FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[USee]

You are correct this is all quite preliminary. But in a few weeks many of these points will be moot so why not discuss while the discussing is good? What else are we going to talk about? The health of the NPU receivers? Who is playing QB for whom? Which poster is the biggest jerk?

C'mon Man.

[ExTartanPlayer]

You are correct this is all quite preliminary. But in a few weeks many of these points will be moot so why not discuss while the discussing is good? What else are we going to talk about? The health of the NPU receivers? Who is playing QB for whom? Which poster is the biggest jerk?

Indeed.  There's a discussion.

The QB situations around the CCIW are all a bit fascinating, aren't they?  None of the top contenders are settled at QB.  Hrm.

As for the original point, I'm not against some fun hypotheticals...I just realized, hey, Heidelberg is playing at Mount Union this weekend, and while Mount Union might hang a 70-burger on them, we probably shouldn't dismiss some of the really good teams still kicking in the playoff race.  Wheaton, for example, might still beat North Central.  John Carroll might beat Mount Union.  DePauw might beat Wabash.  Lots of really good games yet to be played.

[USee]

You are correct this is all quite preliminary. But in a few weeks many of these points will be moot so why not discuss while the discussing is good? What else are we going to talk about? The health of the NPU receivers? Who is playing QB for whom? Which poster is the biggest jerk?

Indeed.  There's a discussion.

The QB situations around the CCIW are all a bit fascinating, aren't they?  None of the top contenders are settled at QB.  Hrm.

As for the original point, I'm not against some fun hypotheticals...I just realized, hey, Heidelberg is playing at Mount Union this weekend, and while Mount Union might hang a 70-burger on them, we probably shouldn't dismiss some of the really good teams still kicking in the playoff race.  Wheaton, for example, might still beat North Central.  John Carroll might beat Mount Union.  DePauw might beat Wabash.  Lots of really good games yet to be played.

Totally agree, and when/if that happens, a whole new conversation of possibilities can commence.

[Mugsy]

The QB situations around the CCIW are all a bit fascinating, aren't they?  None of the top contenders are settled at QB.  Hrm.

Earlier this week I brought up the QB situation in the CCIW, in terms of how it seems to be the weakest that position has been cumulatively in years. 

Other than a discourse on offensive philosophy from GoThunder with little relevance to the lack for strong QB play and a comment from Greg supporting the skill of Conway at NPU (which I don't dispute), it was lost in another thread of discussion.

I honestly can not think of the last time the CCIW was so void of QB excellence, particularly with the contenders.

[kiko]

All of this conversation around regional rankings and Pool C chances is premised around the Wheaties dropping their contest against North Central.  That's a pretty big assumption, and I'm not quite ready to postulate it as a given.  There's a lot of football still to be played over the next five weeks.

[USee]

Wally did a halfway report in the NCAC board and I thought it was insightful so I put together some thoughts on the CCIW halfway through:

AUGUSTANA: 1-4 is not a record often associated with the Vikings. But that is where they are and when you rank 7th or 8th out of 8 teams in Scoring Offense, Scoring Defense, Pass Offense, Pass Defense, that is not a surprising record. 3 of the 4 Augie losses were by one score  and their rushing offense and defense is really what has kept them in those games. They had a chance to redeem their season against Wheaton last Saturday but a botched fake punt and a muffed punt ruined a great 2nd half performance from their defense. They should be competitive in 4 of their 5 remaining games so if they can get on a roll, they could finish 5-5 but that's a tall order. Most likely a 3-7, 4-6 finish for the Vikings. Grade so far D

CARTHAGE: 2-3 is a little better than I expected at the halfway point and the win at IWU was a huge upset. They rank last in the league in total offense but #1 in pass defense and 5th in total defense. They have taken the ball away 12 times with a league leading 8 interceptions but have only turned it over 7 times in 5 games. In their win against IWU they threw for 250 yds and repeated that in the 2OT loss to Elmhurst. Of their 5 remaining games I see them as competitive in 3 of them and if Wheaton slides they could surprise them in Kenosha November 15. 5-5 is not out of the question. Grade so far C

