FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[USee]

It's a final in Wheaton

Wheaton 55-7.

Congratulations Thunder on a CCIW championship!

Referring to the above post you made 4 posts prior to you calling out Newcardfan for congratulating his team and not congratulating the other 2 co-champs. Not trying to start anything at all, but found it a little amusing that you did exactly what you seem to complain Newcardfan omitted. No congrats in this post of yours to the co-champs. I say congrats to everyone at the top. My team was woeful this season.

Tailgater,

Thanks for the clarification. It's pretty simple really. In NewCardFans post there was an acknowledgement of 2 of the 3 co-champs. If NCF had only been tooting NCC's horn, I would have said nothing. It was a friendly poke over a selective exclusion. My post was intended to stand on it's own as recognizing the team I root for and their conference championship. We have seen similar posts from NCC and Elmhurst fan's this week.

I wasn't trying to diss anyone else, in fact I have tried to be pretty fair to the other CCIW teams.

[USee]

With Wheaton's season officially over I want to thank the team and the coaches for what has been a fun season to watch and follow. I am passionate about our team and though we don't get a chance to play another day, it is a great accomplishment to win a conference championship and the Bell together. I think the last time those two things happened for the Thunder was 2004.

Wheaton has a pretty potent team coming back next year. They lose Peter Jarrett and 2 offensive linemen, along with Morgan Cook but with Roberts, Hiben, Velling, Thorson X2, and 3 starters back on the Oline, it is a bright future.

[NCF]

It's a final in Wheaton

Wheaton 55-7.

Congratulations Thunder on a CCIW championship!

Referring to the above post you made 4 posts prior to you calling out Newcardfan for congratulating his team and not congratulating the other 2 co-champs. Not trying to start anything at all, but found it a little amusing that you did exactly what you seem to complain Newcardfan omitted. No congrats in this post of yours to the co-champs. I say congrats to everyone at the top. My team was woeful this season.

Tailgater,

Thanks for the clarification. It's pretty simple really. In NewCardFans post there was an acknowledgement of 2 of the 3 co-champs. If NCF had only been tooting NCC's horn, I would have said nothing. It was a friendly poke over a selective exclusion. My post was intended to stand on it's own as recognizing the team I root for and their conference championship. We have seen similar posts from NCC and Elmhurst fan's this week.

I wasn't trying to diss anyone else, in fact I have tried to be pretty fair to the other CCIW teams.

....and mine was to add the two you missed:)

[bluejay4ever]

Has anyone on here seen Coe play or know anything about them? The only correlation I can get is they played Loras and spanked them and Loras also lost to EC and Augie.

On another note to be at the game on Saturday was something really special. From the times when I played when there was just a couple hundred fans that would be there to a standing room only crowd of thousands of people really into the game. I saw a ton of ex-players with me standing on the sidelines. The pride you have in your school and even during our darkest days, I always wondered what it would be like to have that atmosphere at a home game. Not even from the stand point of being an Alum it just makes you feel so good for those coaches and players. The countless hours from all of them, they really deserve it.

In an unfair world where all programs do not get to obtain that feeling, it makes you feel that for the programs who are even struggling currently to take pride on the name on the front of your jersey. As long as you give it your all for your program and support the program when that success does come around you still feel as if you strapping that helmet on. There truly is nothing better than DIII Athletics.

Go Jays and cough cough Go Cards. 

[NCF]

Just checking flights for Saturday-not good, but even worse if they win and go to Linfield. The NCAA is crazy to send a team from the Midwest that far west for a round 1 or 2 game, during Thanksgiving week-end when there are limited flights available to begin with and prices through the roof.

[New Tradition]

Just checking flights for Saturday-not good, but even worse if they win and go to Linfield. The NCAA is crazy to send a team from the Midwest that far west for a round 1 or 2 game, during Thanksgiving week-end when there are limited flights available to begin with and prices through the roof.

I'm in complete shock that they did this.  Usually they're a little more tight-fisted.  That's why they eliminated seeds and had undefeated teams in TX play eachother in round 1 in years past...if I were on some of those teams I'd be furious seeing this now.

[79jaybird]

This year's Jays remind me a lot of Thorne's NC squads that first broke the playoff ribbon.  There is a chance Elmhurst can continue to build and create something like the NC juggernaut.  It starts Saturday with their first playoff game. 

I wouldn't worry about hosting not hosting or traveling.  The fact is you are IN and in the playoffs, anything/everything can happen.  Bring your A game or go home.  Glad to see at least 2 teams get in and was really hoping to see a 3rd. 

Congrats are in order to all (3) teams, their coaches/players, and schools themselves.

[USee]

Has anyone on here seen Coe play or know anything about them? The only correlation I can get is they played Loras and spanked them and Loras also lost to EC and Augie.

