FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[kiko]

Copying and pasting part of a conversation from NCAC board because it is relevant to a discussion we have had here several weeks ago.

If you lose two games in the first ten, against anybody, you're not gonna play for or win the national championship. It's irrelevant. The reward for playing a challenging team in the regular season far outweighs the risk.

Agreed.  If the objective isn't just to make the playoffs as often as possible, but to get to Salem then this is absolutely true IMO.  If you're truly striving for a title then you need to play teams in that upper echelon as often as possible I'd think.

As an aside, I would be a fan of teams finding a good OOC rival and sticking with it.  I wish Mount would do this although I'm not sure who it'd be.  W&J would be fun perhaps.  For Wabash I think it'd be a cool OOC rivalry if they played Franklin week 1 each year for example.  I don't know about other schools, but Mount can never seem to keep anyone around for longer than a home-and-home though.

This may be.  But there is NO evidence that this strategy helps teams get to Salem or be in the upper echelon (wherever you want to draw that line).  Buffalo State played and beat Whitewater in 2012.  Playoff appearances for the Bengals since that monumental win (and I'm counting this as monumental even if that was the season where Whitewater was off for whatever reason): 0.  They've never even played in the tournament.  They beat the champs and all they got out of it was fleeting adoration from the D3 community and a splashy cover photo/headline combo in Week 3 of 2012.  And then it was all gone.  Beat Whitewater in December though- now you've (probably) earned something meaningful, like a trip to Salem or the ultimate celebration at Salem Stadium.

North Central is taking the long road this year. They (and some of their fans) believe it is the answer to breaking through to Salem eventually. We get to see the short-term results from one data point of it play out live over the next 15 weeks or so.

Fixed this for you.

I am not interested in rehashing the point-counterpoint of this debate, but whatever happens with the Cardinals this year -- good, bad, or indifferent -- will not definitively provide an answer on this topic.  One data point does not prove causality, and the payback from this type of an approach, if there is one, may not be immediate.

[USee]

Copying and pasting part of a conversation from NCAC board because it is relevant to a discussion we have had here several weeks ago.

If you lose two games in the first ten, against anybody, you're not gonna play for or win the national championship. It's irrelevant. The reward for playing a challenging team in the regular season far outweighs the risk.

Agreed.  If the objective isn't just to make the playoffs as often as possible, but to get to Salem then this is absolutely true IMO.  If you're truly striving for a title then you need to play teams in that upper echelon as often as possible I'd think.

As an aside, I would be a fan of teams finding a good OOC rival and sticking with it.  I wish Mount would do this although I'm not sure who it'd be.  W&J would be fun perhaps.  For Wabash I think it'd be a cool OOC rivalry if they played Franklin week 1 each year for example.  I don't know about other schools, but Mount can never seem to keep anyone around for longer than a home-and-home though.

This may be.  But there is NO evidence that this strategy helps teams get to Salem or be in the upper echelon (wherever you want to draw that line).  Buffalo State played and beat Whitewater in 2012.  Playoff appearances for the Bengals since that monumental win (and I'm counting this as monumental even if that was the season where Whitewater was off for whatever reason): 0.  They've never even played in the tournament.  They beat the champs and all they got out of it was fleeting adoration from the D3 community and a splashy cover photo/headline combo in Week 3 of 2012.  And then it was all gone.  Beat Whitewater in December though- now you've (probably) earned something meaningful, like a trip to Salem or the ultimate celebration at Salem Stadium.

North Central is taking the long road this year. They (and some of their fans) believe it is the answer to breaking through to Salem eventually. We again get to see the short-term results from another data point of it play out live over the next 15 weeks or so.

Fixed this for you.

Thanks.  Fixed yours for you. 

[USee]

North Central has a huge game tomorrow up at Wisconsin Platteville. They have handled a good UWP team each of the last two years and I expect they are not pleased with their performance. Their QB, Tom Kelly, who's brother brother is former UWP QB John Kelly, has started this year on fire. 45-58 for 593 yds on 7 TD's and zero turnovers. a 203 efficiency rating. That's against Buena Vista and Dubuque but those are strong numbers. They are about 55% pass vs 45% run. Mostly spread/shotgun with single running back if I remember. This will be a big test for North Central, especially with Wesley coming to town next Saturday.

Wheaton @ UW Eau Claire is at 6pm so should be able to catch both games.

[matblake]

These next two weeks are going to be fun for North Central, a good test both weekends.  Will be interesting to see how much improvement between their first and second contest North Central has made.  Typically teams improve between the first and second game.  Platteville has a good offensive scheme if I remember when Wheaton played up there a couple of years ago.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park will be playing in between the NCC and Wheaton games. NPU's kickoff at UW-Oshkosh is slated for 3:30 pm tomorrow. UWO will supply the video, and I'll be doing the play-by-play, as always.

The Vikings will be a serious underdog against the 20th-ranked Titans. We'll see how it goes.

[mr_b]

North Park will be playing in between the NCC and Wheaton games. NPU's kickoff at UW-Oshkosh is slated for 3:30 pm tomorrow. UWO will supply the video, and I'll be doing the play-by-play, as always.

The Vikings will be a serious underdog against the 20th-ranked Titans. We'll see how it goes.

I see Oshkosh crushed Finlandia last week, 86-0.  Today the Lions are playing #1 Whitewater.  Wow.  I wonder what the line would be for that game.  Who schedules these games for Finlandia??

