FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[FormerCard]

I think North Central recognizes how good Franklin is. You don't get to be a 4 seed unless you are a very very good team. I'm actually surprised at the number of people who are picking NCC. I think Franklin is definitely the favorite in this game. North Central will have to play well, but they are capable of winning. North Central is a much better team than when they played Wheaton.

Don't get me wrong about Franklin.....they will be tougher than how Wheaton played you....Wheaton just was able to make enough big plays to put more points on the board that night

If you go on the HCAC board...Franklin is getting the nod.  I just think that it if it close as a CCIW board, we feel our team is better.   

Now if it was Mount Union vs anyone...there would be nowhere to hide and no "close ones"   except maybe Capital

[ncc58]

I was actually referring to Pat, Gordon, and Keith all picking North Central, even though Pat had a one point game and Keith has it as a double overtime game!

I think North Central recognizes how good Franklin is. You don't get to be a 4 seed unless you are a very very good team. I'm actually surprised at the number of people who are picking NCC. I think Franklin is definitely the favorite in this game. North Central will have to play well, but they are capable of winning. North Central is a much better team than when they played Wheaton.

Don't get me wrong about Franklin.....they will be tougher than how Wheaton played you....Wheaton just was able to make enough big plays to put more points on the board that night

If you go on the HCAC board...Franklin is getting the nod.  I just think that it if it close as a CCIW board, we feel our team is better.   

Now if it was Mount Union vs anyone...there would be nowhere to hide and no "close ones"   except maybe Capital

[DadofBashWarrior..]

The real edge for NCC over Franklin will not be on the playing field....

Thorne

[usee]

The real edge for NCC over Franklin will not be on the playing field....

Thorne

Now that I am not so sure about. Mike Leonard is an awfully good coach. Both Leonard and Thorne have taken teams that were perennial doormats and made them playoff contenders year in and year out. I don't think there is a sizeable coaching advantage either way in this one.

[FormerCard]

The real edge for NCC over Franklin will not be on the playing field....

Thorne

Now that I am not so sure about. Mike Leonard is an awfully good coach. Both Leonard and Thorne have taken teams that were perennial doormats and made them playoff contenders year in and year out. I don't think there is a sizeable coaching advantage either way in this one.

Leonard even has himself a COY in 2006 even though Mount St. Joseph swept the conference that year with a 7-0 record.    He has brought that team a long way in his time there and was rewarded.

They are two very good coaches

[DadofBashWarrior..]

The real edge for NCC over Franklin will not be on the playing field....

Thorne

Now that I am not so sure about. Mike Leonard is an awfully good coach. Both Leonard and Thorne have taken teams that were perennial doormats and made them playoff contenders year in and year out. I don't think there is a sizeable coaching advantage either way in this one.

Leonard even has himself a COY in 2006 even though Mount St. Joseph swept the conference that year with a 7-0 record.    He has brought that team a long way in his time there and was rewarded.

They are two very good coaches

It certainly is a game I wish I could see....and to be clear ....I was not directly comparing coaches......

I believe Thorne to be not a good coach, but a great coach ...by results

[burly]

"Mr. Tipsy", eh?  Just wait 'til you have to sign on as "Hester Prynne"!

All in fun.  I didn't know you were a Nathaniel Hawthorne fan.  I need to take as many shots as possible before Saturday when Redman04 changes my screen name to something Carthage football oriented.   Please note that Thunderstones has been called Thunderstoned a few times.  I try to pick on my own as well.

[burly]

Has anyone seen the special on Ohio State/Michigan on HBO?   Its about Woody Hayes, and Bo Shembechler...Great hour long special  replaying the rivalry that can educate young football fans about the history between OSU and Michigan.. I never realized why Hayes lost his job, very interesting.

Did it mention anything about mine and BP's bet?

Nice...  I think we should make this a tradition.

[Mr. Ypsi]

One final item from the regular season, before we go totally to playoffs mode.  Just before the conference season, usee challenged posters to pick the final W-L records of all teams; 10 posters responded, and I've also included the coaches' poll.  (Notes: the coaches, of course, did not pick W-L records, but they did pick standings so for scoring purposes Wheaton is 7-0, Augie 6-1, etc.  Since they picked Elmhurst and Millikin to tie for 5th, they are scored as 2.5-4.5.  Also, Jaybird waffled on Elmhurst and IWU, so they are scored as Elmhurst 4.5-2.5 and IWU 1.5-5.5.)  Final results:

POSTER, OFF BY

1. Mr. Ypsi, 6
2. Mugsy, 8
3. matblake, 10
4. Comet14, 12
5. coaches, 13
6. 79jaybird, 14
    redman04, 14
    Thunderstones, 14
    byitisee, 14
10. dennis.prikkel, 16
      usee, 16

I am absolutely certain that usee forgot to compile the results because of attention to the playoffs, not due to any attempted coverup!   

