FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[79jaybird]

formerd3db--Sounds great and I thank you again for the books.. I can't wait to read them.  I am also glad our trusty Pony Express came through. 
Hope you get some R&R at your cottage this weekend.  I will be at my fam's this weekend also.
Yes, Elmhurst's Pressbox is air conditioned and heated for when the weather is cold.  In September we go on "Bee Patrol"  as the honeybees are usually buzzing around the box.

[diehardfan]

This is true. Only in the midwest can you go from getting a suntan at the beginning of the season at a scrimmage to worrying about being frostbitten the second weeks of playoffs. You guys in the press box have it easy. 

Then again, so do those of us who live in SoCal.  8)

[formerd3db]

Thanks Grey Fox and jaybird.

[Augie6]

usee,

Sorry about that.  Here are my revised picks based on a 10 game schedule


Augie        6-1     9-1
NCC          6-1     9-1
Wheaton  4-3     7-3
Carthage  4-3     6-4
Elmhurst   3-4     6-4
Millikin       3-4     4-6
IWU          2-5     4-6
NP             0-7     2-8

[thunderdog]

My picks:

Augie  6-1  9-1  (loss vs NCC)
Wheaton  6-1  9-1  (loss vs AC)
Millikin  5-2  6-4  (loss vs WC & AC)  what a tough non-conference!
North Central  4-3  7-3 (loss vs WC, MU, IWU)
Elmhurst  3-4  6-4  (wins vs CC, IWU, NPU)
Illinois Wesleyan  3-4  5-5  (wins vs CC, NPU, NCC)
Carthage  1-6  4-6  (win vs NPU)
North Park  0-7  2-8  (2 non-conference wins)

A few other notes:
1.  Millikin has a tough non-conference with games vs. Ohio Northern and Wabash
2.  I noticed on NCC's schedule that Nov. 18th (first round of the playoffs) is TBA.  That's weak!  You don't post that on your web-site... maybe to your players... but not the web-site.  Apparantly, when you make the playoffs for the first time in umpteen years that makes winning the CCIW a piece of cake.  NCC will be sitting on the couch eating potato chips on Nov. 18th!

[79jaybird]

USee-- Fremd plays at Prospect on 9/1 @ 7:30  which should be a very good game.  I know Fremd is strong, not sure what kind of team Prospect has this year.  Are you planning on going to the game?  If so, let me know and hopefully we can meet in person.
Thunderdog-- many schools put NCAA Playoffs TBA  and a date on their websites.  It is nothing more than just giving the surfer an idea of when the playoffs (if they were to make it)  would take place.
Millikin has a decent non-conference slate, but I think Augie's non conference opponents are stronger.

[thunderdog]

Jaybird,

Of the 8 CCIW schools, only NCC list Nov. 18th as TBA...

[Mugsy]

Millikin has a decent non-conference slate, but I think Augie's non conference opponents are stronger.

I'd disagree.  Millikin plays at Wabash and at home against Ohio Northern.  While I don't put a ton of stock in pre-season polls, most of the top 25 teams are there for a reason.  ONU is #17, Wabash is #21.  Illinois College isn't great, but they aren't a push over either.

Augie plays Baldwin-Wallace at home, UW-Platteville and MacMurray on the road.  BW will be a very tough opponent, but IMO UW-Platteville (while from a tough conference) is one of the weaker teams from the WIAC.  MacMurray is a decent team, but from a weak conference.

My ranking of preseason schedules (toughest to weakest):
1. Millikin - ONU (#17), Wabash (#21), Illinois College (ok)
2. IWU - Coe (playoff team last year & #22), Mt. St. Joesph (playoff team & receiving votes)
3. Wheaton - Albion (playoff team last year), Hope (tough, except for last year), WU (ok)
4. Augie - BW (good team from tough conference), MacMurray (ok), UW-Platteville (ok)
5. NCC - Concordia WIS (playoff team), WU (ok), Benedictine (creampuff)
6 & 7.  Elmhurst & North Park - creampuff city

[79jaybird]

"of the 8 CCIW schools, only NCC list Nov. 18 as TBA"
True, however check other conferences and their respective schools, and you will find some websites that have the date ofwhen the playoffs would be.
Mugsy, I agree that Elmhurst's non-conference schedule is not that challenging.  I would like to see 1 or 2 games challenging the Bluejays, because we all know the CCIW is a 7 week marathon that doesn't have any creampuffs. (I think NPU is not a cakewalk anymore)
The fact that the CCIW plays quality competition in the non-conf. is a great sign.  This means A) Other leagues think highly of the CCIW and want to play our guys  B) The CCIW is strong and is able to beat the big boys.  The old saying, "To be the best, you have to play the best"  and I think most of the CCIW teams are doing just that.

[raiderguy]

Hey thunderdog,

You might want to lighten up. What makes the difference if NCC shows the first date of the playoffs on their schedule? It would not be my assumtion they plan on being there just from that.

If that is the case if a team doesn't put it on their schedule, they don't plan on being in the playoffs?

Are the Thunder planning on going?

I think this is a no harm, no foul, so what.

JMO.

[matblake]

I have to say that when I saw Millikin's non-conference slate I was quite impressed.  Should be a very interesting first few weeks watching the Big Blue.

[lakeshore]

pretty extensive preview for NPU on this site but nothing on their website yet.  Wonder whats up.  The CCIW vs. OAC battles are like Big Ten vs. Big 12 or SEC match ups.  The best conferences going up against each other.  Millikin vs. ONU and Augie vs. BW

[Augie6]

Jaybird,

Have to disagree with you about the strength of the non-conference schedules and agree with Mugsy.  Millikin gets my vote for the toughest non-conference schedule with Wabash and Ohio Northern.  Augie is playing a middle of the pack team from a very tough conference (BW), a poor team from a very tough conference (UWP) and an average team from a weak conference (MacMurray).  Although not push-overs, I would agree with Mugsy that Augie's schedule is middle of the pack tough compared to other CCIW teams.

[lakeshore]

does anyone know where the illini badger teams will disperse to when the conference breaks up?  Will any of the schools drop football?  This would create a better recruiting pool for the CCIW

[diehardfan]

For the last couple of years, IWU has put all the playoff dates on their schedule for basketball.... right up to the national championship game.

Does it come off a little arrogant? Well, yeah. Especially since I was even skeptical I about them winning the conference. (Good skepticism, but I picked the wrong team to replace them, lol)

On the other hand, it made it easier to plan for travel and other logistics when even the official site didn't even have any info up. Instead of figuring dates out in my head I just went over to their site.

It actually might be funnier that NCC only has the first week there. Maybe they think they'll make the playoffs and then be Mount Union fodder?