FB: Northwest Conference

[Pat Coleman]

As Whitworth found out many years ago, having only 9 games with a loss to a NAIA opponent...is basically THE recipe for staying home in November when you're playing in the NWC/SCIAC

Linfield is praying for 2 Pirate losses IMO

Yeah, but the committee totally got it right and wasn't biased against the NWC at all that year!!!

I mean, they selected 3 of the 7 Empire Eight conference teams instead of 1 team (even the champ) from the NWC (yes, no auto bid for the NWC at the time, but the same "applied" to the E8). 2 of those 3 teams had 2 losses to D3 schools. One of the 2 loss teams had lost a game by 3 TDs. And the other 2 loss team had lost a game by 4 TDs to a D3 team..........a D3 team that finished 3-7 that season.

But it totally made &$!?% sense!!!!

Only one of those two was an at-large bid. The other was the automatic bid. The E8 did indeed have an automatic bid that year.

Okay, fine. Still doesn't explain why the other two got in over Whitworth, especially 2 loss Hartwick who lost by 4 TDs to a 3-7 Western New England squad. Almost half of the teams from the E8 were let in.

Yet not one from the NWC, not even the conference champ. Which was a joke, even by the committee's standards.

Hartwick was the automatic bid.

Ithaca wasn't, though, and had 2 D3 losses - one by 3 TDs. 3 out of 7 schools from this conference go and the NWC champs stay at home.

Right. You are still comparing apples and oranges ... and relitigating something from 11 years ago ... but now at least you are finally using the correct set of facts. Thanks.

[George Thompson]

Pat,

I believe what many of us in the far West feel is a lack of respect.    We do not have enough D3 colleges west of Texas.    So, the big blocs of votes are in the midwest and east.    Naturally, because the NCAA voters have so little knowledge of the far West, naturally they will vote for someone close to home that they know.

Fair- not at all.    But, it is what it is.   Linfield gets reasonable respect, but what we really need is a far West team to beat an Oshkosh, Whitewater, St. Thomas or St. Johns in the quarter or semi-finals.    Then we will get more recognition.

I root for Whitworth to do exactly that this year.   Assuming they finish unbeaten.


George

[Pat Coleman]

Pat,

I believe what many of us in the far West feel is a lack of respect.    We do not have enough D3 colleges west of Texas.    So, the big blocs of votes are in the midwest and east.    Naturally, because the NCAA voters have so little knowledge of the far West, naturally they will vote for someone close to home that they know.

Fair- not at all. 

Yeah, and honestly, not really accurate about the voting. You're right about there not being enough D-III colleges west of Texas, though.

In all fairness, George -- the Northwest Conference won the very first national title under this system, and it won the sixth year of the system as well. Nobody out in the other 94% of D-III is ignorant of what it means when a team contends in the NWC.

[Foss]

As Whitworth found out many years ago, having only 9 games with a loss to a NAIA opponent...is basically THE recipe for staying home in November when you're playing in the NWC/SCIAC

Linfield is praying for 2 Pirate losses IMO

Yeah, but the committee totally got it right and wasn't biased against the NWC at all that year!!!

I mean, they selected 3 of the 7 Empire Eight conference teams instead of 1 team (even the champ) from the NWC (yes, no auto bid for the NWC at the time, but the same "applied" to the E8). 2 of those 3 teams had 2 losses to D3 schools. One of the 2 loss teams had lost a game by 3 TDs. And the other 2 loss team had lost a game by 4 TDs to a D3 team..........a D3 team that finished 3-7 that season.

But it totally made &$!?% sense!!!!

Only one of those two was an at-large bid. The other was the automatic bid. The E8 did indeed have an automatic bid that year.

Okay, fine. Still doesn't explain why the other two got in over Whitworth, especially 2 loss Hartwick who lost by 4 TDs to a 3-7 Western New England squad. Almost half of the teams from the E8 were let in.

Yet not one from the NWC, not even the conference champ. Which was a joke, even by the committee's standards.

Hartwick was the automatic bid.

