FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

Jaybird,

To what extent is the improvement DUE to a special senior class?  That is, are their replacements coming along (in both quality and numbers), or might there be at least a temporary relapse to the bad old days after they graduate?

[CardinalAlum]

Soooo you would have it 1st team Wallick 2nd team Black  3rd team Sulo 4th team Dunlop?   
That's your opinion and fair enough.

Nah, I would go 1st team-Wallick, Black and Sulo.  

[Jim Matson]

TitanBacker has me thinking about an upset down in Bloomington!  I do remember last year's game against Wheaton - it could happen again.

Not that I'll risk my position in the pick 'ems to put my money where my mouth is...

[bison22]

I have been keeping with you all most of the season.  Appreciate the dialogue.

Wondering if you all have discussed Kniss as he relates to other CCIW quarterbacks in recents years.  I have seen him a few times.  He seems pretty good to me.  Wonder if you all have seen anybody better in the CCIW in the last five to ten years?

[79jaybird]

Mr. Ypsi-- I was looking at the number of Seniors being a sign that A) the overall numbers of players graduating and entering as Freshmen is increasing.  I think the roster has nearly tripled since the time I was playing at EC.  B) 18 Seniors shows that there have been many players sticking with the team (not quitting) for 4 years, and they are able to lead by example to the underclassmen.
I think during my playing days we had at best 5-7 Seniors each class.  While these Seniors did do all they could to lead by example, we had a lot of guys quit halfway through the year, or decide to "take a year off".  Winning programs don't have that and/or find ways to bypass the negative sheep in the herd.

[79jaybird]

Kniss has been one of the better quarterbacks the CCIW has seen in a long time.  Some of the quarterbacks that I remember fondly include Brylka, Roe, Keith Bishop, Demma, Garza, to give NPU a shout Mike Haehn was pretty good for the Park.

[Mr. Ypsi]

TitanBacker has me thinking about an upset down in Bloomington!  I do remember last year's game against Wheaton - it could happen again.

Not that I'll risk my position in the pick 'ems to put my money where my mouth is...

Jim,

No guts, no glory!

(Of course that's easy for me to say when I'm bottom 10%! )

[Mr. Ypsi]

Mr. Ypsi-- I was looking at the number of Seniors being a sign that A) the overall numbers of players graduating and entering as Freshmen is increasing.  I think the roster has nearly tripled since the time I was playing at EC.  B) 18 Seniors shows that there have been many players sticking with the team (not quitting) for 4 years, and they are able to lead by example to the underclassmen.
I think during my playing days we had at best 5-7 Seniors each class.  While these Seniors did do all they could to lead by example, we had a lot of guys quit halfway through the year, or decide to "take a year off".  Winning programs don't have that and/or find ways to bypass the negative sheep in the herd.

You MAYBE answered my question with part A, but not directly.

IS this senior class special, or are they now the norm (in both quantity and quality)?  I sense from your answer that you think the program is definitely on the upswing, but do you think there will be at least a temporary 'blip' once this class graduates?

[RedmenFB44]

Here are my CCIW all-conference picks at this point of the season. *Always subject to change* 

*Stats are only the 5 CCIW games*

Quarterback:
1st Team - Kniss (NCC) 99-155 63.9% 1118yds 12TDs/3INTs 129 RushYds

2nd Team - Chupp (Wheaton) 52-97 53.6% 752yds 8TDs/6INTs 115 RushYds

3rd Team - O'Boyle (Car) 77-122 63.1% 842yds 6TD's/6INT's 306 RushYds

Running Back:
1st Team - Wallick (Mill) 108Att 552yds 5.1 3TD's

2nd Team - Black (Wheaton) 79Att 403yds 5.1 3TD's (Only 3 CCIW games)

3rd Team - Sulo (NCC) 96Att 515yds 5.4 3TD's

Wide Receiver:
1st Team - Ceisel (IWU) 24Rec 368yds 15.3 6TD's

2nd Team - Watts (NP) 28Rec 390yds 13.9 2TD's (Only 4 CCIW games)