[usee]

One final item from the regular season, before we go totally to playoffs mode.  Just before the conference season, usee challenged posters to pick the final W-L records of all teams; 10 posters responded, and I've also included the coaches' poll.  (Notes: the coaches, of course, did not pick W-L records, but they did pick standings so for scoring purposes Wheaton is 7-0, Augie 6-1, etc.  Since they picked Elmhurst and Millikin to tie for 5th, they are scored as 2.5-4.5.  Also, Jaybird waffled on Elmhurst and IWU, so they are scored as Elmhurst 4.5-2.5 and IWU 1.5-5.5.)  Final results:

POSTER, OFF BY

1. Mr. Ypsi, 6
2. Mugsy, 8
3. matblake, 10
4. Comet14, 12
5. coaches, 13
6. 79jaybird, 14
    redman04, 14
    Thunderstones, 14
    byitisee, 14
10. dennis.prikkel, 16
      usee, 16

I am absolutely certain that usee forgot to compile the results because of attention to the playoffs, not due to any attempted coverup!   

You should go back a year. I picked IWU 2nd then because they had more starters returning than this year and they finished 3-7. so I was off by just as much a year ago as this year. hwat do I know? 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yeah, I am really curious about IWU for next year.  Their defense was obviously their strength this year, and they graduate a ton of talent (though the top two tacklers return).  On the other hand, their 'baby' offense should be dynamite, IF Bo Lanter (or someone) can do a decent Dunlop imitation.  They might fall right back to the depths, or they might take the title - I have no clue!

[cardinalpride]

Thunderdog, there may be some truth to that statement!  John Thorn became the first football coach in CCIW history to win consecutive titles and NOT win COY honors in either year!  I will go out on a limb and say this has never happened in any NCAA conference that carries football and gives a COY award!

2005 Big Ten champ: Ohio State (7-1), Penn State (7-1)
2006 Big Ten champ: Ohio State (8-0)

2005 Big Ten Coach of the Year: Joe Paterno (Penn State)
2006 Big Ten Coach of the Year: Brett Beilema (Wisconsin)


2003 Big Ten champ: Michigan (7-1)
2004 Big Ten champ: Michigan (7-1), Iowa (7-1)

2003 Big Ten Coach of the Year: John L. Smith (Michigan State)
2004 Big Ten Coach of the Year: Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)

Good research Q.  That "out on a limb" statement was suppose to be limited to Div III conf.  Since I failed to mention that important part.  I will eat my crow and take my negative Karma like a man. 

[New Tradition]

GAME DAY!!!!!!!!  LETS GET IT DONE, CARDS!!!!!!!

[usee]

sounds like the NCC/FC game is tale of a team that is peaking now (NCC) vs a team that has been peaking all season. 

NCC blew out their last two opponents.   Two good teams in the rugged conference they play in....both finished 7-3.   FC hasn't been tested but twice this year because of their offense being so good. 

This game will be interesting. 

I think one HCAC plays it close and the other gets beat by 2 TD's

NCC blew out their last opponent (Carthage, which had given Wheaton their first loss of the season the week before), but did NOT blow out IWU.  Even the final score (23-7) does not indicate a blowout, but that score is deceiving.  IWU was down only 13-7 and driving for the go-ahead td midway through the 4th, when the bottom dropped out.  MSJ beat IWU worse than NCC did.

On the other hand, IWU's offense was VERY young, and they were a MUCH better team by the time NCC beat them than when MSJ did.

Bottom line, I'm not sure how the comparative scores regarding IWU should factor in to the NCC-FC matchup, but it should be quite a game.  I'll take NCC (overall, more tested), but in a close one.

ypsi,

This post is from the HCAC board but my response is CCIW related so I'll post it here. this keeps getting brought up so I'll respond. 23-7 in a championship type game is a blow out in my mind. the 4th quarter is when you are supposed to step up and make plays to win the game. IWU, against NCC, was trying to drive but didn't and gave up the ghost the rest of the way. Its not like their drive got stopped, they punted, got the ball back and tried again. If they were on the same level as NCC they would have kept it close through the 4th, they didn't.  That is a big indicator to me that NCC was at a different level than IWU (and everyone else by the end of the year). Comparitively, IWU was in the same position against wheaton in the 4th and made enough plays to stay close and win.

What that tells me is how much better NCC got throughout the year vs wheaton. I think if 2007 NCC and 2007 IWU played 10 times NCC would win 8.

[Mr. Ypsi]

usee,

I don't disagree with anything you said, except to quibble over the use of 'blowout'.  To me, 56-10 is a blowout; 23-7 (with the game in doubt well into the 4th) is not.