FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[NCF]

Wheaton has an excellent recruiting program, which includes alums throughout the country that can direct Christian student athletes to Wheaton. Wheaton also has excellent coaching, probably the best overall staff in the CCIW (if not the region).

Wheaton is not in decline.

Time will tell

[oldnuthin]

Keith has his projected field of 32 on the front page. Very interesting take.

[SaintsFAN]

A great solution for toppling Mount Union
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/11/name-those-who-want-see-sanford-gone/

That's a very well-written article, and not just because it includes the chuckle-inducing line, "Put that in your Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl and smoke it." The writer is very respectful of Kehres's accomplishments, and (unlike a lot of sportswriters) genuinely seems to approve of D3's unpretentious approach to athletics.

The comments section, though, proves just how misunderstood D3 athletics really is by sports fandom at large. Witness the UNLV fan who said:

The thing that I worry about is does he know how to recruit or does he know anybody that knows how to recruit. There are no scholorships in Div. III and therefore no recruitment.

The ignorance and misinformation regarding D3 is pandemic.

During Cincinnati's loss to Va Tech last year in the Orange Bowl, I got into an argument with a girl at the bar who said Pike was a terrible QB.  After telling her to calm down, that the defense from Va Tech was playing really well and that Pike was in fact, a good QB.... she said "well its not like you ever played college football"

I responded that I did and had started QB and then said where I had played.  She laughed and said "thats not real college football".  After explaining to her that it was and asking her where she went to HS... the QB they had in HS -- who she said was awesome in HS--- actually wasn't very good and quit at my school during 2-a-days.  

Even after that example, she said D3 sux...  I realized she was a moron and told her she better start visiting the salad bar more often.

--some will never "get it"   *sigh*

You mean like this? the first part anyway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzznDfa-F9s

Very much so... +K

[02 Warhawk]

Keith has his projected field of 32 on the front page. Very interesting take.

Interested to see BOTH NCC and Wheaton were the odd teams out in the North....with ONU and Wabash projecting to get in. The CCIW might fall victim of having a tough conference this season, beating each other up.

Looks like there's lots of strong teams in the north, with so few pool C bids. but theses are just projections, we'll find out sunday what the final parings are.

[NCF]

Keith has his projected field of 32 on the front page. Very interesting take.

Interested to see BOTH NCC and Wheaton were the odd teams out in the North....with ONU and Wabash projecting to get in. The CCIW might fall victim of having a tough conference this season, beating each other up.

Looks like there's lots of strong teams in the north, with so few pool C bids. but theses are just projections, we'll find out sunday what the final parings are.

They both had opportunities to get it done. Hopefully next year will be better for both teams.

[thunder38]

Keith has his projected field of 32 on the front page. Very interesting take.

Interested to see BOTH NCC and Wheaton were the odd teams out in the North....with ONU and Wabash projecting to get in. The CCIW might fall victim of having a tough conference this season, beating each other up.

Looks like there's lots of strong teams in the north, with so few pool C bids. but theses are just projections, we'll find out sunday what the final parings are.

They both had opportunities to get it done. Hopefully next year will be better for both teams.

I'm interested to hear other opinions on this as well but there's got to be a better way to do determine the field than what we have now.  I don't know that I really have a fix for it myself.  It just seems wrong that if you want to have a tournament to find the best team in the country, that two of the top teams (NCC and Wheaton) may not get a chance to factor into the tournament.

I've seen all the talent in the CCIW and I know that NCC and Wheaton are both more talented than some of the teams that are going to get into the tournament by way of a cupcake schedule and a better record.  The CCIW has to be one of the deepest conferences in the country this year and that's really going to be lost in the grand scheme of things when IWU is the conference's lone rep.

I don't know the possibility of expanding the field or having a more accurate way to find the best 32 teams, but I find it hard to believe that the best way involves leaving two of the top 20 ranked teams in the polls out of the mix.

I'd love to hear what everybody thinks about the process.

[usee]

I think the Div I BCS schools would love to have the chance our Thunder have had this season.I think TCU would be thrilled with the notion that if they win all their games they get to play for a national title. Anyone want to trade our system for theirs?

[dad of a titan]

That's the same argument when the NCAA Basketball brackets are announced.

[iwu4ever]

Does anyone remember how they selected teams way back when only 8 or 16 teams went...I don't think there were any AQs.  Am I remembering right?

[HScoach]

Keith has his projected field of 32 on the front page. Very interesting take.

Interested to see BOTH NCC and Wheaton were the odd teams out in the North....with ONU and Wabash projecting to get in. The CCIW might fall victim of having a tough conference this season, beating each other up.

Looks like there's lots of strong teams in the north, with so few pool C bids. but theses are just projections, we'll find out sunday what the final parings are.

They both had opportunities to get it done. Hopefully next year will be better for both teams.

I'm interested to hear other opinions on this as well but there's got to be a better way to do determine the field than what we have now.  I don't know that I really have a fix for it myself.  It just seems wrong that if you want to have a tournament to find the best team in the country, that two of the top teams (NCC and Wheaton) may not get a chance to factor into the tournament.

I've seen all the talent in the CCIW and I know that NCC and Wheaton are both more talented than some of the teams that are going to get into the tournament by way of a cupcake schedule and a better record.  The CCIW has to be one of the deepest conferences in the country this year and that's really going to be lost in the grand scheme of things when IWU is the conference's lone rep.

I don't know the possibility of expanding the field or having a more accurate way to find the best 32 teams, but I find it hard to believe that the best way involves leaving two of the top 20 ranked teams in the polls out of the mix.

I'd love to hear what everybody thinks about the process.

