FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[bleedpurple]

You bitched a lot last year. I guess things even out. Just like in golf. Bad bounce here -good bounce there. You may be able to reat your starters until the semis.

We were just workin' the ref to get a call later in the game. 

[bleedpurple]

I'm going to come out and say what every UWW is thinking. UWW got a HUGE break this evening. Mount Union, NCC, Welsey, Wabash, MHB and Linfield are all one the other side of the bracket. Whitewater has been not playing up to its potential of late, and any one of these teams could knock UWW out of the playoffs this year. But Luckily we might only have to face one of these teams. I said MIGHT....so nobody chew my head off for being cocky!

I'm just shocked how this bracket turned out  Grant it, I'm already worrying playing about a potential second-round matchup against a much improved Franklin team.

The most anticipated game has to be NCC possibly traveling to Mount. The winner of that game will make it to the Stagg Bowl, I have a fealing.

Actually, this post must not reflect what EVERY UW-W fan is thinking because it's not what I'm thinking.  I do think it's a favorable bracket, but I wouldn't be afraid to play any of the teams you just listed.  What it comes down to is that the Mount/NCC winner will have to play the survivor of the UMHB, Linfield, Wesley bracket.  Two challenging games to be sure, but also very winnable games for either purple power. 

I agree with Bobo, you DO worry too much 02! One of the fun parts of the playoffs is seeing how we stack up against the best in the country. UW-W obviously has a lot of talent and are gaining more and more experience as the season progresses.  Have they peaked yet? Probably not.  If a team is good enough to beat us, kudos to them.  UW-W will not beat themselves, so the team will have to take it from them.  I believe that last year, many posters underestimated the character of the Warhawks after the first round or two of the playoffs. There are a lot of doubters this year, which is fine. I'll go on record right now saying I believe in this team.

[BoBo]

^^ Lets send all the doubters here for a little attitude adjustment:



* Actually, I don't think there are too many.

[warhawkguard]

The bracket UWW is in is certainly not intimidating. It contains the usual Eastern teams that UMU usually got fed on its way to Salem. Its nice we get some of them for a change and UMU might actually get challenged this year.

Put me down as saying that unless the Hawks implode, they won't see a real challenge until St. Thomas comes calling. Delaware Valley #1 seed ? Please. St. Thomas is the 3rd Purple power now.

Wait a minute! What colors are UMHB??

[BoBo]

St. Thomas is the 3rd Purple power now.

Wait a minute! What colors are UMHB??

Until they beat someone of any stature (like 1 of the 2 original members of the purple power club), they're just another team that wears purple.  It's a bit premature to consider them a card carrying member of the PP club (IMHO).   

[bleedpurple]

bp - what do you make of the fact that it seems Del Valley was made a #1 and St. Thomas a #2?

02 Warhawk - you worry TOO much!! 

It's a bit puzzling to me. If the intent was to pick the four best teams and then build brackets around them, I think they missed on that one, but maybe not by much. With no common opponent data, I look to recent playoff performances to try to evaluate the quality of teams, especially at the level of #1 seeds.  Over the last couple of years, DVU's best playoff win was over a 2 loss Salisbury team (3 losses including the DVU game) last year. They lost by 28 to Mount last year and by 24 in 09 to Albright. St. Thomas' signature win was a 7 point win over Linfield last year before being eliminated by Bethel in a rematch against a conference opponent.  Seems to me DVU hasn't proven it on the national stage. St. Thomas hasn't really either, so I guess they left the door open a hair in losing to Bethel last year.

[footballfan413]

You know, the NCAA may have a heart.   Nah, probably not, but maybe they learned something from last year.  UWW got hosed last year and we all know it.  But a 2 time defending national champion that has gone undefeated and is ranked #1 in the nation has earned the right to have this bracket.  Now they have to go out and play like they want to defend that Championship.

I believe this quote is soooo on point. it bears repeating!!!!  And considering that this is the very road that UMU has traveled the last couple of years for the most part, warranted and deserved.  I think the bracket is a breath of fresh air compared to past years and for more than the reasons WD has pointed out.  We, D3 fans, have complained for years that money was the driving force behind the brackets, not proper seeding.  With the brackets combining so many more teams from different regions, it seems their goal was that teams would meet based more on their records, not solely on geography where possible.  Making Del Val a #1 over St. Thomas may very well have resulted from the fact that geography could not be ignored entirely. Contrast this bracket with the 2005 West bracket when we were just another WIAC champ who would be gone by the 2nd round and as the #5 ranked team in the country, we had to go through #1 Linfield, #3 St. Johns and #8 Central just to get out of our region.  Now we just have to stay focused on one game at a time.  Against the Champs, EVERY team will bring their A game and we can't take any Saturday for granted! 
              GO  WARHAWKS!!!  WIN AND MOVE ON.....

[retagent]

St. Thomas is the 3rd Purple power now.

