FB: Conference of New England

[footballfan2005]

BSC 33 vs. ME Maritime 24

Well Maine had 2 backs for over 100 yards each... but I guess is wasn't raining to much in Bridgewater b/c  Adam C. threw for 200+ and 3tds.  Nice win for BSC should make the rest of the season interesting... esp. w/ Worcester playing Maine, BSC, then Fitchburg for it's final three... they could control their own future. On that note... Worcester didn't even bother throwing the ball with it's easy win over framingham...

[d3ballfan]

Biggest upset of the year out of Cambridge....
MIT 31  WNEC 27

[SullyMustGo]

So Utah, your getting on my case why? I answered the kid's question, then was confused when Pat said the crossover was the tiebreaker, which is definitily the wrong way to break a tie but thats not my problem.

Worcestor State 37
Framingham State 0

Framingham with a robust 86 yards of offense.

[RunNShoot]

congrats to MIT in getting that first win.

Westfield didn't seem to dominate in their win today over mass.

EC's experience vs. top notch competition definatly aided them in their win over FSC.

Framingham's pass happy attack couldn't get off the ground it seems in the monsoon.  dissapointment there, but they're not as bad as you all make them out to be.

The thing I have noticed about this conference this year is that anything can happen any saturday.  Every week we seem to see at least one upset.  Not much is guaranteed in the NEFC.

[SullyMustGo]

We're not making the players out to be that bad. We're making Coach Sullivan out to be the worst coach in the history of the game, which you can make a very strong argument for. 3 wins in 3 1/2 years is unacceptable in my book, and it should be unacceptable for Framingham State.

[Jonny Utah]

Im not on your case sullymustgo, just pointing out that a head to head tiebreaker is obviously going to be the first tiebreaker as it is in basically all cases in all sports.

and I think points versus common opponents is worse than a crossover...that way somtimes teams with worse overall records could get in over a team with a better record.

[ktroutvon]

AptosDad,

  Regarding your question about attrition:

I think that it is common for players to drop off after a year or two.  I ended up being at Hobart for five years and basically had two senior classes.  Both of those classes started at around 50 as freshman and ended (I don't remember specifically) between 5-15 (probably at the lower end of that range).  DIII, from my experience, seems to be funny.  In addition to injuries and guys dropping out of programs for scholastic and disciplinary issues, some people decided that not travelling for four years isn't worth it (that's not to say that they aren't passionate about football, though some may argue that point).  Some also make other choices.  I did this, choosing to go abroad my senior fall to Copenhagen and missing Hobart's first NCAA playoff year even though I knew the team would be pretty good that year.  I had travelled also in previous years and played a little.  While I miss football, that experience could not be replicated.  The only way someone can make a choice like that is too plan two years ahead to go abroad in a spring semester, which requires a little less open mindedness (in my humble opinion) than any college kid should have. 

  You also have to consider that each year the coaching staff basically recruits guys that they either hope or expect to be better than the players currently on their roster. 

  I'd be interested if what I stated is true at most everywhere in DIII or only at some schools.  I would expect that, to some degree, their is an inverse relationship between the quality of acedemics at a school (not just meaning grade type of factors, but also likely to have a greater intellectual curiosity about the world as a whole) and the level of attrition of a freshman class over its four years.

[footballfan2005]

J. Utah,

If out of confeerence games will count for a playoff spot... then why should teams like Endicott play RPI in the first few weeks and Worcester State play WPI... if the tie breaker is overall record I would assume once a coach gets burned in this way that their out-of-conference games will not be as difficult.  This goes back to the start of the season when someone, i forgot who said that NEFC needs to play stronger teams for out of conference games to gain respect.  If i was a coach I would strive to win my league and gain the respect in the NCAA's.

[SullyMustGo]

Utah, it doesn't matter if a team has a worse record as long as their division record puts them in first or tied. Like footballfan said, Endicott is a team with balls who wants to get better and plays a very tough non-conference schedule, it wouldn't be fair if their loss to RPI was a reason for them getting shafted out of the championship game.

[footballfan2005]

Sully,

I didn't know you had a heart... and yes for EC to schedule RPI speeks volume...

On another note look at Hobart... they dropped Ithaca, Alfred and Fisher... why?  The reason was Academic's... meaning that the three schools produced Gym Teachers... and their standards for admission weren't up to the same qualifications.

But all three of those games were against tough, physical teams... why should Hobart risk injury, beat-up their players when those games don't count... if Hobart wins the LL they know get an automatic bid... where in previous years they weren't an automatic so they needed a tough schedule.

Therefore, Hobart says academics... I don't buy it.

[Jonny Utah]

Sully,

I didn't know you had a heart... and yes for EC to schedule RPI speeks volume...

On another note look at Hobart... they dropped Ithaca, Alfred and Fisher... why?  The reason was Academic's... meaning that the three schools produced Gym Teachers... and their standards for admission weren't up to the same qualifications.

But all three of those games were against tough, physical teams... why should Hobart risk injury, beat-up their players when those games don't count... if Hobart wins the LL they know get an automatic bid... where in previous years they weren't an automatic so they needed a tough schedule.

Therefore, Hobart says academics... I don't buy it.

footballfan, you are wrong.  Hobart dropped Ithaca because both teams had to fill inconference games, not because they produce gym teachers.  Dont make up stupid things like that.

If the LL teams played nonconference games, then they might get a pool c bid if they dont win the league, something they wont get with thier current schedules.

[ktroutvon]

Hobart is picking Alfred back up and we never lost to them when I played or after before dropping them for a few years, which had to do with new leagues.  I was disappointed by dropping Ithaca b/c we had become very competitive with them since Coach Cragg's arrival (Ithaca fans, I know there were a couple of bad ones in there, but we did drop a shuout on them also). 

I'd like to see a direct quote, or at a minimum something indirect, that says that those schools were dropped b/c of differences in academic philosphies.  This whole academic thing gets out of hand b/c its not based on truth.  There were some very smart people at Hobart and some idiots also.  Same as people that I know at Nescac schools and IVY's. 

I (hate to do this), but have to say that going into the season, it looked like Union had scheduled quality non-conference games.  Same with Hobart for F&M.  I would agree though, that I'd like to see them pick up a 10th game against a quality opponent.  I have been intrigued by how they would do to against Wesley personally. 

I don't know if footballfan2005 is an nefc alum/student but I suppose we could pick up games against NEFC schools like RPI and past them 40-7.

[footballfan2005]

Why then did Hobart elect to play out-of-conference games w. F&M and Dickinson... over Ithaca, Alfred and Fisher...which are all close games in distance, not to mention riv... The reason is academics... look at the books... where does F&M and Dickinson rank compared to Ithaca, Alfred & Fisher...

And no I'm not a NEFC alum... I am a Liberty League Alum... just happened to get a job in Worcester... so i decided to pick a team and follow them.

[ktroutvon]

That's correlatiion without causation.  We have played F&M and Dickinson since at least 1995.  1996 was my first year and I recall hearing references to the previous year.  May have been much longer. 

You didn't go to Hobart so you really shouldn't talk about something which you know nothing about. 

In addition to your absurd theory, we are dropping F&M and picking Alfred back up after a 2 year hiatus starting next fall.  So now you need so stop talking about Hobart's program.

[63Center]

This is the NEFC Site, not the LL Site so if you guys want to discuss why Hobart is playing the schedule they play go discuss it with the rest of the LL Posters and let the NEFC discuss topics like firing Sully, how to decide the winner of the Bogan if there is a tie, and the impact of EC playing tough teams in the non-conference portion of the schedule.