The goal is NOT to get the best 32 teams into the bracket.  It's to give all 230+ teams a viable chance at entering the field via the automatic conference bids and Pool B for those conferences without a AQ.  Getting the best teams into the field only matter when they pick the 6 Pool C at large bids.

And I clearly remember the days of the 16 team bracket.  Each region got only 4 bids, there was no cross-region pulling of teams from a loaded region into a weak region, the regional host for the semi's was predetermined on a rotating basis and there was often very good teams left out.

In my opinion, the D3 playoff system we have now is perfect.  The champions from lesser conferences (like Monmouth this season and Franklin last year) get a chance to show what they're really made of.  Runner-ups from conferences with a 800 lb gorilla at the top (WIAC and OAC) will get in too as long as they finish with only 1 loss.   The Pool C's do good good of differentiating between the strengths of similar records.  9-1 in the strong CCIW is an absolute lock to get in but 9-1 playing W&J horrid schedule will not.

[NCF]

Keith has his projected field of 32 on the front page. Very interesting take.

Interested to see BOTH NCC and Wheaton were the odd teams out in the North....with ONU and Wabash projecting to get in. The CCIW might fall victim of having a tough conference this season, beating each other up.

Looks like there's lots of strong teams in the north, with so few pool C bids. but theses are just projections, we'll find out sunday what the final parings are.

They both had opportunities to get it done. Hopefully next year will be better for both teams.

I'm interested to hear other opinions on this as well but there's got to be a better way to do determine the field than what we have now.  I don't know that I really have a fix for it myself.  It just seems wrong that if you want to have a tournament to find the best team in the country, that two of the top teams (NCC and Wheaton) may not get a chance to factor into the tournament.

I've seen all the talent in the CCIW and I know that NCC and Wheaton are both more talented than some of the teams that are going to get into the tournament by way of a cupcake schedule and a better record.  The CCIW has to be one of the deepest conferences in the country this year and that's really going to be lost in the grand scheme of things when IWU is the conference's lone rep.

I don't know the possibility of expanding the field or having a more accurate way to find the best 32 teams, but I find it hard to believe that the best way involves leaving two of the top 20 ranked teams in the polls out of the mix.

I'd love to hear what everybody thinks about the process.

The goal is NOT to get the best 32 teams into the bracket.  It's to give all 230+ teams a viable chance at entering the field via the automatic conference bids and Pool B for those conferences without a AQ.  Getting the best teams into the field only matter when they pick the 6 Pool C at large bids.

And I clearly remember the days of the 16 team bracket.  Each region got only 4 bids, there was no cross-region pulling of teams from a loaded region into a weak region, the regional host for the semi's was predetermined on a rotating basis and there was often very good teams left out.

In my opinion, the D3 playoff system we have now is perfect.  The champions from lesser conferences (like Monmouth this season and Franklin last year) get a chance to show what they're really made of.  Runner-ups from conferences with a 800 lb gorilla at the top (WIAC and OAC) will get in too as long as they finish with only 1 loss.   The Pool C's do good good of differentiating between the strengths of similar records.  9-1 in the strong CCIW is an absolute lock to get in but 9-1 playing W&J horrid schedule will not.

If you're having a national championship, the goal should be to have the best 32 teams in the field. Weak conferences should not have an AQ. The D3 system pretty much eliminates any team from a good conference with 2 losses.  What is the point of weekly rankings when one(or more) of those teams who have been in the top 25, week in and week out don't get an opportunity to enter the tournament?

[New Tradition]

While the best 32 teams in the nation may not make the playoffs, I guarantee at least the top 10 are there.  No system is perfect, but I feel that the best teams in the nation will have a chance to win the National Title with the D3 system.  The teams that "shoulda got in" don't really have a good chance to dethrone the D3 elite, IMHO.

[NCF]

While the best 32 teams in the nation may not make the playoffs, I guarantee at least the top 10 are there.  No system is perfect, but I feel that the best teams in the nation will have a chance to win the National Title with the D3 system.  The teams that "shoulda got in" don't really have a good chance to dethrone the D3 elite, IMHO.

That's why they play the games. You'll never know what can happen on the field and some of the better teams will never get that chance with this system.

[New Tradition]

While the best 32 teams in the nation may not make the playoffs, I guarantee at least the top 10 are there.  No system is perfect, but I feel that the best teams in the nation will have a chance to win the National Title with the D3 system.  The teams that "shoulda got in" don't really have a good chance to dethrone the D3 elite, IMHO.

That's why they play the games. You'll never know what can happen on the field and some of the better teams will never get that chance with this system.

I agree completely, but if you look at history, the team who was won the national title every year since 2003 has been ranked in the top 5 on the D3 top 25 at the end of the regular season:

2003: Champion - St. John's, ranked 2nd at end of regular season
2004: Champion - Linfield, ranked 2nd at end of regular season
2005: Champion - Mount Union, ranked 5th at the end of regular season
2006: Champion - Mount Union, ranked 1st at the end of regular season
2007: Champion - Whitewater, ranked 2nd at the end of regular season
2008: Champion - Mount Union, ranked 1st at the end of regular season

I can almost say top 2, with 2005 being the outlier.  Mt. Union took a regular season defeat from Ohio Northern, leaving them ranked 5th in the D3 polls at the end of the season before a Freshman running back named Kmic had a little coming out party due to an injury to the starting tailback.  They stormed through the playoffs to another national title.

[Pat Coleman]

If you're having a national championship, the goal should be to have the best 32 teams in the field.

Then you need to leave the NCAA, because this is the NCAA philosophy in every national championship it sponsors.