FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Stagg Again!!]

OK, away from regional ranking talk and back to reality.  There is a lot of football to be played and a great slate in the CCIW this coming weekend -- WC @ AC, NCC @ EC, and MU @ IWU.  WC, AC, NCC, and EC, are all 1-0 in the last seven days.  WC is coming off of a great come from behind win against CC; AC and NCC are coming off games with less than stellar offensive output; and EC is coming off a dominating performance against MU. 

WC and AC have played some thrillers over the last few years.  While the Crusaders/Thunder have prevailed in the past, this game will only be a good test if AC has a few offensive players on the field.  What does the M.A.S.H. unit look like in Rock Island?  NCC always gets up to play EC (and vice versa) since most of the EC coaching staff was once in Naperville (including, most notably, Head Coach Tim Lester and QB coach, Aaron Fanthorpe).  Finally, if IWU wants to keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive, they have to take care of business against a team that somehow (still a mystery to me if you saw the game or looked at the statistics) knocked them off last year.  Oh the intrigue!! 

I think there will be plenty of time for regional ranking talk after we get through the next two weeks.  During that stretch we have:  #1 WC v. AC and #2 NCC; #2 NCC v. EC and #1 WC; and #3 Mount Union (I must confess that felt silly writing #3 in front of MTU) v. Otterbein and #7 Baldwin-Wallace.

[footballfan413]

Funny that in either scenario, UWW is in for a tougher road than UMU.

Nothing new here.  This has, arguably, been the case most of the last 5 years. In 05 for example, before the practice of moving Mount and/or UW-W in an attempt to build brackets around strong #1 seeds, the Warhawks, (ranked #2 in the country,) had to beat #1 defending champs, Linfield @ Linfield, #5 SJU and  #8 Central on their way to the Stagg.  Rankings were according to D-3football at the time.  In no way am I saying that the North Region is ever any picnic for Mount, just that as a whole, I think it can be argued that the West Region Bracket has been the tougher one in those first few years before UMU was moved east the last few years. Again, maybe not each of the last 5 years but without doing any research and only using my feeble memory, I feel comfortable making this statement regarding the 05 season and, obviously, any season Mount was moved East while we got moved to the always tough north.)

[02 Warhawk]

Funny that in either scenario, UWW is in for a tougher road than UMU.

Nothing new here.  This has, arguably, been the case most of the last 5 years. In 05 for example, before the practice of moving Mount and/or UW-W in an attempt to build brackets around strong #1 seeds, the Warhawks, (ranked #2 in the country,) had to beat #1 defending champs, Linfield @ Linfield, #5 SJU and  #8 Central on their way to the Stagg.  Rankings were according to D-3football at the time.  In no way am I saying that the North Region is ever any picnic for Mount, just that as a whole, I think it can be argued that the West Region Bracket has been the tougher one in those first few years before UMU was moved east the last few years. Again, maybe not each of the last 5 years but without doing any research and only using my feeble memory, I feel comfortable making this statement regarding the 05 season and, obviously, any season Mount was moved East

No, but the east region will be if they go there.

I think any region with Linfield in it is scary. It'll be the toughest this year especially if UWW and St. Thomas gets put in the west along with Linfield.

then again NCC looks good this year, I don't want to play them either...

[cardinaldad]

A Cardinal win against EC will give John Thorne a tie with Gordon Fisher with 74 wins as a Cardinal football coach. Thorne is at 73-21 in 9 years. A .776 winning percentage. Fisher's record is 74-44-12. He coached from 1926-1942.  A win against Wheaton will not only keep the bell, but put him alone at the top of the list. Go Cards!!!! Mugsy, do you remember Fisher? 

[matblake]

Funny that in either scenario, UWW is in for a tougher road than UMU.

Nothing new here.  This has, arguably, been the case most of the last 5 years. In 05 for example, before the practice of moving Mount and/or UW-W in an attempt to build brackets around strong #1 seeds, the Warhawks, (ranked #2 in the country,) had to beat #1 defending champs, Linfield @ Linfield, #5 SJU and  #8 Central on their way to the Stagg.  Rankings were according to D-3football at the time.  In no way am I saying that the North Region is ever any picnic for Mount, just that as a whole, I think it can be argued that the West Region Bracket has been the tougher one in those first few years before UMU was moved east the last few years. Again, maybe not each of the last 5 years but without doing any research and only using my feeble memory, I feel comfortable making this statement regarding the 05 season and, obviously, any season Mount was moved East

No, but the east region will be if they go there.

I think any region with Linfield in it is scary. It'll be the toughest this year especially if UWW and St. Thomas gets put in the west along with Linfield.

then again NCC looks good this year, I don't want to play them either...

Good defenses are always scarier than high powered offenses.  If you can't score it is significant'y more difficult to win.  The Cards are shaping up to be a scary good defense.  Wegner has that 6th sense. 

Both Linfield and a top runner from the MIAC are always scary.

[Stagg Again!!]

Good defenses are always scarier than high powered offenses.  If you can't score it is significant'y more difficult to win.  The Cards are shaping up to be a scary good defense.  Wegner has that 6th sense. 

Both Linfield and a top runner from the MIAC are always scary.

"Offense sells tickets; defense wins championships." --  Coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant

[CardinalAlum]

A Cardinal win against EC will give John Thorne a tie with Gordon Fisher with 74 wins as a Cardinal football coach. Thorne is at 73-21 in 9 years. A .776 winning percentage. Fisher's record is 74-44-12. He coached from 1926-1942.  A win against Wheaton will not only keep the bell, but put him alone at the top of the list. Go Cards!!!! Mugsy, do you remember Fisher? 

