FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[BDB]

Titans win!  Happy with my pick em's this week, finally.  Now if Stout had just held home field.......

Tell me about it fb413. Couple of dicey possession calls in this one and that's all I'll say about it.

Homecoming is over. Giant Leinenkugel's bottle across the street is gone. Chance to run the table and make the playoffs is gone too. 

Well, what's left to play for?

How about the game this Saturday at home against our arch frickin' rivals! That's what!!   

[Devil Badger Gopher]

This is the first time since I can remember that, IMO, all games are meaningless towards playoffs as UWW will win out and no one else has shot at playoffs.  It does suck to be good in the WIAC if you are not great.  Lots of football to play.  Let's go Stout, kick some ass and let it all hang out.

[Barber Greene]

This is the first time since I can remember that, IMO, all games are meaningless towards playoffs as UWW will win out and no one else has shot at playoffs.  It does suck to be good in the WIAC if you are not great.  Lots of football to play.  Let's go Stout, kick some ass and let it all hang out.

What if Platteville wins out? They would have only one conference loss and two total losses (WW and Wheaton). They might have an outside shot at the playoffs.

[usee]

If Platteville wins out, the WIAC has no business being ranked as the top conference in D3. I just don't see that happening.

[Barber Greene]

If Platteville wins out, the WIAC has no business being ranked as the top conference in D3. I just don't see that happening.

I don't see them beating both Stevens Point and Stout.  But if they should win out, they have to be given some consideration for the playoffs you would think.

[usee]

I agree they would be a candidate at 8-2 but that would not be good for the WIAC.

[Devil Badger Gopher]

USee,   good point, but not seeing them getting in at 8-2 and dont see them going 8-2

[retagent]

Sorry. My last post was intended to follow USee's post regarding no logical rationale for looking at St Thomas as a #1 seed. Someone got in between, and it may have not been apparent. I can see your confusion. The CCIW, while not a bottom feeder as a conference, does not have the track record in post season that the WIAC, IIAC and MIAC has over the past decade or so.

[usee]

Retagent- I am pretty sure previous post season success as a conference has nothng to do with who are the top seeds in each region. Besides which I would put the CCIW post season success up against the IIAC and, save the last Johnnie title, the MIAC as well as the WIAC save UWW. Wheaton is undefeated in the playoffs vs anyone not named Mt Union.

That's not the point though. I simply don't see any way the NCAA gives an undefeated St Thomas a #1 seed over an undefeated North Central (or Wheaton for that matter). They have moved UWW north and MT U when the other teams have not had clear top seeds (based on geography). In 2008 NCC was the #1 north seed and wheaton was 8-2, making it to the quarterfinals against Mt. Doesn't mean they won't do it but you cannot argue St Thomas is better than NCC at this point.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Sorry. My last post was intended to follow USee's post regarding no logical rationale for looking at St Thomas as a #1 seed. Someone got in between, and it may have not been apparent. I can see your confusion. The CCIW, while not a bottom feeder as a conference, does not have the track record in post season that the WIAC, IIAC and MIAC has over the past decade or so.

d3football.com ranks the MIAC as the 7th best conference, the IIAC as the 8th.  You could probably say the CCIW is not a "bottom feeder as a conference" - they are ranked #4.

[Stagg Again!!]

Sorry. My last post was intended to follow USee's post regarding no logical rationale for looking at St Thomas as a #1 seed. Someone got in between, and it may have not been apparent. I can see your confusion. The CCIW, while not a bottom feeder as a conference, does not have the track record in post season that the WIAC, IIAC and MIAC has over the past decade or so.

As we saw last year with the DIII selection process, anything is possible.  I am a firm believer that the NCCA selection committee looks at, among other things, results against common opponents and the following four games may play a role in the decision process:

10/2  STU d. STJ  27-26 OT (close game)
9/11  UWEC d. STJ 23-20 OT (close game)

9/25  NCC d. UWEC 20-6 (not a close game)
10/16 UWW d. UWEC 45-0 (definitely not a close game)

I agree with USee's comments and think that UWW will be the clear #1 seed in either the North if there is no undefeated CCIW team (with STU possibly getting the #1 in the West).  If there is an undefeated CCIW team (WC or NCC), which is looking more and more likely, UWW will most likely be #1 in the West with STU as the #2 seed in the West and the undefeated CCIW champion getting strong consideration for the #1 seed in the North.  While UWW has a strong chance at running the table in the WIAC, there is a lot of football to be played in the CCIW.

