FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[shepherd]

Carthage nickname change?

https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/carthage-mulls-changing-nickname-mascot/article_84549b7e-1e51-5dce-9e86-c1f2a5d2b806.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

Carthage mulls changing nickname

Whats a Mull? Just Kidding.

[DuffMan]

Wheaton predicted to get to the semis at least.

Interesting take. 

2019 playoffs: Wheaton bracket

The Thunder has a gaudy ranking and gaudy seeding and both are deserved, but St. John's looms in this bracket and the semifinals would be even more challenging, should Wheaton make it that far.

[Pat Coleman]

Carthage nickname change?

https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/carthage-mulls-changing-nickname-mascot/article_84549b7e-1e51-5dce-9e86-c1f2a5d2b806.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1

Carthage mulls changing nickname

Whats a Mull? Just Kidding.

That's what the Mullenberg nickname is.

[wally_wabash]

^  which is why I think the NCAA didn't do them or Mount any favors with the bracketing.  That pairing is regional final quality or better.

North Central was ranked 4th in the North region, so a 1 vs. 4 second round game would be expected. 

It's difficult to treat North Central, almost certainly the last team selected, as a #2 seed.  The accumulation of losses by top tier teams (NCC, St. John's, UWW) put these kind of second round matchups in play. 

[USee]

^  which is why I think the NCAA didn't do them or Mount any favors with the bracketing.  That pairing is regional final quality or better.

North Central was ranked 4th in the North region, so a 1 vs. 4 second round game would be expected. 

It's difficult to treat North Central, almost certainly the last team selected, as a #2 seed.  The accumulation of losses by top tier teams (NCC, St. John's, UWW) put these kind of second round matchups in play.

Well, UWW was probably the 29th or 30th team selected and they are a 2 seed no?

[USee]

Wheaton predicted to get to the semis at least.

Interesting take. 

2019 playoffs: Wheaton bracket

The Thunder has a gaudy ranking and gaudy seeding and both are deserved, but St. John's looms in this bracket and the semifinals would be even more challenging, should Wheaton make it that far.

https://d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/index

Last team standing

Ryan: Wheaton. This is a team that is absolutely crushing every aspect of game play, from their top-notch defense to an offense powered by a 2,000-yard quarterback, a pair of dynamic receivers, and a running back who has crested 1,200 yards ... not to mention a kicker who connected with a 46-yarder just last week. All the boxes are checked.

Greg: Wheaton. The Thunder, miraculously, dodged both Mount Union and Whitewater.  This isn't an easy region to get out of by any stretch, but if Wheaton is going to return to the semis, they aren't going to get a better opportunity than this. 

Frank: St. John's. I think enough attrition could occur in this bracket to help clear the way for the Johnnies.

Keith: Wheaton. If we're not gonna ride the lightning Thunder now, when the road to Shenandoah for a North Region won't even require a visit to Alliance, when will we do it? Sure, the quadrant is loaded, but so is Wheaton.

Adam: St. John's. Jackson Erdmann does whatever it takes to get another shot at Mary Hardin-Baylor and avenge last year's heartbreak. The path won't be easy, but it's manageable. They'll need to win a memorable thriller or two along the way to get there, but have the talent and pedigree to pull out a postseason classic.

Pat: Wheaton. Those guys up front are just incredible for Wheaton. They put Broc Rutter on his back seven times and Dan Greenheck can only block one of those guys.

[jamtod]

Wheaton predicted to get to the semis at least.

Interesting take. 

2019 playoffs: Wheaton bracket

The Thunder has a gaudy ranking and gaudy seeding and both are deserved, but St. John's looms in this bracket and the semifinals would be even more challenging, should Wheaton make it that far.

Pat: Wheaton. Those guys up front are just incredible for Wheaton. They put Broc Rutter on his back seven times and Dan Greenheck can only block one of those guys.

Bartsch and the rest aren't exactly slouches either though.

[USee]

Wheaton predicted to get to the semis at least.

Interesting take. 

2019 playoffs: Wheaton bracket

The Thunder has a gaudy ranking and gaudy seeding and both are deserved, but St. John's looms in this bracket and the semifinals would be even more challenging, should Wheaton make it that far.

