FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[bleedpurple]

The US won the IFAF championship game against Japan 59-12, proves in the US football is king.


In other news to what Bobo said about Oshkosh, if they keep the spread then I don't like the spread and think it hurts teams overall more than it helps.

I'm surprised the football gods let us play in this "championship." I'm sure the Japanese or any of the other teams are thrilled to know that the best they can expect is to come in second after getting their clocks cleaned before their long journey home. I wonder how long this masquerade goes on before these other countries realize it's all a waste of time and money...this isn't basketball.

On the other subject, can you explain how the spread hurts teams overall more than it helps? I've never thought of it that way.

Here's a pretty good discussion of the spread offense:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/strategy-minicamps/2006/passing-game-iv-spread-offense

Some of the issues many have with the spread include:
1. Lack of TE and Fullback can leave QB vulnerable to lots of hits.
2. Defense spending inordinate time against the spread in practice can hurt them in preparing against traditional offenses. While scout team will run opponents' basic offense, "O vs D" is still a part of practice regimens. The best against the best is important in developing skills.
3. More difficult to be efficient in 3rd and short and goal line situations.
4. More difficult to establish an "aggressive mentality" among offensive linemen.
5. Lack of alternatives if defensive backs are winning the battles with receivers or QB is having a poor game.

On the other hand, many spread offenses put up a ton of points. So there's always that...

Being old school, I love a pro-style offense that exudes balance. Especially in Wisconsin! 

[BoBo]

The US won the IFAF championship game against Japan 59-12, proves in the US football is king.


In other news to what Bobo said about Oshkosh, if they keep the spread then I don't like the spread and think it hurts teams overall more than it helps.

I'm surprised the football gods let us play in this "championship." I'm sure the Japanese or any of the other teams are thrilled to know that the best they can expect is to come in second after getting their clocks cleaned before their long journey home. I wonder how long this masquerade goes on before these other countries realize it's all a waste of time and money...this isn't basketball.

On the other subject, can you explain how the spread hurts teams overall more than it helps? I've never thought of it that way.

Here's a pretty good discussion of the spread offense:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/strategy-minicamps/2006/passing-game-iv-spread-offense

Some of the issues many have with the spread include:
1. Lack of TE and Fullback can leave QB vulnerable to lots of hits.
2. Defense spending inordinate time against the spread in practice can hurt them in preparing against traditional offenses. While scout team will run opponents' basic offense, "O vs D" is still a part of practice regimens. The best against the best is important in developing skills.
3. More difficult to be efficient in 3rd and short and goal line situations.
4. More difficult to establish an "aggressive mentality" among offensive linemen.
5. Lack of alternatives if defensive backs are winning the battles with receivers or QB is having a poor game.

On the other hand, many spread offenses put up a ton of points. So there's always that...

Being old school, I love a pro-style offense that exudes balance. Especially in Wisconsin! 

Totally understand the pros and cons of the spread, bleed.  But specificially regarding Oshkosh, it wasn't until they started operating with a more spread style offense did they find success in the minds of national people (and emma  ). Other than a few random seasons once in a long while, they have not been a strong program over all the years of playing football. For the Titans, their "rise" in prominence coincided with their switch to a more open, spread style offense. Of course having a few key players filling the important positions in the spread didn't hurt, either!! I had to disagree with jedi saying "...it hurts teams more overall than it helps." I don't believe that is the case with Oshkosh. In fact, it's been almost completely opposite. That's why I asked him for clarification of that comment.

[BoBo]

While the rest of his baseball teammates tour Europe for the next 17 days, Warhawk football kicking specialist (and possible Linebacker) & baseball pitcher Lake Bachar fired a 1-2-3, scoreless top of the 5th inning and was the winning pitcher during last nights Northwoods League All-star game, played at Wisconsin Rapids. Bachar's South All-stars beat the North All-stars 3-1. Lake plays for, you guessed it, the Lakeshore Chinooks, playing out of Mequon, Wisconsin. He will now (re)turn his attention to kicking and punting pursuits for the upcoming football season!!

[emma17]

Like Bleed, I'm a fan of the pro style offense w a focus on balance. Tight ends and full backs are a great complement to great receivers and RB's.

I view the spread as a sort of get rich quick scheme- although not as negatively as the term sounds.
Over the years, at all levels, including my youth teams, we've seen teams w a spread offense have rapid turnaround in success- some w incredibly successful single seasons.  I don't think it's a long term success though.

I reckon you can make the case that it worked for UWO in the following way.
The initial success likely helped UWO recruit better and bigger athletes.   Coach Cerroni made it clear they were looking for guys that wanted to beat UWW. If you saw the game last year you saw a UWO team that competed very well in the trenches w UWW.
The spread success kick started them, we will see if they start to adjust their offensive approach a bit.

[judgetrainer]

As a fan of football I prefer to watch a pro-style offense knock the snot out of a defense. What I think the spread has done is move defenses out of their normal comfort zones and make more thinking and less reacting happen. Baylor, for instance, has put up big numbers over several iterations of QBs and WRs. Their D has not been enough to stay with the big boys in D1. Even the pro level has started to see some of this. The base offensive set for Green Bay is now three wide, one back, one TE. And for the Packers I have to think a D Adams is a better choice than John Kuhn.

The trick is to have a complete team. UWW clearly has had strong and complete teams the last 15 years or so.

