FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[Wes Mantooth]

Oldphart in response to your post the word out of W&J is that the team is trying to find itself. its breaking in new skill talent across the board. I believe Swallow will be a good Qb but when you look at the last two its unfair expectations to live up to in Dawson and Edwards. This is year is very comparable to 2004 a team i played on. Edwards and Krepps were new players trying to find there way on a team with everything back on both lines. Look what they did after that year a 12 win season followed by another disappointing season but nonetheless a playoff year. WJ will have to scrap out victories this year and they may lose 2 or 3 games in that process. Also Wj struggles against physical smashmouth teams as it no longer recurits smash mouth kids as we no longer play a smash mouth brand of football. W&J spreads the field with speed and tries to beat you that way. that is the coaches philosphy and as long as he is there thats the style that will be played no matter what anyone says about how good or bad it is. I think they will bounce back against AC and have its struggles yet pull out a victory. Thats my opinion on the situation.

[Cleveland Cartel]

AU,

Unfortenatly, I have some prior wedding activities to attend to in Erie, PA this weekend, but I would of liked to have gone up to Saxonville!!  Last time i was there was really cold but beautiful with all the snow and the stadium is unbelievable.  I would put money on it that during this time of the year with the seasons changing its a beautiful place to still visit and it won't be 15 degrees outside!  Goodluck TOmcats!

Predictions this week:

WJ vs Gheny

Gheny 24- 20

WJ plays better but the losing skid hits two games in a row for the first time in a long time for WJ.  Scrappy team but just does not have it together just yet.

GC vs Mellon

With the dedication of the Rob Thorn field and GC's home openor they will have all the firepower needed with their multiple RB approach in the wing T.  Being able to rotate their backs in and out they will stay fresh all game and wear down on Mellon to start 1-0.

20- 10

Thiel vs Alfred

This is a tough contest and I believe Alfred has the edge going into upstate NY.  Thiel will play tough defense as it always does and the run game will be working,  but Alfred has to much firepower on the offensive side of the ball for the Darkside.  With their QB, RB, and leading WR all back with a year of experience under their belt it will be tough for Thiel to shut them down all day.  Alfred pulls this one out and the Saxons send a message to D3 and the NCAA that they should not have been snubbed last year, and will not be denied this year to make the playoffs.

Alfred 28-21

Wooster at Waynesburg

Wooster does not have the firepower or the spark it once had in Tony Sutton, but they still have enough in the tank to beat a Talented Waynesburg team as Shepas the old Massillon head coach still tries to get his bearings straight at the college level.  I absolutly love Abels running ability here, but it is not enough as the yellow jackets drop a close one at home.  Good luck in breaking the all time rushing record this weekend Ryan.

Wooster 35- Waynesburg 24

Hiram vs Bethany

The Terriors vs the Bisons.  Sounds intimidating if i am a Terrior!  Unfortenatly for Hiram it works and the bisons with the talent they have at the WR position is too much for the Terriors.  Speed kills and it will put Hiram away midway through the 3rd qtr.

Bisons 34-14

Thomas More and Westmin are off...TM looked tough this past weekend getting the job done at the last seconds against Hanover, and Westmin needs the break after a dreadful showing against Gheny. 

[Cleveland Cartel]

Pitt,

I am waiting patiently for the Predictions from da bull.  And how about the steelers starting the season just like they ended it.  Playing like super bolw champions for 2 and half quarters getting a little bit of luck with Health Miller stepping out of bounce and Saban not throwing the beanie till after the PAT, and playing the same tune on defense!  Making big plays when needed to step up!  Joey Porter is a beast and Hines Ward has to be the most unselfish player i know.

Looking good to start the season without your talented Ohio QB! 

GO BUCKS!

[Cleveland Cartel]

Wes Mantooth,

My buddy Ron Burgundy wanted to know how does it feel to be number 2!

I love that movie!

[OldPhart]

CC - I am a bit puzzled by your predications for this week re Thiel/Alfred 

The board has gone through a bit of a kerfuffle over top 25 rankings and Thiel's departure from it.  Your voice was one that was grousing about Thiel's drop in the ratings, yet you predict that Thiel will lose this weekend to an unranked team with fewer poll points.  If Thiel really SHOULD be listed in the top 25 shouldn't they be able to handle Alfred?  Or is it your thought that Alfred should be a top 25 team also?   Or have you just reevaluated Thiel's situation and your position and have determined they really SHOULDN'T  be a top 25 team.

I'm not trying to goad you - but I am stumped since your Thiel/Alfred prediction seems to be at odds with your position that Thiel should be a top 25 team.

[Cleveland Cartel]

Old Phart,

Great Points and I understand why you would be puzzled by my upset.  I do believe Alfred is a solid all around team.  They bring back more starters on both sides of the ball than thiel, and have more lettermen returning from last year.  With all 3 skill positions returning on the offensive side of the ball it will be hard to shut down their offense for 4 quarters.  Thiel has never had a problem with shutting down the run game, but at times there Passing Defense has been burned.  Alfred is a solid team, but solid enough to earn the top 25 ranking?  Well find out tommorrow.  I hope i am wrong!

