FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[Dutch12]

Puzzling to me how Thiel isn't getting much respect in "Around the Nation" - anyone else have any thoughts on that??  What else do they have to do?  Win a few playoff games I suppose

Having to go to OT to defeat two .500 opponents has a lot to do with it.   

Good news:  Got the W's
Bad news:  Should have won the games in the first half

This is true.  The good thing for Thiel is coming back from 21-0 at Waynesburg, 14-0 at W&J, and down 28-14 with 14 minutes left in the game at CMU helps prove to themselves that they are never out of a game.  They certainly didn't play 60 minutes of great football in these games and in the playoffs you will need to do so.  That said, the experience of battling back and winning these games in pressure situations should help them when faced with similar situations in the playoffs. 

[mandfense]

No, I believe it's an evenly matched game.  The Laz Power Index says Thiel are 8.5 point favorites.  Reading Comprehension 101.   

Since you don't put any stock in the Laz Power Index (you obviously don't agree with them), why are you citing them? If I agree with you that JHU is the underdog will you then start to tell me why they should win? Logic & Reasoning 101

Never said I don't put ANY stock in the LAZ Power Index (I think Wesley will beat Ferrum by around 20).  I cited LAZ the same reason I cited the other sources.  I have my opinion, but I think most people would take those other sources as being more reputable than my opinion.  I don't see people clammering on Monday mornings for the Mandfense D3 Football Top 25 (although it would be nice).  

I'd love to tell you why JHU should win Saturday....but I don't think they should.  Thiel should win.  They're the favorites.  Favorites SHOULD win games, underdogs COULD win games.

[Cleveland Cartel]

less than 55 Hours till gametime.....



WHOSE READY!!!!

Hand me a brat and dog with some kraut!!!!!!

Win lose or draw....Thiel has something JH does not and that is the faboluous pregame festivities!! And I hope their fans get to enjoy it as we do every home game!!!

Lets go to work!

[wsx27yrs]

history-elem. level
since 1999
BW-TRIN-UMHB-W&J combined playoff record is 26-18.
that's 44 POST SEASON GAMES with 3 Stagg bowl appearances.
FERRUM-WESLEY-JHU-THIEL combined playoff record is 0-1. that's ONE POST SEASON GAME.
WHO SHOLD BE SEEDED 1-4 WITH HOME GAMES?
D-III doesn't work that way.  2 teams getting to the 2nd round should be grateful.
just for thought--HSU should be 5 seed.(4-4 since 99 in post season)
let's earn some whiskers b-4 we grow our beards!!!!
   

[Bob.Gregg]

Everyone will doubt Thiel until they prove otherwise. Heck they go 10-0 play a harder schedule then W&J and still are not higher then them in any pool. I figured they would jump them even though its only spot.

1.  Thiel beat W&J, 38-35 in overtime AT W&J.  Let's get that out there.

2.  Thiel's non-conference opponents finshed 2005 with a better overall record (18-21)than did W&J's (8-32).

3.  Nobody on the 2005 Thiel non-conference schedule has been to the playoffs in the recent past.  Same with the 2004 schedule.  In fact, the last playoff participant the Tomcats faced out of the PAC was 2003 John Carroll & Brockport State.

4.  While I'll not argue Tri-State in ANY FASHION, Allegheny, Hanover and even Emory & Henry will stack up well against Ohio Wesleyan, Bluffton, Buffalo State and Carnegie-Mellon every year.  The fact that E&H is in a down-turn, and that Hanover & Allegheny had off years notwithstanding.  When these schedule agreements were made, nobody would have anticipated the combined dismal results of AC, Hanover & E&H.

And Allegheny's 3-7 wasn't far from 8-2, 7-3.  One 6-point OT loss, two 3-point regulation losses, one 5-point, one 6-point and one 7-point regulation losses.  ONLY W&J blew out Allegheny.

5.  There is only ONE poll that matters, during the season and now.  And it's about to begin.  There are 32 teams in it.  They are all even, and the measuring stick that matters is this:  Who gets FIVE WINS?

As I've said for the past seven weeks, the better team Oct. 1st won that day.  Perhaps we'll get to see if that team is the better team, PERIOD!

Best wishes to the Tomcats, and to the Presidents Saturday.  Here's looking hopefully toward a drive up I-79 for something other than taking the wife shopping at the outlets at Grove City.

[Dutch12]

Everyone will doubt Thiel until they prove otherwise. Heck they go 10-0 play a harder schedule then W&J and still are not higher then them in any pool. I figured they would jump them even though its only spot.

As I've said for the past seven weeks, the better team Oct. 1st won that day.  Perhaps we'll get to see if that team is the better team, PERIOD!

Best wishes to the Tomcats, and to the Presidents Saturday.  Here's looking hopefully toward a drive up I-79 for something other than taking the wife shopping at the outlets at Grove City.

Bob, if Thiel should lose to W&J in the second round (if they both win this weekend) I reserve the right to play "the better team won that day" card until their next meeting.   

Good luck to the Tomcats and the Presidents. 

[Bob.Gregg]

Bob, if Thiel should lose to W&J ... I reserve the right to play "the better team won that day" card...