Pat: Wheaton. Those guys up front are just incredible for Wheaton. They put Broc Rutter on his back seven times and Dan Greenheck can only block one of those guys.

Bartsch and the rest aren't exactly slouches either though.

I am sure they aren't. It would be an interesting thing to measure NCC's OLine against St Johns OLine. Don't know how to do it, but I do know there are All Americans on both.

The good news is, if both teams take care of business (which will be its own tall task) they get to prove it on the field in 3 weeks time. I hope we all get there because I can't imagine a more fun game than playing St Johns at home to go to the semi's.

[Pat Coleman]

Wheaton predicted to get to the semis at least.

Interesting take. 

2019 playoffs: Wheaton bracket

The Thunder has a gaudy ranking and gaudy seeding and both are deserved, but St. John's looms in this bracket and the semifinals would be even more challenging, should Wheaton make it that far.

Pat: Wheaton. Those guys up front are just incredible for Wheaton. They put Broc Rutter on his back seven times and Dan Greenheck can only block one of those guys.

Bartsch and the rest aren't exactly slouches either though.

Yeah, I guess he is also OK. 

[AndOne]

As anyone knows, you're not going to the winners circle without scoring at least a few points.
But they say defense wins championships. And, if that proves to be the case this year, I think Wheaton has an excellent chance to be the last team standing. If there is a better D3 Defense than the Orange Curtain, I wanna see it. Particularly, the Wheaties D Line. NCC has some pretty accomplished players on its O line. But in the second half of the WC/NCC game, the Wheaton D line fired through like they were shot out of a canon. Although they are certainly no slouch when the have the ball, I think there are a decent number of teams that can keep up with the Wheaties offensively. But, defensively, if the Orange Team doesn't get you early and often, there is still a good chance they'll wear you down and get you later and often.
Time for a shower. 

[AndOne]

NCC was looking ahead to Mount Union 2011 and they got bushwacked in C'ville. 

North Central lost in 2011 because Wabash was better, not because North Central's attention was elsewhere.

Yep, when that pass on the 2 point conversion went through the intended receiver's hands and deflected to another Wabash player just standing in the back of the end zone, that instantly made W. the better team. 

It's difficult to treat North Central, almost certainly the last team selected, as a #2 seed.  The accumulation of losses by top tier teams (NCC, St. John's, UWW) put these kind of second round matchups in play. 

Very lucky then for conference champion Wabash to get sent to play a team that barely made the playoffs!

[wally_wabash]

NCC was looking ahead to Mount Union 2011 and they got bushwacked in C'ville. 

North Central lost in 2011 because Wabash was better, not because North Central's attention was elsewhere.

Yep, when that pass on the 2 point conversion went through the intended receiver's hands and deflected to another Wabash player just standing in the back of the end zone, that instantly made W. the better team. 

No, it had more to do with Wabash winning in most of the game's major statistical categories.  There are times when boxscores and final scores don't make a lot of sense (look at the two major upsets of St. John's and St. Thomas this year for prime examples), but that wasn't one of those. 

It's difficult to treat North Central, almost certainly the last team selected, as a #2 seed.  The accumulation of losses by top tier teams (NCC, St. John's, UWW) put these kind of second round matchups in play. 

Very lucky then for conference champion Wabash to get sent to play a team that barely made the playoffs!

Where's the lie?  North Central WAS the last team in.  Now you can read that as some kind of slight, but I think you can review my contributions here and know that I know better than to equate "last team in" with "worst team in".  You know that I know that it doesn't work that way. 

[AndOne]

The stats for the 2011 game weren't that widely divergent, and the fact that they slightly favored Wabash doesn't reflect the fact that had it not been for a miraculously lucky play, NCC would have won. Had the Wabash receiver who wound up catching the deflected miss by the intended target not been standing exactly where he was, W would have wound up with a L instead of the W.

As far as this year, agreeably there is no lie. There is also no lie in saying Wabash was the conference champ OR that they are very lucky to have been sent to face a team that barely made the field as opposed to being sent to face somebody like Wheaton or Mount. I'm sure the boys from Indiana are relieved to be heading to Naperville rather than Wheaton or Alliance. 

[wally_wabash]

Is it really luck if NCC hadn't defended a pass all day? 

[CardinalAlum]

Is it really luck if NCC hadn't defended a pass all day? 

He's not wrong!