FB: Northwest Conference

[Bearcat Press]

For your reading pleasure, anyone want to read the rules and figure out the tie breaker for a five-way, 4-2 tie.

Linfield (Whitworth, L&C) 4-0(4-1)(4-2)   lose,lose
Pacific Lutheran (Pacific, Willamette) 3-1(4-1)(4-2) win,lose    
Willamette (L&C, PLU) 3-1(3-2)(4-2) lose,win
Lewis and Clark (Willamette, Linfield) 2-2(3-2)(4-2) win,win   
Whitworth (Linfield, UPS) 2-2(3-2)(4-2) win, win
Puget Sound(Bye, Whitworth) 1-4(1-4)(1-5)
Pacific (PLU, Menlo) 0-5(0-6)(0-6)   

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead — your next stop, the Twilight Zone.

Assuming that the NWC's rules for three-way ties apply to five-way ones, the tiebreaker would be overall record:

PLU: 7-2
Willamette: 7-3
Linfield: 6-3
L&C: 6-3
Whitworth: 6-4

Yikes!

[d-train]

Dtrain, "a one man team"?  Welch might be the best player in the NWC but LC is not a one man team by any means.   

Nice, you totally took that phase out of context.

I said "in some ways, they are a one man team" but went on to mention the much improved 'supporting cast'.  I stand behind that.

There is one Pio player who is clearly their best playmaker.  Any game plan must focus first and foremost on containing the QB.  The O-line and entire defense are much, much better than a few years ago.  And yes, there are some other playmakers in the backfield and receiving core as well.

[wildcat11]

Welch might be the best player in the NWC but LC is not a one man team by any means.   

No doubt that Welch is a great talent but the best offensive player in the NWC is the one behind center at Linfield. 

[d-train]

On a related note: I know that 9 times out of 10 the coach of the year goes to the league champ.  But I think (given where their teams were the previous two years) Sulages and Westering both deserve some attention.

[wildcat11]

On a related note: I know that 9 times out of 10 the coach of the year goes to the league champ.  But I think (given where their teams were the previous two years) Sulages and Westering both deserve some attention.

D...how long you been around for?  You know the Coaches and the way they do business around this place.  I just hope they don't have 45 players as 1st team offense.

[dahlby]

Wildcat11,

Would that include first team:
Passing offense
Running offense
Option offense
Run out the clock offense
extra player for bringing plays in?

[wildcat11]

Wildcat11,

Would that include first team:
Passing offense
Running offense
Option offense
Run out the clock offense
extra player for bringing plays in?

Don't joke Dahlby...the NWC coaches have been notorious though the years in over stuffing the 1st team sections with way too many players.  I remember one year we had tri-offensive and tri-defensive players of the year.  It was just a joke.

Doing that just undercuts any credibility our all-conference team has with the D3.com, AFCA, etc when these organizations are choosing their all-region/all-american teams.  I believe these groups use the all-conference selections as one of the tools/guides to help forms these post-season lists.  In the past the NWC all-conference team as done zero to help the conference promote their players on the national stage because it's cluttered up top.  Last year, the coaches did a MUCH better job but I'm hoping they can continue that trend and not slip.

Pat, would you agree that an over stuffed all-conference team pretty much gets dismissed by your team when it comes to post season selections?

[D O.C.]

I'll take that one Pat, you are so busy.... Yes, he does.

Sulages and Westering both deserve some attention.

Ladies and Gentlemen, look at how Sulages and Westering improved their teams - only to get crushed again by Joe Smith's team. And the winner is

                                                                        Joe Smith   

I am saving my rant for Lewis & Clark because

ONE GAME AT A TIME

[dahlby]

WC11,

I did not realize that it has been a problem in your conference. I can see a first team with maybe 12 or 13 first team names  because of specialties. Isn't that why they also have 2nd and 3rd teams along with honorable mentions? Maybe the coaches don't want to hurt feelings. Sorry if you took my humor in the wrong vein.

[piodad]

Speedy, my point exactly!
Linfield's QB is a stud player. Really really good.  I just think Welch is better. Linfiled does have more established talent on offense.  

Linfields defense is just as good as their offense.

[wildcat11]

Speedy, my point exactly!
Linfield's QB is a stud player. Really really good.  I just think Welch is better.

That's cool but I think the NWC coaches will have a different say at the end of the year.  Boehme does lead the NWC in total offense (again) and that's only with 1.5 quarters played against Pacific and only 1/2 a game of play vs UPS because of the lead margins at that point of the game.  Welch is a hell of a player but we'll see how it goes over the next two week.

[Gray Fox]

WC11,

I did not realize that it has been a problem in your conference. I can see a first team with maybe 12 or 13 first team names  because of specialties. Isn't that why they also have 2nd and 3rd teams along with honorable mentions? Maybe the coaches don't want to hurt feelings. Sorry if you took my humor in the wrong vein.

WC11,
dahlby is jealous because none of his favorite players are all-conference.

[d-train]

Sulages and Westering both deserve some attention.

Ladies and Gentlemen, look at how Sulages and Westering improved their teams - only to get crushed again by Joe Smith's team. And the winner is:
   Joe Smith

Darn...there goes my theory that all you Linfield guys on Post Patterns would agree with passing over Smith for Coach of the Year in 2010.    (Seeing that we all have ballots anyway...)

[dahlby]

Gray Fox,

Let's see, I can approach your post (if you want to call it that) 2 ways:
1) Conference, what is that?
OR
2) How do you know who my favorite players are?

Let me know what you meant and I will oblige you with a response, if you want to go there.

Cheers!

[Pat Coleman]

Wildcat11,

Would that include first team:
Passing offense
Running offense
Option offense
Run out the clock offense
extra player for bringing plays in?

Don't joke Dahlby...the NWC coaches have been notorious though the years in over stuffing the 1st team sections with way too many players.  I remember one year we had tri-offensive and tri-defensive players of the year.  It was just a joke.

Doing that just undercuts any credibility our all-conference team has with the D3.com, AFCA, etc when these organizations are choosing their all-region/all-american teams.  I believe these groups use the all-conference selections as one of the tools/guides to help forms these post-season lists.  In the past the NWC all-conference team as done zero to help the conference promote their players on the national stage because it's cluttered up top.  Last year, the coaches did a MUCH better job but I'm hoping they can continue that trend and not slip.

Pat, would you agree that an over stuffed all-conference team pretty much gets dismissed by your team when it comes to post season selections?

Yes. It's of no use to us. It's very helpful to our people to know who the coaches think are the best players at each position in the conference but if the coaches are unwilling to make the hard decisions, then we can't draw any knowledge from them.

All-conference teams are already notoriously slated toward conference champs and seniors. When they go all Don Hansen on us then they're basically useless.