Wait a minute! What colors are UMHB??

Until they beat someone of any stature (like 1 of the 2 original members of the purple power club), they're just another team that wears purple.  It's a bit premature to consider them a card carrying member of the PP club (IMHO).   

This was the attitude of some of "US" when UWW appeared in 2005 that you so bristled at. "YOU" are now "US"

[footballfan413]

Crap, I just realized that your comment was in reference to St. Thomas not UMHB, wasn't it?  Duh! Removed mine.......


              Never mind.................

[badgerwarhawk]

I am not a doubter but I admit to being a worrier.  Maybe that's inconsistant, I don't know.  Fortunately I know that the team and staff never look beyond the next opponent and stay focused on having a game plan in place to beat that team. 

[02 Warhawk]

I'm going to come out and say what every UWW is thinking. UWW got a HUGE break this evening. Mount Union, NCC, Welsey, Wabash, MHB and Linfield are all one the other side of the bracket. Whitewater has been not playing up to its potential of late, and any one of these teams could knock UWW out of the playoffs this year. But Luckily we might only have to face one of these teams. I said MIGHT....so nobody chew my head off for being cocky!

I'm just shocked how this bracket turned out  Grant it, I'm already worrying playing about a potential second-round matchup against a much improved Franklin team.

The most anticipated game has to be NCC possibly traveling to Mount. The winner of that game will make it to the Stagg Bowl, I have a fealing.

Actually, this post must not reflect what EVERY UW-W fan is thinking because it's not what I'm thinking.  I do think it's a favorable bracket, but I wouldn't be afraid to play any of the teams you just listed.   What it comes down to is that the Mount/NCC winner will have to play the survivor of the UMHB, Linfield, Wesley bracket.  Two challenging games to be sure, but also very winnable games for either purple power. 

I agree with Bobo, you DO worry too much 02! One of the fun parts of the playoffs is seeing how we stack up against the best in the country. UW-W obviously has a lot of talent and are gaining more and more experience as the season progresses.  Have they peaked yet? Probably not.  If a team is good enough to beat us, kudos to them.  UW-W will not beat themselves, so the team will have to take it from them.  I believe that last year, many posters underestimated the character of the Warhawks after the first round or two of the playoffs. There are a lot of doubters this year, which is fine. I'll go on record right now saying I believe in this team.

I'm just shocked to see that every team that we're used to playing in the playoffs is now on the opposite side of the bracket this year.

Yes, I will always worry      Altough, I'm not sweating the Albion game.....much.

[footballfan413]

St. Thomas is the 3rd Purple power now.

Wait a minute! What colors are UMHB??

Until they beat someone of any stature (like 1 of the 2 original members of the purple power club), they're just another team that wears purple.  It's a bit premature to consider them a card carrying member of the PP club (IMHO).

Now that I have read this properly, I agree with you, BoBo. Looking at what the other 3 have done the last several years, UWW, UMU, and UMHB, the bar for the purple power club is pretty darn high.  This could very well be the year that the Tommies start to pad their resume, however.  That will be a very tough match-up if both teams hold up their ends and we meet them down the road.

BTW, I too, am never a doubter but always a worrier!  I think it is a healthy trait with regards to football and insures that one never overlooks any opponent.  Any given Saturday...........   

[skunks_sidekick]

If I had the gumption (which I don't...especially on a MONDAY), I would go back to last year and copy/paste all the comments you folks made about Mount's "easy" bracket.   

I think the committee went BEYOND themselves to "make up" for their obvious gaffe from last year. 

It's all good.......I think this shake-up is good for D-III football, and if some other team is really that good, they will beat one of us Purple Powers and make it to the Stagg. 

Good luck against Albion!     (Yah I know......Benedictine will be a stern test for Mount.)

[Pat Coleman]

St. Thomas is the 3rd Purple power now.

Wait a minute! What colors are UMHB??

Until they beat someone of any stature (like 1 of the 2 original members of the purple power club), they're just another team that wears purple.  It's a bit premature to consider them a card carrying member of the PP club (IMHO).   

This was the attitude of some of "US" when UWW appeared in 2005 that you so bristled at. "YOU" are now "US"

Sounds like something I said in the podcast.

http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2011/11/14/atn-podcast-what-they-got-right/

[02 Warhawk]

If I had the gumption (which I don't...especially on a MONDAY), I would go back to last year and copy/paste all the comments you folks made about Mount's "easy" bracket.   

I think the committee went BEYOND themselves to "make up" for their obvious gaffe from last year. 

It's all good.......I think this shake-up is good for D-III football, and if some other team is really that good, they will beat one of us Purple Powers and make it to the Stagg. 

Good luck against Albion!     (Yah I know......Benedictine will be a stern test for Mount.)

I was one of those people, and I don't take back what I said. Mount fans have the right to complain about this year's bracket