ELMHURST: After getting shellacked 17-39 @Loras to open the season no one would have predicted the Vikings BlueJays (sorry JB  ) sitting at 3-2 (2-0) but here they are. Their win @Olivet was improbable and grinding out wins vs Augie and @Carthage in 2OT's last week was impressive. Josh Williams is doing his best "brother" imitation with 164 yds a game and Elmhurst trails only NCC in rushing offense at 201 yds a game. The downside is they have turned it over 13 times in 5 games (they fumbled 4x vs Augie but only lost 1) and JW is averaging 28 carries a game. Those are not sustainable numbers when you have IWU, NCC and Wheaton still to play. The VikingsBlue Jays (I am getting old) are headed for a likely 5-5 season but 6-4 is not out of the question which should be considered successful. Grade so far B

IWU: The Titans started off strong with an impressive win vs. Franklin and the emergence of a star Frosh QB, Jack Warner. Their 7pt margin of victory in a game that yielded 63 pts @Albion should have been an early warning sign. Losing @Simpson was troubling mainly because IWU scored only 3 pts to a team that since has gone 0-2 and given up a combined 82pts to Buena Vista and Dubuque. The QB curse has hit the Titans hard in a loss to Carthage but they rebounded with a dominating defensive performance against Millikin. This version of the Titans is a bit of an enigma. They are favored this weekend vs Augie and likley vs Elmhurst but will be decided underdogs on the road @NCC and @Wheaton before finishing the season vs NPU. 6-4 is probable but 7-3 is not out of the question. Grade C-

MILLIKIN: The Big Blue are 2-3 (0-2) and finish the brutal part of their schedule this week when they host Wheaton in a night game. They rank 6th in total offense and 7th in total defense and TO margin, last in red zone offense and defense. Those are not winning formulas. They finish @NPU, vs Carthage, vs Elmhurst and @Augie. They may not be favored in any of those games. Given the state of football, finishing 1 win better than last years 2-8 (1-6) record wouldn't be satisfying but that is likely their upside. Grade D

NORTH CENTRAL: The Cardinals announced the semi-retirement of John Thorne and that seems to be the only drama in Naperville. They lost a game to UWSP in Wisconsin that seems to be their every other year blip before decimating the conference competition and they are poised to do the same this year. They are #1 or #2 in every statistical category and the only possible challenges on their schedule are @Wheaton a week from Saturday followed by vs IWU the next week. Their pass defense has been suspect in a couple of their games but IWU and Wheaton haven't exactly scared anybody through the air recently. They also have questions at the QB position and Tyler Dicken seems to be settling in their. Ryan Kent is the best RB in the conference that no one talks about and their OLine is beastly. Grade so far B+

NORTH PARK: Everyone is talking about why the Chicago Vikings are winless when they won 3 conference games last year. Rome was not built in a day and I can see NPU has made some strides. Scoring 7 pts and losing by 24 @Alma was some serious cold water on their resurgence. They have inserted a lot of new players this year and you win games not just with better players but with consistency. This team will win more than 3 games but probably not this year. TD Conway has the makings of an all american occasionally and other times you wonder what he is thinking. The reality is he is that good, I have seen him make throws no QB in the North Region can make. He just doesn't do it consistently. It's part him, part his supporting cast but NPU will win when he can do that conistently. Right now, NPU has no running game (72 yds per game and last in rushing offense) and they aren't stopping anybody ranking last in both total defense and scoring defense. they play the other bottom 4 the next four weeks before finishing @IWU. I think they can win their home games against Millikin and Carthage and might be able to pull off a win either @Carthage or @Elmhurst but I would guess they will finish 2-8. Grade D

