FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[frank uible]

JEFFFAN: Until a consensus of the kids no longer enjoy playing for him plus a year or two.

[Nescacman]

JEFFFAN: Until a consensus of the kids no longer enjoy playing for him plus a year or two.

JEFFFAN, if you believe FRANK, he of the Armchair QB Club, I have a bridge to sell you...

And my dear FRANK, let's follow your logic. Let's say the Keltmen go 1-7 but the young Kelts like playing for the HCOF. You are saying the administration will renew the HCOF's contract??? Can you see Jonathan Kraft, the Armchair Club and other influential alums allowing a piece of dreck football team to continue to play in their new $25 million D3 football palace. Fat chance...what are you smoking?!?  This is 2015 FRANK, not 1956.  Wake-up!!!

[frank uible]

You underestimate Williams College.

[Nescacman]

You underestimate Williams College.

Frank you're right...after letting Coach Whalen and Coach Dice leave in 2009 and bring in the HCOF, I do underestimate the intelligence of the Williams College administration and alumni.

[PolarCat]

Frank you're right...after letting Coach Whalen and Coach Dice leave in 2009 and bring in the HCOF, I do underestimate the intelligence of the Williams College administration and alumni.

It's a scientific fact that not imbibing at the tailgate impairs one's ability to make sound decisions about football.  End Prohibition in Willytown and maybe they will start behaving rationally again.

2015 Week #2 NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings

-Does Tufts master Bates and make it two in a row on the road?

Damn you.  I laughed so hard when I read that, I spit Scotch out my nose. 

PS: Can you explain the "What do you mean years?" comment to the other guy?

[lumbercat]

Some free time tonight so thought i would air out some thoughts----

Does anyone know if Williams is still doing the "Williams Football Show" ?
For those new to the board Williams has done a nice weekly 30 minute cable TV preview show before each game. The show features the  Ephs head coach with a look back at last weeks game and a preview of their upcoming opponent. Typically they also bring in players from the Ephs team for interviews.
For several years it's been a real credit to Williams football started by the Whale but I can't find it on the Internet......does it still exist? Nothing like it in Nescac football where most SIDs have writer's cramp or authors block and insufficient resources or experience to manage this kind of production.

Enjoying all the of the fine posts as we approach week 2-------some thoughts off the cuff:

-Nothing better than NBN but Colby is the not the worst team in the league.

-Foy is the real deal at Amherst- Dayton EJ doesn't go with an underclassman on a whim. On first brush last week the kid made no mistakes....checks off, moves in the pocket, willing to throw it away but puts it on the money when a kid is open. No better QB coach in the league than Dayton EJ.

-Wells at Bowdoin is a fine coach but time to retreat a bit from Bamboo farming, character building exercises, building a culture......all of that is commendable but don't oversell it, give it time. Walk
softly in a new deal and be aware that it doesn't hurt to be a little closer to the vest early on.....you got the job, quit selling and coach. The Trinity approach at Bowdoin needs to be integrated into the culture over time like Well's Bantam cohort Civetti has done at Tufts. Civetti has a far easier situation to navigate at Tufts and the all out Trinity approach will fly much better in Medford----Coach Civ has has some fine sales skills.  Assume JB clearly sees the difference between Endicott and Bowdoin and I say he will do well in time. As Bowdoin rises higher in national academic ratings, well deserved, the more the athletic equation is suppressed. That will be JB's challenge.

-Bates has made a successful effort to upgrade their Football program with a nice facility and some significant program upgrades but with a 70 man roster and some funding deficiencies within the program they need to take it up another notch. Believe the administration at Lane Hall is finally starting to see the connection between Athletic success and fundraising with the Bates endowment growing nicely with the elevated achievements of Bates Football, Basketball, Lacrosse and Baseball teams to go along with their great Track program which unfortunately garners little attention.

-Civetti's energy at Tufts is amazing-- but what is he telling his 5 backup QB's? Must be a hell of a battle to run the scout team in practice.

-Colby evidently did deploy the Wildcat last week.....Michaels always a contrarian--going back a few years he played his top guys guys both ways ways in certain situations, a rookie mistake that backfired with the exception of a fine comeback for the Blue and Grey against an 0-5 Hamilton team that was culminated with a gimmick play to the Mules fine DE. Beleive the Mules are better than predicted but Coach Michaels should insert Captain Harrington in the lineup and don't look back. Stop trying to restructure your scheme to force certain guys into the game- it's ok to have have some talent on the bench.

[amh63]

Lumbercat....nice post...danced a little wrt Bowdoin...but I agree plus k
Been on the road...finally checked my mail. 
The Amherst preview is available...not much more than Bowdoin's.  Amherst has the Coach Mills podcast.  Enjoy!

[P'bearfan]

As Bowdoin rises higher in national academic ratings, well deserved, the more the athletic equation is suppressed. That will be JB's challenge.

Not sure I understand this comment at all. 

Bowdoin is tied for 4th in US News' ranking of top liberal arts colleges behind Williams, Amherst and Swarthmore.  Since there isn't a whole lot higher for Bowdoin to climb in the academic rankings, I'm not sure how much change you can expect. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges

Also, Amherst and Williams are both ranked slightly higher academically and their sports teams haven't suffered.

