FB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[D O.C.]

You guys are not quite as fun to read as the Liberty League but at least you don't quote and paste volumes to raise your total page score.

It appears you got side tracked... again.

My minds eye still sees three things from last Saturday's game in Thousand Oaks:
1) standing under the cross bars I could see that straight arrow kick a comin' the whole way. That was exciting.
2) OXYCollins finally getting his team to realize that WAS a playoff game they were in and the experimenting had to stop.
3) (I think I saw) that Vilnius fool on his bike.

It seemed to me that OXY went for the long pass to get a couple on the board and get CalLu thinking about last year right off the bat. The Kingsmen did a good job of bopping the Tiger receivers at the line and that allowed the hitters to get to OXYCollins (ala LINFIELD).

The second half OXY hit the quick pass and gained yardage after catch. OXYCollins also just took off running instead of scrambling. They really did move like a conference champion out of that quick line up there for a while.

...and it still came down to that kick.

OxyBob sure has it down right that a game at CalLu is pleasant with that no admission and free range roaming privileges.

Better start supplying us with your LA TIMES code, Bob, I am not signing up.

[Browneagle64]

What many of us forgot D.OC. was how A gifted  Q.B. and seasoned Vet like Collins, methodically and masterfully helped his teammates find that confidence in them to pull a huge comeback. I am sure as soon as the 2nd half rolled the team turned into one to claw their way back. Something that Mr. Simers and Co. probabily were  sarcastically not thinking could be possible.( Simers says things just like this when dodger season rolls around every year btw)

RFB----Listen to the old man. Instead of watching studio 60, this old man would rather school us young people, and find the funniest info about both Redlands and  Oxy football. 

[OxyFan21]

In my opinion, all of your guys' points re: Oxy's non-conference schedule are valid.  We'd all like to see more competitive games.  We've had this same debate for the past 4 years (at least).  The thing is, it's difficult to get out of contractual agreements that were set before Oxy became the "powerhouse" it is now.  I remember when I was in school and Colorado College seemed to be our only win of the year! 

Redlands fans have always made the point that Oxy should play a non-conference schedule that rivals theirs...but the thing is, doing it that way can also spoil a season early on, like it did to Redlands this year. 

Oxy's schedule has remained primarily the same for many years, even before their recent dominance in conference play.  It seems to have worked, considering we have done pretty well in the post-season while everyone else is already done playing.  When you run into Linfield (with Elliott) two years in a row, there is not much you can do, even if you did play a more difficult schedule early on...

My belief has always been this.  If the rest of the conference steps up to the level of Oxy, Cal Lu and Redlands, this debate would be over...right?  The entire SCIAC needs to raise their level of play...and perhaps then we will gain the respect we need to get 2 post-season bids.

I don't know if Oxy is really the #8 team in the country, but they certainly haven't done anything to cause that ranking to fall.  Weren't they ranked #9 (or close to that) at the end of last year?

OxyFan.

[Browneagle64]

Bob ----- Of course its an Honor to have Simers write a teasing article. THis is why i after reading his page 1 correspondance throughout the baseball season, in which he pokes and makes fun of all the dodgers, i know that he does it in a light hearted manner.  Nonetheless, when  i first read the article, i was funny to see how he brought up Oxy inlight of Usc and UCLA's lost.

[dawg gone it]

Oxy fan........you made a very valid point....the rest of the conference MUST step up.  The only reason I even brought up the non conference schedule was to point out why Oxy might not get the playoff pairing that the Oxy fans think they deserve.

You are right again in that I think the tough  non conference schedule that UR played may have set back the development of the offense. 

I dont know how the rest of the conference can achieve a step up.  Recruiting d3 football players must be very dificult when you cant offer the equivilent of full schollies.  Many parents simply cant afford to pay even as much as one third of the tuition many of the SCIAC schools.  I dont see a big change for the non league powers in the near future.  It would be great if every weeks challenge were the equivilent of an Oxu,CLU, UR game.

[Pat Coleman]

The SCIAC doesn't have a monopoly on high tuition. Other schools seem to get it done.

[Sabretooth Tiger]

Pat's right . . . so what's the difference?  Hell if I know.  The NWC hosts two former D3 National Champs.  No SCIAC team has ever even gotten to the finals.  Why not?  Again, no clue.  I don't know why Redlands, with its emphasis on athletics generally and football in particlular has not done so.  Oxy has made the deepest run of whcih I'm aware.   

Will the SCIAC ever rival the NWC, MIAC or IIAC?  You know, part of me wonders whether being in SoCal has something to do with it.  Given the variety and richness of activities that are available to students,  maybe there are just too many distractions/options that draw from a more focused purpose?

But you know what . . . who cares?  As long as the kids have fun and get a good education, does it really matter?  I mean it's great when we win, it's exciting to get into the playoffs and its a great recruiting tool.  But it's about the journey isn't it?  If Cal Lu had hit the field goal, there would have been sadness at Oxy, but the kids will have the same friends, the same education, and the same life that they would otherwise have, with slightly different memories.  Do you think that the kids that play this year for Redlands, Cal Lu, Pomona, Claremont, Whittier or LaVerne are having a bad experience?  I enjoyed the hell out of being part of the Oxy football team, even though we never had a championship and hell, most of my playing time was on special teams, but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.