WHEATON: The Thunder are the only undefeated team in the conference with a 5-0 record. They have won with a very strong defense (ranked #1 in scoring and total defense). The D is led by the best group of linebackers in the conference. Adam Dandsdill leads the conference in tackles and looks like a POY candidate. Ashby and Swider are making plays and Logan McCrae is a playmaker who is just getting healthy. They haven't faced a true passing team (which was a struggle against Kzoo) and there isn't really a good one in the conference. Wheaton's lack of stability at QB is their achilles heal and potentially their biggest opportunity. If Bowers or Peltz can get into a rythm they could blossom. If they keep rotating they won't beat any really good teams (read: NCC). With games at home against NCC and IWU I fear the game @Elmhurst (right between those other two) the most. Classic trap game on a field they don't play well on. If the Thunder can pull of the upset vs NCC, they should run the table. If they get blown out, they risk a 2008 scenario where they let a 2nd loss ruin their chances at post season play. I see 9-1 as most likely. Grade so far B+

[79jaybird]

Usee- Elmhurst is the Bluejays not the Vikings. 

Agree that Elmhurst still has the meat left on their slate and reality is I see them only winning 1 of the 3 (if any). 

And if you are giving Elmhurst a B, IMO it would be a B- or C+ because to me this version of EC football is just an average group with a few quality players/plays that have given them a 2-0 CCIW mark right now.  Yes, being a little critical of my Alma Mater, but there is still a lot of work to be done for Elmhurst to jump into the first tier of the CCIW ladder.

[matblake]

The QB situations around the CCIW are all a bit fascinating, aren't they?  None of the top contenders are settled at QB.  Hrm.

Earlier this week I brought up the QB situation in the CCIW, in terms of how it seems to be the weakest that position has been cumulatively in years. 

Other than a discourse on offensive philosophy from GoThunder with little relevance to the lack for strong QB play and a comment from Greg supporting the skill of Conway at NPU (which I don't dispute), it was lost in another thread of discussion.

I honestly can not think of the last time the CCIW was so void of QB excellence, particularly with the contenders.

Other than Conway at NP, was there another team that opened camp with a definitive starter?  I'm probably missing someone.  Quarterback rotation can definitely take the sails out from someone attempting to establish themselves.

[matblake]

Wally did a halfway report in the NCAC board and I thought it was insightful so I put together some thoughts on the CCIW halfway through

Thanks USee.  Very helpful, especially with regards to the teams I haven't seen yet.

[Langhorst_Ghost]

Homecoming Saturday should be fun at Langhorst - such a contrast in styles. 

NPU's style of play reminds me of my dorm room Tecmo Bowl tournaments.  The Foster Avenue Vikings have chucked it 244 times in 5 games (60 more than the next closest CCIW squad), but not with a whole lot of efficiency (by the season numbers, only a few efficiency points higher than the least effective passing attack in the conference...the Bluejays). 

EC's philosophy takes a different approach - tops in the league in rushing attempts, lead by the Nation's 5th leading ball carrier by yardage to buffer a passing attack last in the conference by multiple measures.  The fighting Conways are averaging 2.2 yards a tote halfway through the season for 67 yards a contest.

The scoreboard operator at Langhorst should be busy - NPU has allowed an average of five tuddies a game (nearly 40 points on average), while the Jays are just a feather below the 30 point mark in average points allowed.  T.O.P. should be a huge factor Saturday - if EC can continue to grind out first downs (second the league at converting third downs right now, while NPU is second to last in defending the money down), the Jays should be able to limit Viking possessions.  Key for EC will be the back end of that struggling defense and limiting the big plays and chunks of yardage for the Vikes.

Some recent pub for the Jays:

Daily Herald - http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20141016/sports/141018575/

Sun Times - http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/30467352-419/elmhurst-football-picks-up-pace-in-cciw-play.html#.VD_TRPnF-PU

Happy mid-season to all the D3 faithful out there!

[kiko]

Wally did a halfway report in the NCAC board and I thought it was insightful so I put together some thoughts on the CCIW halfway through:

Thanks for the perspective.  It is far enough into the season that we definitely can start drawing some broader conclusions.

I'd actually be a little harsher than your grades in a few cases, largely because, both individually and in aggregate, this has been such an underwhelming season so far.

Augie - D seems right.  If we are grading against their heritage, of course, then it is a resounding F.

Carthage - C feels right here.  The home loss to Elmhurst, while close, is part of what marks them down.

