FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Mr. Ypsi]

By the way, Carthage did not handle Hope. They came from behind with two TD's in the last 8 minutes, including one with :50 left to win, 26-19. Hope is not a bad club. Having said that, the jury is still out on UW-EC as well. The games @ SP and @ WW will obviously tell a lot.

Sure it's early in the season, but typically it's hard to consider a 0-3 team anything other than bad.  Now, if they run off 7 wins to finish the season, then we can say they have a rather bad conference!!    But, by doing so they could still win that conference and get a playoff date with MUC. Hope and UPS might be a more competitive game.

Hope has now lost 17 straight non-conference games (and, unless I'm remembering wrong, they do have one conference title during that stretch).  The MIAA IS a weak conference (though not totally bottom-of-the-barrel).

But Hope's scores are vastly better than last year (they have lost by a FG, a TD, and in 2OT) to 3 pretty good teams.  Since their next game is AT #4 Wheaton, they will undoubtedly start 0-4, but they really are not a BAD team - at-or-below average, perhaps, but not bad.  For a member of a weak conference, they take on a very ambitious schedule: 3 CCIW teams and a WIAC team (none of them bottom-feeders).

I have no ties to Hope, but don't like them being mocked.  They would beat UPS by 4 TDs.

[BoBo]

Dumb question, but, do you think UPS will travel well?

Although I'm sure you're joking, I thought I'd throw in that UPS didn't have a whole lot of fans at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday.

[bgbacker]

Mr Ypsi -  very well-said. The Flying Dutchmen did win the Conference in '07... but haven't won a non-conference game since the '04 season opener. I think they'll make some noise in their league this year.

[BoBo]

Ypsi: If a 3-0 team won NC games by a FG, a TD and in 2 OT's, they be ranked in the top 15, probably (ok, maybe only in the coaches poll   )!!

If you lose 3 NC games the same way, it doesn't make them a good team - it just makes you winless!!  If you go on to "make some noise" like bgbacker says or even win your conference, it exposes a weak conference.  If it quacks like a duck...etc.  Catch my drift? But, you failed to address my point that if they win their league, they go to the playoffs - and that's why teams play 10 games, to make the playoffs.  The fact that they lose 3 or 4 NC games will only mean they are probably 1 and done in the playoffs against a #1 seed like MUC.  But that's more than EC or some of the other NC teams that beat them are going to get.  I don't see how that is mocking Hope?  

Having vastly better scores than last year while going winless, still make you winless and proves little. When it's all said on done, only their coaches and SID can put a positive spin to that argument - but the bottomline is you're still winless.  The culture surrounding your team is unchanged - good in their league, but can't win the NC games.  To me, that isn't the mark of a quality team.

Just goes to show that there is a fine line to being successful and not.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ypsi: If a 3-0 team won NC games by a FG, a TD and in 2 OT's, they be ranked in the top 15, probably (ok, maybe only in the coaches poll   )!!

If you lose 3 NC games the same way, it doesn't make them a good team - it just makes you winless!!  If you go on to "make some noise" like bgbacker says or even win your conference, it exposes a weak conference.  If it quacks like a duck...etc.  Catch my drift? But, you failed to address my point that if they win their league, they go to the playoffs - and that's why teams play 10 games, to make the playoffs.  The fact that they lose 3 or 4 NC games will only mean they are probably 1 and done in the playoffs against a #1 seed like MUC.  But that's more than EC or some of the other NC teams that beat them are going to get.  I don't see how that is mocking Hope?  

Having vastly better scores than last year while going winless, still make you winless and proves little. When it's all said on done, only their coaches and SID can put a positive spin to that argument - but the bottomline is you're still winless.  The culture surrounding your team is unchanged - good in their league, but can't win the NC games.  To me, that isn't the mark of a quality team.

Just goes to show that there is a fine line to being successful and not.

Note again that I have no ties to Hope.

Note also that a team could theoretically go 0-10 and be the 11th best team in the country.

