FB: American Rivers Conference

[TheOne89.1]

Devin...you are hot tonight. 

Picking which team is going to suffer the most injuries is like roeschamboeing for the last piece of pizza with your sister.....................

+K for that.  Definitely gave me a good laugh at the office today.

[TheOne89.1]

No baby yet Devine. Official practice in the state of Iowa started yesterday so I was at school from 3-9 last night and went to bed when I got home.
As far as injuries, Absolutely no way to predict those, but I know looking back, at least 2 of Wartburg's losses in the last three years, the Knights were significantly hampered by injuries. I know it happens to everyone, and I was particularily impressed by the way Central was able to continue their roll without Schuring for a few games.
Wartburg rarely, if ever uses a fullback anymore. A far cry from watching my highlight tapes from '02 and '01 where almost every snap is traditional I formation.
A lot of use of the TE though still right now, and why not, when you've got the best in the conference.

That's what happens when Waverly doesn't experience "Hurricane" season every fall anymore.  SK, thanks for getting that nickname to stick.  Priceless.

[TheOne89.1]

IIAC Pages - 1189
Northwest Conference Pages - 1225

Once we pass them looks like we have quite the mountain to climb to reach the MIAC.

[ShowMe]

I have posted the reason I believe Cornell will be a good team: Let me say it again;

Things Cornell must improve in order for me to not eat crow/horns

•Must have fans, administration, community and student support. The fan support starts on the message board sending a message to the non beleivers
•Must win the battle at the line of scrimmage, offensive and defensive line must be our MVP
•Must improve the field goals kicking game, must score inside the 20
•Must improve the punting game to eliminate as a reason for giving up the short field
•Must eliminate the turnovers
•Must cash in on opportunities to take control of momentum/games. We must convert those opportunities
•Must reduce the number  of time we are in 3rd and long on offense
•Must be able to stop the run on defense

Why it will be different this season
•We have key skilled players returning on offense
•The coaching staff is developing an offense around the talent in our skilled positions
•We don't have the same constraints at the QB position
•The investment we made in last year's freshman class will hopefully pay dividends this season
•We only need 35 – 40 solid players and some breaks/luck from injuries
•We have some talented players that the conference have not realized yet

Some other reasons
• The top teams in this conference gets too much respect, they are not as good as the hype
• The conference record for Cornell last season does not show how well Cornell really competed. In most of those games, Cornell had chances to make an impact 

On the post concerning the odds of my follow Cornell supporters getting the last laugh, I'll say, time will tell

On the post suggesting when I can talk about cornell again, we should have some good feedback on 9/20 and 9/27. And when I say we, that means you too!

On the predictions

Matt Dillon will be the coach of the year in the IIAC. Cornell will place at least 3 players on the all conference teams

On Wartburg, this is a defining moment in time for the old warts. The lack of playoff appearance and the Central dominance puts Wartburg in the same boat as Central. They both have more to lose this season than the bottom teams. If Wartburg doesn't make the playoff, they will be defined as a solid contender. In terms of putting 40 points on Cornell, did the Warts do that last season? Cornell was not suppose to score if I remember the pregame predictions. I saw Cornell move the ball pretty good considering the respect Wartburg defense was getting. An yes, we scored.

On Coe, Cornell should have beat you last season. The problems we had against Coe are the very problems we need to solve this year. Coe is caught in a situation where they can be a perennial middle of the pack team. Really Coe has as much to do as any other team in the conference other than the top two.

On the other teams, I really do know enough about them to comment. Based on the arrogance from the Central and Wartburg fans, I hope each of you improve your standings in the conference, at their expense not ours.

I hope this give you some insight to my optimism, book makrk this so you don't accuse me of not providing specifics and we can refer to it later when we sit up the crow cookout at the appropriate time in the season.

[doolittledog]

The Des Moines Register ran a story on the Grand View football team.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080808/SPORTS0208/808080387/0/SPORTS

Did they run the story because of Grand View being local???  Or because they think the NAIA is better than D3 because they offer scholarships???

1 reader must think so.  In a reply to the article the reader said if Grand View can't beat Coe in their scrimmage they will be in for a long year!!! 