Are you suggesting that Bowdoin will adopt Swarthmore's approach (total benign neglect of sports) in order to climb 1 spot in a ranking that the administration has consistently down played? 

Sorry but that dog won't hunt.

[NewtoNescac]

I have to agree with P'bearfan in that Bowdoin is ranked almost as high as it can be academically. If Bowdoin doesn't start winning in due time, I believe it will be systemic, and not Wells' fault.

I think Tufts is obviously doing something right (they're winning) carrying 5-6 QBs. So, if they're moving in the right direction, don't change it. But be truthful with your players.

Michaeles needs to do whatever's necessary for Colby to win, and to win you must score. Shut out in the opener vs. Trinity, which followed last year's anemic offense. So Michaeles should use every trick on the book to score, and win.

[polbear73]

I have to strongly agree with P'bearfan's and NewToNescac's recent posts and have felt all along that Bowdoin's lack of success in football is totally systemic.  I also know that Coach Wells has been working on a lot of fronts and trying to make inroads to change those systemic disconnects is one of them.  Unfortunately, that takes time, if it happens at all.  Dave Caputi was a wonderful coordinator and Williams and coordinators don't always make good head coaches, but he could not have forgotten enough about football over the years to post a record of less than .400 winning percentage.  the system had a lot to do with it. 

[PolarCat]

I agree with all the posts about the "systemic" problems in Brunswick, but I also think lumbercat makes a valid point.

There is a vocal anti-jock element in Brunswick.  The jocks brought some of this on themselves (witness "Cracksgiving" last year).  But I bet all the "water the bamboo" jargon hasn't sat well with faculty, students and Admissions officers who were already pre-disposed to resent football.  Add to that a new President, who may still be forming his own opinion about the program.  The fact that the anticipated Whittier Field updates never happened, indicates to me there are still elements taking a "wait and see" approach toward the program.

Bowdoin has other athletic teams who've experienced success (field hockey National Champions, WLAX in the NCAA Elite Eight, MBB, WBB, mens and women's hockey, etc.) without all the rah-rah chest pounding.   Maybe checking the testosterone at the locker room door would have been a better strategy for Coach Wells?

[polbear73]

Very good point, Polar Cat and I think that perhaps Coach Wells, in his enthusiasm for changing the culture, forgot the basic rule of presentation: know your audience.

Polar Cat, I also wonder if the more appropriate word relating to attitudes  regarding football in Brunswick is indifference as opposed to resentment. I am not sure which is worse. In either case, Coach Wells has his work cut out and needs to find the best path. The chest beating doesn't appear to be it.

[RetiredMule]

Time to hop back on the boards.  Lumbercat, I appreciate the post and the dubbing of Colby as not the worst in the league.  I agree with you, but I also agree that they played like perhaps the worst last week.  We always joke on the board that Colby starts off with a murders' row of teams and it is true.  Generally, people have a lower opinion of Colby's team because there is a chance to look bad in the front end. Remember who we play to start.  Actually, look at the Champions and Runners Up for the past 4 years. 

2014 - Amherst (1) Wesleyan (2)
2013 - Amherst, Middlebury, Wesleyan (1)
2012 - Trinity (1) Middlebury
2011 - Amherst (1) Trinity (2)

Why...those would be Colby's first 4 weeks.  It is easy to take a pessimistic view of Colby early on because of the strength of schedule concerns.  On the flip side, if Colby started a season 2-0, everyone on here would immediately call them a 8-0 or 7-1 team for the same reasons.

I do truly believe that Colby is not the worst team in the league and will not point fingers.  But based on historical track records, play of other teams, and belief in the team, I see Colby picking up a solid 2-3 wins, a possible CBB title and possibly a higher win total with an upset or two based on match ups. 

I am positive on my views for Saturday in Vermont.  Middlebury will look to push the ball with the run, but this plays against the rain and into Colby's stronger half defensively.  Cold hands and (possibly) wet balls do not make for a happy passing day generally.  And Colby's D has a strong pass rush.  Colby should be able to get a spark offensively, but needs to stick to what has worked and is their wheelhouse.  Look for a higher level of read-option run plays and short passes.  This is a boom or bust proposition against Midd with their oft-blitzing but low gap responsibility defense.  Midd's defense likes to throw players around the field but will leave holes in the process. So do they leave holes for the Colby plays or run into the right spots?  Only Saturday will tell.

My prediction: Middlebury 17 - Colby 14 with a chance of flipping those scores.

[madzillagd]

Some free time tonight so thought i would air out some thoughts----

Does anyone know if Williams is still doing the "Williams Football Show" ?

http://willinet.org/content/williams-college-football-show-93015

[PolarCat]

Polar Cat, I also wonder if the more appropriate word relating to attitudes  regarding football in Brunswick is indifference as opposed to resentment. I am not sure which is worse.

Fair point.  The indifferents no doubt outnumber the resenters, but it's the resenters that make all the noise.  And I think some of the well publicized issues at Crack House last year probably pushed a bunch of indifferents into the resenters' camp.  To be fair, Crack was the MLAX house, not the football house, but given the fact those two teams shared a lot of members (like their departed QB), I think the distinction was lost on a lot of NARP's.