Ithaca wasn't, though, and had 2 D3 losses - one by 3 TDs. 3 out of 7 schools from this conference go and the NWC champs stay at home.

Right. You are still comparing apples and oranges ... and relitigating something from 11 years ago ... but now at least you are finally using the correct set of facts. Thanks.

Well, I didn't actually bring the topic up. I responded to the initial post. Regardless, it really doesn't matter how long ago it took place as it relates to both D3football and the NWC. I suppose we could discuss Alabama's chances of getting another W against Arkansas this Saturday, but I doubt this is probably the right board for that. You are correct about the part of my post being "Right," however. Thanks.

[Foss]

I love the smite votes almost immediately after I drop a truth bomb regarding anything to do w/ the East.

I've got your bacK, Foss, along with some other "old timers". 

Thanks, Duffman! You've always been one of the great ones! 

[George Thompson]

In all fairness, George -- the Northwest Conference won the very first national title under this system, and it won the sixth year of the system as well.

Pat, that was 19 and 14 years ago.    Ancient history.    Linfield has had some VERY good teams since, but with our injuries and very tough opponents, we have not been back to the Stagg Bowl.  The NWC needs a team in at least the semi-finals again.

As I have said before, the NWC recently has been a weak shadow of the tough, tough NWC conference in the 1980s and 1990s.

GT

[Pat Coleman]

In all fairness, George -- the Northwest Conference won the very first national title under this system, and it won the sixth year of the system as well.

Pat, that was 19 and 14 years ago.    Ancient history.    Linfield has had some VERY good teams since, but with our injuries and very tough opponents, we have not been back to the Stagg Bowl.  The NWC needs a team in at least the semi-finals again.

As I have said before, the NWC recently has been a weak shadow of the tough, tough NWC conference in the 1980s and 1990s.

GT

In relation to the topic of the 2007 selections, though, that was not ancient history.

[(509)Rat]

Back to current NWC football...

The conference as a whole is a little down this year IMO. I think Whitworth is maybe slightly better than they have been in years past, mostly because the defense has taken the ball away and looked good against a bad team, a good offensive team, and a historically great program that may have a historically (for them) bad offense...Whitworth may not get a real stiff test from a defensive standpoint until UPS. Outside of Whitworth the Loggers appear to have the most potent offense in the conference. Fox and Pacific are "good" but I don't think either are as good as they were in each of their respective peak/surprise seasons (Fox in 2017 and Pacific in 2014). I think Linfield's defense will be more than enough to beat the rest of the conference this year. Fox, Pacific, UPS, and even PLU are probably all very evenly matched and will likely beat up on each other a little with all of those teams losing to some combination of the others. IMO Whitworth gets the auto bid, hopefully gets the SCIAC champ, Linfield will be left home without getting the auto bid.

[bluenote]

Should be a good game against Willamette.... here's some stats:

Total offense per game - Linfield 327 Willamette 292
Passing per game - Linfield 265 Willamette 236
Rushing per game - Linfield 62 Willamette 56
Sacks allowed - Linfield 11 Willamette 7
Record - Linfield 1-2 Willamette 1-2

..... should be a barn burner!

[George Thompson]

Back to current NWC football...

The conference as a whole is a little down this year IMO. I think Whitworth is maybe slightly better than they have been in years past, mostly because the defense has taken the ball away and looked good against a bad team, a good offensive team, and a historically great program that may have a historically (for them) bad offense...Whitworth may not get a real stiff test from a defensive standpoint until UPS. Outside of Whitworth the Loggers appear to have the most potent offense in the conference. Fox and Pacific are "good" but I don't think either are as good as they were in each of their respective peak/surprise seasons (Fox in 2017 and Pacific in 2014). I think Linfield's defense will be more than enough to beat the rest of the conference this year. Fox, Pacific, UPS, and even PLU are probably all very evenly matched and will likely beat up on each other a little with all of those teams losing to some combination of the others. IMO Whitworth gets the auto bid, hopefully gets the SCIAC champ, Linfield will be left home without getting the auto bid.