UD G/F on the basketball team, Dreylan Porter (athletic 6-5 wing, he had 17 points againts ISU in UD's ex. game last year) has transferred to GV and is slated to be the starting receiver for the team. He played football in HS in Texas, but only basketball for UD. Big blow for Spartan basketball, as he would have been a force (he missed some time due to a hand injury), but should add some height and athleticsm to GV's receivers.

That is a blow to the UD basketball team.  I think it says something that he wasn't even on the UD football team yet becomes a starter at GV.  So he goes from a good basketball player on an improving UD basketball team and someone that didn't make the UD football team.  To starting for an NAIA football team in their 1st season and will most likely get hammered in most if not all their games this year.  Interesting.  The GV roster shows as about half from Iowa and half from Texas...specifically the Houston area which is where Dre Porter was from.  I suppose being around more kids from your home area enticed him over. 

[KCDutch]

I
Some other reasons
• The top teams in this conference gets too much respect, they are not as good as the hype
• The conference record for Cornell last season does not show how well Cornell really competed. In most of those games, Cornell had chances to make an impact 

Wow...quite the post Showme. 

1)  Maybe the top teams would be better if EVERY team in the conference fielded a competitive team?   One example is Dubuque.....I hope Cornell fields a better team, but not better than Central!!!!!
2)  I think the key word is HAD, but they didn't.  When Cornell starts winning, the conference will give the Rams respect.   I'm a believer in some players know how to win and some don't........the one who don't always HAD chances to make an impact. 

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Because I have a Favre like itch for football now, and very little I would sooner do, I went back and read over last years predictions for the season. (pages in the 300's) I found 29 different posters that gave their predictions. Only four of the twenty nine had the top four teams right. I eliminated "Orange" as he tabbed U.D. 2nd and Simpson dead last, and because he's not here to defend himself.
So, in third place, and Rookie of the year; Purple Heys. Only his beloved Rams and apparent distain for the Norse, kept him from the apex.
In what could only be an ironic twist of fate, losing a close one, DutchFan2004 gets the silver. Loras and BV let him down.
Only having Loras out of order, I give you prognosticator of the year 2007---
        Floyd in Iowa City

Great job gentlemen, I will pay special attention to your picks this year.

Thanks for the honor/notice Thunderbolt!  I know I have been within a game of picking the Norse record every year during the Hefty era other than the crazy 2006 season, so it gets easier to predict the rest of the league when you can get past your own bias and pick your own team fairly accurately.

I will have a better feel for the Norse in a couple of weeks (hopefully) after they get some practices going.  As of now I could see anything from 5-5 to maybe even 3-7 based on all of the moving parts (How strong will the defense be?  Will the passing game be at least average?  Can the new OL coach and new coaches overall make a positive difference already in the 1st season?).  I heard some good things from the spring, but that is spring practice and not everyone was there.

Luther right now feels a little like some recent editions of Loras this year in that there are RBs and other players on offense that can play, but that the defense is going to have to carry a lot of the load and get back to forcing a bunch of turnovers.

I need to get back into this and start reading up on Loras, B.V., and Coe as well as I don't have a feel for them right now.

Simpson and St. Olaf should be interesting as well with the coaching changes, but that young Simpson was fun to watch in Decorah last year anyway.

The Norse will miss Sherden, Stavast, and some other players, but the team wasn't as talent thin the last two seasons as the statistics indicate.  The 2007 team maybe didn't underachieve that much from a wins and losses perspective, but the sound coaching idea of putting the ball in the hands of the best player as much as possible was taken to an extreme level at times (regardless of situation at times) over the past two years.

Based on experience and talent on the roster, IMO the Norse could still use QB Sweers and WR Pearson from 2006 more than the outstanding Sherden.  The passing game needs to be more consistent and a legit threat in 2008.

[keith45]

The Des Moines Register ran a story on the Grand View football team.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080808/SPORTS0208/808080387/0/SPORTS

Did they run the story because of Grand View being local???  Or because they think the NAIA is better than D3 because they offer scholarships???

1 reader must think so.  In a reply to the article the reader said if Grand View can't beat Coe in their scrimmage they will be in for a long year!!! 

UD G/F on the basketball team, Dreylan Porter (athletic 6-5 wing, he had 17 points againts ISU in UD's ex. game last year) has transferred to GV and is slated to be the starting receiver for the team. He played football in HS in Texas, but only basketball for UD. Big blow for Spartan basketball, as he would have been a force (he missed some time due to a hand injury), but should add some height and athleticsm to GV's receivers.

