FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[dpadavona]

My point is that none of Rowan's opponents are, in my view, that much more accomplished at the national level than RPI.

All the more reason to start up a new season series.

[Senor RedTackle]

So when are one of you dudes going to start up rpifootball.com?  We could use a few more good independent sites.

What do you mean? That site already exists

[dpadavona]

all right, before anyone goes apesh!!t one of RPI's playoff appearances was in '99... whoops. 3 times ain't bad though, and they have gotten better with each appearance.

No arguments here.  RPI is a consistently strong eastern team which performs respectably in the playoffs.  3 trips in 6 years is pretty impressive actually.  Union usually does pretty well on their trips too.  I'd say the LL is quite top heavy - 3 good teams, and then monkey stomp fodder.

[dpadavona]

What do you mean? That site already exists

Cool, I was totally unaware of this one.  I'll link it from my webpage tonight.

[phil]

RedTackle
And if RPI were in the NJAC just how many opportunities would THEY have had to play on the national stage? The year RPI lost to Rowan in the playoffs the Profs failed to even win the NJAC – falling to Montclair 28-24. Montclair was 25-3 in the NJAC between '99-'03.

Play TCNJ, Montclair, Rowan and Cortland every year and then see what your record is. Just ask Western Connecticut.

[ACMob]

Yeah Phil!!  If they played in the NJAC. we might be calling their playoff chances RIP!!  We forgot the gravediggers on the team!

[ACMob]

Gordon, my take on your observation.  Personally, I have nothing against DVC.  Honestly, I never heard of the school until they began winning football games last year and it was evident that RU may oppose them in the playoffs.

MY BEEF with the MAC is that many schools are very close geographically with the DV region, however, I can't recall any of them scheduling RU for a regular season contest.  So the Profs travel all over the place to fill a schedule and half of the MAC squads aren't far across the river. 

The academic, public vs private, and other arguments are non-issues when the playoffs begin because all squads are in the same group.  So why do people use that crap (Bridgewater) in scheduling opponents if your goal is to beat those type of team at the end of the season.

There may be a bias of the MAC coming from the "South region."  I was thrilled when the NCAA moved them into the "East" because that would include another quality opponent and different matchups.  I figured RU would get to play the Lycos, WU, and now DVC before the national semis.  Why they were even considered for the South region is beyond me.  RU is more "South" than some of the MAC squads.  Out of... 

[Warren Thompson]

ACMob:

Until several years ago, the South Region ran all the way from Pennsylvania to California ....

[ACMob]

WT--  The only relationship I can see there is California, PA!

[dpadavona]

ACMob-

With respect to the MAC teams, in all fairness the division is so large there is little to no opportunity to play out of conference games.  At least Lycoming is willing to play IC...and get smoked of course.

[JT]

Uh oh  Enginegro is dropping by the NJAC... its a party now.

Since I graduated way back in the party days, Rowan has become quite respectable.  Rowan has become a good... Engineering school among other areas of study.  There are kids that have to play football elsewhere because they don't have the academics to get into Rowan.

So while it may not be RPI academically, it has come quite far from what people outside the NJAC perceive Rowan to be.

My response would be to equal the performance of Rowan since 1990.  Over the years the Rowan's, TCNJ's, Cortland's, and Montclair's would have generally placed first in any league that has RPI, Union, and Hobart.

While I respect what RPI has accomplished in football, and hoped that they played Mount instead of St. John's just for the post patterns fun... RPI needs to stick to ugly women and reading Dilbert at work.

[Pat Coleman]

Gosh, ACMob, it's really hard to understand why you have such a low karma.

[Jonny Utah]

It's not fair to lump Rowan in with the Braves/Bills.  Basically you need to do that for all of Eastern Region.  As I remember you guys failed to get the job done with the Jonnies, and Union failed with their attempts.  Eastern Region the last decade+ has simply sucked in comparison to the Mt Unions, Linfields, and Jonnies.

Id disagree Dan, Rowan is the Buffalo Bills of d3football.  Not a bad thing really, I respect those bills teams....and Ithaca at least has some history to seperate them from all of the east region

[dpadavona]

I don't know Johnny.  That history is over a decade old now.  What have they won without Butterfield, arguably the best small college coach of all time?

I'm worried the increased recruiting competition in NYS is dividing the talent too much for an Ithaca to get back to where they were.  You've got Fisher to deal with now, along with Brockport.  Cortland has their stadium/facilities drawing recruits.  And even though Hartwick and Utica cannot compete with IC for recruiting talent, you just know they are grabbing a starter here or there.

During Rowan's supposed Braves-like run, nobody in Eastern region has claimed the big prize.  Seems to me they are the best of a mediocre region.

[JT]

jonny,

While a championship is a championship, I don't think the caliber of football then equates to the caliber of playoff football played from the mid 90's on.  So if anyone in the East was better than the "Bills" they should have done it on the field.

Also remember that one of the best shots Rowan has had was stolen by the officials in 2001.