On another note to be at the game on Saturday was something really special. From the times when I played when there was just a couple hundred fans that would be there to a standing room only crowd of thousands of people really into the game. I saw a ton of ex-players with me standing on the sidelines. The pride you have in your school and even during our darkest days, I always wondered what it would be like to have that atmosphere at a home game. Not even from the stand point of being an Alum it just makes you feel so good for those coaches and players. The countless hours from all of them, they really deserve it.

In an unfair world where all programs do not get to obtain that feeling, it makes you feel that for the programs who are even struggling currently to take pride on the name on the front of your jersey. As long as you give it your all for your program and support the program when that success does come around you still feel as if you strapping that helmet on. There truly is nothing better than DIII Athletics.

Go Jays and cough cough Go Cards.

Wheaton played Coe 2 years ago in the Playoffs. They are coached by the same staff and have the same system. Looking at their numbers and comparitive schedule, the best offense they played was Dubuque (5-5 and played Augie, UWP, UWSP) and they put 38 pts on Coe's defense. Coe's defense is ranked as the #3 scoring defense but I wouldn't put too much weight on that as they faced some really bad offensive teams (Luther--whom Wheaton beat soundly). The best defense they played was Wartburg and Coe scored 35. Coe has not turned the ball over very much and their defense has been dominant at times against average competition. The RB is the same guys Wheaton faced and he is tall and athletic. He is not a burner but quick with good vision and lateral quickness. Good receiver as well. Their #1 Receiver I believe also played against Wheaton 2 years ago. He is really tall and goes up and gets the ball. Their QB is not very mobile, which is a big difference to the guy we faced in 2010. He will sling it around from the shotgun but doesn't run or move very well. They will mostly run a spread offense out of the gun with 1 back and multiple receiver/TE sets.

I would say this game will be very similar for Elmhurst to Wheaton and IWU when you played them. Elmhurst should be able to score and run the ball against Coe. I doubt Elmhurst will be able to stop Coe. It looks to me like a probably shootout in the 40 pt range for both sides. Turnovers will be key as Elmhurst has done a good job protecting the ball as well as getting turnovers. Coe is very similar.

This is a winnable game for Elmhurst but it will be a battle. Coe is well coached and athletic.

[Langhorst_Ghost]

This year's Jays remind me a lot of Thorne's NC squads that first broke the playoff ribbon.  There is a chance Elmhurst can continue to build and create something like the NC juggernaut.  It starts Saturday with their first playoff game. 

This thought is something i actually made reference to in mid-September.  The path of NCC and EC's programs certainly share similarities.  In both cases, a shift in culture, in their mental and emotional approach, each program needed to shape and embrace have been the most influential and impactful factor in the rise of both Thorne and Lester's birds, respectively.  Add to that an upgrade in facilities (although NCC certainly has a huge advantage here), increased size of the full-time coaching staff, and ramping up depth-building recruiting efforts to deepen the talent pool for sustained success - and the two programs have taken similar roads.  Granted, the Redbirds have half a dozen rings and banners to show for their success...but the Jays, under Lester and his staff, have been built to compete long-term, and can hopefully continue their growth as a program, just as the Cards have.

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.

It takes time to build a program.  Coach Lester and is staff are now in their 5th year, and this year's senior group is Lester's first recruiting class and a REALLY good one (Furco, Williams, Tuckson, Lane, Homoky, and others).  That means 4 years in the system, developing themselves as athletes and students of the game, becoming completely in sync with the coaching staff and the expectations of the Head Ball Coach.  And yes, the talent gap has shrunk considerably since Lester arrived.  EC has had a long run of talented skill players, but the depth and ability of the entire roster is tremendously improved.

How soon we forget where NCC was before Thorne arrived.  3-7 in 2001, 5-5 in 2000, 2-7 in '99, 3-6 in '98 - an "also-ran" in the CCIW.  And it didn't happen overnight for the Cards under Thorne either...6-4 in 2002, 7-3 in '03 and '04 before climbing to the top of the conference in '05. 

This is not all that dis-similar a pattern from the 'Jays current path.  6-4 (3-4) from '05 to '07 under Journell, then 3 out of 4 winning seasons under Lester from '08 on (including two seasons at 4-3 in the conference).

Building a successful program takes time, talent, consistency, and support - check, check, check, and check under the Lester regime.  Is NCC still the class of the conference?  Absolutely they are.  But just as NCC had to overtake Augie and Wheaton to get to where they are, EC will have their chance.

[kiko]

Just checking flights for Saturday-not good, but even worse if they win and go to Linfield. The NCAA is crazy to send a team from the Midwest that far west for a round 1 or 2 game, during Thanksgiving week-end when there are limited flights available to begin with and prices through the roof.

