FB: American Southwest Conference

[minni]

Prayers go out to the Keeling family.  Mrs. Keeling is a fighter, she has to be, her husband is a fighter.

[minni]

CONGRATS TO PAT AND THE GUYS FOR 10 EXCELLENT YEARS.

[Weak Safety]

Looking forward to the season.

[voice]

Former UMHB linebacker Jerrell Freeman blocks a Toronto punt and recovers for a TD late in the 1st half of Saskatchewan Roughrider's CFL game.today in Toronto.  Freeman's  recover in the end zone gives the Riders a 37-13 halftime lead.  Freeman has been outstanding on special teams so far this season.  Another stud out of D3 football.

[crufootball]

You can see the blocked punt and recovery by Jerrell Freeman at http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/7153. Rather long highlight but to jump straight to Jerrell go to the  3:10 mark.

[Bill McCabe]

That was a very nice play.  Thanks for the link.  It looks like he is heavier than he was at UMHB.

[Cru Info]

Posted by: Bill McCabe :That was a very nice play.  Thanks for the link.  It looks like he is heavier than he was at UMHB.

Bill, Jerrell is about 225lbs now. He was 215lbs when he played at UMHB. Last we talked he said was feeling and playing well!!! He told me how he and Justin Beaver of UWW bonded as friends during training camp as workout partners.
Jerrell also posted 3 tackles, 2 on punt and the other on kickoff. Go #50, keep representing for Cru Football, UMHB and all of DIII.

[Cru Info]

It's that time of the year again! I'm ready for some CRU FOOTBALL!!!
If the board would allow indulge me:

In 2009, can a 3rd place ASC team make the Natl. Playoffs?  

What is the likelihood that more respect will be given to the American Southwest Conference this season when it comes to the selection committee?  To seed two prestigious programs like UMHB and HSU in the first round might have saved a little cash for the NCAA but for an association that brags, touts,  and encourages fairness and decency in athletic completion really isn't living up to its standards through their actions via the selection committee. It's a bit hypocritical is it not? 

However, can an argument be made for LC who finished 3rd in league play this past season if they'd finished at 8-2, not losing to MC. Would that have garnered playoff consideration? 7-3 (5-3) in the race for third they went through murders row of conference play playing, HSU, MC, then UMHB.

What if LC beats MC this season or if either MC or ETBU finish at 8-2 in league play could 3 ASC teams make the playoffs?  Whichever team finishes in third place in the ASC assuming it is not UMHB or HSU could be a bottom tier south region playoff team, but I guess that would depend on one's definition of a bottom tier south region playoff team.

Let's see what happens early in the season with the MC vs. Millsaps rematch. That would certainly propel MC into the Natl rankings early in the season. The same could be said for ETBU. Say they knockoff St. John's. ETBU would sniff the top 25 if not crack it. Coming off a 7-3 season, LC might see a few preseason, week 1, or week 2 votes in the top 25 polls. Potentially as early as week 2, the top 5 ASC teams would deserve consideration of being ranked in the top 25 in my opinion.

[Ralph Turner]

Welcome aboard, Cru Info!

As for an ASC 3rd place team making the playoffs?

Not likely.

There were only 6 at-large bids given last year.  HSU got one, but LC would have needed to beat a Millsaps (instead of Rhodes) and one more very powerful team e.g., a St Johns MN, or a WIAC power, even to be in the running for a Pool C bid at an 8-2 in-region record (with losses to UMHB and HSU).

Bacone doesn't do anything but provide an affordable 10th game.  It has no benefit in the eyes of the selection committee.   

[D O.C.]

Again like to thank HSU for a interesting multi-year match-up with LINFIELD.
Looking forward to this year's knock-about. Health to everyone!

[Cru Info]

So no 8-2 ASC team can neither build a case nor has a case for consideration of a Pool C bid?

I realize this entire post is a lot of hypothetical situations but Ralph sir, humor me please.
Why the lack of recognition from the NCAA selection committee for the power of the ASC conference?  Has there ever been a situation where three conference teams have made the D-III playoffs?