A team like Alfred that i believe went 9-2, 5-1 in the E8, with solid lettermen returning, and playing at home.  You do not lose!  Both are good teams, but playing at home they have the advantage as any home team would.

Prove me wrong Tomcats!

[PittTBCW]

How Bout Dem Steelers!!!

Yes CC the SuperBowl defending champs are back at it with a nice win last night w/out their Ohio QB but a PA QB HAHA.

CC now without further ado its............






DaBull's Prediction Time:

Thiel @ Alfred

I agree that this game will be won in the trenches as mentioned before. With Minton and Thiel's offensive line they will control the line of scrimmage and shorten the game as they grind it out on the ground. The Darkside also will be ready to stop the run after a good performance last week only allowing 2 yards per carry vs Geneva. Although Alfred is a good team with some talent coming back the first game of the year will be a hard fought game with one too many mistakes.

Tomcats 21-10


Grove City vs Car. Mellon

In the shortest game in the history of college football the battle of the wing T attack will go to Mellon. They are better and will spoil the field dedication in Mercer County on Saturday. I think Mellon will be a very good football team this year with alot of experience in key spots back this year.

Mellon 35 GCC 14

Wooster @ Waynesburg

In a track meet that will feature alot of speed and points on the new turf @ Wiley Stadium I see a closer battle as the Jackets are always tough when the trains are running in Washington PA. However, Wooster will be too much at the end and pull off the road victory.

Wooster 42 Waynesburg 31

Hiram @ Bethany

In the battle of the basement. The Bisons show the home crowd that the new staff and team is committed to making Bethany a football contender instead pretender.

Bison 28 - 14

Game of the Week:

Alleg. @ W&J

The battle under the lights will be one to see. The Gators are improved this year while W&J after losing thier home opener is in search of filing the holes left by graduation. The game will be tight all the way through but I think it will come down to QB play. Because of this I see the Gators going home travling up 79 North with a hard fought upset victory. Too many questions for the Presidents as thier smash mouth football is no more and fun and gun is not quite working like a well oiled machine as in years past.

Gators 24 Presidents 21

Good Luck to all teams this week and GO Tomcats!!!!

[the_burghboy]

Any thoughts as to the Allegheny/W&J contest?   While D3football poll voters (at this point) think it more likely for W&J to break its losing streak of 2 games than for W&J to to replace Pluto as the ninth planet - the voters favor this outcome by a mere 39 percentage points.  Since Sirianni's tenure  this board has not been graced with the entertaining musings  (I was trying to find the vomit emoticon) of W&J advocates expounding upon tizzles, fushizzles, rizzles, bedizzles and other "izzledom" that was popular in the smack talk days gone by.  However, I am curious as to how those that follow the Presidents seriously think about the visit from the Gator's this weekend. 

Reading the NCAC pick'em board Gheny is a 9.5 point dog to W&J.  At this point I think W&J will cover the spread - especially with this game being under the lights at Cameron Stadium.  The NCAC faithful - while not outright picking Allegheny to win - seems to be picking Allegheny to beat the spread at a 2-1 rate!  I recognize that there may be some bias on the part of the pickers to pick the NCAC team - but I was surprised that the Gator's romp over an arguably weakened Westminster (loss of 11 starters from last year) last week would be enough to push more to Allegheny's side against a 9.5 point spread.

Any thoughts as to the President's chances?

Well, I'm assuming I'm one of the few left that post about W&J, and feel like I give my opinion regardless of 'smack' or success (or lack of it) from the program.

As for their chances, who knows?  You would have to legitmately have seen Allegheny and W&J in their contests to really be objective.  The Presidents after last week looked like my little brother when I used to pick on him-overwhelmed and exhausted.  That said, how do they respond after being physically beaten on their home field? 

By the way, who are these people that create the 'spreads' on division III freaking football, and where are the bookies willing to front/pay the money on them?

I find the spreads hysterical.  Regardless of who is favored.

[PittTBCW]

7-0 Alfred at Half

Alfred scored after Thiel fumbled on thier own 10 yard line.

[DarkSide-D]

Are there any Waynesburg ppl out there who could tell me where I could go to listen to the game.  I can't find a link at the school's site.

[PittTBCW]

Try the PAC site

[PittTBCW]

Bethany up 14-0

CMU 3-0

Wooster 7-0

Got these from the Thiel Broadcast

2nd half about to start for the Tomcats

[PittTBCW]

Alfred 14-0

Another turnover

[Pat Coleman]

Are there any Waynesburg ppl out there who could tell me where I could go to listen to the game.  I can't find a link at the school's site.

Our Scoreboard has audio links, just as it has since 1999.

[DarkSide-D]

Thanks PittTBCW,

I couldn't get the link to work for me at their site.  Thanks for the insight though.

Pat, I tried the link, but it only gives me a link to the Wooster site, and like I said, they are not covering the game this week.