FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[amh63]

spring practices!... . Do not believe the Nescac schools have ever had such practices.  Even before there was a "NESCAC".

[The Mole]

IF they decide to have Spring practices, it would be a nice opportunity for a recruiting day for the schools. I suspect if anything, they may be informal "captains practices" without coaches. I have zero expectation on this...

spring practices!... . Do not believe the Nescac schools have ever had such practices.  Even before there was a "NESCAC".

[Nescacman]

Do the NESCAC schools invite incoming freshman rfecruits to any of the the spring practices ?

As has been already stated, while the rest of D3 does have Spring football practice, the NESCAC has never allowed formal Spring football practices, although most (all?) have some sort of "informal" captain's practice program in place.

The thinking with allowing formal Spring football practices in the NESCAC for the first time ever in our life-time (and theoretically also allowing other Fall sports to practice in the Spring) is the NESCAC President's allowed the Spring sports to have a fall practice schedule and they allowed the winter sports to start a few earlier so, hey, why not ask...agree with Mole, may not happen but it is at least a thought...

[JEFFFAN]

I am interested in how folks believe NESCAC football teams would compete on a national level IF there were permitted to participate in national playoffs.   I ask the question because last week three NESCAC teams made the NCAA soccer Final Four and two NESCAC teams - Amherst and Connecticut College - were in the finals.  NESCAC is certifiably dominant as a conference nationally in other sports, thus the curiosity.

Now before the long-termers jump down my throat, this is a 100% hypothetical question!   There is zero chance this will happen in our lifetimes.   But it is winter, no football news, so worth discussing perhaps.

[The Mole]

It is hard to gauge without the OOC games to compare. When you do make the playoffs, a lot of it has to do with who/where you get matched. The final 4 this weekend are playing at a very high level and 99% of the teams nationally cannot hang for a variety of reasons (which is a whole other meaningful discussion IMHO).

Muhlenberg, Hopkins and RPI have recently done very well and gone pretty far in the last few years. Not taking ANYTHING away from them, they got competitive draws/winnable games. It is REALLY HARD to get into the semifinals. Right now, I think it would be very difficult for a NESCAC to accomplish going that deep. However, top to bottom the NESCAC is not that different from the Centennial. I have watched enough games of both over the years to make an educated comparison. The bottom is BAD though. Improving, but historically uncompetitive. Similar in Centennial. with a top middle and bottom.

I would have loved to see Williams play Endicott, RPI, Springfield, Cortland, Del Val, W&L, Anna Maria, Carnegie Mellon or Framingham in the first round this year. Heck, even Hopkins, Salisbury or Muhlenberg. I AM NOT saying they would beat all those teams. But, they could/would beat their share of them and the games would be competitive. NESCAC champ could win a game or two and get knocked out once it runs into a Mt Union, et alia.

NESCAC would be held back with roster limits (check out the roster sizes of the final 4 teams), admissions limitations, cost of school, no Spring practice, no in school recruiting. Roster limit is the biggie. In other sports, it is not as magnified.

I am personally not a fan of the playoff arrangement in D3 for football. There are really only a handful of teams that have a shot. I am in favor of playing a rivalry non-conference game and then a plus one bowl at end of year versus another program that adds recruiting/geographical appeal. Why not just play your rivalry games and be done by Thanksgiving and go home? I realize this may not be popular view, but its mine. As a player and coach I HATED practices in late November and into December. Its just a game at the end of the day, win or lose the sun will rise tomorrow. Keep it in the proper perspective.

I am interested in how folks believe NESCAC football teams would compete on a national level IF there were permitted to participate in national playoffs.   I ask the question because last week three NESCAC teams made the NCAA soccer Final Four and two NESCAC teams - Amherst and Connecticut College - were in the finals.  NESCAC is certifiably dominant as a conference nationally in other sports, thus the curiosity.

Now before the long-termers jump down my throat, this is a 100% hypothetical question!   There is zero chance this will happen in our lifetimes.   But it is winter, no football news, so worth discussing perhaps.

[jumpshot]

Having reviewed the videos of the Williams football games for the season just ended, it is clear to me and others that Coach Raymond and his colleagues out-coached both Trinity and Wesleyan this year. Sure, we can discuss nuances in talent, yet the Ephs' offensive and defensive line play and schemes had unbridled reign during the games without mitigating preparation or adjustments by the opposition. Better techniques, execution, and exploitation of predictable weaknesses. Impressive achievement in which coaching made a huge difference.

[Pat Coleman]

I think if the NESCAC decides to allow teams to participate in the NCAA football playoffs, you immediately start out being considered at almost the level of the Liberty League and Centennial teams. I say almost because NESCAC teams have played 10% fewer games, and someone like Muhlenberg, Johns Hopkins, RPI, have played not just four seasons (COVID aside) of 10 games, but 11, 12, 13 and those extra weeks and reps add up for everyone, not just the 58 on the playoff roster.

I think there is absolutely an opportunity for the NESCAC teams to rise above that level once they catch up a bit with those reps, etc.

[The Mole]

Pointed question: if you switched coaching staffs in those games would Wesleyan and Trinity have beaten Williams? You are implying it was the Xs and the Os and not the Jimmies and Joes.

