FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Somethings just don't make sense:

Week 1: Wheaton destroys Benedictine by a score of 48-7, a game that wasn't even close.
Week 2: Albion beats Wheaton 22-21
Week 3: Benedictine beats Albion 32-28

Albion's starting QB got knocked out of the game. The Britons went through two backups, both freshmen, who were in waaaay over their heads. The first one muffed a shotgun snap at his goal line and had to fall on the ball in the end zone for a safety. Borsellino ran back the ensuing free kick for a TD. Thus, a 28-23 Albion lead in the fourth quarter became a 32-28 Benedictine win.

Your explanation of events explains the loss but not the level of competitiveness. Albion still scored   about the same amount of points offensively as they did vs Wheaton and gave up more to Benedictine than they did Wheaton.

I didn't feel qualified to make any such extrapolations, because I haven't seen Wheaton. Heck, I didn't even watch the first half of the Albion @ Benedictine game, the half in which the Brits ran up a 28-7 lead. All I saw was the Albion team that lost its QB, didn't have a useable backup, and couldn't do much of anything right on either side of the ball (or on special teams either, for that matter) in the second half.

Benedictine played very well in the second half, but the BU webcasters (who are generally pretty good) were getting a little full of themselves with regard to their team. The PBP guy at one point late in the game, after the Eagles had taken the lead, said something like, "The Eagles are definitely a Top 40 team. They have to get some votes in the next Top 25 poll." All I could think about was how conveniently he seemed to have forgotten the 48-7 pasting his team had suffered at the hands of Wheaton two weeks earlier.

(He did later try to explain away the loss to Wheaton by blaming it on the fact that transfer QB Cyle Schultz had had only had six practices with the Eagles prior to that game.)

My assessment of Elmhurst remains. They are a playoff potential team this year.

[snip]

The jury is still out but this Elmhurst team is as talented as they have had and will not be an easy out for the top 3 in the conference.

Aren't these statements contradictory, USee? You regard them as "a playoff-potential team," but you also assume that they won't be among the "top 3 in the conference."

[USee]

I guess my thinking is in the word "potential". The top 3 CCIW teams are playoff candidates. Elmhurst has a team that, in my view, could go 9-1 this year if they clean up their game.  I am suspicious about their defense more than their offense. Keith McMillan of D3football.com is on record as calling Elmhurst a playoff team this year and I would t be surprised if happens. I also would t be surprise if they finish 4th.

With that level of conviction I should be running for office! 

[USee]

So UWW loses to Buffalo State. Buffalo State plays in the E8 conference and is 2-1 on the year. They lost last week to Brockport 38-24. Brockport put up 533 yds including over 180 rush yds on Buffalo State. UWW had 311 yds with only 123 rush yds. Both games were road games for Buffalo State.

That is a head scratcher as much as any result we have seen recently.

[NCF]

So UWW loses to Buffalo State. Buffalo State plays in the E8 conference and is 2-1 on the year. They lost last week to Brockport 38-24. Brockport put up 533 yds including over 180 rush yds on Buffalo State. UWW had 311 yds with only 123 rush yds. Both games were road games for Buffalo State.

That is a head scratcher as much as any result we have seen recently.

All this shows is that on any give Saturday....I expect the rest of the season  to be just as full of surprises as the first three weeks have been.

[irisheagle]

So UWW loses to Buffalo State. Buffalo State plays in the E8 conference and is 2-1 on the year. They lost last week to Brockport 38-24. Brockport put up 533 yds including over 180 rush yds on Buffalo State. UWW had 311 yds with only 123 rush yds. Both games were road games for Buffalo State.

That is a head scratcher as much as any result we have seen recently.

All this shows is that on any give Saturday....I expect the rest of the season  to be just as full of surprises as the first three weeks have been.

I agree with this completely, every sat it can be anyones game such as UWWs loss, Wheatons loss and BUs win. And yeah there are always going to be reasons on why the better football team lost such as injuries, suspensions or what not, but that is part of football you are only as strong as your weakest link. A year from now no one is going to be saying ohh we lost because so and so got hurt or we were out our starting QB all that will be seen is the W or L in the stat book.

[AndOne]

So UWW loses to Buffalo State. Buffalo State plays in the E8 conference and is 2-1 on the year. They lost last week to Brockport 38-24. Brockport put up 533 yds including over 180 rush yds on Buffalo State. UWW had 311 yds with only 123 rush yds. Both games were road games for Buffalo State.

That is a head scratcher as much as any result we have seen recently.

All this shows is that on any give Saturday....I expect the rest of the season  to be just as full of surprises as the first three weeks have been.

I agree with this completely, every sat it can be anyones game such as UWWs loss, Wheatons loss and BUs win. And yeah there are always going to be reasons on why the better football team lost such as injuries, suspensions or what not, but that is part of football you are only as strong as your weakest link. A year from now no one is going to be saying ohh we lost because so and so got hurt or we were out our starting QB all that will be seen is the W or L in the stat book.

