FB: American Rivers Conference

[Walston Hoover]

It's easy to jump on the "talent is down" bandwagon when the usual suspects aren't at the top of the conference.
I'll be curious to see how the IIAC rep does during playoff time to judge if the conference talent level is down.
One thing's for sure---HUGE Homecoming matchup for the Knights AND Duhawks in Waverly this weekend. Always been some pretty close matchups there anyway, but a lot riding on this one should make it even more interesting.

[DutchFan2004]

It's easy to jump on the "talent is down" bandwagon when the usual suspects aren't at the top of the conference.
I'll be curious to see how the IIAC rep does during playoff time to judge if the conference talent level is down.
One thing's for sure---HUGE Homecoming matchup for the Knights AND Duhawks in Waverly this weekend. Always been some pretty close matchups there anyway, but a lot riding on this one should make it even more interesting.

Walston,  DF1 you two have been around for a lot more years than I.  What happens if 4 or more teams finish on top.  I know the Rose Bowl Rule settles ties but what happens if if two team make to the top like Luther and Loras.  Both have never been to the playoffs.  Do they come down to head to head? Not to say it will happen but if Wartburg, Coe, or Central would tie with Luther and Loras or even BV.  Since there are only two teams that have not been to the playoffs on that list does the head to head determine the AQ?

[DutchFan2004]

If the conversation is about how the IIAC is down then there is more room for the conversation of other conferences as well.  St Norberts lost to Monmouth so there is a change in the MWC, the MIAC is up for grabs as the last few champs up there have fallen behind in that race.  The WIAC is on track to get two in.  The rest of the races are in a jumble.  This year you could maybe see a team or two get shipped in the West.  The NWC or SCIAC may get two teams in if they choose to ship in teams. 

[dutchfan1]

Several years ago, there was a situation where the big dogs (Central, Wartburg and Coe) all beat one another. (I believe Central beat Coe, Coe beat Wartburg and Wartburg beat Central -- don't quote me on that.) Typically the team winning the head to head or tie-breaker game would be invited to the playoffs. The Rose Bowl Rule applies in situations where a clear-cut head to head winner is not established, like in the scenario above. In that instance, the team that has been left out of the playoff system the longest will get the nod.

By my count, there are still 5 weeks remaining on the schedule -- why the playoff talk already?

[TheOne89.1]

I must have been at a different game in Cedar Rapids. The Knights actually had the sembalance of a running game today. If you take away the yards lost while Yordi did his best Drew Bledsoe impression, we actually had somewhat of a ground game. Lamar Harvey looks to have a bright future. Agreed, the o-line didn't obliterate people, but for the most part they did a good job. Most of the sacks given up were not the line's fault, they could be attributed to Yordi holding the ball way too long and not stepping up in the pocket. BTW, I'm not dumping on Yordi. He made some good throws, but sometimes he needs to just pull the trigger.

Also, why Sam Hammes does not get more conference recogition is beyond me. He proved again that if he gets the edge he cannot be caught.

I wasn't at the game so I can't totally say whether or not there was a running game starting to form for the Knights, but looking at stats I would say they are still struggling.  107 rushing yards.  True, it was a net gain.  But looking at individuals net gains were 68, 38, and 21.  Harvey's longest was a 14 yarder so if you take that out of the equation his average was only 2.8 yards per carry.  A yard less than his season per carry average.  Just to compare to the 2003 team, both of their top guys averaged 5.0 and 4.5 yards per carry.  The top back had seven 100+ rushing games and a couple in the 90's.  Second guy had two with one in the 90's.  Overall as a team the average is 70 plays a game.  2003 they ran the ball 45 times a game while this year it's 38.

Just something to note.  Again, I wasn't there in person.  And yes I am glad the Knights won, but it seems pretty clear that the Knights are the kind of team that win by running the ball.  Maybe the oline doesn't have guys like Walston Hoover up front which may be why they rely more on passing.  Unfortunately I haven't seen them in person and things are looking dim right now to see any at all...maybe catch a webcast or two before the season is over.

[DutchFan2004]

Several years ago, there was a situation where the big dogs (Central, Wartburg and Coe) all beat one another. (I believe Central beat Coe, Coe beat Wartburg and Wartburg beat Central -- don't quote me on that.) Typically the team winning the head to head or tie-breaker game would be invited to the playoffs. The Rose Bowl Rule applies in situations where a clear-cut head to head winner is not established, like in the scenario above. In that instance, the team that has been left out of the playoff system the longest will get the nod.

By my count, there are still 5 weeks remaining on the schedule -- why the playoff talk already?

I think that you answered your own question.  With so many games left and no clear cut front runner I was curious.  I don't think there has been this many possibilities for the IIAC champ in many years.  So this peaked my curiousity. 

[TheOne89.1]

Several years ago, there was a situation where the big dogs (Central, Wartburg and Coe) all beat one another. (I believe Central beat Coe, Coe beat Wartburg and Wartburg beat Central -- don't quote me on that.) Typically the team winning the head to head or tie-breaker game would be invited to the playoffs. The Rose Bowl Rule applies in situations where a clear-cut head to head winner is not established, like in the scenario above. In that instance, the team that has been left out of the playoff system the longest will get the nod.

By my count, there are still 5 weeks remaining on the schedule -- why the playoff talk already?