[Pat Coleman]

North Park will be playing in between the NCC and Wheaton games. NPU's kickoff at UW-Oshkosh is slated for 3:30 pm tomorrow. UWO will supply the video, and I'll be doing the play-by-play, as always.

The Vikings will be a serious underdog against the 20th-ranked Titans. We'll see how it goes.

I see Oshkosh crushed Finlandia last week, 86-0.  Today the Lions are playing #1 Whitewater.  Wow.  I wonder what the line would be for that game.  Who schedules these games for Finlandia??

These first four games were scheduled before Coach Driscoll came on board, so I assume the AD.

[kiko]

Final from Platteville - North Central blows a 21-point lead and loses 35-28 in OT.

[Augie6]

Augie loses 56-52.  Very inauspicious start to the Steve Bell era at Augustana.  If someone ever told me that an Augie team would score 102 points in back to back games and go 0-2, I would never have believed it.  But that's what happened.  Didn't see the first half of this game, but watched the second half and it looks like Loras made adjustments at halftime and Augie was not able to make them when things went south in the 3rd quarter.  Augie scored 49 points in the first half and 3 in the second. The picks by Frasco were crucial as one went for a TD and the other came when Augie was driving at the end of the game for the potential winning score.  The pick 6 looked like it was tipped at the LOS and the last one when went through our receiver's hands, so a bit of tough luck.  Even with those, the O did their job by putting up 52.  That should NEVER result in a lost game.  The defense is simply as bad as I have ever seen in the 33 years I have been watching Augie.  733 yards and 60 pts. last week and 613 yards and 56 pts. this week.  In three games, they have given up 155 points against 3 teams that you could hardly describe as world beaters.  The optimism that it may get turned around quickly with the hiring of Coach Bell has drained quickly.  I'm scared to death to see what teams like Wheaton and NCC will do to this defense.  Augie is averaging 48 points a game and is 1-2.  Clearly the strategy of outscoring the other team is not working.  Could be an extremely long season if they don't make some progress with the defense very soon. 

[AndOne]

Final from Platteville - North Central blows a 21-point lead and loses 35-28 in OT.

NCC's Oshayne Brown was knocked out of the game, i believe in the 3rd quarter, after piling up 133 yards rushing. However, the Cardinals still had a 28-7 lead with 14 minutes left. Credit to UWP for never quitting, but where was the NCC defense during the 4th quarter?? A very surprising finish to say the least. 

[iwu70]

IWU looked very sharp today, beating Simpson easily, 49-7.  It was 28-0 at the half.  This team looks very good, could be very very good.  I'm not predicting a CCIW championship or anything as yet, but 3-0 and some gaudy offensive numbers look very encouraging, after last year's 4-6.  Norm has things back on track, has lots of weapons it would appear.  Big group of talented RBs, also good receivers and Jack Warner looking very comfortable.  D looks good so far, depending on quickness and sticking with the scheme, as IWU usually plays pretty good D.  Time will tell how far this team can go.  So far, it looks like 7-3 or 8-2 to me.  Let's hope for better.   Week off, then CCIW season opens in Cheeseheadland, vs. Carthage, then Homecoming on the 10th October, hosting the Big Blue of Millikin. 

IWU70

[Mr. Ypsi]

Apologies in advance for a D1 report, but a tip of the cap to NIU for nearly pulling off one of the all-time great upsets.  They fell to top-ranked Ohio State by just 20-13.  OSU had five turnovers, but (not expecting much of a game) I didn't watch most of it and don't know to what extent it was sloppy offense by OSU vs. great defense by NIU.

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU looked very sharp today, beating Simpson easily, 49-7.  It was 28-0 at the half.  This team looks very good, could be very very good.  I'm not predicting a CCIW championship or anything as yet, but 3-0 and some gaudy offensive numbers look very encouraging, after last year's 4-6.  Norm has things back on track, has lots of weapons it would appear.  Big group of talented RBs, also good receivers and Jack Warner looking very comfortable.  D looks good so far, depending on quickness and sticking with the scheme, as IWU usually plays pretty good D.  Time will tell how far this team can go.  So far, it looks like 7-3 or 8-2 to me.  Let's hope for better.   Week off, then CCIW season opens in Cheeseheadland, vs. Carthage, then Homecoming on the 10th October, hosting the Big Blue of Millikin. 

IWU70

I (and also Kickoff) predict 8-2, but after NCC's result today my heart says just maybe 9-1, which would probably yield a Pool C bid.

[Gregory Sager]

#20 UW-Oshkosh 35
North Park 0

The Titans are very good, and definitely deserve that Top 25 ranking. But NPU didn't play that well, either, giving up a pick-6 and another defensive touchdown on a fumble return following a botched handoff. NPU also gave up the ball on downs twice inside the UWO 10 in the fourth quarter. Chalk this one up as a growing-pains kind of day for the Vikes, who will find that it will get no easier for them when they next take the field two weeks from today at home against Wheaton.

[wesleydad]

NCC fans, looking forward to my trip with my dad to Naperville this Saturday.  I am landing at Midway a little after 8 so I figure we will be leaving the airport about 9.  With the game being at 2 that will give us plenty of time to get to NCC.  Any suggestions for us as far as things to do/see before the game.  What about tailgating?  Breakfast suggestions near the college?  Any info would be helpful and appreciated.  We will be flying back out after the game so it is a fun 1 day trip for us.