FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[cardinaldad]

CardinalDad, for what it's worth, pretty much every team has some amount of attrition every year.  All 8 teams in the conference I am sure will lose some players who feel the program is not run how they were lead to believe.  Such is life in college football where everyone comes in as a star in HS and now has to compete in college.

That being said, I know nothing whatsoever about the situation at NCC and if it is any better or worse than any other school.  I'm just saying it's not a surprise to lose some players who somehow become "disillusioned" regardless of whether the team is winning or losing.

Good point devildog29. I am aware of this. However, it is more prevelant now than it has been in the recent past. No one will know for sure. We will only see what happens in the future. I hope I'm wrong.

Go Cards!!!!!

[AUGsportsFAN]

What are people's thoughts on the new clock rules?
[/quote]

I think the new clock rules are pointless for non-division I teams, because the whole purpose of the new rules is because of television.  I think that D-III games should have the old clock rules, but I guess they have to have the same rules in all divisions.  The change I would make is to have the new rules in effect the whole game except during the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half.  This is like the NFL where when they go out-of-bounds at these times the clock is stopped until the next snap, and the rest of the time I believe the clock starts when the ref spots the ball (correct of me if I'm wrong on that). 
These changes I think would speed up the game, but also allow teams a chance to come back late in each half. 

[usee]

What are people's thoughts on the new clock rules?

I think the new clock rules are pointless for non-division I teams, because the whole purpose of the new rules is because of television.  I think that D-III games should have the old clock rules, but I guess they have to have the same rules in all divisions.  The change I would make is to have the new rules in effect the whole game except during the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half.  This is like the NFL where when they go out-of-bounds at these times the clock is stopped until the next snap, and the rest of the time I believe the clock starts when the ref spots the ball (correct of me if I'm wrong on that). 
These changes I think would speed up the game, but also allow teams a chance to come back late in each half. 
[/quote]

any clock rule that keeps a team from running a draw play with 9 seconds left in the half that results in a winding  45 yd gain and 3.6 seconds left on the clock (allowing the visiting team to kick a FG on the last play of the half) would be a fair rule in my book.

[Gregory Sager]

well with the Vikes new weight and rec facility they shouldn't have any problems getting stronger and adding weight.  The new Helwig center is the creme of the crop among CCIW weight rooms and indoor practice facilities

Agreed, but the facilities at Helwig aren't going to make the Vikings stronger just by osmosis. Weight-room and indoor-practice facilities are only assets to a football program when they're used with regularity. The players are going to have to motivate themselves to spend the off-season constantly using those facilities, and they're going to have to increase their efforts in this regard.

I'm not saying that NPU football players don't work hard on their strength training in the off-season. What I'm saying is that they have to work harder, harder than the seven teams in this league that dominate them at the line of scrimmage, knock them down in the backfield on offense, and break through their tackles on defense. It's the same thing that I've told NPU basketball players in the past; you have to keep telling yourself that while you're sitting in your dorm room with your friends playing NBA Live 06 and pretending that you're LeBron James, the players at Wheaton or Illinois Wesleyan or Augustana are in the gym practicing their shooting. You have to outwork everybody else in the off-season in order to get better next season. It's that simple -- but it's much easier said than done when you're talking about young men who have a million other priorities and/or distractions in their lives (and, no, schoolwork is not a distraction!  ).

[Mugsy]

I'd have to disagree with saying NCC could be 5-0 at this point.  While it was all NCC in the first half, Wheaton clearly won the game.  Saying NCC could be 5-0 at this point is ridiculous.  There are 20+ other schools in D3 that could make a similar claim, but they aren't for whatever reason.  You can't change the final scores and all the coulda/woulda/shoulda won't change a thing. 

Mugsy,

Maybe I am misreading his post but I think he was saying that IF the Cards were 5-0, these supposed problems would still have arisen.   I don't think that he was saying they should be 5-0. 

Long day... I wasn't careful in reading the post and I obviously misinterpreted and overreacted.  I retract my tirade - if that is possible.   My apologies to cardinaldad and anyone else I may have offended.

[Mugsy]

First "Quality Of Wins" rankings for 2006 have been posted:

#5   Wheaton: 11.600
#15 Elmhurst: 10.800
#45 Carthage: 9.400
#59 Augustana: 9.000
       North Central
#88 Millikin: 8.200
#125 Illinois Wesleyan: 7.200
#207 North Park: 4.400

[ncc58]

I'd have to disagree with saying NCC could be 5-0 at this point.  While it was all NCC in the first half, Wheaton clearly won the game.  Saying NCC could be 5-0 at this point is ridiculous.  There are 20+ other schools in D3 that could make a similar claim, but they aren't for whatever reason.  You can't change the final scores and all the coulda/woulda/shoulda won't change a thing. 

Mugsy,

Maybe I am misreading his post but I think he was saying that IF the Cards were 5-0, these supposed problems would still have arisen.   I don't think that he was saying they should be 5-0. 

NCC's record is exactly as it should be. They have lost to two teams that clearly (to me)  are better. I was actually surprised that those games were as close as they were.

