FB: Northwest Conference

[FightBearcats]

Here we go again.

...so the toughest non-conference opponents we can find are LaVerne, Cal Lu & Menlo, while the Bearcats play two ranked D3 teams, a D1 & a D2 team in the same season...

1) Cal Lutheran is ranked 9th in the nation.  That's not a tough enough nonconference opponent for you?

2) The Bearcats played two ranked D3 teams?  Which ones?  UW-SP and HSU are tough teams, to be sure, but neither is currently ranked; Cal Lutheran is almost certainly better than those two.

3) The D2 you reference, presumably is Southern Oregon.  Linfield beat Southern Oregon eight straight times from 2002 to 2009.  I'm pretty sure that Linfield wasn't exactly "scared" of them.  In fact, I'm guessing that the "no one will play use cuz we're soooooo good" excuse is exactly the reason that they are no longer playing; perhaps Southern Oregon was tired of LOSING to Linfield, so they filled the gap with an easier D-III game?

But, yeah, whatever.

UW-SP and HSU were both ranked when the games were scheduled and later were in the pre-season top 25.  They're both also in very strong leagues.  You have no way of knowing whether Cal Lu is better than either of them unless they play.  Southern Oregon is a scholarship NAIA program. 

I love this season....  2) A Bearcat diatribe given after every loss. You guys have a whole lot of talent and a great coaching staff, but excuses are good for only those people who make them.

Not like the perennial favorite excuse that "no one will play us cuz we're soooooo good" so the toughest non-conference opponents we can find are LaVerne, Cal Lu & Menlo, while the Bearcats play two ranked D3 teams, a D1 & a D2 team in the same season -- but man they make excuses for injuries & losses.    No one is excusing the mistakes made by WU, especially not the coaches & players, but give them credit for having played worthy opponents this year -- not some cream-puff, off every other week before the conference starts schedule.

Sorry man, but I am not seeing all of this.  USO is NAIA, Portland is D-I FCS, which is a hell of a lot different than D-I (my opinion) and I do not see the 2 ranked teams.  A 4-4 UWSP and a 5-4 Hardin-Simmons team???  Can somebody help me here???

If you want to pick about whether Portland State is D I FCS or BCS to imply they aren't tough for a D III team to play is astonishing.  I guess 63 or so scholarships versus no scholarships doesn't count . . .

Yeah.  Whatever.

[Jack Parkman]

Here we go again.

...so the toughest non-conference opponents we can find are LaVerne, Cal Lu & Menlo, while the Bearcats play two ranked D3 teams, a D1 & a D2 team in the same season...

1) Cal Lutheran is ranked 9th in the nation.  That's not a tough enough nonconference opponent for you?

2) The Bearcats played two ranked D3 teams?  Which ones?  UW-SP and HSU are tough teams, to be sure, but neither is currently ranked; Cal Lutheran is almost certainly better than those two.

3) The D2 you reference, presumably is Southern Oregon.  Linfield beat Southern Oregon eight straight times from 2002 to 2009.  I'm pretty sure that Linfield wasn't exactly "scared" of them.  In fact, I'm guessing that the "no one will play use cuz we're soooooo good" excuse is exactly the reason that they are no longer playing; perhaps Southern Oregon was tired of LOSING to Linfield, so they filled the gap with an easier D-III game?

But, yeah, whatever.

UW-SP and HSU were both ranked when the games were scheduled and later were in the pre-season top 25.  They're both also in very strong leagues.  You have no way of knowing whether Cal Lu is better than either of them unless they play.  Southern Oregon is a scholarship NAIA program. 

I love this season....  2) A Bearcat diatribe given after every loss. You guys have a whole lot of talent and a great coaching staff, but excuses are good for only those people who make them.

Not like the perennial favorite excuse that "no one will play us cuz we're soooooo good" so the toughest non-conference opponents we can find are LaVerne, Cal Lu & Menlo, while the Bearcats play two ranked D3 teams, a D1 & a D2 team in the same season -- but man they make excuses for injuries & losses.    No one is excusing the mistakes made by WU, especially not the coaches & players, but give them credit for having played worthy opponents this year -- not some cream-puff, off every other week before the conference starts schedule.

Sorry man, but I am not seeing all of this.  USO is NAIA, Portland is D-I FCS, which is a hell of a lot different than D-I (my opinion) and I do not see the 2 ranked teams.  A 4-4 UWSP and a 5-4 Hardin-Simmons team???  Can somebody help me here???

If you want to pick about whether Portland State is D I FCS or BCS to imply they aren't tough for a D III team to play is astonishing.  I guess 63 or so scholarships versus no scholarships doesn't count . . .

Yeah.  Whatever.

Absolutely nowhere did I say that playing a D-I FCS was not tough, in fact, all I mentioned was that D-I FCS is a lot different than D-I BCS  (and I put that it was MY OPINION in these neat little parentheses).  Absolutley playing a school with scholarships is going to be tough on any D-III team but you do realize you beat the hell out of another school (USO) that has scholarships???  Now, I do realize that an NAIA scholarship and a D-I FCS scholarship is very different but if the argument is that playing any team where players were on ANY type of scholarship, it is a pretty weak one.  Pre-season polls mean absolutely nothing and any football fan, especially a D-III fan, should be able to understand that.

