FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

AndOne · July 19, 2018, 03:30:12 PM

Quote from: Kovo on July 16, 2018, 11:22:08 AM
Quote from: USee on July 13, 2018, 01:23:26 PM
I can't speak for AndOne but my post was definitely wishful thinking. If I ended up being right (I think AO was going with it fyi) than I was more lucky than good.

FWIW, NCC has their 2018 roster online and he is on there.

I have it on good authority that Rutter is definitely out because Jalen Hurts from Alabama is transferring to NCC. Of course my source is with Russian Intelligence and has been focused on other matters.

That same source recently let slip that the Cardinals and Crimson Tide have actually agreed on a trade of QBs with Rutter headed south, and Hurts coming north.

USee · July 23, 2018, 03:30:51 PM

Spent some of the weekend looking at the top of the CCIW. I think its going to be extremely competitive this year. Wheaton and NCC are still clear and distinct favorites but the group of Carthage, IWU and Millikin are both seemingly very close to each other and have closed the gap with the top two. Normally, the CCIW could have as many as 4 top 25 teams at some point this season, but because the schedule has many of the top teams playing each other early, we likely won't get the chance to see it. Early season injuries and player development are going to have big effects on the CCIW race this year, which could well be decided in the first 3 weeks of the season.

Stay tuned for more....

Gregory Sager · July 23, 2018, 06:13:11 PM

North Park has 65 deposits already, and there's still several incoming transfer possibilities that are developing. Mike Conway and his assistants are very excited about both the quantity and the quality that they're bringing in this year.

It's going to be a roster with a huge number of warm-weather guys (especially Hawaiians and Floridians, but including Samoans, Guamanians, and Texans as well), so I'm hoping for a mild winter of 2019 that won't scare them all off.

iwu70 · July 27, 2018, 12:32:55 PM

Retagent is actually my "evil twin."

'70

USee · July 28, 2018, 05:00:51 PM

Wheaton's season preview has been posted on their website:

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2018/7/26/2018-wheaton-thunder-football-season-preview.aspx

Head coach Mike Swider notes of 2017, "Last season was a frustrating and difficult season. We lost two football games and in those two games, the difference could be reduced to two or three plays that accounted for the losses. When you look back at the season, those two games could have gone either way. That really stung. He continues, "Midway through the year, our kids centered themselves and we finished the year really strong. I think that is where we picked up in the offseason and into this upcoming year. These players and specifically these seniors want to do something special this year and make a statement."

Swider says of the leaders on his team for the upcoming season, "This is a big senior class, with 36 seniors. They replace a big senior class, but we replace them with very productive players that have demonstrated great leadership. They have been on the field and made plays for us. That makes a big difference and gives us great anticipation for the upcoming season."

"We have a lot of starters and experience returning," notes Swider. An up-and-down season like last year has formed and shaped those kids. There is a resolve, determination and focus that became very apparent at the end of last season and into the offseason and summer."

USee · July 30, 2018, 07:46:39 PM

Not much of a correlation between pre season rankings and pre season all American selections.

Pat Coleman · July 30, 2018, 08:51:53 PM

Quote from: USee on July 30, 2018, 07:46:39 PM
Not much of a correlation between pre season rankings and pre season all American selections.

Makes sense, considering it takes dozens of players to really succeed. One of my go-to questions in the offseason podcasts is "what separates you guys from (conference/national contender)" and the answer is often team depth. Takes more than 3-5 players to win a title.

USee · July 30, 2018, 11:36:56 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on July 30, 2018, 08:51:53 PM
Quote from: USee on July 30, 2018, 07:46:39 PM
Not much of a correlation between pre season rankings and pre season all American selections.

Makes sense, considering it takes dozens of players to really succeed. One of my go-to questions in the offseason podcasts is "what separates you guys from (conference/national contender)" and the answer is often team depth. Takes more than 3-5 players to win a title.

No issue with that. It is curious how a #7 NCC team can have zero players on the pre-season AA team while its lower ranked rival has 3 and the team NCC beat in the playoffs (also lower ranked) has 3. And the playoff-not UWW team has 2. Could be your explanation but I would think one of Broc Rutter, Josh Leohnard, Derek Warkenthein or Pat Cravens would be on that list somehwere.

