FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

Rather than peg a number for NCC/NPU I would set the line as simply: "whatever Coach Thorne's conscience will allow".

Personally, I think you are wrong on Elmhurst AT Carthage - I see it as a toss-up (and took Carthage in the Pickems).  (Of course, Mugsy has already done me in on Pickems - saying as of today I would win it on the tie-breaker brings out my 'best' choking instincts! )

[usee]

And what's your rationale for carthage/elmhurst being a "toss up".

[Titan Q]

Article on the IWU/Augustana game...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_e94e627a-eeb6-11df-bc5b-001cc4c002e0.html

BLOOMINGTON -- Playing Augustana used to be a two-hour-and-change day. It was almost better to leave the bus running in the parking lot.

"You never got the ball back," said Illinois Wesleyan coach Norm Eash.


There is a lot of interesting stuff on the line in this game...

* IWU is trying to win 8 or more games in consecutive seasons for the first time in its 119-year football history.

* The senior class can tie a school record with 31 wins (1994-1997 class)

* Augie is looking for winning season 31 in the last 32 years

* Augie is looking for its first home win this season


I think this will be a great game.

[Stagg Again!!]

If D3's bracket ends up being right, and I assume it will be in regards to MTU and UWW, I'd be really pissed if I was a NCC player, coach or fan.

If D3's bracket ends up being right (and I don't think it will), and if I were a UWW fan, I'd be p.o.'d as well.  After all they are the top ranked team in the country and they would placed into the toughest bracket based on average regional ranking (average regional ranking in STU bracket = 5.5, MU bracket = 5.5, Wesley bracket = 5.25, and UWW bracket = 4.125, based on my back of the envelope calculations); number of teams in D3's own top 25 poll (MU bracket with 3 teams in D3 Top 25, Wesley bracket with 4, STU bracket with 6, and UWW bracket with 8); and average ranking in the most recent D3 poll (MU bracket with average D3 Top 25 ranking of 27th in the country, Wesley bracket with average of 20th, STU bracket with average of 20th, and UWW bracket with average of 12th).  Essentially, this D3 bracket treats Mount Union as the #1 overall seed and UWW as the #4 overall seed.  Additionally, most brackets that I have seen would but the #4 overall seed and the #5 overall seed into the same region -- UWW and NCC are both in the UWW bracket.  

I've already expended too much intellectual capital on this projection.  I'll wait 'til Sunday and hope that the NCAA does a bit better job (maybe they will even put STU and NCC in a region as the #1 and #2 seeds and let them iron it out on the field).

[Pat Coleman]

We could flop Wheaton and North Central, yes. It isn't as simple as just moving two teams, though. Working this out in my head, so hope it makes sense.

Benedictine at St. Thomas/Cal Lutheran-Linfield is one half of that bracket. The other is then St. Norbert at North Central and Bethel at Wartburg.

Other bracket:

HCAC winner at UW-Whitewater/Wittenberg at Ohio Northern .... The other half is Trine at Wheaton and Thomas More at DePauw

Someone on the blog said, basically, UWW and MTU had earned the right to not be challenged by another one of the "big 6" (UWW MTU WSLY NCC UMHB UST) in the other half of their bracket and that makes sense.


Stagg or Bust -- if you think you expended too much intellectual capital on the bracket, you should try actually putting one together. It ain't easy. There's a lot of moving parts to consider, and I am pretty sure I expended a lot more "intellectual capital" than you did.

[Stagg Again!!]

We could flop Wheaton and North Central, yes. It isn't as simple as just moving two teams, though. Working this out in my head, so hope it makes sense.

Benedictine at St. Thomas/Cal Lutheran-Linfield is one half of that bracket. The other is then St. Norbert at North Central and Bethel at Wartburg.

Other bracket:

HCAC winner at UW-Whitewater/Wittenberg at Ohio Northern .... The other half is Trine at Wheaton and Thomas More at DePauw

Someone on the blog said, basically, UWW and MTU had earned the right to not be challenged by another one of the "big 6" (UWW MTU WSLY NCC UMHB UST) in the other half of their bracket and that makes sense.


Stagg or Bust -- if you think you expended too much intellectual capital on the bracket, you should try actually putting one together. It ain't easy. There's a lot of moving parts to consider, and I am pretty sure I expended a lot more "intellectual capital" than you did.

While this addresses the question of NCC/STU, it does not address the UWW as the #4 overall seed issue.  Pat, I certainly appreciate the effort, but would have hoped for (and still do hope for) a more balanced field with better placement of the top half dozen teams.  I know how difficult this must have been given the NCAA's limitations on mileage, etc.  I have spent more than my fair share of time with brackets over time (my wife would attest to this) and it can be intellectually stimulating, but you're certainly right -- I don't intend to expend as much of an effort on a projection at t minus 36 hours as you did on this one.  I will wait for the NCAA to release their bracket and look forward to reading and hearing your analysis on Sunday.

[Mr. Ypsi]

And what's your rationale for carthage/elmhurst being a "toss up".

Primarily just a hunch.

Both played IWU about equally.  Both laid a huge egg against Augie.  Carthage beat Franklin; I suspect Elmhurst wouldn't have.  My pick is mainly because the game is in Kenosha.  (Partially also because Elmhurst seems to continually disappoint in the latter parts of the season, though no evidence of that this year so far.)

[Pat Coleman]

Stagg or Bust:

It's hard to conceive of the NCAA seeing UWW as a No. 1 seed in the country when it currently doesn't even have UWW as the No. 1 team in its own region.

[formerd3db]

Stagg or Bust:

It's hard to conceive of the NCAA seeing UWW as a No. 1 seed in the country when it currently doesn't even have UWW as the No. 1 team in its own region.

Legit point Pat, although you and we all know that the NCAA isn't always right

[usee]

And what's your rationale for carthage/elmhurst being a "toss up".

Primarily just a hunch.

Both played IWU about equally.  Both laid a huge egg against Augie.  Carthage beat Franklin; I suspect Elmhurst wouldn't have.  My pick is mainly because the game is in Kenosha.  (Partially also because Elmhurst seems to continually disappoint in the latter parts of the season, though no evidence of that this year so far.)

Ypsi,

I don't think elmhurst laid an egg against Augie. You better re check that theory.  I have actually seen both teams play and feel quite comfortable in my assessment. I'd be happy to expound.

[Mr. Ypsi]

And what's your rationale for carthage/elmhurst being a "toss up".

Primarily just a hunch.

Both played IWU about equally.  Both laid a huge egg against Augie.  Carthage beat Franklin; I suspect Elmhurst wouldn't have.  My pick is mainly because the game is in Kenosha.  (Partially also because Elmhurst seems to continually disappoint in the latter parts of the season, though no evidence of that this year so far.)

Ypsi,

I don't think elmhurst laid an egg against Augie. You better re check that theory.  I have actually seen both teams play and feel quite comfortable in my assessment. I'd be happy to expound.

Yeah, a big 'oops' on Elmhurst/Augie.   I misremembeed, then, not trusting my memory proceeded to look it up and read the score backwards!

[Mr. Ypsi]

USee, Carthage up 28-6 w/ about 6 minutes remaining.

Still want to expound?!

[usee]

Wheaton 46 Millikin 0 final

Jordan Roberts doesn't start but plays sparingly in the second half. Wheaton cruised in this one.

[shepherd]

Hardin-Simmons loses possibly opening a pool c spot with Il Wesl., Ursinus and Coe on the table.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Hardin-Simmons loses possibly opening a pool c spot with Il Wesl., Ursinus and Coe on the table.

Not gonna do IWU much good; they lost in Rock Island today.