I have nothing else to say other than the only reason I pointed anything out is because it sounds like a bunch of complaining by a fan who can't accept his/her team not winning this year.  Throwing in rankings that were from a long time ago and acting like the Bearcats are playing Ducks, Cardinal and Trojans every week while Linfield is playing a bunch of JV teams is just plain irresponsible.  No matter what each school thinks of the others schedule, the only thing that really matters is the head-to-head with each other, and if my numbers are correct (which is a 50/50 chance) Linfield has won 8 of the last 10 which would probably piss me off too if i was a Willamette fan.

[Bearcat Press]

Jack - The USO is a service organization.  SOU is Southern Oregon University.
ExTartanPlayer - There were several years where SOU played both Linfield and Willamette, and Willamette has now beaten SOU four straight times.

I don't think Linfield's schedule is JV by any means (they do have a JV with a schedule, but that's another matter entirely), and I don't begrudge them for scheduling La Verne instead of, say, Western Oregon - which they were stuck with until a couple of years ago.  I'd trade SOU for a game against a SCIAC school in a heartbeat.  But scheduling games against SCIAC schools is tough, both because they only play a nine-game schedule and because every other NWC school is trying to grab them.  Generally, that means somebody's going to Wisconsin or Texas.  In the past, it's been Linfield or Whitworth.  Now, it's us.

Frankly though, non-playoff teams (like, unfortunately, Willamette) arguing about strength of schedule at this point in the season is ridiculous.  If the Bearcats had just taken care of business as they should have against UWSP, HSU, Whitworth, and Linfield (yes, it was winnable), we'd be more worried about how the 26 point loss at PSU might be affecting our seeding.  Everybody should know by now that Speckman wants a tough schedule - it's not going to get any easier next year, trust me - so we might as well suck it up and deal with it.

FWIW though, and having seen all these teams play except CLU: Portland State > Cal Lutheran > HSU > SOU/Menlo > UWSP > La Verne.  We'll get a better comparison of SOU and Menlo this weekend when they play head-to-head.

[desertcat1]

rankings out,

Cats #3,  Solute's #4, Dogs #8, L & C # 10

Go Cats
Go Big D

[D O.C.]

Let's bet on that game this weekend.
I bet $100
SOU 31
Menlo 17
Give you ..... oh, let's say 731 to 1 odds?

WU....we know what it's like to suffer through a 6-3 season!

[bluenote]

desertcat1....hope your shining up your boots for the Elks Club Dance Session....there were a couple of hot babes asking about you.     (I'm pretty sure they were younger than 80 years old    )

[desertcat1]

Blue,
Just waiting for the rat killing and the "twinkle on toes"  showdown .. 

Then if Doc has any takers $$$ we will call up GHC  and send for the G5 for the playoffs.. 

Boots are shinned and packed ..
The twins still have a few more Nascar races to do .. so tell the ladies hang in there. Help is on the way..
Go Cats
Go Big D

[bluenote]

Oh and D O.C. there was a hot babe asking for you too but she said she was leaving for Mars. 

[D O.C.]

Tried to + you for that one. (24 hours)
We need to get you to 1111 before Saturday.

[desertcat1]

Oh and D O.C. there was a hot babe asking for you too but she said she was leaving for Mars. 

Hey Blue,
Are you sure it was Mars?  and not the Spirt MT. Casino ?

Go Cats
Go Big D

[MonroviaCat]

  We'll get a better comparison of SOU and Menlo this weekend when they play head-to-head.

Unless Menlo wins...then we'll just be more confused.  SOU beat Menlo 31-17 (thanks DOC) then lost to Willamette, Menlo beat Whitworth who, of course we all know, beat Willamette.....So I predict that Menlo beats SOU in two weekends but as you pointed out BCP--it doesn't really matter what the strength of schedule was for non-playoff teams.....and Menlo, SOU, et. al. don't matter much in the strength of schedule for play-off teams either (as long as you don't lose to them).  I look forward to a day (hopefully in a year or two) where we don't have to play any non-D3 teams.  George Fox starting football in 2 seasons will help all the NWC teams by giving us 7 conference games. 

[desertcat1]

Hey GHC,

Fire up the old G5  and drop some Pine Tar and special Pine Salt off for the Cats before you leave town Buddy . 
Do you have a weather report for game time yet?  and is your point spread still 3 plus ?
Have a safe trip. Hope to see you and all they Cat fans  soon at the Catdome .

Go Cats
Go Big D

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Did a flyover earlier today, DC1. The G5 was hauling a$$,   Dropped some salt for the Catdome NE event.  As for the boys

Early and often this weekend DC1.  See you in a couple of weeks at the REAL Catdome.

Cats by 31
Phone it in


GHC

[desertcat1]

hey GHC, 

sounds good buddy ..
Have a safe trip.. See you in a few.

Reports are go so far..
It's Rat Killing .. 

Go Cats
Go Big D

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Does anyone have information on the video feed on the Rat Killing this Saturday ?