FB: American Rivers Conference

[wildcat11]

Well obviously all I have said has been my opinion, and I am biasas. But I would probably rank it like this:

1.  WIAC
2.  IIAC
3.  MIAC
4.  SCIAC
5.  NWC
6.  Ind

Although I do believe Central and Wartburg could play very well against most of the WIAC. Whitewater & La-Crosse are very good teams, and they put WIAC above IIAC.

DOT,

Now I know you're going to prop up your conference but to put the SCIAC above the NWC?   

Here would be mine:
WIAC 
NWC
MIAC
IIAC 
SCIAC
MWC

I just don't see how you can rank the IIAC over the other three.  The WIAC, NWC, and MIAC are either winning Stagg Bowl titles or sending teams to the Stagg.  It's been a while since the IIAC has even had a team in the Regional Finals.

I agree that Central and Wartburg are very good programs but they haven't been able to break through.

[DoubleOT]

Well honestly I do not know the NWC or SCIAC very well, so I just left them low, because other than Whitworth and Occidental, there isnt many other good teams. (Puget and Linfield arn't bad). Though Whitworth did beat Occidental, so I should have had NWC over SCIAC

Now between my top 3, I believe all 3 are very good and almost interchangable. And I understand no IIAC team has broken through, but again I think that is due to the calibur of play in the IIAC and how all teams are worn down by the playoffs.

Also as I have seen the WIAC, NWC and MIAC do not have as many middle level teams. They have either good or bad...While the IIAC is more balanced, atleast in my opinion.  If I was going to base it strictly on what 1 or 2 teams have done in the playoffs then MIAC, and NWC would be higher then the IIAC.

So here are my rankings:

WIAC
IIAC (2nd or 3rd)
MIAC (2nd or 3rd)
NWC
SCIAC
MWC

[DutchFan2004]

Wildcat11,

I may chime in here.  I have to ask are you asking to rank the conferences based on one team winning the Stagg or playing in it or the strength of the whole conference.  I believe that the WIAC is a pretty good conference top to bottom not many gimme games in that conference.  The MIAC while it has the Johnnies which is a pretty good program but I would have to say that Wartburg or Central would be 2nd or 3rd there every year and maybe occasionally knock off St Johns.  Central played Bethel two and three years ago and beat them both years.  I think Coe the last 3-4 years would be up there as well in the MIAC.  I can't speak to the NWC other than the miracle in the mud and Wartburgs loss out there against your Cats.  Having said that one team does not a conference make.  I don't think IMHO Lewis and Clark would win a game in the IIAC and that includes Cornell.  If the IIAC played the NWC top to bottom what do you have now 6 teams I would say that the IIAC would be at least 4-2 if not 5-1 judging how well the Cats and Whitworth beat everyone else.  You may win the #! and #2 spots every other year but I think IMHO that IIAC would dominate the other 4 teams.  So if you want to judge a conference wholly on the top team you may have a case however Central and your NWC champ last year lost to the same MIAC team that puts us on the same level.  We both could not beat the Johnnies.  So I think you have to clarify how you want to compare the apples.  Do you want to compare only the top teams or do you want to compare the whole conference?

[Pat Coleman]

IIAC: 12th overall, fourth in West.

http://www.d3football.com/atn.php?id=91

[wildcat11]

Most teams have cycles of high periods and lower periods (like Central's two year stint of not playing like Central and Linfield's down 2006) so I tend to look at the conferences over a period of time as an indicator of overall strength.

I think the NWC's two National Championships (PLU and Linfield) and that four (PLU, Linfield, Willamette, and Whitworth) of our teams have obtained multiple playoff bids during the d3.com era is a rather good indicator of the traditional strength of the conference.  Not to mention the NWC's 2nd highest playoff winning percentage.

Thanks for the link Pat...I do think Linfield will drop a little from the 3 spot but the NWC should still be around the top 5.

[DoubleOT]

Wildcat, like I said IIAC gets dropped come playoff time. NWC gets hire seeds which means an easier trip to the championship games. Either way I think NWC and IIAC are pretty good conferences, and it is hard to judge which one is better, because no teams have played each other on a consistant basis. Though I think any IIAC team would fare better in a season vs NWC teams.

[DoubleOT]

higher***

[Pat Coleman]

Lower seed didn't seem to bother PLU at Wartburg.

[Charlie Kohawk]

While we're comparing conferences, it seems a good time to analyze our own. This will be the 10th year for Coe and Cornell in the IIAC. What do you think of the addition? Obviously, Coe has had more athletic success, but it's a package deal. Has it helped or hurt the conference?

P.S. I just have to get this off my chest. Andy TeKippe did NOT transfer from Wartburg (where he never even saw a down of action) to Coe. He spent some time at Kirkwood Community College before becoming a Kohawk. To suggest Suckow's transfer culminates a trade is ludicrous. But given what I've witnessed this past week, I'd take Andy over Neil every day.

[DoubleOT]

Well I think bringing in Coe and Cornell has to be a positive. Although Cornell hasn't done very good since being in the conference, but for one it brings the longest rivalry west of the Miss to the IIAC. It also improves the academics of the schools. Plus with Coe being in Cedar Rapids it helps bring even more publicity to the conference.

[DutchFan2004]

I think Coe and Cornell is a real positive for the IIAC.  Coe has a great athletic program and Cornell has  great academics.  They are Iowa schools and are a great fit.

[DutchFan2004]

Pat,

I understand what D3 says about the conference rankings.  I think the question was for our opinion.  D3's opinion is just that.  Same with the D3 top 25.  I assume that D3 conference ranking is somewhat like the top 25 a compilation of opinions or polls.  So I think there is some room to disagree since this is only an opinion. 
Love the chatter and this site.   

[Pat Coleman]

Perhaps, but it's an informed, unbiased opinion of the IIAC, which you're unlikely to get on the IIAC board.

[Ash Park]

Coe has been pretty successful in athletics and Cornell has great academics. I also think it is great that there are a lot of people at Cornell right now that want the athletics to be great too. Believe it or not but there used to actually be people whether they were admissions, board of trustees, coaches, students, dean of students...etc that really did not care about the athletic department. Now they have the right people in place and there is definitely more of a sense of pride in the student body from what I have seen, something that has been missing since the mid 90s.

I could never understand why the people of power at Cornell never cared to be successful in athletics. They always took great pride in their students being successful in school and in life. Well athletics are a part of school and I believe that all athletics especially football teach great life lessons.

[CollegeFootballFan]

Let's get some predictions on record to discuss at the end of the season

Preseason Poll – Top 5 Runner in IIAC

Who will be the top 5 rushers in the IIAC based on rushing and receiving yardage in the conference games? Please give names, college and explanation why.