FB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

Adrian #50
Albion #84
Trine #87
Hope #116
Alma #153
Kzoo #158
Olivet #177

Let's see......Adrian got almost all of its 9 places it lost last week back by simply not playing.  Hope takes the biggest hit and Olivet makes the biggest jump.

These seem like plausible final MIAA standings to me.


Massey clearly riled up the Comets with his 80% probability of finishing winless......his formula still doesn't like them much, now its 70% to close the year with just the one win and only a 9% chance of beating Albion.   So there's a chance.

This week's massey predictions:
October 22:
Adrian 34 Kzoo 17
Albion 38 Olivet 21
Trine 21 Hope 14

(massey's formula seems to over-predict the offensive output of MIAA teams........or under-predicts the hellacious winds that swept across the mitten last weekend.)


Last week I highlighted the closeness of the battle for 2nd....massey now like's Trine but only by a slim margin over Albion.

Trine 21 Hope 14
Trine 23 Albion 22

Adrian still with a 70% probability of closing it out 9-0.

Last week's massey ratings quoted above.  This week's below

Adrian #48
Albion #82
Trine #103
Hope #114
Alma #158
Kzoo #176
Olivet #188

No one really moved up......Trine moved down 16 places, Kzoo down 17.

....you would think Hope would have moved up given their win over Trine.  What's going on here?  Well, a couple of Hope's non-conference opponents took it on the chin this past weekend with Lakeland, Milliken and IWU all losing.  Call it the quirks of a computer formula.  IWU's loss probably hurt the most because they were easily Hope's strongest component in their ranking and IWU was shut-out in their first loss of the year.

Massey now favors Albion over Trine at season's end 24-21.

The big one this weekend massey has Adrian beating Albion 28-21

This weekend's other two games
Trine 38 Olivet 21
Alma 31 Kzoo 28

[ThunderHead]

Hey guys, so I guess an old co-coworker went to the Trine JV game yesterday because it was just to nice a day to not watch some football.

Apparently the talk in the stands was that the Trine staff changed all the captains. 

Does anyone know who the new guys are, all my text said was "Trine has new captains appointed by staff" but that's all I got. I sent a reply but have not heard back, so I thought I would ask my fellow Trine posters. 

[formerd3db]

sac:

As always, thanks for the ton of info re: the poll.  So called results as seen by this week's ratings is exactly why I think they are worthless and why I don't pay attention to them.  Regardless of whether it is human polling or the computers, obviously the true results will always be settled on the field (for that given game and season).

ThunderHead:
Now why would they change captains like that?  If one uses that little piece of philosophical reasoning for an attempt at bolstering enthusiasm and effort, then why not apply that to..."let's change the coaching staff and/or at least their position responsibilites.   I'm sure those who were "demoted" do not feel great or appreciated right now.   Regardess, good luck to the coaching staff and team for the rest of the season at this attempt.   Just MO.    

[ThunderHead]

FormerD3Db,

I agree with you, apparently they thought the leadership must not have been up to par. (which was fairly obvious) Anyway, I'm curious who they think the new leaders are, or more in less, who has managed to lead despite the two loses in the coaches eyes.

I'm wondering if it's senior lead, or if they're looking for a new direction and possibly preparing for next season from a leadership standpoint and to lead them throughout the off season. In either case, I am curious who they selected. It's not a secret I've been critical of this staff for a while, and in all honesty, this is the first sign of life I've seen from them. Change is something that's been long over due in Angola this season...none the less, I'd like to know who they selected.

[ThunderHead]

Okay, I got a text back from a guy I know who has a son on the team, he confirmed the shakeup, and said the coaches told the team that they now believe they have a good idea of who the leaders and positive people are on the team, and as such they were naming them captains. Apparently they had a big Sunday meeting about it. I'm not sure how much good it will do anyone - but with the off season nearing, maybe it was an effort to shake things up.

New Team Captains

#41 Ryan Steinacker - LB - SR
#5   Casey Blackport - QB - RSF
#17 Tyler Williams - WR (not listed on the online roster that I could find)
#?   Austin Thrana LB (not listed on the online roster that I could find)

[TUAngola]

Okay, I got a text back from a guy I know who has a son on the team, he confirmed the shakeup, and said the coaches told the team that they now believe they have a good idea of who the leaders and positive people are on the team, and as such they were naming them captains. Apparently they had a big Sunday meeting about it. I'm not sure how much good it will do anyone - but with the off season nearing, maybe it was an effort to shake things up.

New Team Captains

#41 Ryan Steinacker - LB - SR
#5   Casey Blackport - QB - RSF
#17 Tyler Williams - WR (not listed on the online roster that I could find)
#?   Austin Thrana LB (not listed on the online roster that I could find)

I am with formerd3db on this one.  I don't get it.  I foresee further division among the players.  From what I know, none of the new captains mentioned are on the 2 deep varsity roster.  Has Steinacker, Williams and Tharana even played in a game?  The current roster has Williams and Tharana on the JV.  How can they lead the varsity??  Blackport has gotten in to 1 game so far.  From what I have seen from the Thunder games so far this year, we need leadership ON the field.  Sideline leadership is needed too don't get me wrong, but I want a guy from my offensive or defensive unit who is in the face of my teammates when they do stupid things, like all those personal fouls we had against Hope last week.  Blackport has shown enthusiasm on the sideline, but will upperclassmen listen to a freshman?  Especially one who isn't playing?  I guess we will see.

Trine just isn't as talented as they have been the last 3-4 years.  I knew this going in to the season.  Several times I had mentioned losing all those seniors from last years squad was gonna be tough.  They aren't "destitute" by any means, but they would have to have play all out this year to win the MIAA, and so far they haven't been able to put it all together.  This falls on the coaches shoulders to me, not the captains.

