FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Pat Coleman]

I would have loved to see a nomination.

[WUPHF]

I would have loved to see a nomination.

Dang. Thanks Pat!

[jaybird44]

Hmm...Pat, I guess that someone outside the normal chain of communication will have to send nominations to you from WashU.   

[Next Man Up]

Well, given the competition this week, certainly there won't be any WashU candidates this time around.     

[Pat Coleman]

Hmm...Pat, I guess that someone outside the normal chain of communication will have to send nominations to you from WashU.

Well, there are also new SIDs there, relatively.

[WUPHF]

Well, there are also new SIDs there, relatively.

That is true, though they have two when some schools only have one.

It was a busy weekend with both home and away games, but I hope someone nominates a WUSTL player or two the next time they are worthy.  Hopefully this weekend.

[ncc_fan]

Hopefully NOT this weekend! 

[Next Man Up]

Careful ncc_fan.
I expressed the same sentiment in what I thought was a kidding/joking manner in keeping with Pat's kidding each other with no disrespect notion and still got zapped——-even after adding three winking emojis! 
A little to serious down there in St.Lou. 
Unless it wasn't a WashU fan at all??

[USee]

HansenRatings has:

NCC -18 @ WashU
Carroll +35 @ Wheaton
Millikin -8.5 @Elmhurst
NPU +29 @Augie
Carthage +5.6 @IWU

[jaybird44]

While I prep for the upcoming NCC/WashU clash, I am also preparing to do a 33-hour run/walk next Saturday, October 29-30 for Rett syndrome awareness and research funding.

Rett Gets Rocked 2022 will feature my solo attempt to reach 100 miles, and a 24-hour Rett Relay involving WashU students and other campus folks.  I will be on the indoor track in the Sumers Recreation Center, and the relay will be mainly outdoors at Francis Olympic Field.  Our aim is to raise $10,000 or more, to be split between the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) and the Rett Spectrum Clinic in the WashU School of Medicine at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

This is my fifth year for a Rett Gets Rocked ultramarathon...over the previous four years, more than $20,000 have been raised.

Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by a gene mutation in the brain.  It doesn't manifest itself until a child is just learning how to walk and talk, around 6-18 months old.  When it does, those basic abilities get taken away.  Many children end up in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives, and can't talk or even do sign language to communicate.  And, since it's a spectrum disorder, there are other things that are typical with Rett syndrome...frequent seizures, severe scoliosis, eating and drinking difficulties that require the insertion of a g-tube for nourishment, among other difficulties.  And, Rett doesn't care about one's family medical history, socioeconomic status or ethnic background.  It is an equal opportunity destroyer of lives and families.

There's no cure yet, but preclinical studies within the last year at UT-Southwestern in gene replacement therapy have resulted in reversing Rett in mice.  And, the FDA is giving a drug called Trofinetide a Priority Review, after clinical trials were very successful in reducing the severity and frequency of seizures, and restoring some of the function of the arms and legs.  On March 12, the FDA will make a final determination about Trofinetide and whether it becomes the first prescription drug specifically to treat Rett syndrome.

So, there is hope.  That propels me forward in my lunatic fringe interest in ultramarathon running.  You can join the fight for a cure without logging a mile.  The donation link to my IRSF Rett Racers donation page is https://rettracers.funraise.org/fundraiser/jay-murry.
Feel free to forward it to interested parties!

Many thanks for your time and consideration!

Best regards,

Jay Murry
WashU Play-By-Play Announcer
Event Director, Rett Gets Rocked 2022

[Next Man Up]

HansenRatings has:

NCC -18 @ WashU
Carroll +35 @ Wheaton
Millikin -8.5 @Elmhurst
NPU +29 @Augie
Carthage +5.6 @IWU

And Massey has it;

NCC (79%) 41 @ WashU (21%) 24
@ Wheaton (97%) 41, Carroll (3%) 10
Millikin (61%) 31 @ Elmhurst (39%) 26
@ Augie (92%) 42, NPU (8%) 17
@ IWU (59%) 34, Carthage (41%) 30

[Stertorous Thunder]

Culver's Isthmus Bowl Watch 2022

I was looking at who the potential CCIW participant will be for the Culver's Bowl this year and I think it's highly likely to be Wheaton.

