FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[oshfb]

What's the scoop on Oshkosh this season ?

Tough to determine how UWO will fair in conference play based on their 3 opponents so far all being out of the division. That said, in my opinion and experience from playing against them, NAIA isn't very good.

Lost 19-27 to Robert Morris (3-0) who are ranked #19 in NAIA.
Lost 20-24 to Marian University (2-1) who are ranked #20 in NAIA.
Lost 3-41 to South Dakota State (3-1) who are ranked #10 in D1-FCS.

UWO has a very young OL (SO/SO/FR/SO/SR) and a new starting QB/RB. Looks like the backup QB and RB got some playing time the past couple games. They definitely don't have Nate Wara chucking the rock anymore.

UWOs defense has 8 seniors and 3 sophomores. 3 DL and 2 LBs are returning starters, I believe.  6 of their top 11 tacklers from last season graduated. Coach Cerroni led defensive units have always been good so I'm surprised they've given up 27, 24 and 41 points (well....not so surprised about the 41 given up to SDSU).

I still think they'll fair well in conference play (I'd guess 4-3) and finish 4-6 overall.

I wouldn't be so quick to write off the Titans.  Their opponents are 8-2.  Robert Morris is a decent team.  Marian beat the defending national champions, Grand View, convincingly last week.  South Dakota State's only loss is to Missouri a SEC team and they would have beaten any other WIAC team including WHITEWATER.

I'm not sure he's writing them off.  It's probably a reasonable assessment given the perceived strengths of UW-W and UW-P. Throwing in another loss given the youth at key positions is just a conservative way to go about it.  No one will take UW-O lightly. 5-2 or 6-1 in conference wouldn't shock anyone, I'm sure.

What he said 

[voice]

Thanks to the many of you that have contacted me in support of my new blog that is chronicling my battle with liver cancer on a daily basis. Included are my thoughts on Warhawk football

http://battlingonedayatatime.blogspot.com/

[BoBo]

Roster is up http://www.uwwsports.com/roster.aspx?path=football

Good looking roster- casual observances:
- Lots of DB's
- Best name: WR - Freddy Bobo
- M  Bratchett- great bow tie
- Some really big tight ends (sounds funny)
- Some good sized new O Linemen

Why thank you...(after a quick edit) I have to agree, BoBo is certainly one of the best names. But Freddy is no relation to the "real" BoBo!! (That is until Freddy starts playing like Jerry Rice, cica 1995, then he's my nephew)

BoBo returns, that's great!

I see BoBo is back picking games in the Pickems....but hasn't made his way back to the message boards yet.

(that's your queue BoBo)

I'm back picking games because I'm feeling the aura orginating from emma's post and basically, I know I can win the season (I just know my braggadocio will come back to haunt me, but I am in first place after 3 weeks -now that's something to cheer about!!), but that's about it, for now. Maybe return to the In-game update board before getting back to the main boards. I have a lot more reading to catch up on - I missed a whole lot being out of commission for 2 years.

I had a chance to talk with UW-W Head Coach Lance Leipold this week. He was kind enough to grant me time to interview him for my upcoming "State of the Hawks" 3 part series.  The first in the series is now posted:

"State of the Hawks: Special Teams" .

www.warhawkfootball.com

Great article/interview! It made me remember and think how rediculous (in a good way) that we have two former WIAC head coaches on staff. Talk about a leg up on the competiton!

Thanks, MJ. I appreciate it. I agree with you regarding our coaches. It really is a special staff. Both former WIAC head coaches are the all-time win leaders at the schools where they were head coaches. We also have a brilliant (IMO), young offensive coordinator and the best D-III defensive coordinator in the country.  One of the things not spoken about too much is the role Coach Leipold plays in putting together a staff of this magnitude. He lets his coaches coach and he gives them latitude to do their thing (within reason). If he weren't great to work for, I can't see us drawing the coaches we draw.

You do realize Coach Leipold is on cusp of a monumental career accomplishment. I think you, bleed, and the others here (not just UWW fans) will appreciate this fact. With his three wins this season, Leipold now is the holder of a 97-6 career head coaching record. That's absolutely insane. To put that into some perspective, Knute Rockne took approximately 117 games to reach the 100 win plateau (he only won 105 total games at Notre Dame). Side note - his last South Bend home went on the market three days ago for the first time - asking price $500,000; John Gagliardi 133 games; Bear Bryant at least 150 games; even Amos Alonzo Stagg had to coach at least 157 games to accomplish the same feat at the turn of the 20th century. I'm not trying to compare LL with those coaching immortals, but merely showing as an example of how difficult it is to accomplish what Lance is about to do.  The current all-time record is held by Gil Dobie at 108 games coached to win his first 100 games, at a time when the game was in it's infancy and much different than it it today. He coached those wins between 1906 and 1922 at North Dakota Agricultural Farmers College (now North Dakota State) 8-0 in 2 seasons; University of Washington (where he went an incredible 58-0-3 in 9 seasons with the Huskies); Navy 18-3 in 3 seasons in Annapolis; and at Cornell. He reached his 100th win during the 1922 season, a season that the Big Red was recognized with their second of 3 consecutive National Championships. His record at the time stood at 100-5-3.  It was pretty much all downhill from there for the coach known as "Gloomy Gil." Over the next 16 seasons, including the remainder of the '22 season, until retirement in 1938, at Cornell and Boston College, his record was only 76-40-12. Not a bad record, but rather pedestrian for a coach with his impressive beginnings. Even so, he eventually became a charter member of the college football hall of fame in 1951. For Coach LL, with 3 wins in his next 4 games, he will set the all-time college football coaching record for the fastest to record 100 wins in starting a head coaching career. Even with all the greats who have coached this game, Lance will stand alone in the company of one. Not bad for a guy who many in Warhawk nation sneered and scoffed at when he was selected to continue the tradition way back when. In hindsight, do you think the guy many out there wanted could have done half as much as Coach Leipold? I don't.