I think that you answered your own question.  With so many games left and no clear cut front runner I was curious.  I don't think there has been this many possibilities for the IIAC champ in many years.  So this peaked my curiousity. 

2002.  That was correct that Wartburg beat Central, Central beat Coe, and Coe beat Wartburg (Thanks to Buffalo Bills' Fred Jackson).  Coe and Wartburg both made playoffs that year with Coe getting the automatic and Wartburg an at-large.  Both teams won first round and lost second round.

[dutchfan1]

Several years ago, there was a situation where the big dogs (Central, Wartburg and Coe) all beat one another. (I believe Central beat Coe, Coe beat Wartburg and Wartburg beat Central -- don't quote me on that.) Typically the team winning the head to head or tie-breaker game would be invited to the playoffs. The Rose Bowl Rule applies in situations where a clear-cut head to head winner is not established, like in the scenario above. In that instance, the team that has been left out of the playoff system the longest will get the nod.

By my count, there are still 5 weeks remaining on the schedule -- why the playoff talk already?

I think that you answered your own question.  With so many games left and no clear cut front runner I was curious.  I don't think there has been this many possibilities for the IIAC champ in many years.  So this peaked my curiousity. 

That was a rhetorical question, DF04. With so many weeks left in the regular season, no one's eyes should be looking toward the post season. Period. There is still way too much football to be played in the season.

Maybe I'm just that old school -- Schipper used to preach one game at a time, and I guess it always resonnated with me.

[Klopenhiemer]

It's easy to jump on the "talent is down" bandwagon when the usual suspects aren't at the top of the conference.
I'll be curious to see how the IIAC rep does during playoff time to judge if the conference talent level is down.
One thing's for sure---HUGE Homecoming matchup for the Knights AND Duhawks in Waverly this weekend. Always been some pretty close matchups there anyway, but a lot riding on this one should make it even more interesting.

Walston,  DF1 you two have been around for a lot more years than I.  What happens if 4 or more teams finish on top.  I know the Rose Bowl Rule settles ties but what happens if if two team make to the top like Luther and Loras.  Both have never been to the playoffs.  Do they come down to head to head? Not to say it will happen but if Wartburg, Coe, or Central would tie with Luther and Loras or even BV.  Since there are only two teams that have not been to the playoffs on that list does the head to head determine the AQ?

Its mathmatically impossible for 4 teams to finish at the top.  With the remaining games left this will play itself out.  I do remember when Coe, Central, and Wartburg all finished on top.  I believe it was Central who was left at home that season while Coe and Warty went to playoffs.  Your are right about the Rose Bowl rule that did have to take effect. 

[Klopenhiemer]

It's easy to jump on the "talent is down" bandwagon when the usual suspects aren't at the top of the conference.
I'll be curious to see how the IIAC rep does during playoff time to judge if the conference talent level is down.
One thing's for sure---HUGE Homecoming matchup for the Knights AND Duhawks in Waverly this weekend. Always been some pretty close matchups there anyway, but a lot riding on this one should make it even more interesting.

Agree...I do not think that the talent level is down, it might just be spread out a little more.  I know BV has had some really good kids coming in this year and last year.  I have heard the same for other conference school, outside of the big two. 

BTW:  Has anyone seen that Carleton is at the top of th MIAC?  Undefeated and looking like the team to beat.  All things considered this might not have been the worst loss of the season for Cornell

[doolittledog]

It might be mathmatically impossible this year for a 3 or 4 way tie.  In 1978 we had a 4 way tie at the top.  BV, Central, Dubuque, and Luther all went 5-2 in conference play that year.  I don't know which team or teams went to the playoffs that year or what the tie-breakers were.  I do know Dubuque did not go to the playoffs and it had been since 1948 since their last conference title.  

1978 is also the last time BV or Luther won the IIAC.  Loras has never won a conference title in football.  So this could be a memorable season in our conference. 

[sportsknight]

First off, the IIAC's tiebreakers are only used to determine the automatic qualifier to the playoffs.  As far as the IIAC is concerned, teams can tie for the league championship and can be co- or even tri-champions, but when those pesky playoffs get involved, someone obviously needs to emerge as the winner.

The first tie-breaker in the IIAC is always head-to-head.  So if two teams tie at the top, whichever one won earlier in the year gets the automatic bid.

In the case that there are more than 2 teams tied for first, and no winner is established by the head-to-head results, then the Rose Bowl Rule is used to eliminate teams until a winner can be decided by the head-to-head rule.

For instance, if somehow Wartburg, Central, and BV would all tie for the league lead, and each have a 1-1 record against the other teams, then Central would be eliminated by virtue of their playoff appearance last week.  At that point, it would come down to the head-to-head result between Wartburg and BV, which would obviously favor the Beavers.

[5 Words or Less]

Perenial MIAC power UW-L is 0-5

[5 Words or Less]

Perenial MIAC power UW-L is 0-5

They're getting a new field/stadium/track
http://www.uwlax.edu/stadiumcam/constructionslideshow1.htm

[5 Words or Less]

Perenial MIAC power UW-L is 0-5

They're getting a new field/stadium/track
http://www.uwlax.edu/stadiumcam/constructionslideshow1.htm

Hybrid Field at Ash Park next?