FB: Middle Atlantic Conference

[tweisman5]

Below are my week 8 predictions and rankings. The spread (-#) is provided by Massey Ratings and the top 25 rankings are from the Hansen Ratings composite. Good luck to everyone this week!

Week 8 Predictions

Wilkes @ Stevenson (-20.5): Stevenson wins by 21

Alvernia @ Lycoming (-27.5): Lycoming wins by 27

King's (-7.5) @ Albright: King's wins by 10

Del Val (-30.5) @ Leb Val: Del Val wins by 24

FDU (-4.5) @ Misericordia: FDU wins by 3

Week 8 Rankings
1. Del Val (5-1, 4-0)
2. Stevenson (5-2, 4-1)
3. Misericordia (5-1, 4-0)
4. King's (3-3, 2-2)
5. Lycoming (3-3, 2-2)
6. Wilkes (4-3, 3-2)
7. FDU (4-2, 2-2)
8. Widener (3-4, 3-2)
9. Leb Val (0-6, 0-4) 
10. Albright (0-6, 0-4)
11. Alvernia (1-5, 0-5)

Prediction Record
Last Week: 3-2 (.600)
Season: 31-12 (.721)
Career: 74-30 (.712)

[tweisman5]

Friday Fact of the Week

Fact:

2018 Pace Sec. (Thru Week 7)

1. Widener: 23.985
2. King's: 24.292
3. FDU: 25.518
4. Albright: 26.305
5. Alvernia: 27.761
6. Leb Val: 27.679
7. Misericordia: 28.416
8. Wilkes: 28.575
9. Del Val: 28.599
10. Stevenson: 29.481
11. Lycoming: 30.000

Reaction:

A better statistic compared to plays per game, this shows some obvious and surprising results. The most obvious was Leb Val burning the most play clock. Misericordia is somewhat surprising since most assumptions would be a surprise season like their's tend to be a result of running a fast paced offense; however, this hasn't been the case. Overall, most would believe the typical narrative you hear on broadcast about the hurry up offenses contributing to teams overachieving, but this actually suggest no significant correlation.

[kate]

After 26 years as Del Val's outstanding Sport's Information Director, Matt Levy is going to an administration job at Penn State Abington.   Of course we wish him the very best in his new job, but he does leave huge shoes to fill in Aggieland.   Gordon Mann, i'm sure you will miss him.

[@d3jason]

Best of luck to Matt! Great guy.

[jmcozenlaw]

After 26 years as Del Val's outstanding Sport's Information Director, Matt Levy is going to an administration job at Penn State Abington.   Of course we wish him the very best in his new job, but he does leave huge shoes to fill in Aggieland.   Gordon Mann, i'm sure you will miss him.

Congratulations to a great guy!! Matt doesn't look a day over 40 so he must have started with DelVal at 14.............the Aggies version of Doogie Howser, Matty Howser Levy!!

[LineCat]

Friday Fact of the Week

Fact:

2018 Pace Sec. (Thru Week 7)

1. Widener: 23.985
2. King's: 24.292
3. FDU: 25.518
4. Albright: 26.305
5. Alvernia: 27.761
6. Leb Val: 27.679
7. Misericordia: 28.416
8. Wilkes: 28.575
9. Del Val: 28.599
10. Stevenson: 29.481
11. Lycoming: 30.000

Reaction:

A better statistic compared to plays per game, this shows some obvious and surprising results. The most obvious was Leb Val burning the most play clock. Misericordia is somewhat surprising since most assumptions would be a surprise season like their's tend to be a result of running a fast paced offense; however, this hasn't been the case. Overall, most would believe the typical narrative you hear on broadcast about the hurry up offenses contributing to teams overachieving, but this actually suggest no significant correlation.

So Widener (3-4) has been outscored the second half of each and every single game this year except against Albright who is just way down this year. Fact. How does that happen?     