WHO you play makes a helluva difference.  Hope is NOT a GOOD team, but I contend they are not at all a bad team.  They have played 3 top 100 (perhaps even top 50) teams very close.  Aside from the way we phrased our conclusions, I'm not sure we're disagreeing on anything!

(And FAR better teams than Hope have been 'smoked' by MUC in the playoffs - that's no disgrace! )

[OzJohnnie]

Note again that I have no ties to Hope.

Note also that a team could theoretically go 0-10 and be the 11th best team in the country.

WHO you play makes a helluva difference.  Hope is NOT a GOOD team, but I contend they are not at all a bad team.  They have played 3 top 100 (perhaps even top 50) teams very close.  Aside from the way we phrased our conclusions, I'm not sure we're disagreeing on anything!

(And FAR better teams than Hope have been 'smoked' by MUC in the playoffs - that's no disgrace! )

Do you back the Warhawks?  No?  Then you must be wrong.  (What was the argument again?  Do you support the Warhawks?  No?  Then it doesn't matter.  Ad nauseum.)

[Goal Line Stand]

Note again that I have no ties to Hope.

Note also that a team could theoretically go 0-10 and be the 11th best team in the country.

WHO you play makes a helluva difference.  Hope is NOT a GOOD team, but I contend they are not at all a bad team.  They have played 3 top 100 (perhaps even top 50) teams very close.  Aside from the way we phrased our conclusions, I'm not sure we're disagreeing on anything!

(And FAR better teams than Hope have been 'smoked' by MUC in the playoffs - that's no disgrace! )

Do you back the Warhawks?  No?  Then you must be wrong.  (What was the argument again?  Do you support the Warhawks?  No?  Then it doesn't matter.  Ad nauseum.)

Oh, please.......I thought they were getting along just fine.   

[raiderguy]

IN case you missed MNF last night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5yA4tAIadY

AH! Memories

[badgerwarhawk]

Your guy isn't that popular in this parts,  raider.   He's a tremendous talent but we remember him as the guy who pouted like a baby when he lost.

[Barber Greene]

Badgers vs Warhawks?

Instead of Wofford, why not pay Whitewater to come and play?

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/mailbag/article_ea225794-a789-11de-b9d2-001cc4c002e0.html

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Badgers vs Warhawks?

Instead of Wofford, why not pay Whitewater to come and play?

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/mailbag/article_ea225794-a789-11de-b9d2-001cc4c002e0.html

The article talks about Northern Illinois as comparable to UWW.  NIU just beat Purdue last week and played Wisconsin close this year.  NIU is a FBS school with a full compliment of scholarships.  UWW is good, but I doubt that they are on the same par as NIU.  Just as MUC is not on the same par as Akron, Kent State, Toledo, and such.  I always wondered how MUC would do vs. Kent State, but think they would struggle due to the speed and size of scholarship athletes.

[Barber Greene]

A victory against a FCS school like Wofford counts for the UW to be bowl eligible. They are allowed one such victory a year. I don't think a win against a DIII team does.

I think the guy's argument is to keep the money in state, not that the game would be competitive.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Agree with keeping the $ in state.  Maybe UWW should move up to FCS status and then they could play them?

Just Kidding, I am just recycling the old "MUC is too good, they should move up a division" comments that pop up every year on the OAC board.

[badgerwarhawk]

Badgers vs Warhawks?

Instead of Wofford, why not pay Whitewater to come and play?

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/mailbag/article_ea225794-a789-11de-b9d2-001cc4c002e0.html

An interesting idea that would be an incredible windfall for our athletic department.  The things we could do with that kind of money. 

[voice]

Badgers vs Warhawks?

Instead of Wofford, why not pay Whitewater to come and play?

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/mailbag/article_ea225794-a789-11de-b9d2-001cc4c002e0.html

An interesting idea that would be an incredible windfall for our athletic department.  The things we could do with that kind of money. 

Yah,
Maybe a stadium renovation for the Perk including a seven story high scoreboard - maybe a dome?