FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[UDub Fever]

WARHAWKS over La Crosse ....this game will be a great football game.  WARHAWKS WILL WIN

Slop-kosh continues to roll over P-Vegas

Stout rebounds with win over EC

River Falls beat Stevens Point

[padmofu]

Town, I agree. Titan defense is probably even stronger now than it was last year when they held the Pios to 6. If Nelson is still injured, then the Titans will have even less to worry about. I don't think Schmidt can toss the same long ball that Nelson can, which isn't easy to do against the Osh secondary anyway. (just ask Stout's qb how his game ended on saturday) Two experienced D-ends Neff and Fett will have a field day with the young'uns on Pville's O-line. Platteville's sieve defense will probably give up 100+ rushing to Moriarty, 120+ receiving to Stoltz, and probably at least one TD pass to Docherty. Meyer is 0-2 in the town of Platteville... I don't think he has to worry about that streak continuing.  HAIL TITANS!

[Pioneerbacker]

I'll wait till after the game to give Oshy respect, considering they lost to Falls in OT and beat a questionable Stout team.  How does one conference win put somebody on a roll?  Oshy contingent talks about the defense, but is it better than UWL's, who did not have a single sack on Saturday?  So, I doubt UW-O's defensive ends will have a "field day" with the O Line.  (Likewise, you cannot compare last year to this year at any time, with any game.)   

I think the league's ready to find out Schmidt is a capable quarterback, even though he was #2 early in the season.  I also think 27 points on the UWL defense (which is the most by a losing team) is a good indication that the offense is coming around, which is very young.  It's not likely a team in the WIAC goes without a win, so this is as good a weekend as ever.
   

[padmofu]

'backer- good points. I guess my justification for the field day comment is the fact that the only significant personnel change for the Pioneers is their offensive line, which has no one back from last year. Titan D returns the same d-ends that played in last year's game, one of which was all conf. player who recorded 6 tackles, a sack, and an INT in that contest. The pioneer qbs were in a hole early and had to play under a lot of pressure, tossing only 18 completions out of 44 attempts. 6 of those 44 were picked off. Unless the pioneer defense does a better job at containing the oshkosh running game (381 yards last year, 164 by 2nd string rb stern), then pio qbs will find themselves under the same pressure playing catch-up.

Schmidt had an impressive game for his first start at QB, especially against a conference powerhouse like LaCrosse. We'll see if he can perform like that two weeks in a row.

[fatboy96]

I love my Pios...but it just seems like the defensive philosophy that has been there since Emmy got there with the "good athletes" has just never quite worked.  RF still tries a similar philosophy as well and it just seems like without that big d-line to protect the backers, you have no chance of stopping a team like Lax that rolls out 300+ lb lineman each year.  Sometimes you get lucky and speed kills, but you have to have some pretty special kids that are fearless and fly around with their hair on fire....I really wish it would work, but it is tough in this conference.   JMO  Feel free to disagree.....

[voice]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Adam Johnson's "Around the West" feature on Northwestern (MN) double-header last weekend.  I particularly like the diary-style.  I agree that the small metro-twin city private school didn't schedule the double-header for publicity reasons  - but to fill out a 10-game schedule.

I am still confused to why a number of schools in the Midwest, especially in Illinois and Iowa refuse to play WIAC schools.  It puts a lot of pressure on some WIAC schools to fill 10-game schedules. Case in point:  La Crosse this year, who was only able to schedule nine games and ended up with back-to-back bye weeks.

Back to Adam's "Around the West Region" West column this week.  I am really surprised that he did not include this weekend's Whitewater at La Crosse game among the "games to watch."  #7 vs #10 in the country seems like a game I would want to watch.

[WSUFan]

I'd have to agree, it's tough to play two games like that. Of course, there are plenty of schools who could use another game on the schedule.

I'm confused and surprised as well that the La Crosse-Whitewater game didn't get a mention. I enjoy Around the Region, but I've come to expect a heavy dose of MIAC and IIAC.

[padmofu]

fat, I agree about the size of pville's lines on both sides of the ball. as a former pioneer I can vouch for that comment. the sizes never match up on paper and I think it has some effect on the game. the pios have pulled off some upsets in the emmy era, but you'll notice that the line tends to wear down toward the end of the season, taking a beating week in and week out from the mammoth linemen of stout, point, lacrosse, and eau claire.

[John Gleich]

Point over RF
Oshy over Platt
LaX over WW
Stout over EC

[blugold45]

My Picks:
RF
Oshkosh
LAX
EC

[DuffMan]

I think Johnson just picked up covering the WIAC this year, so he's probably not as familiar with the schools as much.

[wiacfan]

Having read both the MIAC and WIAC pages over the years, Mr. Johnson is familiar with the WIAC conference.  Even so, a matchup between #7 and #10 should receive some notice, not only in the West region,  but also on D3football front page 

[oldpa]

It's a wonder WIAC gets mentioned at all anymore after the game Pat saw at WW a couple weeks ago. WW was flat and EC couldn't do anything.

[Pat Coleman]

Even so, a matchup between #7 and #10 should receive some notice, not only in the West region,  but also on D3football front page 

It will, but not on Tuesday. We've got a lot of stuff to get through before then -- and the WIAC and the West region have been on the front page quite a bit recently.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

The West has gotten plenty of coverage and credit this year.  35% of the top twenty is out of the West.