FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[ExTartanPlayer]

I was at a wedding this weekend, followed games on Saturday via live stats.  I am indeed very pleased (and surprised) by the hurtin' CMU put on Chicago.  The Tartans have clearly improved as the season has progressed, and I did think they had a chance to beat a fairly strong Chicago team, but the 52-7 beatdown was a shocker (actually the "7" is even more surprising than the "52" - the offense has been consistently productive but this was probably the defense's best effort all year).  Now we'll get a really fun Academic Bowl matchup next week with a streaking-and-improving 6-3 Carnegie Mellon vs. the excellent 7-2 Case Western team that's also improved over the season and just took an excellent Thomas More team down to the wire.

Thanks to all who have posted their thoughts on the CWRU-TMC game.  I was following with interest: Case certainly played with TMC and showed that they belonged, but TMC made enough key plays (turnovers, red-zone stops, etc) to overcome CWRU's edge in yardage and time of possession.  We all now must become Thomas More fans in the playoffs for the sake of the PAC's league profile.

With the slugfest that occurred today, I truly hope the NCAA notices CWRU.

Sorry, but there's no chance at all if you mean this in the context of the playoffs.  No offense to Case, but it's just a reality - their profile as a Pool C team isn't anything near what would be needed for selection as a Pool C bid.  They weren't even listed in the first set of South regional rankings, which means right now they can't even be in the at-large discussion.  CWRU will have to settle for a strong effort in the Academic Bowl and making a run the next two years.  Curious - anyone have a clue what the tiebreaker will be if there are two undefeated teams in PAC play?  That scenario is certainly in play next year with Case and TMC/W&J.

[E.115]

Very odd to see a San Francisco news media mention the Thomas More-Case Western Reserve game...but check it out: http://www.csnbayarea.com/ncaa/rattos-top-25-good-intentions-vault-missouri-no-1

[DagarmanSpartan]

Ex-Tartan,

I'll certainly root for Thomas More in the playoffs.  They deserve it.

I agree that an at-large bid seems unlikely at this time, but if we can finish the season on a high note with a win in the Academic Bowl, then we'll definitely be in good shape for next season.

With Cuda returning at QB, and no Thomas More or W&J on the schedule, we should be considered a top contender for the 2016 PAC title.

Who knows?

Maybe next year's Academic Bowl will have an automatic playoff berth on the line!

That said, this year's Academic Bowl could be the toughest and most evenly matched in years.  Should be a GREAT game!

[DagarmanSpartan]

I just realized one thing.

If Case beats CMU this week, do we not lay claim to being UAA "co-champion?"

[ExTartanPlayer]

I just realized one thing.

If Case beats CMU this week, do we not lay claim to being UAA "co-champion?"

CWRU 1-1 (lost Chicago, beat WashU)
CMU 1-1 (lost WashU, beat Chicago)
Chicago 1-1 (beat CWRU, lost CMU)
WashU 1-1 (beat CMU, lost CWRU)

Draw your own conclusion.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I just realized one thing.

If Case beats CMU this week, do we not lay claim to being UAA "co-champion?"

CWRU 1-1 (lost Chicago, beat WashU)
CMU 1-1 (lost WashU, beat Chicago)
Chicago 1-1 (beat CWRU, lost CMU)
WashU 1-1 (beat CMU, lost CWRU)

Draw your own conclusion.

So, co-champions or co-cellar-dwellers - you choose!

[ExTartanPlayer]

That said, this year's Academic Bowl could be the toughest and most evenly matched in years.  Should be a GREAT game!

Agree that this year's Academic Bowl is the best matchup we've had in quite awhile. 

In 2012 we had 6-3 CMU vs. 5-4 Case Western, but neither team really went into the game with the kind of momentum that both teams are bringing in this year.

Before that, I think you'd have to go back to the 2007 season to find a matchup where both teams were strong in the same season.  You had the upstart 5-0 Case Western team (on the way to the first Whalen-era playoff berth) coming to Gesling to play the defending-league-champion Tartans (although we were 2-3 at the time with a string of close losses; we would ultimately finish 7-4 with an ECAC bowl win).  Since then, Case has been very good several times, but CMU has not really held up our end of the bargain in the years where Case was good.  We definitely haven't seen a year where this game was the finale and both teams came in fairly hot...poor competition or not, CMU has won five straight games and outscored opponents 266-74 in that stretch.  Case just took a top-15 team down to the wire, on the heels of a seven-game winning streak that included a win over the defending league champs and a bunch of blowout wins of their own.  It's definitely safe to say that this should be the best game of the series in some time.  I'll do a detailed preview a little later this week.

[E.115]

I know I keep posting articles, but I keep finding new ones!  Two more:

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/othercolleges/2015/11/10/tmc-honors-fallen-teammate-pac-title/75518998/

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2015/11/case_western_reserve_is_a_team.html

[Pat Coleman]

Here's one more for you:
http://www.d3football.com/columns/around-the-region/greatlakes/2015/case-western-carnegie-mellon-back-in-pac

[ExTartanPlayer]

Here's one more for you:
http://www.d3football.com/columns/around-the-region/greatlakes/2015/case-western-carnegie-mellon-back-in-pac

Thanks for sharing, Pat.  I'm excited that CMU and CWRU have a good football home in the PAC and hope that this brings some stability to the schedule.  Would be great to develop some true regional rivalries with these schools.

Case guys - do you know if there are plans to make the Academic Bowl the season-ending game every year?  I think we should do that.

[E.115]

Here's one more for you:
http://www.d3football.com/columns/around-the-region/greatlakes/2015/case-western-carnegie-mellon-back-in-pac

Fantastic! Thank you.

Case guys - do you know if there are plans to make the Academic Bowl the season-ending game every year?  I think we should do that.

I can't speak for the long term, but this will be the case for at least the next two seasons: http://athletics.case.edu/sports/fball/future

[E.115]

Complete highlights from the CWRU-TMC epic battle in Cleveland this past weekend.

Congrats again to TMC.

http://youtu.be/oXEgl9mOYdM

[ADL70]

Here's one more for you:
http://www.d3football.com/columns/around-the-region/greatlakes/2015/case-western-carnegie-mellon-back-in-pac

Thanks for sharing, Pat.  I'm excited that CMU and CWRU have a good football home in the PAC and hope that this brings some stability to the schedule.  Would be great to develop some true regional rivalries with these schools.

Case guys - do you know if there are plans to make the Academic Bowl the season-ending game every year?  I think we should do that.

When the affiliations were announced, it was stated that week eleven would be for rivalry games: CWRU-CMU, Thiel-GC, W&J-Waynesburg, etc.

Interested to see if a nine game conference schedule will be in the offing when UAA football fades away after 2017.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Complete highlights from the CWRU-TMC epic battle in Cleveland this past weekend.

Congrats again to TMC.

http://youtu.be/oXEgl9mOYdM

Thanks for sharing, very cool. 

Nothing against one-sided highlight videos produced by one team, but I always enjoy the chance to view a quick summary of all scoring plays and highlights in both directions, so this was fun.

[SaintsFAN]

Je Suis Paris