That is a blow to the UD basketball team.  I think it says something that he wasn't even on the UD football team yet becomes a starter at GV.  So he goes from a good basketball player on an improving UD basketball team and someone that didn't make the UD football team.  To starting for an NAIA football team in their 1st season and will most likely get hammered in most if not all their games this year.  Interesting.  The GV roster shows as about half from Iowa and half from Texas...specifically the Houston area which is where Dre Porter was from.  I suppose being around more kids from your home area enticed him over. 

Well, from what I understand, he would make more of an impact on the court than the gridiron, which is why he only played basketball at UD..I'm guessing he wasnt "encouraged" to play football..since Jake Olsen (who I just talked to a few weeks ago, way out west), I havent seen a lot of 2 sport athletes succeeding in the IIAC, with fball and basketball. I think he would have played a lot at UD as a received, if he had gone out. Unfortunately he got hurt during the year, but he showed promise early in the season.

[dutchfan1]

On the predictions

Matt Dillon will be the coach of the year in the IIAC. Cornell will place at least 3 players on the all conference teams

There is so much to comment on, but oh so little time left in my lunch hour. I have a lot of respect for Dillon and what he did at Dowling. Piloting Dowling to a 79-20 record from 1996-2005 and advancing to the state playoffs seven times is amazing -- especially in the CIML. It's really too bad that he didn't bring that same magic to MV -- since his tenure began, the Rams have not won a single IIAC game. If he pulls out 5 wins, my vote for COY goes to him, hands down. He was hired to turn a program that has not won more than 3 games a season since 2001 (when they went 6-3) into a contender. Making them competitive would be a HUGE step in the right direction. let me echo everyone else's sentiments -- I hope it happens. Any conference is really only as strong as it's weakest member -- pulling up this anchor would be huge for the entire conference, much less for the Cornell program.

Cornell has 5 first year coaches on the sidelines. I'm sure that is adding to their spark -- they have the drive to get out and win. They may just be the spark that lights the fire.

[the_mayne_event]

I have posted the reason I believe Cornell will be a good team: Let me say it again;

Things Cornell must improve in order for me to not eat crow/horns

•Must have fans, administration, community and student support. The fan support starts on the message board sending a message to the non beleivers
•Must win the battle at the line of scrimmage, offensive and defensive line must be our MVP
•Must improve the field goals kicking game, must score inside the 20
•Must improve the punting game to eliminate as a reason for giving up the short field
•Must eliminate the turnovers
•Must cash in on opportunities to take control of momentum/games. We must convert those opportunities
•Must reduce the number  of time we are in 3rd and long on offense
•Must be able to stop the run on defense

Why it will be different this season
•We have key skilled players returning on offense
•The coaching staff is developing an offense around the talent in our skilled positions
•We don’t have the same constraints at the QB position
•The investment we made in last year’s freshman class will hopefully pay dividends this season
•We only need 35 – 40 solid players and some breaks/luck from injuries
•We have some talented players that the conference have not realized yet

Some other reasons
• The top teams in this conference gets too much respect, they are not as good as the hype
• The conference record for Cornell last season does not show how well Cornell really competed. In most of those games, Cornell had chances to make an impact 

On the post concerning the odds of my follow Cornell supporters getting the last laugh, I’ll say, time will tell

On the post suggesting when I can talk about cornell again, we should have some good feedback on 9/20 and 9/27. And when I say we, that means you too!

On the predictions

Matt Dillon will be the coach of the year in the IIAC. Cornell will place at least 3 players on the all conference teams

On Wartburg, this is a defining moment in time for the old warts. The lack of playoff appearance and the Central dominance puts Wartburg in the same boat as Central. They both have more to lose this season than the bottom teams. If Wartburg doesn’t make the playoff, they will be defined as a solid contender. In terms of putting 40 points on Cornell, did the Warts do that last season? Cornell was not suppose to score if I remember the pregame predictions. I saw Cornell move the ball pretty good considering the respect Wartburg defense was getting. An yes, we scored.

