FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Eagle Cynic]

With all of this talk about MIAC vs WIAC...maybe we should bring the border battle back. 
There still wouldn't be any Minnesota teams winning in the Metrodome! 

The MIAC has been afraid to play La Crosse for about the past four years.  We had to go get a game against Howard Payne a thousand miles away instead of our neighbors to the north.  Oh well, at least they were ranked 5th when we played them, good luck finding that in the MIAC besides the Johnnies.

[John Gleich]

Whitewater       5-0  8-0              
Eau Claire         4-1  5-3
Oshkosh           3-2  6-2
Stout                3-2   6-2
La Crosse         2-3  3-4
River Falls         2-3  3-5
Stevens Point   1-4  2-6
Platteville         0-5  1-7

First column is conference record, second column is overall record.  In order to figure out if any WIAC teams deserve an at-large bid, we've gotta look at the NCAA Handbook.  

Here are the primary criteria:

-Win/Loss vs. Regional Opps
-Quality of Wins Index (based on the average of a points system based on opponents' winning percentage)
-In-region head to head
-In-region vs. common opps
-In-region results vs. ranked teams from the regional rankings.


Keep in mind...  *Out-of-region games, NAIA games, non-D3 games are not primary criteria, so be sure to look carefully at the "In-Region" designation that Pat has conveniently placed on each team's schedule.*

UWEC has one loss to an NAIA school, so that loss won't factor into their recieving a bid.  However, the lack of a win against a D-3 might (They are 5-2 against D3 opponents, whereas a team that is 6-2 vs. D3 opponents might have a head up in that category).  Oshkosh is also 5-2 against D-3 opponents with a win against NAIA Wm. Penn. Stout has wins against Upper Iowa, Waldorf, and Springfield, but none of them will count for the PRIMARY criteria.

Basically, at this point, it's very, very hard to figure out who will get Pool C bids.  Basically, you can only rule out teams that don't have a shot (so in the WIAC that's everyone below Stout in the standings above is done).  After Saturday, one of the two will be eliminated from Pool C contention.  3 losses against D-3 competition isn't going to cut it.  If WW beats Stout this weekend, then they're effectively out as well.

Once you figure out who really has no shot, you then have to start comparing teams who have not recieved the Pool A or Pool B bids.  Let's assume that WW gets the Pool A.  Then the teams that still could theoretically get a Pool C bid have to be compared to OTHER non-pool A/B teams....  

So, basically, Oshkosh, Stout, and EC have to win out if they want a chance, and they probably need some help somewhere.  I'm not positive, and it's not 100% set in stone that a 1-loss team would get a big over a 2-loss team if the 2-loss team was more qualified, but, at this point, I think there are more 1-loss teams than Pool C bids, which doesn't bode too well for the WIAC's chances at a Pool C.

If it comes to this, here are the secondary criteria:

• Out-of region head-to-head competition.
• Overall Division III won-loss percentage.
• Results versus common non-Division III opponents.
• Results versus Division III teams ranked in other regions.
• Overall win-loss percentage.
• Results versus common out-of region opponents.
• Overall Division III strength of schedule.

[ritz72]

golds----

I dont think you want another match up with SJU....Ill leave that alone...

I give high props to UWW----They've played well, and have had a great run...

as far as comparing conferences...here is my take...

UWW is, to me the class of the conference....#2 ranking
Then there is a muddle with 3-5 other teams.  Are any of theses teams decent...yes, but noone sticks out.  Beating each other and having similar records doth not make a "good" team.  A "good" team will win them all, UWW for example. 

SO, the WIAC has an excellent team, and 3-4 average teams....and 2-3 teams that cooralate into a "bye" week for teams playing them.

The MIAC, perenially, is not a strong top to bottom conference.  There is defiinitltly a two-tier set up in the league.

However, year in and out.....SJU and CON have been consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation.  THe middle ground is Bethel, UST, and STO....Thus making it very similar to the WIAC in "Top 5" team strength.

One diference, is that consistently, there are two teams in the miac that go 10-0 and 9-1.  They wins the games they need to, and are successful in record.

The argurment that the WIAC teams are all so good that they beat each other all the time, in my opinoin, not entirly accurate.  Good teams, like UWW this year, will win the games they need to go separate from the pack, and will be viewed as successful. 

The Big Ten has a lot of good football teams, but that is of little improtance when you are 6-5 an playing in the Motor City Bowl

Just my humble opinion!!

BTW:  I'd love to see the border battle back!!!!