I don't know specifically what parents and players are whining about, but I have a pretty good idea. What do players always whine about, even at Augustana  and Wheaton? Cardinaldad is right, this isn't high school. Don't expect to be treated like high schoolers.

[cardinaldad]

[quote author=Long day... I wasn't careful in reading the post and I obviously misinterpreted and overreacted.  I retract my tirade - if that is possible.   My apologies to cardinaldad and anyone else I may have offended.

Apology accepted, Mugsy. I thought it might be a misinterpretation. It didn't sound like you.

[Gregory Sager]

I've noticed over the years that parents, like the student-athletes themselves, often have a bit of tunnel vision where an athletic program is concerned. Even if there aren't specific gripes about playing time (the most common source of discontent), there are often complaints about coaching philosophy or personalities that come from parents, and those are often narrow in context. Parents do sometimes get a good read on a coach or a program, especially if that parent was once a college athlete him- or herself, but they often get the wrong read, too. They will usually only follow the program for as long as their kid plays for it, which can be anywhere from a year to four years, and sometimes that just isn't sufficient time to give them the long view of the program or of the coach's performance or of the league as a whole.

That's why long-time fans, especially alumni who follow their school's team closely, are often better judges of the program than are parents. Parents come and go every four years; a true fan is a fan forever.

Also, parents sometimes think that they have an "insider" view of things, via what their offspring tells them, that other people don't. I don't think that they always realize what a subjective and skewed perspective a post-adolescent student-athlete can often have towards his or her program.

I'm not bashing parents, whom I think are the forgotten heroes of D3 sports (even more so than SIDs). Not enough is said or done to thank their sacrifice on behalf of their kids or their loyalty in attending games. Nor am I pointing fingers at Cardinaldad or at any other parent in particular. I'm just making the general point that parents don't always have the long-term perspective, or the insider's perspective, on a program that they might think they do.

[matblake]

2 pretender/contender games this week:

1.  Wheaton/Augustana:  other than the first half against North Central, which is really the only competition the Thunder has had, Wheaton has not had a super difficult time with their opponents.  Have they just not played anyone of worth yet?  Similarly, Augie had a few mysterious non-conference losses but has appeared to drop into "good ole' steady Augie" form.  Who is the pretender and who is the contender?

2.  Elmhurst/North Central:  Elmhurst lost a game to Augie that they appeared to be competitive in.  I am still shaking my head at the Concordia game for North Central.  They absolutely obliterated Wheaton in last weeks first half.  Neither has played top notch non-conference teams.  Who is the pretender and who is the contender?

[HScoach]

Wow... OAC Pick-em's favors Wheaton over Augustana by 9.5 points!

It's in Rock Island and the game is typically goes down to the wire (except last year and 2002).

Interesting...

I'll take Augie and 9.5 pts. 

As far as as this OAC guy is concerned, if Wheaton is supposed to be the CCIW champ then they should be able to beat the same Augie team that got beat by a very average BW team.  Regardless of the rivalry thing. 

If I would have set the spread at 0 to 3 points, then everyone would have picked Wheaton and where's the fun it that? 

[lakeshore]

you're correct Greg the motivation has to be there and I beleive Coach P will mandate that motivation factor and players that don't do it his way will be gone....as has been the case in several instances so far.  the Vikes will get better and they will win.  

In regards to the clock rule it absolutely is one of the WORST rule changes in college football history.  It is truely for DI and it isn't evne speeding up games because of all the replays.  Its seems as if there are 5-6 challlenges per game!  This hurts DIII football and eliminated 9-10 offensive plays per team per game

[vikes35]

hscoach,

If Wheaton was playing the same Augie team that BW played then the 9.5 would sound good, but IMO they aren't.  As was said earlier Augie was missing their big play TE/WR in the BW game and that was a big factor in helping Augie win the Elmhurst game, and should also help against Wheaton. Also the O-line has played much better since the BW game and McGinnis is starting to get that confidence that comes with experience. The last point to make is that this is Augie's homecoming game and that always seems to get the home team pumped up to play. I would have to agree with augiedogie with picking Augie in this game with that spread, but also understand how 0-3 points would not make the pickems much fun.

[usee]

hscoach,

If Wheaton was playing the same Augie team that BW played then the 9.5 would sound good, but IMO they aren't.  As was said earlier Augie was missing their big play TE/WR in the BW game and that was a big factor in helping Augie win the Elmhurst game, and should also help against Wheaton. Also the O-line has played much better since the BW game and McGinnis is starting to get that confidence that comes with experience. The last point to make is that this is Augie's homecoming game and that always seems to get the home team pumped up to play. I would have to agree with augiedogie with picking Augie in this game with that spread, but also understand how 0-3 points would not make the pickems much fun.

Its the same Augie team. 1 big play guy isn't going to make the difference in a game Augie should have dominated, struggled to stay close and eventually lost with uncharacteristic Augie turnovers. Augie will play better because its Wheaton but the Thunders should be a decided favorite in this game.

[Comet 14]

Matblake- If Elmhurst hasn't played any top notch opponents yet how are they ranked 15 in quality of wins?