On Coe, Cornell should have beat you last season. The problems we had against Coe are the very problems we need to solve this year. Coe is caught in a situation where they can be a perennial middle of the pack team. Really Coe has as much to do as any other team in the conference other than the top two.

On the other teams, I really do know enough about them to comment. Based on the arrogance from the Central and Wartburg fans, I hope each of you improve your standings in the conference, at their expense not ours.

I hope this give you some insight to my optimism, book makrk this so you don’t accuse me of not providing specifics and we can refer to it later when we sit up the crow cookout at the appropriate time in the season.

That is a bold statement (no pun intended).  how can you say Coe is a perennial middle of the pack team?  they have had 2 down years at 7-3 the last 2 years - which is a pretty respectable record.  2 years ago being a huge let down/disappointment.  they were preseason number 1 two years ago (i know, preseason means nothing), but that means they had utmost respect from every other coach in the conference.  3 years ago shared the conference title, 4 years ago share of the conference title, 5 years ago was the only down year coe has had since 2002 (they were 5-5 in 03).  

what 3 players will be all-conference?  

dillon would have to win more then 5 games in teh conference for him to be named coach of the year - i dont think that will happen in his time at cornell, let alone this year.  the simpson coach and Staker would have to have terrible years not to be mentioned (being new coaches).  there is a possibility that wartburg goes undefeated (even though it kills me to say it) and there would be no way willis would not be the COY with an undefeated record.  if central comes even close to an undefeated record with a conference title McMartin would have to be COY with how many players he lost.

[doolittledog]

It is interesting to note that Cornell has won 1 conference game over the last 3 seasons yet can beat the UMAC champ and the MIAA champ.  Say what you will about those conferences being weak...I think it says something about the competitive nature of the IIAC. 

[Alfredeneumann]

IIAC Pages - 1189
Northwest Conference Pages - 1225

Once we pass them looks like we have quite the mountain to climb to reach the MIAC.

That shouldn't be too hard. Just everyone use "Show Me's" manifesto as a quote and it should only take 1 or 2 postings to add another page. 

I don't have time to respond to it all but his first bullet points but and ANY + ALL times can use them as how to be good or better.

[Walston Hoover]

ShowMe, at first I got a kick out of what you posted, but after reading your verbal diarhea day after day, I know that you are just trying to get a rise out of people and think this message board is a way to pass overused football cliches onto your team.
Do you realize you are saying a coach who had a losing record his last 3 years of coaching HIGH SCHOOL football and has not won a meaningful game yet in college is now going to field a team that is going to compete for a conference championship.
Without you posting your preseason pep talks to the faithful readers and posters here, no one cares about Cornell. Quite honestly, not in any sport. What was the last sport Cornell finished in the top half of the conference in? I'm asking that as an honest question because I don't know.
-Purple Heys and Ash Park, I love you guys like message board brothers, but as part of the Cornell faithful, this guy is representing you and your fanbase here. Hope he's not setting your team up to get let down even more.
Oh, and Wartburg put up 35 last year on you with their backup QB. I don't know if that's something to talk too highly about.
If you consider 213 yards of offense to be "moving the ball well" then you are in for a VERY long season.

[New Storm]

Thanks WH here is Simpson preview

www.simpson.edu/storm/men/football/2008Preview.html
8) 8)

[ShowMe]

That is a bold statement (no pun intended).  how can you say Coe is a perennial middle of the pack team?  they have had 2 down years at 7-3 the last 2 years - which is a pretty respectable record.  2 years ago being a huge let down/disappointment.  they were preseason number 1 two years ago (i know, preseason means nothing), but that means they had utmost respect from every other coach in the conference.  3 years ago shared the conference title, 4 years ago share of the conference title, 5 years ago was the only down year coe has had since 2002 (they were 5-5 in 03).  

what 3 players will be all-conference?  

dillon would have to win more then 5 games in teh conference for him to be named coach of the year - i dont think that will happen in his time at cornell, let alone this year.  the simpson coach and Staker would have to have terrible years not to be mentioned (being new coaches).  there is a possibility that wartburg goes undefeated (even though it kills me to say it) and there would be no way willis would not be the COY with an undefeated record.  if central comes even close to an undefeated record with a conference title McMartin would have to be COY with how many players he lost.

The last couple of year Coe has not been higher that 3rd. As for the previous years, I admit, maybe I'm wrong there.