Either way I would be very surprised if 1 or more of them isn't an AA at year's end.

Pat Coleman · July 31, 2018, 12:44:50 AM

Any of the three defensive guys you named were closer than Rutter -- there's just simply too many quarterbacks to consider when you're only listing three teams.

wally_wabash · July 31, 2018, 09:19:46 AM

The preseason AA list is hyper exclusive. There are a lot of really good players that aren't listed, including those guys from North Central.

USee · July 31, 2018, 10:52:26 AM

Quote from: wally_wabash on July 31, 2018, 09:19:46 AM
The preseason AA list is hyper exclusive. There are a lot of really good players that aren't listed, including those guys from North Central.

Hyper inefficient maybe, hyper exclusive, no. Pre-Season anything is a guessing game and appears as such. I will be very surprised, if NCC stays in the top 10 (which is a big if), to not see multiple NCC players as AA by the end of the season.

Pat-You may not have had Broc Rutter on your list now, but if he plays the way he is capable you will definitely have him on your list at the end of the season. And what's insane is he may not be the best QB in the CCIW this year.

wally_wabash · July 31, 2018, 11:32:26 AM

I actually think there's less guessing than you want on the D3Football.com AA team. It's not like they're starting from scratch in July. Germinerio is the only non-senior QB from last year's AA list. He was a regional player of the year. Why would he not be the first team preseason AA? Fulford was ahead of Rutter on the all-region list at the end of last year. Why should he not be ahead of Rutter to start the year? What's different today from December 2017 that should alter the way those players are ranked relative to one another? The list isn't crazy. It absolutely makes sense.

USee · July 31, 2018, 12:08:04 PM

Quote from: wally_wabash on July 31, 2018, 11:32:26 AM
I actually think there's less guessing than you want on the D3Football.com AA team. It's not like they're starting from scratch in July. Germinerio is the only non-senior QB from last year's AA list. He was a regional player of the year. Why would he not be the first team preseason AA? Fulford was ahead of Rutter on the all-region list at the end of last year. Why should he not be ahead of Rutter to start the year? What's different today from December 2017 that should alter the way those players are ranked relative to one another? The list isn't crazy. It absolutely makes sense.

To be clear, I am not complaining. I don't care who is pre season AA as it's just a guess. I am simply stating what it is, a random experiment that is highly inefficient based on limited data. The one example you cited makes sense (and I never said it didn't), that doesn't mean the list makes sense. One example from a list of almost 50 players proves zero. And what's different from December 2017 is that this is a new season. This isn't the "Who is left from last year all american list" it's a guess at who might be good this year. Starting with last year's good players is a safe, sensible place to start. It means nothing as to where we might end up.

Gregory Sager · July 31, 2018, 12:40:28 PM

I always consider mention in a preseason All-American list to be an entry point for discussion rather than an honor earned.

Pat Coleman · July 31, 2018, 01:31:36 PM

Quote from: USee on July 31, 2018, 12:08:04 PM
Quote from: wally_wabash on July 31, 2018, 11:32:26 AM
I actually think there's less guessing than you want on the D3Football.com AA team. It's not like they're starting from scratch in July. Germinerio is the only non-senior QB from last year's AA list. He was a regional player of the year. Why would he not be the first team preseason AA? Fulford was ahead of Rutter on the all-region list at the end of last year. Why should he not be ahead of Rutter to start the year? What's different today from December 2017 that should alter the way those players are ranked relative to one another? The list isn't crazy. It absolutely makes sense.

To be clear, I am not complaining. I don't care who is pre season AA as it's just a guess. I am simply stating what it is, a random experiment that is highly inefficient based on limited data. The one example you cited makes sense (and I never said it didn't), that doesn't mean the list makes sense. One example from a list of almost 50 players proves zero. And what's different from December 2017 is that this is a new season. This isn't the "Who is left from last year all american list" it's a guess at who might be good this year. Starting with last year's good players is a safe, sensible place to start. It means nothing as to where we might end up.

I'm not aware of anything that Rutter has done in the past seven months to move ahead of Fulford. There are definitely instances where we move players around based on what we think their ceilings are this year but it isn't something we do without having some real reason behind it.