FB: Centennial Conference

[Pat Coleman]

I haven't attended any games involving a Centennial team and the Centennial isn't really a national player right now. What did you expect me to comment on?

[patcummings]

The view in my executive suite is sweet and I have several minions correcting errors on Post Patterns all day.

Ah the joys.

[pizzashop]

Does minion=intern?

[Reserved Seat]

Too many posts on spelling and not enough on football.
Doesn't say much for the league when spelling is the main topic?

[terror5005]

I would like to apologize for that...apparently no one is allowed to comment on anything that they haven't seen personally.

[BVHawk]

Congrats to Dickinson on making the playoffs and best of luck!

[theoriginalupstate]

With Dickinson possibly moving to the east could any Dickinson fan or CC fan tell me more about them?

Thanks and good luck Dickinson!

[BearFan01]

I haven't attended any games involving a Centennial team and the Centennial isn't really a national player right now. What did you expect me to comment on?

Not to diagree with the mighty Pat Coleman, but I think there is a ton to comment on this Conference about, and it isn't spelling. 

The CC dominated the ODAC this season, a conference this site has a ton of respect for.  I think the only CC loss this season was McDaniel losing to Bridgewater in week one.  The CC beat the ODAC champ head to head, and no offense to F-M, but they are not amoungst the CC leaders in the standings.  Case Western Reserve just came down and beat up Washington and Lee, and Ursinus beat them at their place. 

If you want to knock this conference for anyhting, then it can be its play versus the Liberty League.  The CC did not perform well against that league.  Now to the Liberty's credit, it is agrueably the best league in the east.  That is another discussion for another board, but that league is very deep with some very good football teams. 

I think the CC is not getting its respect beacause this site favors the "traditional" powers, and the CC's "traditional" teams are not the top ones.  McDaniel and Muhlenberg dominated the conference through the late 90's and early 00's.  Those teams appear now have given way to three new ones, Dickinson, Hopkins, and Ursinus.  Dickinson has done a fine job recruiting the last several years and has some very good older talent mixed with some good young players to have a great season.  This team is good and will be for a while.  Ursinus seemed to turn the corner last season and has some very good young talent and a light's out defense.  They seem poised to be at the top for several years to come.  Hopkins might have had a down year, but this teams has a ton of young talent.  It is hard to win when you start 4 or 5 frshman on each side of the ball, but this is a team to look out for.  They have a great staff that will definitely develope these good looking young players. 

The other problem for these 3 schools is they are arguebaly the most academic ones in the conference.  I know there are plenty of haters who will come in here and say these schools stink academically..... but they couldn't be more wrong.  I understand that these schools that have average SAT scores around 1200 and 1300 are far less likely to contend for a national championship then a Rowan but to say there is nothing to comment on in this conference is just off base.  If there is a problem for the CC it is the parity.  Everyone beats on eachother in this conference so much, and road wins are so hard to come by, that come playoff time CC teams are often quite banged up.  Unlike other conferences that feature 1 or 2 big games and 40 point blowouts the rest of the way, the CC typically features very tight, defensive football games week in and out.   

Now I might sound like I am mocking the site and the people invovled, no offense intended.  This is the BEST site for any level of football hands down.  You guys do a great job, keep it up.  I simply think this conference features some fine football and should get some more attention.  Of course when no one posts in here all season it doesn't help either.  So get some talk going in here people!! 

[Pat Coleman]

You're not disagreeing with me. You are saying YOU have a lot to comment on. I am saying I do not have a lot to comment on.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

The CC dominated the ODAC this season, a conference this site has a ton of respect for.  I think the only CC loss this season was McDaniel losing to Bridgewater in week one.  The CC beat the ODAC champ head to head, and no offense to F-M, but they are not amoungst the CC leaders in the standings.  Case Western Reserve just came down and beat up Washington and Lee, and Ursinus beat them at their place.

1) You mention McDaniel losing to Bridgewater in week one, yet you fail to mention that Washington & Lee (the ODAC champ) lost to Franklin & Marshall in week one as well.

2) You look silly when you start arguing things like "well, Team A beat Team B when Team C beat Team A" ... that means nothing when comparing Team B and C, in this case, W&L and Ursinus.

3) I will admit that the Centennial went 7-1 against the Old Dominion this year, but when you look at the outcomes, I wouldn't go as far as to say you dominated us ... consider the seven CC wins:

• W&L lost by 14 at F&M
• H-SC lost by 14 at JHU
• H-SC lost by 8 at GC
• H-SC lost by 1 vs. DC
• CUA lost by 1 vs. MC
• R-MC lost by 7 to JHU
• R-MC lost by 10 at MC

If anything was "dominating," it was Bridgewater's 41-0 win over McDaniel.

