FB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[Mr. Ypsi]

Well, technically, 17 games is an awfully small (and nonrandom) sample to draw ANY conclusions, but my impression would be that d3 is stronger at the top, at least as bad at the bottom (probably worse), but overall probably a bit better on average. 

[old 40]

My picks for this weeks games. Some real good match-ups.

CUW over Eureka, Worst game of the day. Defending champs win big 42-7.

Benedictine over CUC; toss up game, very close and can go either way. The Eagles nip CUC 14-13.

Aurora over Mac; The 2nd. worst game of the day. AU has too much Defense. 32-0

Lakeland over Greenville; The game of the week. GC is preseason pick to win it all. Lakeland coming off 3 losses. Lakeland wins a great game and a very close game. I think the tough losses will pay off. The key to a Lakeland win is stopping the GC QB(he may be the best in the IBFC) 24-21.


TruCountry95
Good Luck to you this week, It should be a great game. I hope for no injuries on each team.

[Pat Coleman]

If the majority of your exposure to D-III is IBFC teams, then yes, the NAIA in general is better. But it's a big D-III out there.

[Timewilltell]

Old40 and Tru-
Greenville has to prove they belong in the top tier.  Until then CUW/LL/AU are the teams to beat. All Teams, have a good and safe weekend.

[TruCountry95]

Old40 and Tru-
Greenville has to prove they belong in the top tier.  Until then CUW/LL/AU are the teams to beat. All Teams, have a good and safe weekend.

What the hell else do you want them to prove?  Beat AU in 2006, Took CUW to overtime they didn't even score till the 4th quarter with the great and powerful offense of theirs in 06.  GC got the ball rolling in 2005 on becoming a top teir team when everyone was expecting Lakeland the 05 conference champions to blow them out by 4TD's or more and GC's defense shut them down and shut down CUW. GC still got the loss but then it started to get people to looked at us at GC football different and new it wasn't the same crap.  Then last year happened.  In my opinion there's just been a shift in the same old power houses.  Lakeland and CUW are going to be up there until someone knocks them off and noone has. GC is the only team that has gotten close. AU was a top tier but they haven't been the same AU like the years in the past.  GC beat them last year and will probably beat them again this year. 

[cudub]

Greenville can not be top tier until they win the conference.  That just makes sense.  A few good wins over a couple years, and almost beating good teams does not make you a top tier team.  I'm not disrespecting GC, i think they have the best chance of any of the "lower" teams to win the conference, but until they do, i don't think they can be considered top tier.

[NCC_alum62]

Greenville can not be top tier until they win the conference.  That just makes sense.  A few good wins over a couple years, and almost beating good teams does not make you a top tier team.  I'm not disrespecting GC, i think they have the best chance of any of the "lower" teams to win the conference, but until they do, i don't think they can be considered top tier.

Agreed, gotta win the conference title to be considered a top team, you have to be consistant in not only playing the good teams well but also beating them, and not just beating one of the normal "top tier teams" but beating all of them.

No one is saying they cannot do it or that they don't have talent, they need to just go ahead and do it this season, then they have to do it all over again in a new conference next year.

[bufan]

NCC Alum

I actually was a freshemn in that game u speak of in 2002 where we had 2 d-tackles go down with arm injuries.  Very odd for sure.  And the spirit pack thing was just a basic example and i may very well be wrong i have no concrete proof.,  Just my educated guess.   And as i said before he was a very good assistant like you pointed out as well.  But perhaps the responsibilities of a head coach arent for everyone, b/c he is also doing a good job with the oline at chicago.

TruCountry, i disagree that GC is a team to beat I think it is very agreeable to say its on Lakeland or Conc Wis.  I wouldnt included Aurora lately, as in the last 2 seasons because of the signficant drop off.  I truly think its LC, Conc Wis at the top, GC and AU the next 2 followed by BU and Mac, then CUC and EC.  Im not saying this is how they will finish the conf. but just an average rating of the last 2-3 seasons.  But a real positive is about 5-6 years ago, GC was in the lower half, about 6 or 7 in conf.  They have made a very respectable climb.


LC over GC
BU over CUC
CUW over EC
AU over MC

[maddog08]

Gomer I do remember the great times we had, trust me LAKELAND IS READY FOR THE SEASON, they have pride, as for you, you knucklehead it took me a while to get out of the trucker closet, damn that place is huge. Cleveland sucks but its a job and a adventure. Browns, not like my Lions OHH undefeated Lions, are not to good. We did have some good fun on this site for 3 yrs +. Don't forget Lakeland does have ROMANOSKI AT LB.

Go MUSKIES

[FatalImpact]

GC beats AU once.....AU beats GC numerous times....one "W" does not a top tier team make.....AU finishes in the top 2 every season, we either win conference, or in second, every year.......It will always be CUW LC and AU at the top.....and LC gets the addition to the top tier because of three past seasons not one

GC is improving and is a good team...MAC has fallen from a top team to a bottom team as BU has done also though BU is showing signs of improvement....but AU is the one constant being in the top two

[cudub]

AU is no longer "at the top".  The past two years there team has been average at best.  Sure they beat mac, eureka, ben... but who doesn't?  Prior to 05 i would agree that AU was a top program.  But it seems as though they are more "middle of the pack" at this point.  AU and GC are going opposite directions, AU down, GC up.

[FatalImpact]

you see i beg to differ....You say middle of the pack yet they tied for 2nd last year with LC and GC, yet you say middle of the road,....I see AU getting better they always hit their stride in conference play...plus last year they only beat AU by 7, GC has improved but still needs to prove its worth, AU has never dropped below third in conference, and you say they're not a top tier team?

[cudub]

I understand your argument.  And i cant dispute that they have not dropped below third.  however it just seems like the last couple of years they have not been a huge concern.  They are talented, but i view them more as a spoiler team.  The kind of team that you can easily underestimate and they can bite you in the a**.  Thats just my perspective, having been inside the locker room of an ibfc team the previous two years.

[FatalImpact]

I'm right there with ya....I am only a couple years removed from IBFC play myself

[Gomer Pyle]

Maddog:
   This saturdays game where your baby cheese heads play Greenville at Greenville will be one of the more important games of this early season,IMO.   
    You know I`m not an LC fan so I`m for a "you pick-um game" this saturday.  Although, a win by Greenville could really stoke their engine.
    How`s your boy doing?

   "undefeated Lions."   The smoke will clear soon enough!