Good analysis,   Pretty accurate assessment in my opinion.

GT

[OldCatProf]

Should be a good game against Willamette.... here's some stats:

Total offense per game - Linfield 327 Willamette 292
Passing per game - Linfield 265 Willamette 236
Rushing per game - Linfield 62 Willamette 56
Sacks allowed - Linfield 11 Willamette 7
Record - Linfield 1-2 Willamette 1-2

..... should be a barn burner!

After the first three games I'm a little sensitive about Bluenote's "barn burner" quote. It reminds me of a Frosty Westering quote back when Don Rutschman was our QB and we played a see-saw scoring game against PLU in Tacoma. Trailing late in the game, a winning drive on the arm of Donnie Rutschman brought us a last-second victory, Frosty had this memorable after-game quote. "

"These close games with Linfield are always barnburners. Unfortunately, today it was our barn that got burned."

I don't want to be on the dark-side of a barn-burner this weekend.

[Foss]

If we can't beat a bad Willamette team, we are in serious trouble. The Bearcats lost by 7 TDs to a lame 1-4 Simon Frazer hat has been completely blasted by every other squad they've played not named Willamette. The Bearcats also lost by 3 scores to L&C.

We've played much stiffer competition up to this point.

I don't believe we will have any trouble w/ Willamette, esp at home. I we do, I will hit the ultra panic button.

[bluenote]

After the first three games I'm a little sensitive about Bluenote's "barn burner" quote. It reminds me of a Frosty Westering quote back when Don Rutschman was our QB and we played a see-saw scoring game against PLU in Tacoma. Trailing late in the game, a winning drive on the arm of Donnie Rutschman brought us a last-second victory, Frosty had this memorable after-game quote. "

"These close games with Linfield are always barnburners. Unfortunately, today it was our barn that got burned."

I don't want to be on the dark-side of a barn-burner this weekend.

Not sure Old Cat Prof.... but I'm pretty sure it was Donnie Rutchman that was catching the passes down the sideline.... there was another guy that was qb.... not sure of his name? Maybe someone can help me out?

[MonroviaCat]

After the first three games I'm a little sensitive about Bluenote's "barn burner" quote. It reminds me of a Frosty Westering quote back when Don Rutschman was our QB and we played a see-saw scoring game against PLU in Tacoma. Trailing late in the game, a winning drive on the arm of Donnie Rutschman brought us a last-second victory, Frosty had this memorable after-game quote. "

"These close games with Linfield are always barnburners. Unfortunately, today it was our barn that got burned."

I don't want to be on the dark-side of a barn-burner this weekend.

Not sure Old Cat Prof.... but I'm pretty sure it was Donnie Rutchman that was catching the passes down the sideline.... there was another guy that was qb.... not sure of his name? Maybe someone can help me out?

Rod Thompson or Marco Lind?  I'm basing this on the years Don Rutchman was at Linfield and which QBs show up in the record book those years....

[OldCatProf]

After the first three games I'm a little sensitive about Bluenote's "barn burner" quote. It reminds me of a Frosty Westering quote back when Don Rutschman was our QB and we played a see-saw scoring game against PLU in Tacoma. Trailing late in the game, a winning drive on the arm of Donnie Rutschman brought us a last-second victory, Frosty had this memorable after-game quote. "

"These close games with Linfield are always barnburners. Unfortunately, today it was our barn that got burned."

I don't want to be on the dark-side of a barn-burner this weekend.

Not sure Old Cat Prof.... but I'm pretty sure it was Donnie Rutchman that was catching the passes down the sideline.... there was another guy that was qb.... not sure of his name? Maybe someone can help me out?

Rod Thompson or Marco Lind?  I'm basing this on the years Don Rutchman was at Linfield and which QBs show up in the record book those years....

Bluenote and MonroviaCat could be correct. The old memory bank does let me down from time to time. The second possibility that "MC" mentions for our QB that year was named Marco Min (probably still is  ).