FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[footballfan413]

P.S.
     And as for why WIAC teams don't have a solid record in the play-offs the last several years, I don't know.  I can only speculate that when you finish the season having played in the "toughest conference" in the country, you are more likely to enter the post season being much more "beat up" both physically and mentally than teams that dominate a historically weaker conference.  I know that Stevens Point really challenged themselves in the pre-conference games against some great competition and entered conference play with injuries to several key players. LAX did as well and lost a key starter for the year.  Also, none of them were the 2005 Warhawks.  That seems to be what sets this team apart.  They haven't really been challenged yet even in the WIAC with the exception of LAX  but there are still 2 games left to play and the Warhawks don't asssume anything.  They will come to play every week!

[desertcat1]

Footballfan 413,

The record over the last two years  looks like this.. 

Cats  3  , WICA or as you perfer WIAC.. Big Goose Egg...0

Been there, done that yet???  S point -2
lax-1...  and that was the champ of the WIaC last year ,  Are the fact right? 
But I do understand you or( the Wiac champ)  was all  beat up after wiac paly..

[retagent]

Bluegold

   I assume you saw the SJU - UWEC game. That's a hard one upon which to draw a comparison. Just remember that it was looking like a runaway until the three blocked punts. SJU has not had another blocked punt this year (not that they have to punt all that much). I was impressed with the play of the Bluegolds, but in the end, SJU's D was the determining factor. A matchup against UWW would probably be a good game. Just remember though that the last two times the Johnies played Mighty Mount Union, they held them to 60 points less tha they had scored in the previous game, a semi-final where you would think MUC would have played some pretty good opposition.

   I'm willing to accept the fact that the WIAC is a strong conference, top to bottom, but it still tells us very little about head to head matchups. Good luck the rest of the way and I hope there will be a chance to settle the dispute on the field - where it counts.

[1_For_27]

Saw the hawks play on saturday, Jacobs had a shot to break Brez's record for TD passes in a game but he got yanked, like alot of you think beaver should have. I agree!!  The hawks are playing well, I just hope they realize that alot can happen in 2 football games and not to get ahead of themselves. 

Good to see you to 2 cents, Always a pleasure to catch up.  It was good to see #78 out there mixin it up!!

Warhawkalum,  get a new handle.  You are not an alum nor are you a warhawk!!!  Get a clue!!!

As far as the johhnies debate, I would take the hawks, we play physical, they practice in just helmets!!  Don't agree with that at all!!! 

Go Hawks Beat the Devils!!!

[bgolds]

All this Whitewater talk. I admit, they are great, but Eau Claire is showing some promise too. if they win out, what are their chance to make the playoffs? Keep in mind the three teams that they lost to have no loses yet this year. I don't know if that even matters.

[repete]

So many folks on this board seem to annually underestimate the Johnnies late in the season.  Although I don't want to put too much weight to stats and agree the only way to tell would be on the field, here -- for what they're worth -- are some numbers to ponder.

If, as most people do, see ability to run and stop the run as a decent indicator of toughness, considers: both sju and WW gave EC little on the ground. SJU gave up 5 yards, WW 58. On the other side, SJU -- which is not a running team, still ran for 215 with WW rushed for 201. It might be a better match than some think.

I do remember WW having a real horse of a back a few years back (Worth/Wurth?) but only a late TD made the score somewhat respectable.

[blugold45]

After seeing both SJU and WW play in person, WW wins 28-17 because of WW's ability to mix both run and pass.  In past seasons when EC has been able to beat the Johnnies they were able to run the ball effectively and mix in some long balls as well.  This year the Blugolds seem to be one dimesional with the running game not being to potent.  WW seems to have that ability to mix it up this year and should get a home game against the Johnnies to shut the MIAC fans up.

Interesting subnote, lets say the Blugolds win out, do they get a second chance at the Johnnies in Collegevile, first round of the playoffs?  Thats a game I would think the Johnnies faithful would not want to see, since the Blugolds have found there running game in the last couple weeks and have a history of winning in Collegeville (unlike every other team ever).