Ouch!!  It's not even Wheatie week, yet!!   

[cardinaldad]

A Cardinal win against EC will give John Thorne a tie with Gordon Fisher with 74 wins as a Cardinal football coach. Thorne is at 73-21 in 9 years. A .776 winning percentage. Fisher's record is 74-44-12. He coached from 1926-1942.  A win against Wheaton will not only keep the bell, but put him alone at the top of the list. Go Cards!!!! Mugsy, do you remember Fisher? 

Ouch!!  It's not even Wheatie week, yet!!   

Not looking ahead...........just warming up! 

[usee]

This weekend is an interesting prelude to a huge week next week in the CCIW. Augie has caused some turnovers this year (their 5 takeaways are the reason they played Central so close at home) but they have not been great defensively against the run. If Wheaton can hold on to the ball (they have been so far this year) and run it against Augie (again, a strength of the Wheaton team) they should be able to hold serve in Rock Island. If you look at the team from Naperville, they ran for over 6 yds a carry in Rock Island and didn't turn it over. The result was a whitewash. Augie can certainly beat Wheaton on their home turf. I anticipate a close game but the Thunder should be able to wear them out and take over in the second half.

In Elmhurst, I want to be able to say the Bluejays can compete and play well at home, etc, etc. I just don't see it. They are giving up too much yardage and school from Naperville has the same type of spread-you-out-to-pound-you type offense that IWU used to run all over Elmhurst in Bloomington. The Naperville team won't turn it over 5 times like the Titans did. Joe Furco did not play well against Wheaton and has improved his stats since that game but he will have to play well for Elmhurst to have any chance. I really don't see Scottie Williams going for anywhere near 100 yds on the ground against the SFN.

I expect both teams to hold serve and set up an epic battle next week for the little brass bell and North Region #1 rights! But in this league we should all come to expect the unexpected.

[Mugsy]

A Cardinal win against EC will give John Thorne a tie with Gordon Fisher with 74 wins as a Cardinal football coach. Thorne is at 73-21 in 9 years. A .776 winning percentage. Fisher's record is 74-44-12. He coached from 1926-1942.  A win against Wheaton will not only keep the bell, but put him alone at the top of the list. Go Cards!!!! Mugsy, do you remember Fisher? 

Ouch!  Getting lumped in with Mr. Ypsi's generation.   

[Mugsy]

A Cardinal win against EC will give John Thorne a tie with Gordon Fisher with 74 wins as a Cardinal football coach. Thorne is at 73-21 in 9 years. A .776 winning percentage. Fisher's record is 74-44-12. He coached from 1926-1942.  A win against Wheaton will not only keep the bell, but put him alone at the top of the list. Go Cards!!!! Mugsy, do you remember Fisher? 

Ouch!!  It's not even Wheatie week, yet!!   

If everything goes according to plan this week, next week could be quite entertaining here.

[CardinalAlum]

A Cardinal win against EC will give John Thorne a tie with Gordon Fisher with 74 wins as a Cardinal football coach. Thorne is at 73-21 in 9 years. A .776 winning percentage. Fisher's record is 74-44-12. He coached from 1926-1942.  A win against Wheaton will not only keep the bell, but put him alone at the top of the list. Go Cards!!!! Mugsy, do you remember Fisher? 

Ouch!  Getting lumped in with Mr. Ypsi's generation.   

Ah yes, always easy to take a shot at a Green Weenie!  .  . +K

[CardinalAlum]

This weekend is an interesting prelude to a huge week next week in the CCIW. Augie has caused some turnovers this year (their 5 takeaways are the reason they played Central so close at home) but they have not been great defensively against the run. If Wheaton can hold on to the ball (they have been so far this year) and run it against Augie (again, a strength of the Wheaton team) they should be able to hold serve in Rock Island. If you look at the team from Naperville, they ran for over 6 yds a carry in Rock Island and didn't turn it over. The result was a whitewash. Augie can certainly beat Wheaton on their home turf. I anticipate a close game but the Thunder should be able to wear them out and take over in the second half.

In Elmhurst, I want to be able to say the Bluejays can compete and play well at home, etc, etc. I just don't see it. They are giving up too much yardage and school from Naperville has the same type of spread-you-out-to-pound-you type offense that IWU used to run all over Elmhurst in Bloomington. The Naperville team won't turn it over 5 times like the Titans did. Joe Furco did not play well against Wheaton and has improved his stats since that game but he will have to play well for Elmhurst to have any chance. I really don't see Scottie Williams going for anywhere near 100 yds on the ground against the SFN.

I expect both teams to hold serve and set up an epic battle next week for the little brass bell and North Region #1 rights! But in this league we should all come to expect the unexpected.

Starting already also, Usee?  Haha. 

[CardinalAlum]

I am holding off until the Thunder are walking off the field with a W and the bell in Elmhurst is sitting there without ringing!   Really hoping for the battle for the Bell to be the biggest game the conference has seen in a long time with the conference championship and a possible #1 seed on the line!  Go Thunder (for this week)....go Cards!!!

[Mr. Ypsi]

A Cardinal win against EC will give John Thorne a tie with Gordon Fisher with 74 wins as a Cardinal football coach. Thorne is at 73-21 in 9 years. A .776 winning percentage. Fisher's record is 74-44-12. He coached from 1926-1942.  A win against Wheaton will not only keep the bell, but put him alone at the top of the list. Go Cards!!!! Mugsy, do you remember Fisher? 

Ouch!  Getting lumped in with Mr. Ypsi's generation.   

Ah yes, always easy to take a shot at a Green Weenie!  .  . +K

Hey, I resemble that remark!

(Though, for the record, Fisher retired 6 years before I was born.)