FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[JT]

Over Union yes... over John Carroll probably not

[ACMob]

Agree with JT.  The loss to Buff. St. looks like it will come back to haunt Cortland!!

Good games in the NJAC this week!!  Time for Bport fans to come aboard!!

[RU Fan]

Time to Wake Up!

Complaining about the Montclair fans, Kean fans and B'port fans is useless.  They don't come to the games and you expect them to come to a football discussion board.

The fan base is just not there or, if it is, they're just not interested!  However, I really did see a maroon Jeep Cherokee on Friday that had the license plate "Cougars".  Kean fans can take some consolation from that or maybe the guy just liked big mountain cats.

For most RU away games, the visiting stands have as many or, in some cases, more fans than the home team.

At least the Profs make some effort to add folks to the home stands ..... contests; free admit for Pop Warner players who wear their jerseys; punt, pass & kick competition for the young kids before the game; fireworks; pep band; dance team, cheerleaders, give-aways, liberal tailgate area, student section in the stands .... whatever it takes to get the students, locals, parents, .... whomever into the stands.   

[gordonmann]

It's going to be tough for any team to get a Pool C with two loses.  Take a look at the list posted on the Daily Dose.

For now I'm omitting one-loss teams with more than one big games left (i.e. Alfred, McMurry, UW-Oshkosh).  Feel free to add them or others you feel are worthy.

One loss teams: Augustana, Central, Coe, Concordia-Moorhead, DePauw, John Carroll, UMHB, Mount Union, Ohio Northern, RPI, St. John Fisher

Two loss teams: Capital, Carthage, Cortland, Hampden-Sydney, Methodist, St. Norbert, UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, Widener, Wilkes, Wheaton

The IIAC and OAC will drop a team once they hand out their AQs.  But the MIAC and Liberty League will add one each once their undefeated teams play each other.

[dpadavona]

J McGraw said that the RU lines dominated on both sides of the ball.  IMHO, I think he gives a more unbias accessment than yourself.  Don't get me wrong; I have no poroblem with bias towards anyone's team-- that's why were fans!!!  I wasn't trying to knock Cortland, rather, warning Kean fans they were playing a "slightly" better team than your boys!!

By the way, didn't your boys do most of their damage after Orihel went out of the game.  And why in the HE!! did you break our QB hand, man!!

I didn't see either team dominate.  It was a closely played game.  We scored 1 TD with Orihel out of the game, and since he doesn't play defense you can't take it off the board. 

He'll be back, and you guys will represent in the NCAA's with Fisher and Ithaca.

[dpadavona]

I can't see Cortland getting a Pool C bid unless teams like UMHB or John Carroll start losing 2nd and 3rd games.  Still a 6-3 or 7-2 season in a solid conference is something to be proud of.  The loss to Buffalo State stings but doesn't look so bad in hindsight, as they are playing better.  And the win over Brockport on the road looks better too considering they should have beaten Salisbury and crushed Wesley.

I'd say the game to watch come playoff time is Fisher-Rowan.  That will be a great shootout.  If IC steps up their defensive play they might be able to give Rowan a game too.

[ACMob]

Just saw the new D3 Top 25 and I have to say that the rankings don't really surprise me.  When 2-4 are separated by five votes, the teams, in reality, could be considered 2a, 2b, 2c.   Whitewater & St. Johns have both won more games than Rowan and both have more difficult schedules than RU.  Also, the fact RU is playing with their backup QB.  As a Rowan fan, one could be upset, however, the season is not played out yet and the NCAA will decide the playoff format their way.

[rams1102]

RU Fan,

Your statement pisses me off, but you are correct. It's just the way it is. One more week of success for the Red Hawks and we will be jawing for 2 weeks. Yes you guys are the better team, but you never know. Wouldn't that be fun. This board needs some activity.

[RU Fan]

AC

As we are both RU brethren, I hate to disagree with you.  There is no such thing as 2a, 2b, and 2c.  Yes, it may make us feel better to think so but when seeds and who goes where are determined, you better believe all that counts is 1, 2, 3, and 4.  And I think that beating someone with your back-up QB speaks more for a team than others who won using the QB they've been going with all year.

