FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[1_For_27]

Anyone happen to catch the "Tim Brando Show" yesterday on CBS College Sports Network ?

Tim gives Coach Lance a shoutout and has the Warhawk helmet on display on his set, you can podcast the show via Itunes, its in Hour 1 Segment 1. 

Stay on task hawks, one game at a time, enough of this stagg bowl talk in Sept.

[badgerwarhawk]

No need to worry.  I can guarantee you that not a single coach, player or anyone else who matters is talking Stagg Bowl.  It may be a topic of discussion here but that's it. 

[02 Warhawk]

No need to worry.  I can guarantee you that not a single coach, player or anyone else who matters is talking Stagg Bowl.  It may be a topic of discussion here but that's it.

You got that right. I chuckle when people think that these posts somehow dictates an outcome of a game/season.

No matter what we say here, isn't going to change how UWW, Mount Union, NCC, etc approaches each game.

[02 Warhawk]

In honor of some of the rivalry games coming up in college football, I wrote a blog post about those games featuring WIAC teams, and the odd things they play for. 

Link is posted down by my signature as usual.

Enjoy 

[emma17]

O2,

Will the Warhawks beat the 28.5 spread over UW-P this week or will the Pioneers keep it closer? There is your 250!

Raider, your post reminded me to ask you a question about the OAC pickems.  I see the line has been set at 46.5- Mt over ONU- and nearly all pickers select ONU to cover.  Do you feel this is because most pickers believe ONU is better than the spread, or do you feel there is a little protectionism happening for the OAC?  Or both? 

I don't like playing spreads because so many crazy things can happen at the end of games.  In this one though, you will probably have a Mt team that enters the game believing it will be/should be challenged, and wanting to maintain the "alpha male" position.  If starters play throughout, the spread doesn't seem so unattainable to me for Mt.    Just curious on your thoughts with this one.   

[Raider 68]

O2,

Will the Warhawks beat the 28.5 spread over UW-P this week or will the Pioneers keep it closer? There is your 250!

Raider, your post reminded me to ask you a question about the OAC pickems.  I see the line has been set at 46.5- Mt over ONU- and nearly all pickers select ONU to cover.  Do you feel this is because most pickers believe ONU is better than the spread, or do you feel there is a little protectionism happening for the OAC?  Or both? 

I don't like playing spreads because so many crazy things can happen at the end of games.  In this one though, you will probably have a Mt team that enters the game believing it will be/should be challenged, and wanting to maintain the "alpha male" position.  If starters play throughout, the spread doesn't seem so unattainable to me for Mt.    Just curious on your thoughts with this one.   

emma17,

Good question! My take is that 46.5 is too many points against a rival away. However, mr_mom made it high 1) since ONU lost to Muskingum by 20 and 2) wanted to have the pickers the option of picking against the Raiders.

Coach Kehres has much respect for his former player Coach Paul of ONU. While I expect the Raiders to win this one, how the game plays out and how many players play will determine the score. Was ONU looking past Muskingum, I would say yes, but giving up so many points per game, does not bode well against the Raiders. The score could be more like UWW/UWP but we'll see! Overall the Raiders offense
is much improved over last year. 

[BoBo]

BoBo,

What if..... the NCAA finally keeps the teams in the right regions this year. That assumes a team from the East rises to the top (Kean, Thomas More)!

(for the sake of my game!!) I don't think they'll do it    But, Raider, my game was suppose to be fun, your What if..... is un-fun!!    +k 

[BoBo]

This is not D3, but just a conversation point...come Saturday afternoon we'll have one more data point in the age old argument of what trumps what, a top offense or a top defense? 

Baylor and Kansas State face off in Manhattan. The Bears comes into the game ranked 3rd in scoring offense and has put up 50 or more against both of their FBS opponents (TCU and Rice) thus far.

Kansas State is ranked 7th in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 10 points per game so far in this young season.

IMO, this offense beats this defense.

Anybody?

[emma17]

O2,

Will the Warhawks beat the 28.5 spread over UW-P this week or will the Pioneers keep it closer? There is your 250!

Raider, your post reminded me to ask you a question about the OAC pickems.  I see the line has been set at 46.5- Mt over ONU- and nearly all pickers select ONU to cover.  Do you feel this is because most pickers believe ONU is better than the spread, or do you feel there is a little protectionism happening for the OAC?  Or both? 

I don't like playing spreads because so many crazy things can happen at the end of games.  In this one though, you will probably have a Mt team that enters the game believing it will be/should be challenged, and wanting to maintain the "alpha male" position.  If starters play throughout, the spread doesn't seem so unattainable to me for Mt.    Just curious on your thoughts with this one.   

emma17,

Good question! My take is that 46.5 is too many points against a rival away. However, mr_mom made it high 1) since ONU lost to Muskingum by 20 and 2) wanted to have the pickers the option of picking against the Raiders.