MC vs Millsaps – regional game, will have a major impact on the landscape. If MC wins and is sitting there at the end of the season at 8-2 ranked, and if Millsaps ends up winning there conference would that not boost the chances for three ASC teams?

If a clean sweep happens with top 5 ASC teams beating their regional non conference opponents, that would have to bolster a look at the conference would it not? HSU will likely beat Linfield, I just think there flat out better. So if HSU only loss comes to UMHB, there an automatic Pool C right?

Depending on the outcome for the race for third at 8-2, with the conference being rated strongest in the region, the third place team would have no chance? Granted TLU probably won't beat Trinity (TX) but if a split occurs because McMurry gets passed the Tigers and Trinity wins their conference what about a second look?  Trinity's strength of schedule would be weakened tremendously if Millsaps loses to MC and if they drop one to an ASC team themselves. Of course their game, (Trinity v Millsaps) will be highly watched game.

There are 8 South Region Playoff slots. In the event the pool A champions are as listed below, is this scenario not possible Ralph or Pat or somebody who knows way more on how the seeding generally tends to work.

Pool A:      American Southwest Conference Champion: UMHB (I'm bias, sorry)
                                Centennial Conference Champion: Muhlenberg
                                Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Champion: Millsaps
                                USA South Athletic Conference Champion: Most likely Christopher Newport

Pool B:   Atlantic Central Football Conference Champion: Wesley
                SLIAC: LaGrange, maybe they end up just in pool C consideration. 

Pool C Candidates:   American Southwest Conference # 2: Hardin Simmons will make playoffs
                    American Southwest Conference # 3: MC? Possibly ETBU?
                    Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference #2: Trinity if only loss is to Millsaps
                   USA South Athletic Conference # 2: Ferrum is getting better.

[Ron Boerger]

Pool C's aren't given out by region, they're spread across the entire country, so you're competing against a bunch of one loss teams.  The way the selection criteria are written, a second loss just kills you.  

The OAC has never gotten three teams in, and the second place OAC team (with solely a loss to Mount Union) often does pretty well in the playoffs.  I'd say the OAC's reputation is just a bit better than the ASC's.  

[wildcat11]

HSU will likely beat Linfield, I just think there flat out better

Nothing says flat out better like a last minute drive to pull out a win.  I guess we'll find out in Oregon who's better this time around.

[golden_dome]

Just to keep everyone updated, former Mississippi College wide receiver Jake Allen is still with the Green Bay Packers. Jake spent all of last year on the practice squad with the Packers then signed a futures contract at the end of the season.

He came home to visit a few weeks back and he's up to 198 pounds. He played his senior year at MC around 180. The general consensus so far is that Jake apparently is one of the more physically gifted athletes and the tallest WR on the roster, but has to keep working on his hands. He has a great opportunity to be the 5th  or 6th WR this year.

[Cru Info]

Nothing says flat out better like a last minute drive to pull out a win.  I guess we'll find out in Oregon whose better this time around.

Yes sir, point well taken. However, giving credit where credit is due, it does show the mark of a champion to be able to get a crucial stop late in the ball game and come from 21 points back and find a way to win. That is why I think there better.

Pool C's aren't given out by region, they're spread across the entire country, so you're competing against a bunch of one loss teams.  The way the selection criteria are written, a second loss just kills you.

Thanks for clearing that up!!!

The OAC has never gotten three teams in, and the second place OAC team (with solely a loss to Mount Union) often does pretty well in the playoffs.  I'd say the OAC's reputation is just a bit better than the ASC's.

- I respect your opinion. However, if the selection committee wouldn't match the ASC up together in the first or second round as they have done numerous times before, a second or third ASC team would have the opportunity to show their grit. I think there a lot of people out there who might come to the same consensus as me and fervently believe that not only could HSU win games against the OAC but MC would match up well too vs. the OAC minus Mt. Union of course who have a loss on the books to the CRU.

So sir may I ask for your take on how you would rate the conferences, in your opinion on what you know of the programs between the ASC, OAC, and WIAC?
Which conferences #2 team is the best? I'd say HSU
Followed up with which conferences # 3 team is the best?
Could one of these three conferences ever post a third playoff team in the near future?