A year from now ALL of us will still be saying "ohh, we lost because so and so got hurt or we were out our starting QB," but while we'll still saying it, it still won't mean s**t!   

[AndOne]

I'm starting to climb on the Elmhurst bandwagon. I thought they would beat Chicago, but in a pretty close game.

If North Central, Wesleyan, or Wheaton take EC lightly, they will be asking for trouble. It used to be a team could make a few mistakes against EC and still come away with a win, but I sense this is no longer the case.  `

[NCF]

I'm starting to climb on the Elmhurst bandwagon. I thought they would beat Chicago, but in a pretty close game.

If North Central, Wesleyan, or Wheaton take EC lightly, they will be asking for trouble. It used to be a team could make a few mistakes against EC and still come away with a win, but I sense this is no longer the case.  `

Hey-get off that bandwagon! LOL

[AndOne]

I said started to climb. Not all the way on yet. 

[NCF]

I said started to climb. Not all the way on yet. 

Just make sure you sit on the red side of the field on 9/29 Any comments on the new Top 25?

[CardAlum]

If anyone has payed attention to the NCC EC games for the past three years....they haven't even been close. I think EC has come a long way, but they do not have the same kind of athletes that NCC, IWU or wheaton have. 

Maybe I'll eat my words..but the odds of EC making the playoffs are not that great.  They would have to go 9-1 and beating two out of three of those teams just is a tall order...

[79jaybird]

"Elmhurst is never an easy out"...  At home, I would agree with this statement. On the road,  not as much.  When was the last time Elmhurst won at Wilder Field, McCully, BW Stadium, etc.and played consistent at these venues.

USee- I agree with you 100% and mostly why I am still skeptical on the Jays this year.  Like recent years they have some great "skilled position" players but have never been able to mount it into a 7 or more win season. Why?  Well there are multiple factors but the greatest factor is just inconsistent and untimely mistakes.

Loras was a creampuff, Trine was the best team they faced and Trine is a 1 and out NCAA Tournament team (if that), and Chicago is just so-so.  NC will be the toughest opponent to date.  I will hop on the EC bandwagon if they have a good showing (not necessarily a W but a good showing) in 2 weeks in N-Ville.

[CardinalAlum]

If anyone has payed attention to the NCC EC games for the past three years....they haven't even been close. I think EC has come a long way, but they do not have the same kind of athletes that NCC, IWU or wheaton have. 

Maybe I'll eat my words..but the odds of EC making the playoffs are not that great.  They would have to go 9-1 and beating two out of three of those teams just is a tall order...

Completely disagree!  They DO have the same kind of athletes.  Scottie Williams could be the best player in the conference.   Lester has done a great job of recruiting the same types of kids that NCC has now and is a great coach.  I think Elmhurst has as good a shot as they have had in many years.

[CardAlum]

If anyone has payed attention to the NCC EC games for the past three years....they haven't even been close. I think EC has come a long way, but they do not have the same kind of athletes that NCC, IWU or wheaton have. 

Maybe I'll eat my words..but the odds of EC making the playoffs are not that great.  They would have to go 9-1 and beating two out of three of those teams just is a tall order...

Completely disagree!  They DO have the same kind of athletes.  Scottie Williams could be the best player in the conference.   Lester has done a great job of recruiting the same types of kids that NCC has now and is a great coach.  I think Elmhurst has as good a shot as they have had in many years.

First off, sorry for stealing your username CardinalAlum.  I didn't follow the boards much before...

I would agree that Scottie is as good a back as anyone in the conference; I may have been a little forward in my post.    However,  EC does not have this type of talent across the board.  The trouble teams get into with NCC is the speed and physicality they have with all 11 on the field.  I think a great example is their running backs... they have 3 that can be starters and i think this is consistent across most of their positions.  My point wasn't that I don't respect EC...I just think they are in the stage NCC was 6-7 years ago.  I'm not saying its not going to happen, but I just don't know that they are there yet to do it for 7 games in the CCIW.

[NCF]

If anyone has payed attention to the NCC EC games for the past three years....they haven't even been close. I think EC has come a long way, but they do not have the same kind of athletes that NCC, IWU or wheaton have. 

Maybe I'll eat my words..but the odds of EC making the playoffs are not that great.  They would have to go 9-1 and beating two out of three of those teams just is a tall order...

Completely disagree!  They DO have the same kind of athletes.  Scottie Williams could be the best player in the conference.   Lester has done a great job of recruiting the same types of kids that NCC has now and is a great coach.  I think Elmhurst has as good a shot as they have had in many years.

I agree, which is why North Central needs to come out and play as they have in the last two games. If Elmhurst can't mix up the offense and need to rely on Williams all night, I think it will be tough for them to pull out the "W".