FB: Northwest Conference

[George Thompson]

All of this talk about CLU is way premature.   Linfield has two challenging games ahead:   Whitworth (never count them out.) and Lewis & Clark (7-0).   Wildcats MUST win both. 

Pioneers: congratulations on a fine season.   Glad to see you're back.    Looking forward to seeing you play LC soon.

George

GO CATS! GO!

[BearcatFan]

Harsh 2-OT loss for the Bearcats on Saturday. In hindsight, Willamette should have gone for a 2-point conversion at the end of their first OT possession, knowing what they needed to win at that point, and that they would have the ball first in the 2nd OT with a tying PAT.

[Kingsmen4]

The NWC and SCIAC seem to be having the same seasons... everybody is beating up everybody and leaving no real metric at how any of the bottom to mid ranked teams in the conferences really are??

It seems to me that this is a GOOD thing, as some of the lower tier teams are gaining an edge and competing at a higher level than in the past ... Hopefully that is the case. The SCIAC is looking a little more clear cut at this point but still games to be played. With L&C only having 2 votes at 7-0 has their schedule really been that weak so far? Is Willamette that far gone?

-Go LU

[bbaddict]

The NWC and SCIAC seem to be having the same seasons... everybody is beating up everybody and leaving no real metric at how any of the bottom to mid ranked teams in the conferences really are??

It seems to me that this is a GOOD thing, as some of the lower tier teams are gaining an edge and competing at a higher level than in the past ... Hopefully that is the case. The SCIAC is looking a little more clear cut at this point but still games to be played. With L&C only having 2 votes at 7-0 has their schedule really been that weak so far? Is Willamette that far gone?

-Go LU

Willamette is definitely NOT "gone."    They recently scored 10 points against a D-1 team (Portland State) who clobbered SOU (a D-2) team 52-0.  They're a young team and the "crutches crew" grows every week.   Not sure why all the injuries but they did play some very difficult teams early in the season.  Lewis & Clark has improved that much.  They definitely are to be be taken seriously.  In order to return to their glory days they'll need to beat both Willamette & Linfield this year and they may just do it.   (Who makes up those schedules, anyway?   Pacific played WU, Linfield & Whitworth and Lewis & Clark played PLU, and then WU & Linfield.)

[Bearcat Press]

The NWC and SCIAC seem to be having the same seasons... everybody is beating up everybody and leaving no real metric at how any of the bottom to mid ranked teams in the conferences really are??

It seems to me that this is a GOOD thing, as some of the lower tier teams are gaining an edge and competing at a higher level than in the past ... Hopefully that is the case. The SCIAC is looking a little more clear cut at this point but still games to be played. With L&C only having 2 votes at 7-0 has their schedule really been that weak so far? Is Willamette that far gone?

-Go LU

I don't think Willamette is that far gone.  The talent is definitely there, but I just they've played some really poor football at the worst possible times this season.  Setting aside the 26-point loss to Portland State, the Bearcats losses have been by two, six, ten, and one.  It's a young team, especially on offense, and they're certainly capable of turning the corner.

That being said, losing the Wagon Wheel this week is a very real possibility, and I hope the juniors and seniors on the team understand that this isn't the L&C we're used to scoring 60+ points against.

[bbaddict]

Harsh 2-OT loss for the Bearcats on Saturday. In hindsight, Willamette should have gone for a 2-point conversion at the end of their first OT possession, knowing what they needed to win at that point, and that they would have the ball first in the 2nd OT with a tying PAT.

If WU had gone for the 2 point conversion it wouldn't have had a 2nd OT because we would have won the game!!   Oh coulda, woulda, shoulda.   Or if they'd played the way they CAN in the 1st Qtr or if Juan Alvarado hadn't been hurt, if, if, if ....

[Bubs1856]

I didn't know they started calling the 2nd place NWC trophy the Wagon Wheel?

[ExTartanPlayer]

With L&C only having 2 votes at 7-0 has their schedule really been that weak so far?

I've been really fascinated by the resurgence of Lewis & Clark this year, but I have to admit I'm not at all surprised that they aren't getting much Top 25 attention.

None of their nonconference wins carries that signature cachet that grabs a voter's attention (wins over 3-4 CMS, 0-7 Pomona-Pitzer, and 3-5 Macalester).  Furthermore, they didn't really DECISIVELY win any of those games (for instance, they led Pomona-Pitzer 41-39 in the fourth quarter before scoring the final insurance TD).  So obviously at 3-0 they weren't going to get any love.

Now we start looking at their conference schedule.  They opened with a win over second-year program Pacific (winless at the time), which still isn't going to curry any favor.  Next, they defeated Whitworth - their first real win of note - but Whitworth was 1-4 at the time (although I acknowledge that the Pirates have lost several close games).  So now they're 5-0, but still lacking a true signature win.

Next, they struggled to a 31-28 win over winless Puget Sound.  Any voter that had been giving them some thought probably looked at that and decided "You know what, it still looks like a mirage."  And, in fairness, they're pretty justified in that opinion.  L+C was 6-0 without a single win over a team with a winning record and two VERY close calls against two winless teams (Pomona-Pitzer and Puget Sound).  Honestly, and I mean this with NO disrespect, they still looked like a team that was more "lucky" than "good."

So, naturally, everyone figures that Lewis & Clark has had a nice storybook season which will surely come crashing down in their final three games against their three toughest NWC opponents.  Then they go out and beat Pacific Lutheran.  Now they're 7-0 and they have finally beaten a team with some national recognition.

