FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[TrueAugieAlum]

trueaugiealum-
Who do you think should start at left tackle instead of the freshman?

Let me set the record straight for you all.  I am not a current player for parent of a current player.  I am an alum of augie who happens to have played for some of the current coaching staff.  I also live in the Rock Island area so am able to attend games, both varsity and JV.

My purpose is not to be a player basher - but a freshman should only be a starter if he is so superior to everyone else that he deserves to start.  This freshman is not.  All I saw from him was missed tackles and missed assignments.  And it is the same week after week.  Therefore, I can only surmise that there is something else going on behind the scenes.

The real purpose of my postings are to point out that the current offensive coaching staff has blinders on.  Augie has a glut of offensive linemen now.  It is hard for me to believe that the starting line are the only players who have the ability to play.  Therefore, doesn't it make sense to play  different lines in different situations.  Doesn't it make sense to change lines either by possession or quarter so that each is fresh.   Or do you think that wearing out the starters is the best option, especially late in the season when you might be getting into the playoffs?

As stated in one of my earlier postings, I have seen some of the JV games and there are some BIG OL players who I would like to see out on the fields on Sat. - I know, because I go to the games, that some of them are as good or better than who is starting - maybe, to open holes in the middle so you do not have to run outside ALL the time!!  Instead, they are standing on the sidelines.  For what purpose is anybodies guess.

In short, my feeling is that I would like to see the offense of augie so superior to any other team in the CCIW that the other teams have to coach against the offense not just coach against our defense.   I do not see augie winning on strength offense, and I do not believe that I will with the current offensive coaching staff!

[ncc58]

As expected, dark day for CCIW.  Not a single ranked team in the D3Football.com Top 25 and not that any deserve it right now either.

Just like the old days ... when there is depth in the conference, CCIW teams beat each other up and it's very difficult to go through a schedule undefeated or even with just 1 loss.  The good news is that multiple teams did get votes.

[Augie6]

TrueAugieAlum,

I appreciate your passion about Augie and wanting them to be regularly contending for national championships.  I want nothing less than that as well.  However, I do disagree with some of your comments as it relates to Augie's offense.  On a statistical basis, if you look at Augie's offense over the past several seasons, they are similar to the teams in the mid 80's who won four straight titles.  My senior year (1986), our offense averaged 283 yards rushing per game and just over 33 points.  This is one of the lower rushing per game averages that you'll see over the past 20 seasons.  As I've said many times on this board, the real difference between now and the championship teams is the level of play on defense, not offense.  I can point to many games over the past 7-8 seasons (3 of the past 6 wheaton games, 99 Mt. Union, etc) where the offense did everything they could to win the game and the defense couldn't come up with a stop when the team needed it most.  If you look over the past three seasons, Augie has given up an average of 318 yds per game and 19.1 points.  I can tell you from experience that those types of defensive numbers will not win national championships.  If you have an explosive offense that can score points quickly, a team can win a championship giving up those numbers.  You can't do it running the wing-t. 

Obviously, you have issues with Coach Johnsen that might be clouding your judgement when it comes to analyzing the shortcomings of the past few Augie teams.  Living in the Rock Island area, you see more of the team than I do, but I (and many others who played in the 80's) have seen them enough over the past many years to understand that you have to have a dominant defense to win national championships when running the wing-t.  If you don't, you can be a good team, but not a great team.  That's what Augie has become, a consistently good team in a tough conference.

[Redmen96]

Are the two loss teams on the top 25 as good as our top teams?

[Comet 14]

Wow! People are at each others throats. This is my first season on this board. Is it this way every year at mid-season? I was at the NCC- Elmhurst game Sat. and I thought Elmhursts D did a good job. Take away the late 4th quarter score when Elmhurst was selling out to try and force a fumble and they only gave up 18 points to the best offense in the conference. There offense just didn't get the job done. NCC D took the deep ball away with a 2deep safeties the entire game and Elmhurst still couldn,t run the ball. The NCC D-line and linebackers were just better than our O-line and backs. If Elmhurst doesn,t find a way to move the ball they will continue to struggle to put points on the board.

[Red Reign]

trueaugiealum-
Who do you think should start at left tackle instead of the freshman?

Let me set the record straight for you all.  I am not a current player for parent of a current player.  I am an alum of augie who happens to have played for some of the current coaching staff.  I also live in the Rock Island area so am able to attend games, both varsity and JV.

My purpose is not to be a player basher - but a freshman should only be a starter if he is so superior to everyone else that he deserves to start.  This freshman is not.  All I saw from him was missed tackles and missed assignments.  And it is the same week after week.  Therefore, I can only surmise that there is something else going on behind the scenes.

The real purpose of my postings are to point out that the current offensive coaching staff has blinders on.  Augie has a glut of offensive linemen now.  It is hard for me to believe that the starting line are the only players who have the ability to play.  Therefore, doesn't it make sense to play  different lines in different situations.  Doesn't it make sense to change lines either by possession or quarter so that each is fresh.   Or do you think that wearing out the starters is the best option, especially late in the season when you might be getting into the playoffs?