Elmhurst - C from my perspective.  The Loras loss was bad, and the Augie win was unconvincing.  Generally speaking the soft part of the schedule is done and it is going to get a lot harder going forward for the Middle Vikings

IWU - D+.  You hit the reason right on the head -- their QB issues aside, the Albion and Simpson results were well below what I think was expected of the Titans this year.

Millikin - Hard to rate this team versus expectations since they were not expected to be competitive with Wesleyan or North Central coming in.  We'll probably learn more about them in the latter portion of their schedule.  Maybe D+ for them.

North Central - I actually think you were far too generous here -- I would give the Cards' season to date a C.  North Central played a string of quality Cheddar schools, but looked vulnerable far too often in the early portion of the season, and the loss to Point is not an omen of a team that is a top-ten team.  If it were one phase of the game, I'd be less concerned, but offense, defense, and special teams have all had their issues at times.

North Park - D feels right.  If the Park is to make progress, it won't necessarily be linear.  The question is whether this is a temporary step back that is part of some growing pains, or if it is a return to the prior baseline.  My money is on the former, but that is as much on faith as on evidence from the field.

Wheaton - They are undefeated, but I would put Wheaton's progress at B- at this point.  The Augie and Eau Claire games were much shakier than would be preferable, and like the Cardinals (perhaps the only time I will grudgingly equate the Cardinals to the McCoy clan from North DuPage), the Wheaties have looked vulnerable..  That said, while Augie was obviously a bit close for comfort, I'm not sure how to read 0-5 Eau Claire at this point: the Blugolds' five losses to date are to #23 St. Thomas, #22 St. Johns, #19 Wheaton, #14 Platteville and #13 Stevens Point.  Their reward for that grueling opening slate is a date with Whitewater this weekend.  They're obviously not a top-25 team, but goodness gracious that is a ridiculous gauntlet to run.

[TitanPride]

Wally did a halfway report in the NCAC board and I thought it was insightful so I put together some thoughts on the CCIW halfway through:

IWU - D+.  You hit the reason right on the head -- their QB issues aside, the Albion and Simpson results were well below what I think was expected of the Titans this year.

Thank goodness you weren't one of my teachers.  Beating a team whose only other loss is at #13 Stevens Point by 11 is well below what was expected?  I don't know what you thought IWU would be at the outset of the season, but I was thinking it would be a major rebuilding year for a team who lost by 34 in round 1 of the playoffs, lost 30+ seniors and was starting a freshman QB.

To me, so far, the Carthage loss is the big disappointment.  I put that one on the defense as much or moreso than the offense.  They needed to step up and completely shut down a team but didn't.  The Simpson loss?  Doesn't look great now, but again, I think most realistic Titan fans thought this was going to be a rebuilding season coming in and going on the road to play a mid-tier IIAC team was going to be a challenge. 

[79jaybird]

"Elmhurst - C from my perspective.  The Loras loss was bad, and the Augie win was unconvincing.  Generally speaking the soft part of the schedule is done and it is going to get a lot harder going forward for the Middle Vikings "

The Bluejays     and since it's Homecoming Weekend, perhaps some of the old timers may remember when Elmhurst's mascot was Goldenrod.  Yes,  forget what year it was changed to Bluejays, but from the beginnings we were known as Goldenrod.

Yes, C is what first comes to mind also.  If Elmhurst beats NC/WC/IWU then I would consider it a B to B+, but right now they are just a middle of the pack team losing to Loras and just "escaping" past Carthage and Augie.

[USee]

If Elmhurst beats NC/WC/IWU they are going to be an "A+".  B to B+? are you kidding me?

[kiko]

The Bluejays     and since it's Homecoming Weekend, perhaps some of the old timers may remember when Elmhurst's mascot was Goldenrod.  Yes,  forget what year it was changed to Bluejays, but from the beginnings we were known as Goldenrod.

I just thought it was amusing that USee made the Jays/Vikes misstep more than once rather than as an isolated slip in his assessment.

Out of curiosity, what did the Goldenrod mascot/logo look like?