And if you have the stats to show that to be the case, bring it on!

[OldPhart]

history-elem. level
since 1999
BW-TRIN-UMHB-W&J combined playoff record is 26-18.
that's 44 POST SEASON GAMES with 3 Stagg bowl appearances.
FERRUM-WESLEY-JHU-THIEL combined playoff record is 0-1. that's ONE POST SEASON GAME.
WHO SHOLD BE SEEDED 1-4 WITH HOME GAMES?
D-III doesn't work that way.  2 teams getting to the 2nd round should be grateful.
just for thought--HSU should be 5 seed.(4-4 since 99 in post season)
let's earn some whiskers b-4 we grow our beards!!!!
   

HSU should have taken care of business with TLU.  We both know that NCAA is a "what have you done for me lately" outfit.  In my mind, it is just as well - there wouldn't be 200+ D3 teams if we saw the same 28 or 32 teams based on "previous playoff experience." If we use HSU's past post-season experience as a yardstick I suppose Pac Lutheran (3-6 this year, but an AWESOME 8-2 post-season record since 1999) should be in too. 

I would have liked to see HSU play.  Too bad they didn't earn a spot this year.  d3Football rankings don't translate into playoff berths.

[Dutch12]

Bob, if Thiel should lose to W&J ... I reserve the right to play "the better team won that day" card...

And if you have the stats to show that to be the case, bring it on!

I'm not sure saying "the better team won that day" would be bringing it on.  I think we agree the better team won that day in the first match up, and if there were to be a second one we would also agree the better team won that day.  Right? - Anyway, hopefully both teams win this week and represent the PAC well. 

[badbadman]

wsx27yrs -  history lessons only relate to past performance.  Why play games in the regular season if you already know who should be the top seeds in the playoffs?  

If HSU deserved the 5th seed this year, they wouldn't have gotten crushed by UMHB 38-7 and they wouldn't have lost to TLU (who was 4-5 at the time) when their playoff bid was on the line.  As both Pat Coleman and Keith said in ATR - they played themselves out of the playoffs in week 11.

[ThielFan]

history-elem. level
since 1999
BW-TRIN-UMHB-W&J combined playoff record is 26-18.
that's 44 POST SEASON GAMES with 3 Stagg bowl appearances.
FERRUM-WESLEY-JHU-THIEL combined playoff record is 0-1. that's ONE POST SEASON GAME.
WHO SHOLD BE SEEDED 1-4 WITH HOME GAMES?
D-III doesn't work that way.  2 teams getting to the 2nd round should be grateful.
just for thought--HSU should be 5 seed.(4-4 since 99 in post season)
let's earn some whiskers b-4 we grow our beards!!!!
   
History?  The last time I looked at the NCAA criteria, history wasn't included there.  Thiel deserves to be one of the top seeds.  They proved that on the field THIS YEAR.  I don't have any problem with the seedings being the way they are in the South, but the matchups ARE a joke.  HSU lost two games and choked at the end, they don't even belong in the field.

[ThielFan]

Guess I managed to quote myself in that last post.  Oops.

[Cleveland Cartel]

Go to the pick em sheet and put down who you believe will be the best team in the second round.

Personally, I have both teams winning in the first and meeting in greenville for the Rematch.


For the third round??

Heart says Thiel
Mind says ?

Lets get back to the first round game against JHU.  Whoever commits the fewest turnovers (mistakes) and owns the time of possesion will win the game Saturday.  Weather is supposed to be partly cloudy and cold with a high at 39.  This is football weather and Woody Hayes and Bo Schembelcher loved coaching in this weather and this matchup along with their former teams OSU vs Michigan this saturday also!!

GO BUCKS!!!

[wsx27yrs]

i stand corrected. HSU does not need to come into play here.

[PittTBCW]

I agree history plays some part. But I believe everyone is playing the history card too much. Every year is a new year with different schedules and players. I agree with Bob when he says that ultimately this thing is settled on the field which every division should do.

Bob,

Great response to my post. You made some very good points. Good luck to the Presidents this weekend and lets hope the PAC has two participants come next weekend in Greenville. Enjoy yourself at the WPIAL games this week. Woody High is for real, very fast, I know this because I coached against them this year and McKeesport might be faster. Your in for a treat if you have that game.


Go Tomcats!!!



Prediction Time:

Thiel vs JH

I predict Thiel to win this one 28 to 7. I think Chambers will be tough to cover and with a healthy oline the running game will ultimately win it for the Tomcats. I think JH's defense will keep it tight for a while but the running game will push on them and they will fall. The offense will struggle against a very good Thiel defense that can start slow. One player is not going to beat Thiel's swarming and hard hitting team. I see a 14-7 game at the half and then the Tomcats add two more in the second half to take control and reach the round of 16.


W&J @ BC

I have to go with the Presidents here. To be honest I know very little about Bridgewater. I know they have a great tradition. I just think this will be a shootout and that W&J has a lot of fire power and a defense that will put up a fight. Edwards is the Player of the Year in the PAC and I think he will hook up with the talented WR's of Krepps & Miller that will be tough for the BC secondary to match up against.

W&J 38 BC 28


Good Luck Tomcats & Presidents