I'm in complete shock that they did this.  Usually they're a little more tight-fisted.  That's why they eliminated seeds and had undefeated teams in TX play eachother in round 1 in years past...if I were on some of those teams I'd be furious seeing this now.

There are a couple of factors at play here.  One, someone was going to get on a plane.  And if that was going to happen regardless, it is reasonable that it is a lower seed that packs its bags.  North Central didn't earn the right to grumble about drawing this short straw -- beat LAX or Wheaton and maybe there is an argument here.  The NCAA is picking up the tab for someone regardless of who it is; it just becomes a matter of who goes on the road.

Two, I would be shocked if they are flying commercial as opposed to a charter flight.  I can't imagine it is feasible to find the 100 open seats needed to get a team from Point A to Point B, even with the multitude of flights and airports available in the Chicago and LA markets even on a normal weekend.  On Thanksgiving weekend, with a week's notice, I don't know this is doable.

That changes the economic equation a bit.  I don't know the cost of a charter flight, but if you assume $300 per seat for a commercial flight (and that is almost certainly overly-optimistic), you're looking at a minimum $30,000-40,000 expense for flying commercial depending on how many people you're transporting and how much the fares would be.  And that's *if* you can find seats for everyone.  So the question becomes: we'll need a charter between two cities; one will be West Coast and one will be Central Time Zone.  At that point, it doesn't really matter who they send on the road.

There's a lot of moving pieces as they set the bracket.  I don't expect that the handful of potential traveling fans are a big factor in the decision process.

I actually am happy to see this bracket.  The travel is tough, but it will be interesting to see how the Cards fare against a different cast of characters.

[pg04]

I agree with Kiko, there was going to be someone shipped off to the west, no matter how it would be arranged. It just happened to be the short straw for NCC.

[ncc58]

Just checking flights for Saturday-not good, but even worse if they win and go to Linfield. The NCAA is crazy to send a team from the Midwest that far west for a round 1 or 2 game, during Thanksgiving week-end when there are limited flights available to begin with and prices through the roof.

I'm in complete shock that they did this.  Usually they're a little more tight-fisted.  That's why they eliminated seeds and had undefeated teams in TX play eachother in round 1 in years past...if I were on some of those teams I'd be furious seeing this now.

The NCAA is still tight-fisted. NCC is the only team to require air travel in the first round. The podcast interview with Brad Bankston discusses the cost issue.

The lesson is to win your games late in the season, especially rivalry games. As a 5 seed or less, NCC doesn't go West.

[USee]

I agree. They had to send someone and I think from experience they know sending teams from a major market (Chicago) to another major market (Los Angeles) is much easier for teams AND fans. I agree NCC is most likely looking at a charter. Fans should inquire with the Athletic department as their may be seats available for purchase on the charter.

There are worse things than playing in California in November. At least you aren't going to Alliance, OH.

1-You get to play this weekend
2-It may be near 70 degrees there
3-If you lose you can go to Disneyland

Cry me a river....trade ya places?

[ncc58]

That changes the economic equation a bit.  I don't know the cost of a charter flight, but if you assume $300 per seat for a commercial flight (and that is almost certainly overly-optimistic), you're looking at a minimum $30,000-40,000 expense for flying commercial depending on how many people you're transporting and how much the fares would be.  And that's *if* you can find seats for everyone.  So the question becomes: we'll need a charter between two cities; one will be West Coast and one will be Central Time Zone.  At that point, it doesn't really matter who they send on the road.

There's a lot of moving pieces as they set the bracket.  I don't expect that the handful of potential traveling fans are a big factor in the decision process.

I actually am happy to see this bracket.  The travel is tough, but it will be interesting to see how the Cards fare against a different cast of characters.

The air travel is discussed in the Bankston interview. It likely will be a charter at a cost - $30-40,000.

Your assumption of $300 for a commercial flight isn't even close. At this point, airfare from Chicago to the game site is more than double that number. And, there is only a small number of seats available on the most convenient commercial flights.

Personally, I think that traveling fans should be a consideration.  NCC is working on package deals for parents, alumni, and other supporters, but it likely will be $1000 per person.

[USee]

Yes, but travel for smaller market teams is much worse than Chicago to LA. If  you were travelling from Wisconsin, MN, IN, or OH to LA it would be even worse for fans. Chicago to LA is one of the most popular flight routes in the country. Many, many more direct flights.

For you fans make sure you check www.kayak.com which is a search engine for flights. Also check southwest and use multiple airports like Orange County, Burbank, LAX, etc. Midway, O'hare and Milwaukee should all be considered from here. Looks like to me flights are around $500. Car and hotel puts you up around 1k. thanksgiving in California!! I would do it. you can stay out there all week and drive up Hiway 1 to Oregon for round 2!   Hey, its 38 degrees today, LA sounds like a good place to be!