[Graham8020]

Could be a number of things... A lot of coaches make adjustments during the half. Some get too comfortable and innocently put the game solely in the hands of the players.  It could also be a thing of conditioning, some teams simply run out of gas in the 2nd half; especially when they lack depth and rely heavily on their starters to do it all.

[tweisman5]

Below are my week 9 predictions and rankings. The spread (-#) is provided by Massey Ratings and the top 25 rankings are from the Hansen Ratings composite. Good luck to everyone this week!

Week 9 Predictions

Lycoming (-10.5) @ Wilkes: Lycoming wins by 10

Misericordia @ King's (-4.5): King's wins by 3

Albright @ Del Val (-27.5): Del Val wins by 35

Leb Val @ FDU (-0.5): FDU wins by 3

Alvernia @ Widener (-28.5): Widener wins by 31

Week 9 Rankings
1. Del Val (6-1, 5-0)
2. Stevenson (6-2, 5-1)
3. Misericordia (6-1, 5-0)
4. King's (4-3, 3-2)
5. Lycoming (4-3, 3-2)
6. Wilkes (4-4, 3-3)
7. FDU (4-3, 2-3)
8. Widener (3-4, 3-2)
9. Leb Val (0-7, 0-5) 
10. Albright (0-7, 0-5)
11. Alvernia (1-6, 0-6)

Prediction Record
Last Week: 4-1 (.800)
Season: 35-13 (.729)
Career: 78-31 (.716)

[gordonmann]

Do you think Misericordia regularly prints these picks out and posts them on their bulletin board for game day at this point?

Whatever they are doing, it's working.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Do you think Misericordia regularly prints these picks out and posts them on their bulletin board for game day at this point?

Whatever they are doing, it's working.

I was thinking the same thing, tweisman should just put them at #1 and then that would bring them back down to earth...

[tweisman5]

I'm hesitant to pick Misericordia because I have a gut feeling the week I do they will let me down. I'm aware of the irony of consistently being proven wrong and I applaud them for doing so! If they can finish strong these final few weeks, I will remember this season going forward and it will carry more weight in future picks.

[Graham8020]

I would hope that future scheduling would allow the top 3 teams to go head to head at some point during their season.

[G-manWU]

After 26 years as Del Val's outstanding Sport's Information Director, Matt Levy is going to an administration job at Penn State Abington.   Of course we wish him the very best in his new job, but he does leave huge shoes to fill in Aggieland.   Gordon Mann, i'm sure you will miss him.

While I have yet to meet Matt in person, he treated me very graciously in my days of working for the Colonels.  As I tried to collect game programs and media guides for all of the MAC teams each year, he would send me copies of those items during the seasons we did not play at Del Val, and had them waiting for me when we made the trip to Doylestown. Small gestures in the grand scheme, but it was incredibly kind of him, and helped set a good professional example for me at a young stage in my career. All the best to Matt on his new adventure!

[tweisman5]

Friday Fact of the Week

Fact:

2018 Opponents Points Per Play (Thru Week 8)

1. Del Val: .274
2. Lycoming: .310
3. Stevenson: .313
4. Widener: .357
5. FDU: .369
6. King's: .446
7. Wilkes: .483
8. Leb Val: .511
9. Misericordia: .520
10. Alvernia: .602
11. Albright: .778

Reaction:

I was somewhat surprise at the dismal PPP Albright has posted so far this season, but seems to be one of several factors for their underachieving season. If Misericordia sweeps their final games this season, it will be largely due to their offense as the defense still needs improvement to contribute to their surprising success this season. FDU posting a MAC top 5 defense this point in time is remarkable as I usually associate them being an offensive driven team.

[bill]

Congrats to FDU today - getting to 5 wins on the season - most since 1999!
Despite the weather, it was a great atmosphere with the school celebrating the 25th anniversary of its best season ever - the 8-3 1993 squad. For a school with not a lot of football history, here's hoping Coach Surace and the staff continue to get things going in the right direction!