FB: American Rivers Conference

[coocooforcoekohawk]

Lindy's preseason top 25
1Mount Union
2UW-Whitewater
3Rowan
4St. John's
5Capital
6Delaware Valley
7Washington & Jefferson
8Linfield
9Union
10Ohio Northern
11Hobart
12Central
13Augustana
14Thiel
15Ithaca
16Wesley
17Occidental
18North Central
19Bridgewater
20Trinity (TX)
21Mary Hardin-Baylor
22Concordia-Moorhead
23Trinity (CN)
24Christopher Newport
25Wabash

Nice to see at least one IIAC team in there.
Guess Coe will have to beat Central in order to get any respect.  I mean we did beat Central last year and returned 10 of 11 starters on offense.
Not being ranked does make sense, however, when you look at where Concordia-Moorhead got ranked. 
Did Central return every starter or is history boosting their ranking?
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see Central ranked, it is just disheartening that the people in the know about DIII football have to rely on history to come up with their rankings.
Regardless, if all goes well I am looking forward to nov.4.  I'm sure the Wart will have something to say about that, but I can dream.

[DutchFan2004]

Well I know that Central did not return everyone.  They lost three starting lineman from the starting line.  The defense lost three seniors as well.  So out of the 24 starting positions we lost 6.  That's what I can say about the senior class last year.  Last years team was sophmore dominate.  I think that a preseason poll is anyone's guess.  I do however agree with you CooCoo that Coe didn't get any love.  I find it hard to believe that Coe didn't get into the top 25 at all.  I really thought Central and Coe would be in the top 25 but I never saw 12th for Central and I didn't see Coe getting no respect.  I would love to see what the other polls will have. 

[Charlie Kohawk]

Preseason polls themselves are overrated. What really matters is where you finish, and Coe has finished on top (with company) for three of the last four years. Guess they'll have to make it four out of five to get any respect. If being left out of this poll provides some extra incentive, all the better. Coe took some big hits on defense with graduation, but I have total confidence in this coaching staff. I can't wait!

[PainTrain]

If these polls came out two months ago during recruiting season they would be a big deal but they didn't so I wouldn't put a lot of stock into them coocoo. It will only make the chip on the Kohawks' shoulders a little bit bigger and last time I checked there isn't anything wrong with that.

[Pat Coleman]

Lindy's preseason top 25
...
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see Central ranked, it is just disheartening that the people in the know about DIII football have to rely on history to come up with their rankings.

Since when is Lindy's in the know about Division III football?? Gimme a break!

[coocooforcoekohawk]

Since when is Lindy's in the know about Division III football?? Gimme a break!

So you are saying Coe will be ranked in your preseason poll, yes?




Am I trying to be too manipulative?

[dutchfan1]

Seriously, the only preseason poll that matters is the D3football.com poll. Pat and gang do their research and know their D3 football. The rest of the publications include D3 teams as an afterthought.

[Walston Hoover]

The "other" publications put about 5% into what the team did last year and 95% into what they've done the past 10-15 years. I never put any stock into the preseason polls when Wartburg was a part of them, I don't now that they're not part of them. Nothing against Central, but I don't think they're the12th best team, in the country again yet.
Lets look at predictions for the upcoming year-
I'm going to group the conference in 3 groups-
Contenders, Spoilers, and pretenders
Group 1
Coe, Luther, Central, Wartburg

The 4 teams that I believe have a legitimate shot to win the title this year. Luther is at the bottom of that list, I'll put Central in 1 due to Schuring and O'connel coming back, and a good defense as alway. Wartburg in 2-The last few years everyone talked about how Coe always played Wartburg tough-Wartburg has now won 3 in a row and spoiled more for Coe than Coe has for Wartburg. With a healthy Hammes and a freshmen that steps up-I look for a return of the glory days when the Knights ran the football whenever they wanted to. Coe's defense will be hurting a little at the beginning of the year, and we'll have to see if the offense that allowed Suckow to touch the ball every play is back, or if they try to spread it around like last year.

Spoilers are BV and Simpson
Luther is borderline in this category and won't bump up until they can show more depth and consistency

Pretenders this year are Loras, UD and Cornell-
UD is at the top of this list and (gasp) may be considered a spoiler this year. If coach B doesn't win more than 3 games, I wonder how much longer Spartan nation will allow him to be around.
With the recent coaching changes at Loras, I don't see their defense being as tough as usual, and their young offense struggled last year. Who knows how much they've improved.
Cornell's wing-T won't fit in the conference. The Defenses have taken major leaps forward over the past 10 years and I don't see much success coming out of Mt. Vernon.

In conclusion:
Central
Wartburg
Coe (possible 3-way tie again, and Wartburg gets the nod this year)
Luther
Simpson
BV
UD
Loras
Cornell

[coocooforcoekohawk]

I don't have the facts to support my list of spoilers, contenders and pretenders, but here goes.

Contenders
Central
Coe
Simpson

Spoilers
Luther
Wartburg
Dubuque

Pretenders
B.V.
Cornell
Loras

The coaching changes at Wartburg, B.V, and Loras will cause just the slightest bit of problems in at least one game they should have no business losing.  It will also keep them from winning the close one against a formidable opponent.  I really think Simpson is on the rise. However, that opinion will change if we don't start hearing from Simpson nation in here.

Again, only conjecture on my part.

COOCOO!

[royalachilles]

I know you guys know your stuff concerning the IIAC, but I was wondering, just how you rank the MIAC.  Othe than the Johnnies who we know will be somewhere in the upper mix, how do you see Concordia, St. Olaf, and Bethel finishing up in the conference.  Both Concordia, and St. Olaf lost a big part of the offenses with the loss of both starting quarterbacks.  And these guys were really good. 

[dutchfan1]

I don't know, coocoo -- I don't think that the coaching change in Waverly will have a very big impact on the program's success. I think it will be more apparent with both Loras and BV. Wartburg is still a dominating force in the conference until proven otherwize.

Contenders: Central, Coe, Wartburg

Spoilers: Simpson, Luther, BV

Pretenders: everyone else.


Royal -- we don't talk about the MIAC until the post-season looms -- I don't know that we will be much help in ranking the talent in Minnesota.

[Walston Hoover]

Coocoo-
I don't see the coaching change at Wartburg making that big of difference at all-Everything is the same with the exception of Coach Willis being gone.
One thing to keep in mind is Loras and BV weren't very good in the first place, and Loras went out and hired a coach with a mediocre record, and BV hired from within-I guess I don't understand either one of the moves, but personally I don't know either of the coaches.
At Wartburg, Koehler has been in charge of recruiting the last 3 years so that doesn't change. He called the offense the last 3 years so that doesn;t change.
Detwiler is the d-coordinator and LB coach last 2 years
DB-Same
RB-Same
OL-Same
TE-Same
DL-same
K- same
QB-same
WR-same
I think you're probably beginning to see the pattern.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

So what is up with the 8:00p.m. start time for the Monmouth vs. Wartburg game on Sept. 2

royalachilles- Looking forward to Sept. 9 when there are three IIAC vs. MIAC games.  I am all for the MIAC playing the IIAC, I feel it makes our conference better.  It should be an interesting year with six interconference games.  I believe we took the season series between the two conferences last year.  I know we beat the CCIW 2-1.

[Pat Coleman]

That game is at 7.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

That game is at 7.

My bad, I forgot all times are eastern times.