3rd Team - Fossum (Wheaton) 16Rec 345yds 21.6 4TD's

Tight End:
1st Team - Stuedemann (NCC) 32Rec 339yds 10.6 6TD's

2nd Team - Bergman (Car) 13Rec 168 12.9 2TD's

3rd Team - Klein (IWU) 3Rec 92yds 30.7 0TD's

It seems that I have no one from Augie beacause their offense splits stats so they really don't have a dominating statistical player. Guzman would be 4th team RB if there was one. I know for sure Augie will have plenty of all-conference players on the defensive side of the ball 

[CardinalAlum]

Kniss has been one of the better quarterbacks the CCIW has seen in a long time.  Some of the quarterbacks that I remember fondly include Brylka, Roe, Keith Bishop, Demma, Garza, to give NPU a shout Mike Haehn was pretty good for the Park.

You remember Keith Bishop fondly?     Weren't you like 8 or 9 years old? 

[augiefan]

Congrats to NCC on beating Augie. It has been awhile since an Augie team suffered a beat down like that one, but Wheaton and NCC are clearly the class of the CCIW. Hopefully, there will be some way for both to make the playoffs.

I have mentioned on this board before how much I respect Coach Thorne. He is clearly a great coach and arguably the best in the CCIW at the present time. This year's Augie team is not a very good one by Augie standards, but it is a little early to talk about Barnes being a failure as a coach. I do think that he has to develop a passing attack of some kind, as the Vikings can no longer just run other CCIW teams into the ground. The league is simply too balanced now.

[CardinalAlum]

Here are my CCIW all-conference picks at this point of the season. *Always subject to change* 

*Stats are only the 5 CCIW games*

Quarterback:
1st Team - Kniss (NCC) 99-155 63.9% 1118yds 12TDs/3INTs 129 RushYds

2nd Team - Chump (Wheaton) 52-97 53.6% 752yds 8TDs/6INTs 115 RushYds

3rd Team - O'Boyle (Car) 77-122 63.1% 842yds 6TD's/6INT's 306 RushYds

Running Back:
1st Team - Wallick (Mill) 108Att 552yds 5.1 3TD's

2nd Team - Black (Wheaton) 79Att 403yds 5.1 3TD's (Only 3 CCIW games)

3rd Team - Sulo (NCC) 96Att 515yds 5.4 3TD's

Wide Receiver:
1st Team - Ceisel (IWU) 24Rec 368yds 15.3 6TD's

2nd Team - Watts (NP) 28Rec 390yds 13.9 2TD's (Only 4 CCIW games)

3rd Team - Fossum (Wheaton) 16Rec 345yds 21.6 4TD's

Tight End:
1st Team - Stuedemann (NCC) 32Rec 339yds 10.6 6TD's

2nd Team - Bergman (Car) 13Rec 168 12.9 2TD's

3rd Team - Klein (IWU) 3Rec 92yds 30.7 0TD's

It seems that I have no one from Augie but they their offense splits stats so they really don't have a dominating statistical player. Guzman would be 4th team RB if there was one. I know for sure Augie will have plenty of all-conference players on the defensive side of the ball 

redmen,

I like your picks.  I had O'Boyle in my top 3 as well.  Uhhh, did you mean to spell Chupp like you did?

[bison22]

Kniss has been one of the better quarterbacks the CCIW has seen in a long time.  Some of the quarterbacks that I remember fondly include Brylka, Roe, Keith Bishop, Demma, Garza, to give NPU a shout Mike Haehn was pretty good for the Park.


79Jaybird - Thanks for input.  I didn't think QB's like Kniss don't come through the CCIW too often.  Chupp had some potential but doesn't seem to have improved much over the last couple years.   It will be fun watching O'Boyle.   He comes from a great high school program in Chicago (Brother Rice).

[CardinalAlum]

In my 20 years around the CCIW, I have seen some great QB's.  Kniss is right there with any of them.  Some of the best that I remember include Dave Weber-Carroll, John Love-NP, My QB Marc Browning, who could do it all, Lon Erickson-IWU, Brylka, Demma, P. Brown were all solid as well.  Bishop stands alone.  He was great and holds most every passing record.

[Jim Matson]

I think that if one considers the last 5-10 years, the only quarterback that competes strongly with Kniss is Brylka.  He was amazing and could always run the ball (seemingly) at will.