FB: Northwest Conference

[hatchetman75]

O.K. Here we go with predictions for this week---the X-factor is that with this being the last game for most teams in the NWC scores/stats could be affected by teams leaving starters in or playing Seniors....etc.:

UPS at Whitworth:  As I said yesterday, I think this one will be close.  UPS has a strong running game and Whitworth can be run on (at least more than they can be passed on).  UPS also plays pretty good run defense which means J. Clark will probably have to put the ball in the air more than he has in recent weeks.  Look for the score to be pretty low but for the Rats to ultimately win this one due to their better passing game and better overall defense.  Rats 21 Loggers 14

Pretty good predictions Monrovia. Thankfully UPS got to do all their Senior Game stuff last week and against LC, so they won't need to worry about playing their seniors that much.

Here's my take:

Willamette comes up with a win, despite being on the road. Very close though.
W 28 - PLU 21

Menlo plays terrribly on the road, won't start doing anything different, loses to Mac.
Mac 21 - Menlo 10

Linfield is going to brutalize LC, simply because last week hurt so much.
Linfield 63 - LC 7

And the kicker....

UPS is going to pull off the upset this week. It's going to be very close, but (excluding last year) UPS has typically played Whitworth very close. Several UPS players are from the Spokane/Eastern Washington area, so expect to see a large Logger fan turnout. I know my family will be there, even Grandma is going to be there for the game. It'll be cold, but UPS has had to deal with rain for the last few days, so weather won't be a factor.

Look for Lee/Williams to have big days.

UPS 28 - Whit 20

[MonroviaCat]

Pretty good predictions Monrovia. Thankfully UPS got to do all their Senior Game stuff last week and against LC, so they won't need to worry about playing their seniors that much.

Interesting H-man--if my predictions were pretty good then why are yours all the oposite (except for the Linfield game)?  

[D O.C.]

Anyone have info on Menlo's budget and how and the heck they can travel all over with no DIII school within 400 miles of them?

   Lewis and Clark
   LINFIELD
   Puget Sound
   Macalester

Last year
   McMurray
  Whittier
   Willamette
   Whitworth
   Pacific Lutheran

No wonder they've been having 'trouble on the road' so far. They have 'so far' to go.
How does Colorado College pay? Come to think of it, those Texas institutions, while in the same state, go 400 easy.

I wonder if there ever has been pressure on the NCAA to showcase it's academic and athletic wing by modifying the 500 rule of thumb and paying some TV/Rose Bowl revenue down to where the people keep it real.

Why do that? Keep the playoff system equitable and more interesting. What's inequitable? The top ten teams in the west have a battle royale right off the get go.

[Bucs06]

Oxy fans, I'm just trying to throw Whittier some props because my brother plays for them. Good luck this weekend, but I'm sticking with my pick.

Hatchet: UPS gives up 19 points to Whittier 26 to Willamette, and 32 to PLU, and you have the Pirates scoring only 21 at home in a conference championship clinching game on  senior day?? After beating the kitties on the road the week before?  No respect.

[Sabretooth Tiger]

By the way, very high marks go to hatchetman75 for predicting a UPS win over Whitworth. The man is obviously a genius.
OxyBob

I've never said otherwise and am in complete accord  . . . 

[d-train]

Well, if it makes you guys feel any better...I'd say UPS has almost as good a chance in Spokane as Oxy will next weekend. 

What kind of shoes do y'all play for? Birk's, Teva's, Flip-flops, old-school "Run DMC" Adidas...?

[Sabretooth Tiger]

Well, if it makes you guys feel any better...I'd say UPS has almost as good a chance in Spokane as Oxy will next weekend. 

What kind of shoes do y'all play for? Birk's, Teva's, Flip-flops, old-school "Run DMC" Adidas...?

Excellent! . . . The 'Rats are in more trouble than I thought!

Surf booties

8)

[d-train]

Well, if it makes you guys feel any better...I'd say UPS has almost as good a chance in Spokane as Oxy will next weekend. 

What kind of shoes do y'all play for? Birk's, Teva's, Flip-flops, old-school "Run DMC" Adidas...?

Excellent! . . . The 'Rats are in more trouble than I thought!

Surf booties

8)

Rats by 13 this weekend; by 10 next weekend; then lose by 21 at UWW.

[Sabretooth Tiger]

Well, if it makes you guys feel any better...I'd say UPS has almost as good a chance in Spokane as Oxy will next weekend. 

What kind of shoes do y'all play for? Birk's, Teva's, Flip-flops, old-school "Run DMC" Adidas...?

Excellent! . . . The 'Rats are in more trouble than I thought!

Surf booties

8)

Rats by 13 this weekend; by 10 next weekend; then lose by 21 at UWW.

I must have been confused, I thought you said that UPS had as good a chance as Oxy so I figured they'd be favored by a TD . . . my mistake 

[Tuxguy]

Not to jump in on your guys fun here, but I've got serious business to discuss

Wildcat fans......

