FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

Now if Millikin wins this Saturday all bets are off.

Exactly. I don't know what it will mean to the rest of the conference, but if the Cardinals blow it out their butts against Millikin next Saturday, yesterday's great victory over IWU means nothing. I don't expect that to happen, but the red team better not take the blue one lightly.

[Pat Coleman]

I honestly don't know and may be clouded by what I wish for more than what is reality. In reality I don't expect Wheaton to end up in the rankings at all, which would hurt IWU and NCC (for seeding purposes). I also remember something about RRO not being considered in the first regional ranking, but that could be wrong too.

This isn't wrong and in fact I mentioned Wheaton specifically toward the end of ATN podcast 219 (available through iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you like to get your podcasts) when discussing how the inclusion of RRO results for the second set of rankings may impact things.  With Eureka having lost and the inclusion of RRO results, I would be shocked if Wheaton isn't in the bottom third of this week's set of regional rankings.

Thank you. Remind me to buy you a beer sometime.

[thunderdog]

All the talk about which 2-loss CCIW team will be ranked higher in the regional rankings is moot unless DePauw beats Wabash. As things stand in the North, the first pool C bid will undoubtedly go to the OAC (JCU vs Baldwin Wallace winner). After that, there are two 1-loss NCAC (Witt & Bash) teams, neither of which will get the automatic pool A bid (general consensus is that Denison gets the pool A bid on some vaguely written tie-breaker rules). If they both win, they both will be slotted higher than any 2 loss CCIW team, meaning they would be the 2nd team from the North to get pool C. The ONLY thing that can undue that is DePauw beating Bash, giving Bash 2 losses in NCAC play, and giving Witt the pool A bid from the NCAC due to their h2h win over Denison. The North MIGHT get 2 pool C's, they will definitely not get a 3rd. So again, unless DePauw beats Bash, the top 2 pool C spots go to the OAC and NCAC... sorry CCIW fans

[USee]

It's not impossible that a 2 loss CCIW team is ranked ahead of a 1 loss NCAC team after RRO is considered, which was not for last weeks ranking.

[Gregory Sager]

Congratulations to North Park upon snapping a seven-game losing streak with a convincing 36-19 win over Elmhurst at Langhorst Field yesterday. Sophomore QB Grant Borsch threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a fifth, as the Vikings got everything that they needed to win in a 22-point first quarter in which they gained 166 yards. One of those first-quarter TDs was set up by yet another blocked punt from kick-blocking machine David Simmons, Jr. I don't think that anybody keeps records for career blocked kicks (FGs, PATs, and punts), but it would surprise me if anyone's ever blocked more than Simmons has over the past four seasons. With starting RB Justice Macneal-Young out, freshman backup Michael Soracco ran for 92 yards, while junior WR Sid Smith IV had a career day with seven catches for 124 yards and two TDs.

Nice to get back into the win column.

[79jaybird]

Congrats Greg and the Vikes.   North Park was ready to play from the get go.   Elmhurst was still on the tarmac and often their body language just made it seem like they were in slo-mo and/or no interest.  I don't know if it is coaching/admin certainly some injuries this year have made life a challenge for the Jays,  but something has to change at Elmhurst.  They have tailspun to the dungeon of the conference Very frustrating because they most likely going to go winless in the conference this year. 

This conference seems to get increased parity every year. Yes,  lot of "shoulda, coulda, woulda," but even as it stands there are multiple teams with a shot heading into the final week.   