[blugold45]

The latest LAZ power rankings http://www.lazindex.com/cfbdd3.htm

RANK     SCHOOL       RATE     W     L     POWER
          
1    UW-Whitewater     0.989     8    0    91.72
2    Linfield              0.910     7     0     88.32
3    St John's MN         0.900        9        0        84.60
4    Mount Union        0.867       7       1       85.00
5    North Central        0.828        8        0       78.68
6    Augustana IL        0.794       7       1      78.26
7    UW-Eau Claire       0.794      5       3      79.27
8    Concordia M         0.773       7        1       76.17
9    UW-Stout          0.772        6         2        78.33
10    Wesley               0.772         8        1      76.78

[UdubO]

Just posing a question, if Oshkosh wins out, which is a pretty good possibility, would the committee think about including Oshkosh in the playoffs they would have quality wins over Stout, Eau Claire, and LAX.  Or would they not make it in considering they lost to a poor River Falls team and the score difference against Whitewater, which the game was closer then the score indicated. I would like to think that Oshkosh would but a traditionally poor Oshkosh reputation might hold them out

[UdubO]

Also i was at the Oshkosh vs Whitewater game and Derek Stanley and Jim I'm not going to attempt to spell his name, were simply amazing.  Going up to get balls and coming down with them.  Oshkosh Db's had some pretty good coverage and the line was getting pretty decent pressure considering they had three sacks, but their receivers made many plays anyways.  On one play the Oshkosh CB broke on a ball and had it in his hands only to have it wrestled it away by Jim L.  If the receiver had not it was a sure interception that would have gone for a td, and then changing the momentum

[pastprime]

The football programs at SJU and MUC have been a step above the rest of DIII in the last decade or so.  Linfield has started to catch up but only recently in the last few years.  It used to be that the WIAC had LaCrosse as a dominant team for a while and actually had sucess in the playoffs.  But in recent years the WIAC has failed to advance and the only thing that I can use as an excuse is the 100 man roster limit.  I can't come up with a sure fire reason this has effected the playoffs but I think it has made the conference more balanced without having a dominant team like the others mentioned.  It has limited the successful teams from creating a stock pile of talent.  Just look at the roster sizes of SJU. MUC, and Linfield and compare them to the rest of the teams in their conferences.  Their success brings in more players willing to wait to play on a proven winner.  The WIAC does not have that luxury.  Parody has helped limit the WIAC come playoff time.  

[blugold45]

Pastprime,

I would agree completely..  With the addition of more teams to the playoffs I believe the WIAC has a good chance to have much more playoff success.  In both 2001 and 2002, EC was 8-2 and did not make the playoffs, they had beaten SJU both years and would have given the WIAC a very solid team in the playoffs that could've beaten the Johnnies.  Let the Johnnies play two WIAC teams in the playoffs and then they will have a tiny feeling of what playing in the WIAC is all about.  I don't think the Johnnies could beat WW and EC in back to back games this post season.   

[Foss]

I've said this on other boards so I might as well put it on yours. I think the WIAC will have an opportunity to improve its playoff record this year, but not in the West. The West has potentially too many playoff teams (and high ranked teams at that). I think it is likely UW-Whitewater will be placed in the North (like La Crosse was a couple of years ago), maybe even given the #1 seed. They should do some damage there, the only other real strong team I see in that region is Mt. Union. The SJU or Linfield vs. Whitewater matchup will likely have to wait until the semifinals or finals (that would be cool if two historically West region teams both won their region and faced off in the semis or finals).

I also don't think the Blugolds are necessarily out of it yet, and I'm looking forward to what Pat thinks in his playoff projections. They remind me of Willamette last season, with two losses to top ranked D3 teams, and a loss to a good NAIA school. Willamette's tough scheduling and good performance got them in, although the problem for Eau Claire this year is there is less room in the West than last and they need some West region bubble teams to lose. Yet another reason to put the WIAC team(s) in the North to make that region more competitive, but two WIAC teams in the North is probably asking too much.

[footballfan413]

First of all to desertcat1, that is the best comeback you have ?      I'm still standing.  You didn't even blacken an eye! And to UdubO, the Oshkosh/Whitewater game was closer than the score indicated?  What game were you watching?    Lastly, blugold45,  that is a great point.  I did not realize that in 2001 and 2002 while going 8-2 and beating the Johnies both years, that EC was shut out of the play-offs.  Shows how playing in the toughest conference in the country can shut out some well deserving  teams.  Hopefully the increased number of at-large berths this year will help correct that.

[Eagle Cynic]

A few pages back I said that LAX has the talent but isn't using it well.  This week was a prime example (6 ints).  Also, I said that the attitude of the 99 season was about coming off of a losing season...yes we also had a losing season in 2001.  Each of those years was the end of a generation used to winning championships with egos so pumped up that they forgot to play.  Each losing season has been followed by a conference championship or 3...1999 Champs,2002-2004 champs, 2006 champs?

Last year seemed like the end of a generation and maybe this year is the down year it will take to spark the Eagles for next year.  (Yes this sucks to already be talking about next year and still have a couple of games left but Packer fans know what I'm talking about...the race for Reggie Bush.)
Anyway, the talent is there, the attitude is not...Eagles-show me some hope and some pride the rest of this season so I've got something to feel good about till next season.