4) Since 2000, Bridgewater is 10-6 in the NCAA playoffs.  The Centennial Conference (McDaniel 2000-2001, Muhlenberg 2002-2004, Johns Hopkins 2005) is a combined 2-6 over that span.  On a national scale, hardly impressive.

5) Enjoy your ECAC game.

[mandfense]

3) I will admit that the Centennial went 7-1 against the Old Dominion this year, but when you look at the outcomes, I wouldn't go as far as to say you dominated us ...

Well, I wasn't very good at math, Kid, but when teams from Conference "A" beat teams from Conference "B" 7 out of 8 times in a season, I don't know what other adjective you could use in a situation like that except "dominated".  Looking at it by a game by game basis doesn't change the final score.

Centennial  7
ODAC  1

Maybe the individual games were closer, so let's meet in the middle and use the the adjective "owned" instead of "dominated".   

[BearFan01]

"

The CC beat the ODAC champ head to head, and no offense to F-M, but they are not amoungst the CC leaders in the standings. "

Isn't that me mentioning that Washington and Lee lost to F-M.......  again I point to F-M in the CC standings as my comment not on how the ODAC is bad, but how good the CC may be.  If one of the lowest teams in the CC standings beat the ODAC champ, doesn't that make a good statement for the strength of the CC??

I will also agree that comparing teams that did not play head to head is not the best thing.  All I know is when Ursinus was 5-0, all the Ursinus supporters heard was 'Who did they play?"..... well that is in the same logic as Your team A and B statement.....  I am totally not in favor of such thinking, but when it is used against CC teams all the time, it seems reasonable to use that as a final point in an discussion.  Besides aren't common opponents a typical way from the BCS down of comparing teams? 

I am sorry I used the word dominating.  In reflection I do not like that word.  7-1 is a very impressive record against any conference head to head.  I must disagree that Bridgewater's win over McDaniel (second to last in the CC) does anything to the idea that the CC is a quality conference.  If bridgewater and Ursinus were to play in a bowl and bridgewater blows out Ursinus, I also think it will not change the fact the CC had a very good record head to head with the ODAC.   My point was the ODAC gets a lot of coverage and praise in many circles while the CC maybe be seen as a poor football conference in the same circles.  I think a 7-1 record against a very good conference points the quality of the CC teams. 

If your going to say comparing shared opponets is silly, then isn't comparing playoff record silly as well?  I mean with factors such as geography and travel, the seeding is all over.  I think it is a poor point to say shared opponets are silly then turn around and say playoffs records are a good judge.  Again why so defensive?  No one is saying the ODAC is bad, it is very good.  My point again is the CC is not so bad.

I am sure the UC bears will enjoy any game they are invited to and are happy to have their program going in the right direction (hell they made the front page of d3football.com for like 2 days this season and are 8-2......  who wouldn't be proud about that)  Though I am sure there are many kicks in the pants going around, if one of those two weeks were different...... well the Bears could be getting sized for rings today and making plans to host an NCAA game.

Best of luck to Dickinson..... maybe an upset win can help get the CC some more respect.   

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

"

The CC beat the ODAC champ head to head, and no offense to F-M, but they are not amoungst the CC leaders in the standings. "

Isn't that me mentioning that Washington and Lee lost to F-M.......  again I point to F-M in the CC standings as my comment not on how the ODAC is bad, but how good the CC may be.  If one of the lowest teams in the CC standings beat the ODAC champ, doesn't that make a good statement for the strength of the CC?? 

Not if it's the first game of the season, which again, you failed to mention.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

3) I will admit that the Centennial went 7-1 against the Old Dominion this year, but when you look at the outcomes, I wouldn't go as far as to say you dominated us ...

Well, I wasn't very good at math, Kid, but when teams from Conference "A" beat teams from Conference "B" 7 out of 8 times in a season, I don't know what other adjective you could use in a situation like that except "dominated".  Looking at it by a game by game basis doesn't change the final score.

Centennial  7
ODAC  1

Maybe the individual games were closer, so let's meet in the middle and use the the adjective "owned" instead of "dominated".   

Sure ... a win is a win is a win.  I admitted the CC won seven of the eight contests.

In Bridgewater's defense, BC took care of business (1-0 against the CC) and the two ODAC teams we lost to (E&H and Guilford) were 0-0 against you all.

So yes, the Centennial "owned" Washington & Lee (0-1), Hampden-Sydney (0-3), Catholic (0-1) and Randolph-Macon (0-2).  I don't think that suggests your conference is strong.

Do something in the postseason and then you can opine.

[patcummings]

I think it is fair to say that the CC dominated the ODAC in 2006 regular-season play.

I don't think you can make any past or forward-looking opinions beyond just stating the obvious for this year. 

And really, regardless, the chances are significant that both Dickinson and W&L will be having Thanksgiving at home this year.