can be nearly as productive right away).  There are no senior o-linemen on the roster so the unit looks pretty green.  Tufts also graduated its two leading receivers.  There is still a lot of talent there, especially on defense, but the OL and QB situation are a big question mark ... in good news for Tufts, however, two important players return for a fifth year: TB Dom Borelli and WR Frank Roche, so they will have three starters returning on O instead of only 1.  Still, it's a very tough year for a team in transition to have such a front-loaded schedule (Trinity, at Williams, Amherst to start, at Wesleyan in week five, so probably 4/5 games Tufts will be at least a slight underdog in).

Gotcha. That makes it interesting in the middle of the pack.

Quote from: nescac1 on September 10, 2019, 03:10:03 PM
Come on, folks, anything to talk about OTHER than Trinity's admissions? 

Here's a guess at how I'd tier teams heading into the season:

1. Trinity
2. Amherst/Williams
3. Tufts/Colby/Wesleyan/Middlebury
4. Hamilton
5. Bates/Bowdoin

I would make a few significant changes. Unless the Tufts has lost significant talent and size along the offensive and defensive lines due to graduation they remain ahead of the rest. If TJ remains healthy and Williams can run the ball they just might beat Trinity a 2nd year in a row and i predict they beat Amherst.

1.0  Trinity
1.5  Williams
2.0  Amherst
2.5  Tufts
3.0  Wesleyan/Middlebury/Colby
4.0  Hamilton
5.0  Bates/Bowdoin

Quote from: Heftylefty on September 09, 2019, 07:08:53 PM
The recruits that Trinity can get into their school are most definitely "out of the reach" of the other schools in their league. Their pool of prospective students is much larger due to lower academic standards.

Bull$$$$

Quote from: lumbercat on September 10, 2019, 12:31:41 AM
Football Luv

FL: "Nothing they do is out of the reach of any of the other programs"..........

You are way off here.


FL: "NESCAC investment in football is overall very limited. Trinity does more with the small investments that NESCAC schools nvest in football"............

You don't know what you are talking about here. The top program in the NESCAC, Trinity spends in excess of 800,000. The bottom end of the condference is closer to 450,000
Maybe these expenditures are "limited" in your estimation but when the top programs are spending a lot more than others it reflects a big difference in the commitment to Football among NESCAC schools.

I don't know why, at the end of the day the Trinity contingent can't say---we're good because we take pride in our commitment to winning football and doing what we need to do to win. I credit them for that but some Bants seem uncomfortable with it. I say they do a great job.

Are you saying that all the other programs need to do to win is spend $350,000 more a year on football? Again the spending on football in this league is "limited" and all sports in this league are essentially non revenue generating and the students are paying tuition.  I don't believe and we went thru the recruiting process with Trinity Tufts, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, and Colby.  I repeat they are NOT doing anything  that is "Out of the reach" of the other programs.  Your numbers are proof of that. I am not in the "Trinity contingent". Last year it was the Hartford State BS and previous posts about Trinity's academic standards and on field demeanor etc etc.  Sour grapes in disguise as objectivity. Beat em and shut up and Williams beat them last season. Finally the Trinity contingent does say "we're good because we take pride in our commitment to winning football and doing what we need to do to win". They did not call themselves "Hartford State".