Now, that being said, I really don't care about any poll except the one after the Stagg Bowl.  The others mean nothing ..... just educated, in some instances, guesses.

A question that I do have about thought processes of voters is this .... how do last week's #5 and #6 teams pass RU in the voting after each beats a 1-6 team while RU beats a 3-3 team using their back-up QB? 

After you all give me your answers, answer this.  Why were they ranked #5 and #6 last week?  How come they weren't ranked higher than RU last week?  Does beating 1-6 teams vault you past the team who was ahead of you the week before even when that team didn't stumble?

Like I said, polls are useless.  They're about as reliable as a weather report.

[Pat Coleman]

how do last week's #5 and #6 teams pass RU in the voting after each beats a 1-6 team while RU beats a 3-3 team using their back-up QB?

You have your answer in the question itself.

At the time the Week 7 poll was voted on, Orihel's status was unclear. Now it is clear. I'm glad you think you're the same team without him but I am sure that Rowan's coaches, Brockport State and our voters knows better.

[RU Fan]

RU Fan,
Your statement pisses me off, but you are correct. It's just the way it is.

Rams

I wasn't trying to pi** anybody off.  Like you say its just the way it is ....... but, it doesn't have to be that way.  Each school has to step up and try to stimulate interest.  It all starts with the support that each team gets from the Administration. 

When teams start to win, students will start to show interest.  That's why the right coaches have to be in place and given the "tools" to make it happen.  The facilities have to be fan friendly as well. 

Alumni groups have to participate - start organizations like the RU Brown and Gold Club for example.  Get the fraternities and sororities involved.

Now, achieving what I listed in the above 3 paragraphs is certainly not easy and will take time.  But it never happens unless someone starts somewhere. 

I wasn't implying that RU is the standard for all to follow.  They have a long way to go also but it appears that they are at least trying.

I think you'll find around RU/RedHawk time that the Prof talk will get a little more serious.  RU always takes MSU seriously because of the rivalry they've had over the years .... and with games like those, anybody can jump up and bite you.  Look what happened to Wesley.

[JT]

Rowan should win out the regular season with the players that are healthy enough to play.  The talent level is among the best in the country. The big question is:

Will they stop shooting themselves in the foot, and dominate for 4 qtrs?

That is $100,000 question.   This is an opening that Brockport and Montclair can take advantage of.  Don't give up any cheap scores.

If the Profs win out, they can beat the NEFC champ with me at QB in the first round.  Then they should be able to beat who ever is the second round opponent with Rankin.  That is the full 6 weeks of the 3-6 that Orihel coluld be out.  Orihel has been out one already.

The voters are saying two things:

1) More respect for the West than the East, given recent history

2) Rowan can't get it done w/o Orihel and they are starting to hedge their bets.

The last three teams on Rowan's schedule have nothing to play for, other than to drop the Profs.  All this should be more than enough motivation for the Rowan.

[RU Fan]

Pat

First off, I was really looking for information, not attacking.  I don't pay that much attention to mid-season polls for the reasons I listed.

You are well aware of my opinion of Orihel and NO, RU is not the same without him .... far from it.  Is not having Orihel available the reason that voters pushed #6 and #5 to #2 and #3 respectively?  JT's post seems to indicate so.

Conversely, the point can also be made that RU, as a team, still got it  done with the back-up QB. 

Rumor mill has it that Orihel will be back for MSU and the playoffs.  I think all RU fans hope that's true.

Thanks for responding, I thought that you forgot about me!  Its good to hear from you again!

[JT]

Also some voters may not realize that Kean is not a bad club in relation to the rest of DIII.  Kean has beaten the teams that they were supposed to beat for the first time in years.  They've got some good athletes on that team.

But that's hard to get a grasp of nationally.  I'm sure there are a few teams out there that are better than I think they are.

[ACMob]

RU Fan-- the best thing Rowan can take from the poll is that 1-3 are all "West teams" and that leaves RU as the next best #1 seed (East) if they win out.  If the South or North regions top seeds are better than Rowan; the polls should show it(RU-#4)!!

Also, I said the season is far from over!  IMO the remaining schedules favor RU.  No certainty that any teams win out!