Just a little side note to the muddy playoff picture.  8)

In 2004, Willamette went 5-2 and made the playoffs getting beat by Oxy in the first round. Now before you correct me on the amount of wins/loss's, I'm throwing out the wins over Western and Southern Oregon U. as we have to throw out the win the Cats have over SOU and the loss with WOU. So with a win this Saturday against the Pioneers the Cats will be be 5-2 in D3. 
The difference here is the Cats lose to the number 5 and 7 teams in the country and are still ranked in the top 25.
I believe the committee needs to take a look at this, and not $crew the Cats for playing in the Island of the NWC!
Just my opinion of course. 

So tell me why I shouldn't call my Travel agent and have her be ready to book a flight to where ever, on selection Sunday? That's assuming the Cats don't host a game!

[Sabretooth Tiger]

Not to jump in on your guys fun here, but I've got serious business to discuss

Wildcat fans......

Just a little side note to the muddy playoff picture.  8)

In 2004, Willamette went 5-2 and made the playoffs getting beat by Oxy in the first round. Now before you correct me on the amount of wins/loss's, I'm throwing out the wins over Western and Southern Oregon U. as we have to throw out the win the Cats have over SOU and the loss with WOU. So with a win this Saturday against the Pioneers the Cats will be be 5-2 in D3. 
The difference here is the Cats lose to the number 5 and 7 teams in the country and are still ranked in the top 25.
I believe the committee needs to take a look at this, and not $crew the Cats for playing in the Island of the NWC!
Just my opinion of course. 

So tell me why I shouldn't call my Travel agent and have her be ready to book a flight to where ever, on selection Sunday? That's assuming the Cats don't host a game!

Your lips to the ears of whatever god to whom you pray . . . we'd love to host the 'Cats in round 1!  It's all just guesswork until Sunday.

tooth

[Foss]

Tuxguy,

I love your optimism, you and Bluenote are doing your best and it is appreciated. But I must break it to you that in '04, Willamette's loss to UMHB was not considered "in-region" at the time, whereas our loss to Hardin-Simmons is this year with the change in what is considered in-region now. So, technically Willamette was 5-1 back then which helped them when it came to playoff selections.

Believe me, Tux, I am not going to feel one bit guilty if the committee finds a way to squeek us in (just don't have a good feeling about it, though). I would wager plenty of other teams going to the playoffs this season would have lost to two top ten teams (damn, that is five words in a row starting with a "t") and a 6-3 DII squad.

[Tuxguy]

Thanks Foss,

Maybe the Travel agent part was a little much. 
And I did forget the in-region, But still!

Stranger things have happend. Blue and I are on a mission( not the kind with white shirts and black ties either) to help get us in! 
                                                               BELIEVE!

[d-train]

Not to jump in on your guys fun here, but I've got serious business to discuss

Wildcat fans......

Just a little side note to the muddy playoff picture.  8)

In 2004, Willamette went 5-2 and made the playoffs getting beat by Oxy in the first round. Now before you correct me on the amount of wins/loss's, I'm throwing out the wins over Western and Southern Oregon U. as we have to throw out the win the Cats have over SOU and the loss with WOU. So with a win this Saturday against the Pioneers the Cats will be be 5-2 in D3. 
The difference here is the Cats lose to the number 5 and 7 teams in the country and are still ranked in the top 25.
I believe the committee needs to take a look at this, and not $crew the Cats for playing in the Island of the NWC!
Just my opinion of course. 

So tell me why I shouldn't call my Travel agent and have her be ready to book a flight to where ever, on selection Sunday? That's assuming the Cats don't host a game!

If Linfield had lost to WOU and either HSU or Whitworth but beat the other, I'd join you in saying "don't $crew the Cats...". But the reality is that the Wildcats had every opportunity they needed and couldn't get it done. They were eliminated on the field by two losses to D3 teams. I'd agree that there will be a few teams that make the field that Linfield could beat...but that's not really the point. Linfield had it's chances this year and some of those other schools haven't. Depending on a handful of games this Saturday's, it looks like all the at-large bids will go to teams with no more than one loss. Check out the Pool B and Pool C threads in the General Football area for more info.

[MonroviaCat]

New Regional Rankings are out and the Cats are not in them.  Funny how losing a very close game to a top 10 team can hurt them so much.  Meanwhile, Cal Lu is in the rankings with their 2 regional losses one of them to a 4-4 team.  Not trying to dis Cal Lu (I'm sure OxyBob will do plenty of that for me).  Just think it's strange how Linfield loses has their two regional losses to top 10 schools and drops from the rankings.  Oh well....

BTW, it was Me who was only giving the Rats 21 pts this week and I should note that if you take away the L&C game (which I do with any statical analysis this year on any team) the Rats only average 24 pts per game and UPS is one of the better teams the Rats are facing this year so I'd expect them to keep the Rats near that average if for no other reason than with all the running that UPS does, the game will go by so fast that the Rats won't have a lot of time to score a bunch of pts...It really is not a disrespect to the Rats but is based more on how the teams match-up.  That being said, anything can happen----as a Cat Fan I know