[Just the stats]

The trick is to have a complete team. UWW clearly has had strong and complete teams the last 15 years or so.

Good Jimmys and Joes always beat Xs and Os.

[bleedpurple]

The trick is to have a complete team. UWW clearly has had strong and complete teams the last 15 years or so.

Good Jimmys and Joes always beat Xs and Os.

Welcome JTS.

Excellent point and well taken. While "always" is a bit strong, I will take the good Jimmy and Joe's every single time.   

Even though i rarely do the "K" thing, +K.

[BoBo]

The number of college and universities offering football has reached an all-time high!!

Link: http://www.footballfoundation.org/News/NewsDetail/tabid/567/Article/55373/colleges-and-universities-offering-football-increases-to-all-time-high-of-773.aspx

There were less than 500 schools offering football in 1978, but the number currently stands at 773 at all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA, and independents with the addition of 4 new schools fielding new teams this year.

[bleedpurple]

Interview with UW-W Offensive Coordinator Craig Smith

www.warhawkfootball.com

[emma17]

Interview with UW-W Offensive Coordinator Craig Smith

www.warhawkfootball.com

A sure sign the season is approaching- Warhawk Football . Com is back on the air.
Thanks for the story Bleed- very interesting. Of course you wouldn't expect him to give details, but do you get the feeling the primary difference between UWO and UWW is the player buy-in to the process?

[emma17]

Nice to see a two future Warhawks score on TD pass receptions for the South team in the WFCA All-Star Game at Oshkosh Saturday night, helping their team to victory.

These are two great additions to the Warhawk program.

Nathanial Osterloo is 6'3" and very adept at going up over a defender to make a catch. He is a football, basketball, and baseball guy. In baseball, he plays shortstop, center field, and pitches. He broke the school's single season stolen base record.

Mitchell Dess looks to me like he has a lot of Justin Howard in him. Excellent athlete, explosive, 5'11". Dess was First Team All State and turned down at least two scholarship offers to make UW-W his college home. Excellent return guy and just ran past people in high school. Can also play DB.

I believe both to be future impact guys for the Hawks.

Just watched the HUDL film on both of these guys and Wow!  Love Osterloo's size and Dess is flat out fast.   He does remind me of Justin Howard.  Good catch Bleed! 

WHD

Just caught the Hudl video. Dess does look like J Howard. He made an unbelievable catch in the end zone - going up high- taking a hit and hanging on.
Exciting.

[bleedpurple]

Interview with UW-W Offensive Coordinator Craig Smith

www.warhawkfootball.com

A sure sign the season is approaching- Warhawk Football . Com is back on the air.
Thanks for the story Bleed- very interesting. Of course you wouldn't expect him to give details, but do you get the feeling the primary difference between UWO and UWW is the player buy-in to the process?

Coach Smith definitely wouldn't have answered that question in a million years because he has a ton of respect for Oshkosh.  And if he would have, I wouldn't have put it on here or WFDC.  

I definitely wouldn't read this as a slight on UW-O in any way as far as player buy in.  I think they are all buying in and selling out for the cause.  UW-O is a great program in every sense. So, how can I explain this. I think UW-W's extraordinary success brings extraordinary "buy-in" from the players.  While there will always be year to year evaluation as part of the process,  the "blueprint" feels more like concrete at UW-W than is even possible for any other school at this point simply because of the incredible success. And I think LL deserves a ton of credit for that.  2013 was a crucial year for UW-W.  In retrospect, LL handled the post 2012 process brilliantly.  Honest evaluation, making the needed tweaks based on that evaluation, learning from mistakes, and a refusal to overreact or panic.  If the last two seasons had gone differently, the buy-in would be different. But having won 32 straight and 6 of the last 8 National Championships will earn you "buy in" at a different level. 

None of that makes UW-W unbeatable.  Teams will be licking their chops and rightfully so.  As always, we will get everyone's best shot.  Personally, I believe this coaching staff and these players are more than up for this challenge.  They relish it. That's why they are here.

[Just the stats]

I haven't seen discussion on this page about the preseason All-American team. http://www.d3football.com/awards/all-americans/2015-preseason 9 of the 25 first team players are from either Mount Union (6) or Whitewater (3). Anyone else from the WIAC who could have made the cut?

[emma17]

I haven't seen discussion on this page about the preseason All-American team. http://www.d3football.com/awards/all-americans/2015-preseason 9 of the 25 first team players are from either Mount Union (6) or Whitewater (3). Anyone else from the WIAC who could have made the cut?

That is an amazing stat.  Of the 22 offensive and defensive positions, Mt Union has 6 players on their roster considered to be the best in the country at their respective position.  3 is impressive too.

As for other WIAC players, I'd have to guess there are several that could compete with those on the AA list, which I believe to be true for many other conferences as well.  I personally don't get too wrapped up in the AA's because there are just too many players to really know, and it's very difficult to compare ability based on each team's scheme and approach.   

I think of three guys we saw last year- the UWRF QB, the Macalester QB and the Linfield QB- those guys were really good.  I know the Macalester kid was a senior, I'm just saying he was a stud, but I don't think there was room in the AA for him.  Both UWP and UWO had some tough linemen. 

[badgerwarhawk]

Platteville = Andrew Robinson ... the dude is a beast.  I was hoping Erickson would bring Robinson with him.