At the risk of offending the rest of the CCIW fans, I contend that it's a fairly safe bet that the Big Three - North Central, Wheaton, and WashU - are going to run the table in their non head-to-head games, which only leaves a few games to watch for playoff and bowl selection purposes.  And a quick look at the head-to-head games tells me that Wheaton is very likely heading north to Madison to play whoever ends up in third place in the WIAC, which always seems to be a safe bet to send two teams to the postseason.

Obviously, if WashU wins all remaining games, WashU will take the conference automatic qualifier to the playoffs, but I would imagine that a one-loss NCC would be highly favored to take one of the five at-large spots in the playoffs.  So Wheaton would go bowling.

If WashU manages to upset NCC but loses to Wheaton, there would technically be a three-way tie in the conference standings but I believe that WashU would win the automatic qualifier (someone correct me if that's not right).  Although NCC's luster would be tarnished by losing to a one-loss team, I still think NCC would earn an at-large bid.  So Wheaton would go bowling.

If Wheaton loses to WashU and WashU loses to NCC, as long as the NCC loss isn't a blowout, a one-loss WashU team is going to get a lot of consideration for the fourth or final at-large bid and I think they would get into the playoffs, once again sending Wheaton bowling.

If Wheaton beats WashU, they finish second in the CCIW but go the bowl, not the playoffs.  Wheaton would likely finish ranked higher than the majority of the playoff teams, somewhere between #10 and #15, but the committee isn't going to give an at-large bid to a two-loss team when there will be plenty of deserving one-loss teams to consider.

Note that I have no complaints with Wheaton getting overlooked for a team with a lower ranking. The way I see it is that Wheaton already had its chance to make its case for a national title at Trinity and NCC.  Although we think that Wheaton is better than many other teams, we know that they're not the best this season and while there are teams that we think aren't title-worthy we won't know that until they get their chance to get throttled by one of the Top 10 teams.

If you're a Wheaton fan, consider clearing your calendar for a drive to Wisconsin on November 19 for one bonus game of football.  Is it guaranteed?  Of course not, but I'd take odds at 80%, and maybe even higher.

Stertorous "Tor" Thunder

[USee]

Tor-

I think you are mostly right. Wheaton is most likely headed to Wisconsin in November. A couple of clarifications:

Last year a 2 loss team was taken in the playoffs over a couple one-loss options. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

The tie breaker if there is a three way tie among NCC, WashU and Wheaton is as follows:
1. Head-to-head competition
2. Best record by tied teams against the next best team or the next best tied teams in conference standings
3. Point differential between tied teams in conference
4. The fewest defensive yards given up versus tied teams in conference
5. Random drawing by CCIW commissioner.

So watch the point differential this weekend if WashU posts the big upset. Right now Wheaton is -13 and NCC is +13.

[USee]

By the way, Wheaton's contract with Trinity was one and done, no return game next year. Wheaton has signed a home and home with Oshkosh starting next fall in Wheaton.

[Thunderdome21]

Tor-

I think you are mostly right. Wheaton is most likely headed to Wisconsin in November. A couple of clarifications:

Last year a 2 loss team was taken in the playoffs over a couple one-loss options. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

The tie breaker if there is a three way tie among NCC, WashU and Wheaton is as follows:
1. Head-to-head competition
2. Best record by tied teams against the next best team or the next best tied teams in conference standings
3. Point differential between tied teams in conference
4. The fewest defensive yards given up versus tied teams in conference
5. Random drawing by CCIW commissioner.

So watch the point differential this weekend if WashU posts the big upset. Right now Wheaton is -13 and NCC is +13.

For Wheaton to make the playoffs not only do they need to win out, but they need some region 2,3 and 6 potential Pool C teams to end up 8-2 instead of 9-1. And several 9-1 potential Pool C teams would have to have played weaker schedules for the committee to pick Wheaton over them.  So unless anything changes and goes crazy in the last couple of games, I'm expecting an Isthmus bowl game rather than another trip to the playoffs.