BTW, thanks for acknowledging the fact that the CCIW is not a "bottom feeder as a conference". 

[BoBo]

In Game 3, NCC was still looking for their offensive identity. They've gone from a Pass Happy team for the last 7 years to one that is more run oriented. They lined up four different players at the QB position against UWEC, but now seem to have chosen one player. The offense is substantially different than it was against UWEC.

Much the same could be said about Platteville from week 3 to now.

Box score from EC game lists only 1 QB throwing all 25 passes attempted (Brad Crackel 12-25-0  161  1TD). So, are you saying they lined up 3 other QB's just to hand the ball off? Not quite the same Gator. You used the argument that they used 4 QB's because their offensive had no identity? The facts appear to say something else. The statement is totally misleading to give any credence to. Help me if I'm missing something or interpreting something wrong.

In fact, according to NCC box scores, they haven't used 4 QB's all year.  Box Score from the Cornell game shows only 1 QB throwing the ball. Carthage, 2 QB's, Milliken 1, Augie 1.  I can't get a grip on how NCC's offensive could be so substantially different. Except for maybe they have a first time starter and he's working himself into a rhythm early in the season. Just examining the scores, I would say, just my theory, is that NCC had a much easier time with their 5 opponents not named Eau Claire.

Looking deeper, NCC came into the EC game averaging 46.5/ppg against 2 sub-par opponents. They scored only 20 against an EC team. As I have mentioned a few times the past couple days, at least vs UWW last saturday, that was about as soft of a defense as I can ever remember a WIAC school fielding. In the 3 games since the EC game, NCC has a 38.3/ppg against 3 CCIW teams that would be considered stronger than the first 2 non-conference foes. From a scoring output, there isn't anything substantially different (1 TD difference only). I guess I'm having a hard time wondering why NCC wasn't able to put up more points on the Blugolds than they were against upper to middle of the road CCIW teams. Doesn't seem like settling on one QB has had that much of a scoring impact. Maybe EC is, at the end of the day, the best team NCC has played so far? I don't know. But, the fact that Platteville beat EC only two weeks later, & much more convincingly than NCC, must be some cause for alarm for the Cardinal faithful. Considering the way Wheaton dismantled UW-P in the same week 3, 11/6 should be an interesting day for football in Wheaton.

However...

If Platteville wins out, the WIAC has no business being ranked as the top conference in D3.

On what would you base this?

[usee]

bobo-

I agree with your assessment od NCC. While I think Crackel will continue to improve they are a running team whose strength is a dominating defense.

As far as my UWP comment, if They finish 2nd in the WIAC that means (in my opinion) the teams beyond UWW are not what they have been in the past. I saw UWP play and while they have some good players, they aren't a great team. Having seen what WIAC teams are capable of I would consider the level of play to have declined significantly if UWP runs the table. I cannot imagine that will happen. I have been wrong before....if it does happen my confidence in the WIAC as the top conference will be shattered. 

[BoBo]

Thanks USee.  I watched the UW-P/Wheaton game on the stream and was dumbfounded with how poor they played in the 2nd half after being competitive in the first. Fact is, they have made 1 big adjustment that has really turned their season around. It would be a real Cinderella story if they can win out. Won at UWL for the first time in 30 years. A totally amazing accomplishment considering where they came from. I personally don't think they can win out - that would be asking a heck of a lot. But if they can win 3 of 4, Mike Emendorfer wins WIAC Coach of the Year honors (maybe even 2 of 4). They got a tough one this week @ Oshkosh. Then 2 home games...hey, it's possible, but...

[usee]

I saw the put vslavek at rb. Mcivor did fine vs wheaton. It was special teams, defense, and turnovers that destroyed them in that game.