As stated in one of my earlier postings, I have seen some of the JV games and there are some BIG OL players who I would like to see out on the fields on Sat. - I know, because I go to the games, that some of them are as good or better than who is starting - maybe, to open holes in the middle so you do not have to run outside ALL the time!!  Instead, they are standing on the sidelines.  For what purpose is anybodies guess.

In short, my feeling is that I would like to see the offense of augie so superior to any other team in the CCIW that the other teams have to coach against the offense not just coach against our defense.   I do not see augie winning on strength offense, and I do not believe that I will with the current offensive coaching staff!

Lets get real... nobody goes to JV games unless your a parent or current player





... or playing in the game

[Mugsy]

Are the two loss teams on the top 25 as good as our top teams?

Linfield losses were to a Division II or I-AA team (28-14 loss to Western Oregon) and to the #8 D3 team in the country (21-6 loss to Hardin-Simmons).  Linfield won the national championship in 2004 and has been one of the top teams in all of D3 in recent years.  So... ummm... there is absolutely no question this is definite "yes" as to being "as good".  Given that the CCIW is down this year, I'd say Linfield is better than any CCIW team (and probably significantly better).

Ohio Northern has lost to #1 Mount Union 49-7 (who is winning by an average of 61 to 6!) and then this past weekend to #4 Capital 17-10.  Losses to 2 VERY good D3 football teams, to say the least.  Ohio Northern is definitely as good as any top CCIW teams, but there probably would be some debate as to where they are better since they beat Millikin by a score of 28-14 and Millikin is currently 1-2 in conference.

[wheels81]

I would also like to add that Coe 5-1 plays a weak schedule as does Central at 6-0
So an average team overall in a weak conference gets the nod it appears.

[wheels81]

2 teams from IIAC in top 25 with 3rd (Wartburg) getting points higher than CCIW leading Augie. That's really hilarious.

[matblake]

C'mon, let's not start this poll stuff about the CCIW not getting any respect.  Our conference has done nothing so far to get any "benefit of the doubt."  Nobody is undefeated, nobody is the clear favorite.  If you combine that with our horrible showing in the non-conference schedule, it's not surprising that we have no teams in the top 25.   

[washdupcard]

If Kniss is not the best QB in the CCIW, then who would be the best QB?

Kniss is far and away the top QB in the conference.  2nd place isn't even in the same league.

[Mugsy]

C'mon, let's not start this poll stuff about the CCIW not getting any respect.  Our conference has done nothing so far to get any "benefit of the doubt."  Nobody is undefeated, nobody is the clear favorite.  If you combine that with our horrible showing in the non-conference schedule, it's not surprising that we have no teams in the top 25.   

Just to clarify... I wasn't complaining about the CCIW's not getting respect.  I was merely pointing out first time in quite awhile there isn't a ranked CCIW team.  This is a product of the preseason favorites and ranked teams losing early (NCC and Augie) and a couple of times (Augie) and Wheaton starting out unranked, gradually working it way up to 19th, only to lose to Augie.  If you are 19th ranked and lose, you typically drop out of the poll unless you lose to a top 5 team in a very close game.

In addition, I attempted to squelch the "why are there a couple of 2 loss teams ahead of CCIW teams in the rankings" question.  A valid question, but IMO easily answered (they are better).

[matblake]

C'mon, let's not start this poll stuff about the CCIW not getting any respect.  Our conference has done nothing so far to get any "benefit of the doubt."  Nobody is undefeated, nobody is the clear favorite.  If you combine that with our horrible showing in the non-conference schedule, it's not surprising that we have no teams in the top 25.   

Just to clarify... I wasn't complaining about the CCIW's not getting respect.  I was merely pointing out first time in quite awhile there isn't a ranked CCIW team.  This is a product of the preseason favorites and ranked teams losing early (NCC and Augie) and a couple of times (Augie) and Wheaton starting out unranked, gradually working it way up to 19th, only to lose to Augie.  If you are 19th ranked and lose, you typically drop out of the poll unless you lose to a top 5 team in a very close game.

In addition, I attempted to squelch the "why are there a couple of 2 loss teams ahead of CCIW teams in the rankings" question.  A valid question, but IMO easily answered (they are better).

I agree with you Mugsy, I knew you weren't going that route.  I just hate to see the conversation degrade into complaints about the Top 25 and referees.  Just trying to head that route off!

[matblake]

If Kniss is not the best QB in the CCIW, then who would be the best QB?

Kniss is far and away the top QB in the conference.  2nd place isn't even in the same league.

Despite his teams loss against Wheaton (the only CCIW action I have seen in 8 or so years) I would take Kniss as a QB anytime, even over my own brother (which is a good thing because he was a running back).

[usee]

If Kniss is not the best QB in the CCIW, then who would be the best QB?

Kniss is far and away the top QB in the conference.  2nd place isn't even in the same league.

couldn't agree more, as i said just a page earlier.