Having reviewed the videos of the Williams football games for the season just ended, it is clear to me and others that Coach Raymond and his colleagues out-coached both Trinity and Wesleyan this year. Sure, we can discuss nuances in talent, yet the Ephs' offensive and defensive line play and schemes had unbridled reign during the games without mitigating preparation or adjustments by the opposition. Better techniques, execution, and exploitation of predictable weaknesses. Impressive achievement in which coaching made a huge difference.

[jumpshot]

Nice try, Mole. Have to throw a flag for your trying to recast my observation into a hypothetical, simply my stating what is obvious to players of football, that the Williams staff had excellent game plans and player preparation with little evidence of countering strategy or in-game adjustments.
The Ephs staff and players simply had a better afternoon in those two games in which their hard work, focus, and attention to detail paid big dividends. No harshness intended ....

[The Mole]

Here is my point, Williams was the best team in the league. Did Williams coaches do a great job? You bet. They got COY, right? Deservedly so. Was it the reason they beat Trinity by 39 and Wesleyan by 25 as you IMPLY? No.

Thanks for clarifying.

Nice try, Mole. Have to throw a flag for your trying to recast my observation into a hypothetical, simply my stating what is obvious to players of football, that the Williams staff had excellent game plans and player preparation with little evidence of countering strategy or in-game adjustments.
The Ephs staff and players simply had a better afternoon in those two games in which their hard work, focus, and attention to detail paid big dividends. No harshness intended ....

[Jonny Utah]

Here is my point, Williams was the best team in the league. Did Williams coaches do a great job? You bet. They got COY, right? Deservedly so. Was it the reason they beat Trinity by 39 and Wesleyan by 25 as you IMPLY? No.

Thanks for clarifying.

Nice try, Mole. Have to throw a flag for your trying to recast my observation into a hypothetical, simply my stating what is obvious to players of football, that the Williams staff had excellent game plans and player preparation with little evidence of countering strategy or in-game adjustments.
The Ephs staff and players simply had a better afternoon in those two games in which their hard work, focus, and attention to detail paid big dividends. No harshness intended ....

I think there is something to what Jumpshot is saying (although I might not say it that way).  Alabama just beat Auburn in the SEC championship game last week.  I think Saban deserves a lot of credit for that, was he the "reason" they won that game like that?  I think it's possible don't you?

[The Mole]

Of course. It is not what you say, it is how you say it....time to move on

Here is my point, Williams was the best team in the league. Did Williams coaches do a great job? You bet. They got COY, right? Deservedly so. Was it the reason they beat Trinity by 39 and Wesleyan by 25 as you IMPLY? No.

Thanks for clarifying.

Nice try, Mole. Have to throw a flag for your trying to recast my observation into a hypothetical, simply my stating what is obvious to players of football, that the Williams staff had excellent game plans and player preparation with little evidence of countering strategy or in-game adjustments.
The Ephs staff and players simply had a better afternoon in those two games in which their hard work, focus, and attention to detail paid big dividends. No harshness intended ....

I think there is something to what Jumpshot is saying (although I might not say it that way).  Alabama just beat Auburn in the SEC championship game last week.  I think Saban deserves a lot of credit for that, was he the "reason" they won that game like that?  I think it's possible don't you?

[Jonny Utah]

Of course. It is not what you say, it is how you say it....time to move on

Here is my point, Williams was the best team in the league. Did Williams coaches do a great job? You bet. They got COY, right? Deservedly so. Was it the reason they beat Trinity by 39 and Wesleyan by 25 as you IMPLY? No.

Thanks for clarifying.

Nice try, Mole. Have to throw a flag for your trying to recast my observation into a hypothetical, simply my stating what is obvious to players of football, that the Williams staff had excellent game plans and player preparation with little evidence of countering strategy or in-game adjustments.
The Ephs staff and players simply had a better afternoon in those two games in which their hard work, focus, and attention to detail paid big dividends. No harshness intended ....

I think there is something to what Jumpshot is saying (although I might not say it that way).  Alabama just beat Auburn in the SEC championship game last week.  I think Saban deserves a lot of credit for that, was he the "reason" they won that game like that?  I think it's possible don't you?

Agreed.  Although I'll move on at my own doing thank you very much.....

[HSCTiger74]

Here is my point, Williams was the best team in the league. Did Williams coaches do a great job? You bet. They got COY, right? Deservedly so. Was it the reason they beat Trinity by 39 and Wesleyan by 25 as you IMPLY? No.

Thanks for clarifying.

Nice try, Mole. Have to throw a flag for your trying to recast my observation into a hypothetical, simply my stating what is obvious to players of football, that the Williams staff had excellent game plans and player preparation with little evidence of countering strategy or in-game adjustments.
The Ephs staff and players simply had a better afternoon in those two games in which their hard work, focus, and attention to detail paid big dividends. No harshness intended ....

I think there is something to what Jumpshot is saying (although I might not say it that way).  Alabama just beat Auburn Georgia in the SEC championship game last week.  I think Saban deserves a lot of credit for that, was he the "reason" they won that game like that?  I think it's possible don't you?

   Not the point of the discussion, I know, but still ...

[lumbercat]

Head coaching search in the home stretch at Bates. Very strong pool of candidates. The Alumni search committee looking to wind things down pretty soon. AD Jason Fein and Bates administration managing the process extremely well.