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats Greg and the Vikes.   North Park was ready to play from the get go.   Elmhurst was still on the tarmac and often their body language just made it seem like they were in slo-mo and/or no interest.  I don't know if it is coaching/admin certainly some injuries this year have made life a challenge for the Jays,

The 'jays are not alone in that department. Mike Conway said in our postgame interview after the Augie game that NPU had lost 21 players for the year due to injury by the season's midway point, and it's up over the two-dozen point now. Injuries are part of the game of football. You have to suck it up and take a "next man up" attitude rather than fall back upon injuries as an excuse for losing. The bottom line is that every program will have a season every now and then in which it has an extraordinary rash of injuries. Good programs have the depth to at least remain competitive when that happens. For NPU, though, a fair number of the best players remaining are freshmen who have bypassed the sophs and upperclassmen on the roster who really haven't panned out as CCIW material. The Vikings used 22 freshmen on Saturday (although a half-dozen of them came in for the first time at the end of the game, when the outcome was a done deal and the Vikes were simply running out the clock). When your two-deep is littered with frosh the way that North Park's is, you'll sometimes get a good performance (e.g., Mike Soracco at RB on Saturday, and the four defenders who were among NPU's eleven players who had three or more tackles), but usually their lack of experience and physical development will take its toll over the course of a game.

but something has to change at Elmhurst.  They have tailspun to the dungeon of the conference Very frustrating because they most likely going to go winless in the conference this year.

Well, in spite of the fact that my alma mater got the better of yours this season, I still envy your position as far as football is concerned. The potential is always there for Elmhurst football to build something special, because of its location -- just as it was always there for North Central, which had been mediocre or worse on the gridiron for two decades and hadn't won a CCIW title in 42 years until John Thorne was hired in 2002. North Park will always have one hand tied behind its back in this sport, and that's just a fact of life. I've learned to live with it and to appreciate whatever limited success the NPU football program is able to muster, which is one reason why I am such a big fan of Mike Conway -- he's got the Vikings grinding out two or three wins every season while being competitive in a few other games (including some, such as last week's loss to Carthage that came down to the last five minutes, in which the Vikings had no business being competitive in).

[79jaybird]

Very true and agree Greg.   Coaching makes a huge difference and getting the players motivated.  Then when injuries do pop up,  having the 2nd or 3rd deep man, step up and fill the void.

[CardinalAlum]

Very true and agree Greg.   Coaching makes a huge difference and getting the players motivated.  Then when injuries do pop up,  having the 2nd or 3rd deep man, step up and fill the void.

How about a guy like Frank Lenti for a CCIW job?  Would that make a difference with a name coach like NCC did?  Weenies with Norm, Augie with Reade also were similar hires.... Any other big name high school coaches that might cause a buzz?

[Gregory Sager]

Frank Lenti? He's 66 years old, is coming off of a couple of hip-replacement surgeries, has openly stated that he doesn't want to coach at the college level, and has also told the press that he doesn't intend to coach past his 70th birthday, whether it's as a special assistant (or whatever his job title is at St. Laurence) or as a head coach somewhere.

[79jaybird]

IMO-  It doesn't have to be a big (famed) coach with a big name.  Rather, I think just a coach with a proven track record of success.   I realize coaches like that are hard to find and persuade to join the D-III ranks,  but Elmhurst needs some leadership on and off the field.

[Gregory Sager]

Is Ron Planz actually in jeopardy of losing his job, or are we just thinking out loud here about possible replacements for him?

[79jaybird]

 I don't think he's on the hot seat.  At least I have heard nothing towards that.  I just know there are a few Alums and former players who don't like what has been shown on the field this year. 

[CardinalAlum]

Is Ron Planz actually in jeopardy of losing his job, or are we just thinking out loud here about possible replacements for him?

I was thinking out loud on what kind of big name high school coaches might bring a "Thorne like" presence to a D3 football school.   I know nothing about Planz or Elmhurst.  From my point of view, keep him! 

[UWO Titan 78]

Is Ron Planz actually in jeopardy of losing his job, or are we just thinking out loud here about possible replacements for him?

I was thinking out loud on what kind of big name high school coaches might bring a "Thorne like" presence to a D3 football school.   I know nothing about Planz or Elmhurst.  From my point of view, keep him! 

Bryan Stortz comes to mind as a great fit in the CCIW. He coached Lake Zurich to state titles, and then had success at Rock Island HS and now is rebuilding Conant (they just won the MSL West). He knows the areas that the CCIW recruits, and he played at Augie and was a finalist for the job there. I thought he would be a great fit at Augie, but I could see him doing well at several CCIW schools.