FB: American Rivers Conference

dutchfan1 · November 21, 2006, 09:39:48 AM

Hey all -- it's taken me a few days to thaw out after the game on Saturday. Congrats to the Johnnies on a very well played game. Congrats to my Dutch on a fantastic season. I feel like a Cubs fan saying this, but there is always next season. We have a lot of playmakers coming back that will make a huge difference in '07.

Johnnie fans, it was fun tailgating with you...thanks for letting me crash the tailgate. Also, it was a pleasure meeting Ryan Coleman of D3 football.

Best of luck, Johnnies, through the rest of the playoffs -- we'll see you next season!

coco · November 21, 2006, 03:34:22 PM

Ever the gracious one, Dutchfan, and I think your guys will be back next year.

doolittledog · November 22, 2006, 03:25:36 AM

Insomnia has got the best of me. Therefore, knowing UD has been the conference whipping boy for awhile now I decided to look up how UD has faired against current and former IIAC schools over the last 20 seasons. It was worse than I had thought.

Here goes.

Buena Vista 2-18 the wins coming in 90 and 06
Central 1-19 the one win coming in 87
Coe 1-8 with the one win in 04
Cornell 3-8
Loras 1-19 with that one win in 05, but many games closer than I remember
Luther 5-15 with the wins pretty evenly spread out
Simpson 1-19 the one win coming this year
Wartburg 3-17 with the wins coming in 88,89, and 06

Former schools
Upper Iowa 3-14 I had no idea UD had such little success against them
William Penn 8-6 Can I petition to get them back in the conference???

Anyway, just some useless information for you to chew on.

doolittledog · November 22, 2006, 08:23:59 AM

A couple of questions regarding my above post. Did Cornell enter the conference 2 years before Coe...Or did Dubuque just happen to schedule them 2 years before they came in with Coe? Was Upper Iowa out of the conference but still playing IIAC teams for a few years while they transitioned to DII?

DutchFan2004 · November 22, 2006, 09:20:04 AM

I don't know about Coe. But I believe that Upper Iowa was done when they left.

Dsquared · November 22, 2006, 10:17:02 AM

I remember UIU had already announced their intentions before the '02 season, but like DF2K4 said, they were done once they crossed over the D-II threshold.

dutchfan1 · November 22, 2006, 12:29:34 PM

Quote from: doolittledog on November 22, 2006, 08:23:59 AM
A couple of questions regarding my above post. Did Cornell enter the conference 2 years before Coe...Or did Dubuque just happen to schedule them 2 years before they came in with Coe? Was Upper Iowa out of the conference but still playing IIAC teams for a few years while they transitioned to DII?

Coe and Cornell joined the conference the same year.

tribute · November 23, 2006, 03:47:23 PM

I believe that Upper Iowa left the conferance and played an IIAC schedule for a year (maybe two) after making the jump to Division II. It had something to do with contractual obligations.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

d3ticker · November 27, 2006, 08:28:53 PM

Quote from: dutchfan1 on November 22, 2006, 12:29:34 PM
Quote from: doolittledog on November 22, 2006, 08:23:59 AM
A couple of questions regarding my above post. Did Cornell enter the conference 2 years before Coe...Or did Dubuque just happen to schedule them 2 years before they came in with Coe? Was Upper Iowa out of the conference but still playing IIAC teams for a few years while they transitioned to DII?

Coe and Cornell joined the conference the same year.

that is correct. in '97, UD opened with Cornell as a non-conference game, then played Concordia-St. Paul (now D2) the following Saturday

sportsknight · November 28, 2006, 02:33:10 PM

One post in four days? Everyone still sleepy from the turkey around here or what?

warthog · November 28, 2006, 03:52:01 PM

OK, after several days of contemplation I decided to say what I believe many of us were thinking. We hate to admit it, but the IIAC just wasn't very strong this year.

As an example, I don't believe this year's second place Wartburg team could stay within 35 points of either the 2003 or 1999 IIAC champions at Wartburg. I'm sure I will get some disagreement, but this is what I believe. What other IIAC college, besides Dubuque, could say this year's team was one of the two or three best teams they've had on campus in the last eight years? As I look around the league I say "zero".

doolittledog · November 28, 2006, 05:21:21 PM

Heck, I can say this is Dubuque's best team in 20 years!!! I know what you are saying though. What we probably need is for an IIAC team to make a bit of a run in the post season. It might take that to start getting two teams in again.

The Show · November 28, 2006, 06:57:51 PM

Any HS coaches on the board sending any athletes onto IIAC schools next year? I know it's early. We've had coaches visit Jefferson already, but winning some ball games helps that.

DutchFan2004 · November 28, 2006, 08:45:23 PM

Warthog,

I think you forget the troubles that Central went through recently. A 5-5 team and 6-4 team are not teams to be happy about when you are used to championships. I would say that without a doubt that the last two Central teams would beat the previous two teams editions. 05-06 would beat 03-04. The offense was way more productive in the last two years. You can disagree with me but I think if you research the stats it will prove me right.

Walston Hoover · November 29, 2006, 10:35:48 AM

Since he said in the last 8 years, I will respectfully disagree with you '04. I think the Central teams of '98-'01 would have tore through this year's Dutch.
Wartburg had several years that were better, but I think many of us Wartburg faithful would agree that things are on the up-and-up with a young team and young staff.
Coe had their worst team of the last 4 years, maybe 5.
Luther and Simpson were far worse than they've been.
This year's Beavers wouldn't have kept it close with the Defenses of 00 and 01
Cornell had some better years (01 and 02)
Loras was the same as always

Couple problems-With the recent successes of Iowa/ISU/UNI, more kids that normally would be on Wartburg's roster are now walking on, (OK, maybe any team's roster)
The D2's from border states have taken an increasingly stronger look at Iowa kids, and it amazes how kids will play for a $500 football scholarship, just to say they got one.
The talent level of the High School kids in Iowa is just as strong and probably stronger than ever, but the available top talent for the IIAC schools seems to be shrinking.
My Solution-Put a fence around our borders to keep the border states out. Kids are allowed 3 years at a D1 and if they are not in the 2-deep, they are off the team.
Wartburg gets first crack at everyone and the other teams can get what Wartburg doesn't want.