Coach Kehres has much respect for his former player Coach Paul of ONU. While I expect the Raiders to win this one, how the game plays out and how many players play will determine the score. Was ONU looking past Muskingum, I would say yes, but giving up so many points per game, does not bode well against the Raiders. The score could be more like UWW/UWP but we'll see! Overall the Raiders offense
is much improved over last year. 

That's right, I forgot about Coach Paul.  I would imagine Coach K would find a way to let off the gas IF it turns out ONU really has dropped to the bottom of the conference.  It comes as no surprise that the Raiders offense would be improved, it was pretty bad in the Stagg 

[emma17]

Raider 68- I want to rephrase my last comment because it doesn't convey what I meant.  The Mt running game was horrible in the Stagg, and the passing game relied on a couple big plays.  The combination of the two meant that Mt never had an offensive drive resulting in points.  That offense did not look like Mt offenses of old.
So, it comes as no surprise to me that the Mt offense would look better this year.  I imagine Coach K was disappointed last year and as such is placing a lot of emphasis on the run game, and no doubt it helps to have 7 returning starters on the offense.

I feel better now.

[emma17]

This is not D3, but just a conversation point...come Saturday afternoon we'll have one more data point in the age old argument of what trumps what, a top offense or a top defense? 

Baylor and Kansas State face off in Manhattan. The Bears comes into the game ranked 3rd in scoring offense and has put up 50 or more against both of their FBS opponents (TCU and Rice) thus far.

Kansas State is ranked 7th in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 10 points per game so far in this young season.

IMO, this offense beats this defense.

Anybody?

Bobo, your question is specific to this game- or top offense vs top defense in general?
I agree with you on Baylor. 
As for overall, I think the way we determine what a great defense is needs some sort of scoring/rating like a QB rating formula.  Case in point is UWW last year in playoffs.  The Dub faced two incredible passing offenses, which resulted in more points and yardage than usual and altered standings in national defense categories (and made some out there wonder if the Dub had lost its defensive edge).  Fact is, fans of some playoff teams last year that didn't see either a Franklin or a Trine during the season literally had no idea why their opinions of UWW defense were misguided.

So, give me a defense that has proven success in stopping three different types of teams:
1.  An excellent running team- with good linemen and running backs.
2.  An excellent passing team- with good receivers, quarterback and an offensive system that knows how to use them.
3.  An excellent balanced offense- one that can mix both and keep a D off balance.
If I have a D that does well against all three, I'll take the Great D over the Great O (as long as I have no less than a very good O). 

[retagent]

No need to worry.  I can guarantee you that not a single coach, player or anyone else who matters is talking Stagg Bowl.  It may be a topic of discussion here but that's it. 

I find that hard to believe. I would hope that one of the motivations for playing is to get to the summit. It would be another surprise to me if the coaches, when talking to recruits, do not use the fact that UWW (or MTU, for that matter) have played in the Stagg in previous years. In the Austin Murphey book "The Sweet Season", Tom Linneman stated that one of the reasons he went to St Johns was to win a National Championship. I am a human being, and I hope I know a bit about how humans think, and it would have to be something that is in mind.

[badgerwarhawk]

I would expect that it is mentioned often when talking to recruits and their family however I know that it isn't mentioned in the locker room week four. 

[BoBo]

No need to worry.  I can guarantee you that not a single coach, player or anyone else who matters is talking Stagg Bowl.  It may be a topic of discussion here but that's it. 

I find that hard to believe. I would hope that one of the motivations for playing is to get to the summit. It would be another surprise to me if the coaches, when talking to recruits, do not use the fact that UWW (or MTU, for that matter) have played in the Stagg in previous years. In the Austin Murphey book "The Sweet Season", Tom Linneman stated that one of the reasons he went to St Johns was to win a National Championship. I am a human being, and I hope I know a bit about how humans think, and it would have to be something that is in mind.

That's like a batting practice fastball, grooved down the middle of the plate about belt high...do I take a whack at it or do I leave it for someone else to hit it out of the park?

[02 Warhawk]

No need to worry.  I can guarantee you that not a single coach, player or anyone else who matters is talking Stagg Bowl.  It may be a topic of discussion here but that's it. 

I find that hard to believe. I would hope that one of the motivations for playing is to get to the summit. It would be another surprise to me if the coaches, when talking to recruits, do not use the fact that UWW (or MTU, for that matter) have played in the Stagg in previous years. In the Austin Murphey book "The Sweet Season", Tom Linneman stated that one of the reasons he went to St Johns was to win a National Championship. I am a human being, and I hope I know a bit about how humans think, and it would have to be something that is in mind.

That's like a batting practice fastball, grooved down the middle of the plate about belt high...do I take a whack at it or do I leave it for someone else to hit it out of the park?

I agree, BW explained it perfectly I think.