In three weeks, when LL sets the all-time record, I'm sure he will give much of the credit to his assistants, past and present, many that you, bleed, and MJ have already alluded to, to the players that have performed so well over these 7+ years of his coaching tenure, and former coaches who gave him his shot at developing his coaching knowledge, skills, and abilities. To Paul Plinski (wherever you may be), fine job my man, job well done!!  Too bad the record breaking game has to take place on the road in Eau Claire and not in front of the home crowd.

BoBo out...

[bleedpurple]

BoBo!!!

Great facts and interesting stories, reigniting a one-time controversial topic, a very strong overall point, and stealing the thunder of a future article because (once again) you are ahead of the curve.  And all in your first post back! Feel free to pipe-in from time to time even as you catch up on your reading. The board needs you! WELCOME BACK!!

[retagent]

One thing Leipold had in his favor was the fact that he took over when the team was at the top of it's game. I would guess that most coaches start when the team they take over is not too good, which led to the previous coach's departure. It would be interesting to know what the W/L record was in the previous 2 - 3 years prior to the other "Legends" coming in.

Still, it is an awesome accomplishment. Congrats to the Warhawks and LL.

[02 Warhawk]

One thing Leipold had in his favor was the fact that he took over when the team was at the top of it's game. I would guess that most coaches start when the team they take over is not too good, which led to the previous coach's departure. It would be interesting to know what the W/L record was in the previous 2 - 3 years prior to the other "Legends" coming in.

Still, it is an awesome accomplishment. Congrats to the Warhawks and LL.

Yep, I was about to post the same thing. Lance took over an ideal situation. I'm glad he was able to win in 2011 and 2013....so the critics could no longer say he was winning with the previous regime's recruits.

Without doing any research I bet LK at mount union took over a mediocre program, before turning it into what they are today. He most likely had a rough couple of seasons before the Stagg bowls rolled in.

[badgerwarhawk]

Grayvold among finalists for NFL's William V Campbell Award

http://www.uwwsports.com/news/2014/9/26/FB_0926143819.aspx

[emma17]

Welcome back Bobo and thanks for taking the time to show just how much LL has accomplished. 
I didn't realize he was on such a pace with the coaching legends. 

[emma17]

UWSP up 34-24 in fourth quarter.  What an impressive game they have played. 
It is refreshing to see another WIAC team play big against top competition. 
The Pointer offense can move the ball. 

[02 Warhawk]

Stevens point....welcome to the top 25. You've earned it.

Great day for the WIAC

[badgerwarhawk]

Great job by the Pointers.  Congrats

[Upstate]

Stevens point....welcome to the top 25. You've earned it.

Great day for the WIAC

Psh.

I had them in the Fan Poll top 25 already!

[bleedpurple]

One thing Leipold had in his favor was the fact that he took over when the team was at the top of it's game. I would guess that most coaches start when the team they take over is not too good, which led to the previous coach's departure. It would be interesting to know what the W/L record was in the previous 2 - 3 years prior to the other "Legends" coming in.

Still, it is an awesome accomplishment. Congrats to the Warhawks and LL.

Yep, I was about to post the same thing. Lance took over an ideal situation. I'm glad he was able to win in 2011 and 2013....so the critics could no longer say he was winning with the previous regime's recruits.

Without doing any research I bet LK at mount union took over a mediocre program, before turning it into what they are today. He most likely had a rough couple of seasons before the Stagg bowls rolled in.

Mount Union was 11-1 the year before LK came to Mount Union. He matched that in year one before going 6-4 year two and 6-3-1 year three.

Did LL come into a great situation? Of course. But when you are talking about being the fastest coach ever to win 100 games at any level in all the years of a sport that's been around 1869 it's beyond "situations" and "advantages". As Retagent said, it's a great accomplishment. The fact that it was accomplished in a program competing in what has been consistently ranked as the best conference in the nation for years at it's level has made the accomplishment all the more impressive.  No ifs and no buts. It's incredible.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The WIAC has been #1 for years and years, but if Keith does a mid-season update on conference rankings, I think the WIAC will be passed by the MIAC this year.

[02 Warhawk]

The WIAC has been #1 for years and years, but if Keith does a mid-season update on conference rankings, I think the WIAC will be passed by the MIAC this year.

I don't know, the top two teams in the MIAC don't appear that strong, both losing to teams they probably should have beaten. While a middle of the road WIAC team knocked off the number five team in the country.

I say middle of the road now...but UWSP could very well finish towards the top of the Wiac when the season is over.