[oldpa]

In case anyone forgot, here's how it went.    2000 Border Battle Results (WIAC 5, NSIC 2)
UW-Oshkosh 54, UM-Morris 0
Bemidji State (MN) 23, UW-River Falls 20
Southwest State (MN) 52, UW-Platteville 30
UW-Stevens Point 30, Winona State 25
UW-La Crosse 20, Northern State (SD) 14
UW-Eau Claire 39, Minnesota State-Moorhead 14
UW-Stout 17, UM-Duluth 15

1999 Border Battle Results (WIAC 4, NSIC 3)
UW-La Crosse 22, UM-Duluth 21
UW-River Falls, 29, Winona State 20
UW-Platteville 46, UM-Morris 15
Moorhead State 56, UW-Oshkosh 7
UW-Stevens Point 35, Bemidji State 23
Northern State 27, UW-Eau Claire 20
Southwest State 43, UW-Stout 23

1998 Border Battle Results (only 2 WIAC teams participated)
UW-River Falls 45, Bemidji State (MN) 14 (at Metrodome)
UW-Stevens Point 28, Southwest State (MN) 16 (at Metrodome)                                                 

[desertcat1]

footfan: 

It's tough to run the ball much more than 100yd. when you have the best  ARM  in D3...

So you're saying your offense is one-dimensional?  I think we can use that and it is footballfan413!  Don't really want me to start to butcher desertcat1, do you.  Could have lots of fun with that!

Kiltedrat,
   I want to sincerely apolgize for my Doctor cracks.  That is usually not my style and it was a moment of emotional weakness.  Sorry! 

footfan, 

it's ok that's part of fun.. don't stop now..  We have ourown butcher with over 80 served and counting ..   Afca  who # 2 Rowan    What gives with that,  Don't they know you have a tought conference? 

[WSUFan]

However, year in and out.....SJU and CON have been consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation.  THe middle ground is Bethel, UST, and STO....Thus making it very similar to the WIAC in "Top 5" team strength.

I readily admit I don't know as much about Concordia-Moorhead (I'm assuming that's what CON means) as other MIAC teams, but when did they become a perennial top ten team?

From '98 to '01 they were 19-21. In '02 and '03 they were 7-3 each season. In '04 they went 11-1 and first appeared in the top 25 here during week 7.

[blugold45]

Ritz,

You have no idea what you are talking about, no weeks in the WIAC are a "bye" week.  Look no farther then last year when EC was two wins away from a conference title and lost both games to the bottom two teams in conference.  We could insert and "middle" team like Stout into the MIAC and they would consistently be first or second every year. 

On the lack of playoff success for the WIAC, there is no arguement that in the last couple years we have been down.  That however does not hold up for EC, because last time they were in the playoffs they were a couple points from playing in the Stagg Bowl.  The reason I think we have had trouble is because teams like LAX and Point have been making it and they are good but they are also big bruising teams.  We need speed teams in the playoffs, last team that I think was a speed team to make it in the playoffs from the WIAC was EC in 1998.  This year WW has got some speed and hopefully that leads to a different outcome come playoff time.  Also, maybe we can get EC in there too with their speed. 

SPEED KILLS

[Pat Coleman]

A team that is successful in the postseason is better than none! Concordia was moderately successful going 1-1 with a 2 point loss to Oxy in their non-home stadium.

They beat a lower-ranked team and lost to a lower-ranked team that had to fly 2,000 miles to play the game. They didn't even justify their seeding.

[ritz72]

Ritz,

  We could insert and "middle" team like Stout into the MIAC and they would consistently be first or second every year. 






For some reason, I have a hard time with that!!!!

[ritz72]

However, year in and out.....SJU and CON have been consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation.  THe middle ground is Bethel, UST, and STO....Thus making it very similar to the WIAC in "Top 5" team strength.

I readily admit I don't know as much about Concordia-Moorhead (I'm assuming that's what CON means) as other MIAC teams, but when did they become a perennial top ten team?

From '98 to '01 they were 19-21. In '02 and '03 they were 7-3 each season. In '04 they went 11-1 and first appeared in the top 25 here during week 7.

Mostly SJU in those years, but going back to my point, when a team has a run in the MIAC, and are very good, they run the table and win the games they need to!

[footballfan413]

and Pleaseeee....ACFA,   I'll take the D-3.com ranking for accuracy over that poll any day of the year!

[footballfan413]

AFCA,  mean!

[footballfan413]

AFCA, I mean!!  Can't type today!  sorry 

[footballfan413]

Sorry, D-3.com!

[Retired Old Rat]

This is an bit an article from St. Cloud Times, ""It was a good way to start our careers at St. John's," said Gearman, who tied with teammate Craig Luberts for the second-fastest 40-yard dash time on the team (4.84 seconds) on the opening day of practice Saturday."

If the second fastest time on their team is a 4.84 forty then man I feel good about playing them this year.  I know at least 15 guys at EC that run better then that.

I love how you can go back and look at old posts.

Were all these guys hurt on 9/3?  Probably still all beat up from the WIAC 2004 games.