At this point, I still understand the voters' skepticism.  There is every possibility that L+C will lose to Williamette next week and then lose to Linfield by 40 the following week.  Surely, I hope that this doesn't happen - I love a good underdog story as much as the next guy - but thus far, L+C has won a string of close games against very mediocre competition (look how badly Linfield has beaten some of those teams that L+C is beating at the buzzer).  THAT's why the voters are skeptical. 

The great thing is: if Lewis & Clark is really worthy of a Top 25 ranking, they will get their chance to prove it on the field against Williamette and Linfield.  A convincing victory over Williamette might get them a few votes; a win over Linfield almost certainly would.

If they can beat Williamette, they might even be able to sneak into Pool C with a loss vs. Linfield.  The Pool C field took a couple of hits this week with UW-Oshkosh losing, and a few other one-loss Pool C contenders have some very tough games remaining (Baldwin-Wallace, Wittenberg, Widener, Lycoming all still have to play undefeated conference leaders).  An 8-1 L+C team might have a shot.

[Bearcat Press]

Really good analysis, ExTartanPlayer.  We'll certainly know more when the Regional Rankings come out, but without even looking at Pool C this year, I have to think that an 8-1 L&C team with a loss to Linfield wouldn't get in.  Last year's PLU team was 8-1, had victories over a conference champion (CLU) and 7-3 Willamette, and still didn't make the cut.  Obviously, if L&C finishes 8-1 with the lone loss to Willamette (my ideal scenario, BTW ), then they get the autobid.

But as Keith McMillan said in the podcast today, the very fact that we're talking about Lewis & Clark playing meaningful games in November is incredible.

(One small sidenote, ETP: it's Will-am-ette, not William-ette.)

[Bearcat Press]

I didn't know they started calling the 2nd place NWC trophy the Wagon Wheel?

Oh and Bubs, I know you're being sarcastic, but for those who don't know (all info from L&C's website):

Since 1949, the winner of the Willamette-L&C football game earns the right to keep a historic Wagon Wheel at its campus until the next meeting. This traveling trophy, created by the Blue Key men's honor society in 1948, documents results   with each year's score ingrained into a square plaque in the middle of the wheel. The Pioneers last won the trophy in 2000.

[ExTartanPlayer]

But as Keith McMillan said in the podcast today, the very fact that we're talking about Lewis & Clark playing meaningful games in November is incredible.

Agreed.  I was in college during the season where they had to forfeit the entire NWC schedule because they were down to 30-some players; I was afraid they might drop the program, especially with the winless seasons that followed.  It's amazing to see that kind of resurgence, and I find myself pulling for them (anyone else have those odd moments when they're pulling for a team that they have no real connection to?)

Even when they beat Puget Sound to reach 6-0, I still thought they were headed for 6-3...mostly because they've struggled to put away some pretty bad teams (Pomona-Pitzer and Puget Sound are a combined 0-15).  I pretty much chalked them up as a cute anomaly, a below-average team that was scrapping just enough to win a few close games.  The win over Pacific Lutheran was my first inkling that they might be able to play with decent teams.

[bluenote]

Very interesting game up in Portland this weekend L+C vs Willamette. Should be an exciting match-up. I think Willamette may be favored as the analysis logic from ExTartanPlayer makes a lot of sense, but I'm thinking L+C will pull it out since they had a good game vs a very good PLU squad at PLU. If L+C does manage to win that game it's going to be a great way to end the regular season with L+C coming to the CatDome the next week. But Linfield needs to concentrate on Whitworth now.....that's no easy game over in Spokane. The Pine Bowl is a tough place to play and Linfield needs to play like these last 2 games are playoff games because they basically are.

[criswyly]

Obviously L&C has stepped up this year, but unless they beat Willamette I'm not convinced that they can play championship ball in the NWC.  I doubt very seriously that L&C will beat Willamette.

[RFB]

Really good analysis, ExTartanPlayer.  We'll certainly know more when the Regional Rankings come out, but without even looking at Pool C this year, I have to think that an 8-1 L&C team with a loss to Linfield wouldn't get in.  Last year's PLU team was 8-1, had victories over a conference champion (CLU) and 7-3 Willamette, and still didn't make the cut.  Obviously, if L&C finishes 8-1 with the lone loss to Willamette (my ideal scenario, BTW ), then they get the autobid.

But as Keith McMillan said in the podcast today, the very fact that we're talking about Lewis & Clark playing meaningful games in November is incredible.

(One small sidenote, ETP: it's Will-am-ette, not William-ette.)

Quit smoking the crack pipe. Yes, L&C has improved but it's laughable to think that they would get a Pool C bid over an 8-1 Redlands squad with a regional win over a top 10 ranked team and a last second loss against another. Of course Redlands needs to take care of business against Whittier & Chapman in order for it to be a possibility and even then I'm not holding my breath.

[LuavilleCat]

I love this season.... 1) Posters talking Lewis and Clark football so late in the season. Kudos to the resurgent Pios. 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. 3) Pacific University winning their first game. Awesome. Good job and congratulations Boxers.

About this week... the Willamette-Lewis and Clark game is a toss up. Throw everything out the window boys, both teams want to prove their worthiness. Quite frankly, I believe it will be one of those games that whoever scores last - wins. For the CATS, it's business as usual, but the Rats will let everything hang out. What have they to lose? Hell, it might even snow in Spokane this weekend LOL

PROUD TO BE A CAT