[D306]

The shake-up at Trine among captains, sounds like the coach is sending a message.
Sounds like a bold program decision, a level of action the staff believes is required, they are not getting what they want.

Tough decision, right or wrong, effective or not for this season, the staff is sending a message to all in the program. The level of internal expectations were not met and the staff will not accept this.

[ThunderHead]

 :)Well I agree that the leadership of this team has been anything but...

However I can attest to sideline leadship having value in this sense, players don't decide the depth chart and coaches don't determin leaders.

I've questiobned the depth chart at trine plenty, only time will tell regarding these decisions, however even Kirk Cousins was named a captian before before he was named a starter and was named one as a messly soph. Oi

I work with and manage guys much older then me, if they don't wanna listen that's on them not me. Aside from all this the seasons only 3 weeks longer. Most of players act like they don't care now that the playoffs are out  of the picture. From what i

Let's allso remember that these new captians didn't decide they were going to be captians either, so if you're looking to frown on someone, this should be directed toward Coach land and Co....

[BOYA87]

I support the decision to shake up captains.  All too often teams select captains purely based on the talent they show on the field and I think we all know that is really the last piece of the puzzle as far as a captains position goes.  I heard rumors that this might happen and heard the same confirmation this week about the new captains.  Ryan Steiniker is a senior defensive linemen who came in as a scrawny 150 lbs (maybe) and has now put on a truely impressive build.  He has worked his but off on and off the field, in season and out of season, to make himself and this team better!  Yes he is not a start, but he is a senior who does all the right things.  If there were 11 Steinikers on the scout defense then this offense would be the most prepared offense every week.

Austin Thrana is also a great human being and works his tail off!  I believe he gets in on special teams in varsity games but I'm not 100% sure.  I also love what I see out of Casey Blackport on the sidelines and I think even as a freshman he has gained a ton of respect from that team.  I hope he gets an opportunity to show what he has on the field at somepoint in his career and I hope he knocks it out the park (sorry to mix sports).

I can only imagine that this Trine team's goals were to win conference and to get to the third round of the playoffs!  They have continued to push themselves and their expectations every year.  But it seems like the effort and desire and leadership from this senior class has never seemed to match those expectations.  These new captains are guys who have the right attitudes and do the right things that it is going to take to sustain a great football program!  There is some great young talent on this Trine team right now and I think this season is teaching them a lot!

But time will tell and we will see how this decision affect locker room chemistry and other aspects of the team.

[Uncle Rico]

Nice analysis and insight, BOYA87.  If these new captains are all "effort" guys that bust their butt then choosing them sounds like the right thing to do.  Perhaps the message being sent is the season is not over yet, and they are going to look at how players (esp. the freshmen / sophs / and juniors) respond for next year.  This is not a game of "entitlement" but rather the positions are earned.  This is not to say the previous captains were not effort people, but perhaps in order to stir the pot the move was needed, especially for the underclassmen.  There are no "untouchables." 

[ThunderHead]

 Boya good thoughts

Should be interesting to see how things pan out over the off season. I don't think certain kids will just "keep waiting" when they know their capabilities, look for some attrition this off season.

While some maybe happy waiting to prove themselves at "some point during their career" I'm sure there are a few that won't sit by to wait on a staff that's been anything but consistant. I certiantly don't blame the kids.

[Uncle Rico]

Boya good thoughts

Should be interesting to see how things pan out over the off season. I don't think certain kids will just "keep waiting" when they know their capabilities, look for some attrition this off season.

While some maybe happy waiting to prove themselves at "some point during their career" I'm sure there are a few that won't sit by to wait on a staff that's been anything but consistant. I certiantly don't blame the kids.

I DO blame the kids to an extent.  Let them leave if they don't want to put the time in.  I have heard more than a couple stories of kids that came in thinking because they were decent high school players, and they were coming to a D3 school, they should automatically be starting and given the keys to the palace.  Not too many kids started as high school freshmen, yet they think they can walk in and be given the starting job.  Trine's players numbers have grown quite a bit the last 2-3 years and maybe, just maybe there could be one or two kids above you in the depth chart. 

[TUAngola]

Good to hear from you Boya...your posts this season are too few and far between.  Love first hand reports from a former player.

I guess we will see if the attitude of the team changes with the new leadership.  There were a couple times on Saturday against Hope that I noticed players "shrugging their shoulders" at other teammates if they didn't get the ball on a play (this happened a couple times with a certain unnamed receiver).  If I was a coach and saw that he would have been on the sidelines next to me.  Like I said in an earlier post I wish each unit had a leader to "punch them in the face" (not literally) if guys weren't "all in" together as a team. 

[ThunderHead]

UR - I see your point, and yet the NFL is chalked full of guys who have finished at a school other then the one they started. Sometimes kids leave because the program isn't for them, or they just don't feel like they fit. Other times they just don't like the coaches or campus. In my experience its rare for akid to leave because of the depth chart, often its far more complicated then that.

[Uncle Rico]

UR - I see your point, and yet the NFL is chalked full of guys who have finished at a school other then the one they started. Sometimes kids leave because the program isn't for them, or they just don't feel like they fit. Other times they just don't like the coaches or campus. In my experience its rare for akid to leave because of the depth chart, often its far more complicated then that.

I agree 100%...kids leave for a bunch of reasons, and many of them are legit.  My statement "Let them leave if they do not want to put the time in" was only referring to those kids that think they should have certain positions given to them based on their past laurels and what THEY think their capabilities are.