FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[matblake]

I know most of you (me included) think NC will have a strong year, but they have to replace some stars also most notably Radtke and Spencer.  Having Kniss at QB is a great anchor on offense, but the Cards do have some voids to fill as do the other 6 teams.

I could be wrong, but didn't Mario Smith also graduate?  If he did, that would be another huge hole to fill.  I always thought that he was as important as Radtke was to that defense.

[lakeshore]

did Kniss transfer to NCC?  He is a nice player.  Oh and jaybird there are 8 teams in the CCIW not seven.  Just thought I'd remind u

[79jaybird]

All right, some action on this board!
"Oh jaybird there are 8 teams in the CCIW not seven"
hehe, Lakeshore I had already mentioned Augie and NC in the context of that paragraph, which is why there would be 6 remaining.  At one time Carroll and Lake Forest were in the CCIW.
Sager and Mr. Ypsi,  haha  you guys can't be THAT old   Greg, we have met before, and someday hopefully Mr. Ypsi and I could meet.
USee, I agree with you that there are coaches in the conf. that don't like each other, and would do anything to get a "one up" on the other.
With Millikin,  there QB is strong their RB is phenomenal, but what about their defense and in particular the D-Line?  Their D-Line struck me as a little weak in the game I saw last year.

[FormerCard]

I know most of you (me included) think NC will have a strong year, but they have to replace some stars also most notably Radtke and Spencer.  Having Kniss at QB is a great anchor on offense, but the Cards do have some voids to fill as do the other 6 teams.

I could be wrong, but didn't Mario Smith also graduate?  If he did, that would be another huge hole to fill.  I always thought that he was as important as Radtke was to that defense.

Smith did graduate, but he is the only loss in the secondary for NC, he was a key to the defense the last 4 years, that is for sure.

[FormerCard]

did Kniss transfer to NCC?  He is a nice player.  Oh and jaybird there are 8 teams in the CCIW not seven.  Just thought I'd remind u

They were referring to older brother Kam who is in his 4th year as a starter.  His younger brother is in his 2nd year at Eastern

[diehardfan]

Maybe this was already discussed, but I just noticed that for the first time in ages, Wheaton is not ending the season with a game against Augie.  I wonder about the motivation for this change.

What? That's terrible. That's like, the game of games... the ultimate showdown, no matter what the record. It's been more than 3 years for sure... maybe they had this game last two cycles in a row?

Swider is not one to tag team QB's.  By the start of the season, there will be a definitive starter named.

Obviously I'm coming in the game late, but didn't Neil and Josh Anderson switch around a ton one year?

they had during their mini dynasty with Musso and the rest

Here's hoping for a Wheaton men's besketball type of a re-building year!

Definitely... it's really hard to be a fan that saw Wheaton be amazing year after year while in school (a loss was always devestatingly surprising), and then see us lose to teams like NCC and Augie, whom we ALWAYS beat during those years. 

From Wheaton's season preview, Coach Swider mentions a new wrinkle in the offense that was rarely used in the Coach Bishop's scheme over the years - the tight end....Personally I do favor offenses that make use of tight ends...

I love this position! It's definitely my favorite one on offense... sweet. It always made me sad Wheaton didn't utilize it more.

and before all my fellow wheaton critics remind me of wheatons use of the TE over the last couple years they must first answer the question of how many passes has a player lined up in the tight end position at wheaton caught in the last 23 years?

I have no idea about numbers, but did Corey Noonan ever line up at TE when he was there? I could have sworn...

From the Preseaon Poll Release:

Augustana took the top spot in the poll with 46 points, earning four first place votes, while North Central (9-2, 6-1) placed second with 38 points, including two first place votes. Wheaton (7-3, 4-3) placed third with 36 points (one first place vote), while Millikin (5-5, 2-5) and Elmhurst (6-4, 3-4) each tied for fifth with 27 points, with Millikin earning one first place vote.

Rounding out the poll were Illinois Wesleyan (3-7, 2-5) in seventh place with 17 points, while North Park (3-7, 0-7) finished eighth with seven points.

So basically the coaches have no idea who will win at all, but they know for sure that NP and IWU stink? 

[79jaybird]

Hark!  April is talking about football!
"so basically the coaches really don't know who will win it all, but they know for sure than NP and IWU stink?"
I don't think any team "stinks" in the CCIW.  I think it's just a matter of how competitive and talented the CCIW really is.  I think if we looked at all D-3 football schools, IWU would still be in the upper tier of strength index.  NPU is obviously in a spot where they are trying to build something, but I think Pethtel will help them get started.

[diehardfan]

Hark!  April is talking about football!

Yeah, I do that... on occasion. At least only on occasion relative to basketball.  And obviously I agree with you on the other things... it's still funny to overgeneralize... people get very defensive about their teams!

[Ditka]

With Millikin,  there QB is strong their RB is phenomenal, but what about their defense and in particular the D-Line?  Their D-Line struck me as a little weak in the game I saw last year.

Chris Williams a defensive tackle was recently named a pre-season all-american (3rd team).  I think a lot of Millikin's defensive problems came from the system they ran.  They played with only 2 dlinemen for long stretches at times and it just didn't work.  With some new blood running the defense I think it should improve a lot.

I think Millikin's problem defensively will come trying to find replacements for Tony Dingle (S/OLB) and Dortanian Blount (ILB) who were both more or less 3 year starters.

I wonder if they might consider moving one of the returning corners, Robaer Williams, to safety full time.  I saw him play there against Augie (no need for corners against them) and he stood out as by far the best player in the field for Millikin in a game where not much else went right for the blue.  He is pound for pound as good of a hitter as any player I have ever seen (to be fair he doesn't have many pounds, he is maybe 5-7 and very skinny but he plays with reckless abandon.)

[FormerCard]

D3football.com preseason polls are in.....

AUGIE   #14     243 Points

NCC      #21     140 Points






wheaton          43 points

[diehardfan]

 

as a wheaton person, that post is totally hilarious... karma for you! 

but remember, in the coaches poll, we were only just very slightly behind you 

Actually, looks like the D3hoops.com voters voted the same way as the preseason coaches poll. I wonder how often they do that in general at this stage in the game.

[matblake]

With their poor play on offense in crucial games last year I was surprised to see Wheaton got as many votes as they did. 

Anybody else think that it was funny that Alma and Adrian happened to be listed right next to each other.  Both schools starting with A, both in the MIAA, it's a shame they couldn't have been reversed so they could be alphabetically in order too.  Guess I have too much time on my hands.......

[79jaybird]

Augie #14
NC #21
Wheaton #31
Kind of surprised Monmouth wasn't ranked a little higher.
Well, hopefully we get more than 3 CCIW teams in the top 25 by the halfway point of the season.

[diehardfan]

Guess I have too much time on my hands.......

And you were making fun of me??? 

[matblake]

Guess I have too much time on my hands.......

And you were making fun of me??? 

Darn, so much for trying to keep my football and basketball personas separate