Who cares about the SCIAC "stepping it up?"  The only time that seems important is when we're talking in this big D3 online community and this is just a buch of old farts avoiding work . . . (oh yes, a few pups as well  )

tooth
 

[RFB]

Pat's right . . . so what's the difference?  Hell if I know.  The NWC hosts two former D3 National Champs.  No SCIAC team has ever even gotten to the finals.  Why not?  Again, no clue.  I don't know why Redlands, with its emphasis on athletics generally and football in particlular has not done so.  Oxy has made the deepest run of whcih I'm aware.   

Will the SCIAC ever rival the NWC, MIAC or IIAC?  You know, part of me wonders whether being in SoCal has something to do with it.  Given the variety and richness of activities that are available to students,  maybe there are just too many distractions/options that draw from a more focused purpose?

But you know what . . . who cares?  As long as the kids have fun and get a good education, does it really matter?  I mean it's great when we win, it's exciting to get into the playoffs and its a great recruiting tool.  But it's about the journey isn't it?  If Cal Lu had hit the field goal, there would have been sadness at Oxy, but the kids will have the same friends, the same education, and the same life that they would otherwise have, with slightly different memories.  Do you think that the kids that play this year for Redlands, Cal Lu, Pomona, Claremont, Whittier or LaVerne are having a bad experience?  I enjoyed the hell out of being part of the Oxy football team, even though we never had a championship and hell, most of my playing time was on special teams, but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.

Who cares about the SCIAC "stepping it up?"  The only time that seems important is when we're talking in this big D3 online community and this is just a buch of old farts avoiding work . . . (oh yes, a few pups as well  )

tooth
 

Tooth,

Great post. You summed it up very well. Oxy still has a great chance to do some damage this year. Better for it to happen now with Andy Collins running the show. His ability is rarely seen at the D3 level. Still depends on the seeding though. I would love to see Oxy go out to the IIAC and wreck Central.

[Sabretooth Tiger]

Personally I'd rather see Oxy wreck Central here in sunny SoCal . . .

hmm . . . maybe that's it . . . the SCIAC teams enjoy the beautiful climate of So Cal and are, for the most part, forced to play in places where the weather is decidedly home advantage.  Remember how upset the Cobber fans were when we played indoors at the Fargo Dome?

Seems to me that having teams travel here so that we can have the games decided by on field skill unhampered by inclement weather might be fair.

Like that will ever happen.

tooth

[d-train]

Like that will ever happen.

tooth

I believe you hosted Willamette a couple years ago. 

If you are rated higher...you'll host.

[downtown48]

Bob...do you think if Linfield beats Whitworth they would jump Oxy in the regional rankings the NCAA puts out?   They are one spot behind you currently and would have beaten a team in front of you currently.  If not, I could see Linfield coming to play you guys down there.

[Browneagle64]

That would be awesome to see THe Cats come down to So.Cal D-town. Again, its all up to the powers that be if this is even possible? Would the Mobel Catdome follow you guys down here?

[dawg gone it]

I think Oxy needs to adopt the motto......" Anyone, anywhere, anytime"......then if they get a home spot, so much the better.

[redlandsfan]

Good debate on a few topics, but I wanted to bring something else up that LadyTiger had brought up.  The fact that Oxy only travels every other year to save money is a shame.  Redlands, like Oxy (and pretty much every other SCIAC school) has small budgets for athletics.....but why?  What do athletic directors get paid to do?  It saddens me that there is not more accountability in this area for SCIAC schools.  I was fortunate to catch teh Ohio State game last weekend and it really put things into perspective about fundrasing, relations, and getting alumni involved.  I know its Ohio State, and people want to give to the program, but I have never been asked by the Redlands athletic department to give money in anyway.  I have been contacted by the school, but not athletics.

I don't think athletic directors do enough down here.  I don't know how it compares with the NW schools, but it seems there is a bigger sense of community, which leads to more people getting involved in the program.

What do you guy's think about this topic? Fundraising for SCIAC athletic programs....is there one school in particular that's good at it?

[DawgFan1]

I would like to comment on several topics discussed on this board recently. However, I first would like to congratulate OXY for their comeback victory Saturday. I'll bet it was both extremely tense and exciting for fans on both sides.

1) A few of you OXY fans have berated us Redlands fans anytime we speculated about possible "future" game outcomes and what it would do for league standing, ie. if CLU beat OXY and Redlands ran the board, there would have been a three way tie for first. Those of you taking the cheap shots at us know who you are. However, you same OXY fans have been talking about your league victories and playoffs since week one as if it was a done deal. I guess the double standard is acceptable to you.

2) OXY's overall team success: OXY has a very well balanced team and much of their offensive credit needs to go to the coaching staff for implementing a great scheme. Please understand, I am not taking away credit from individual player talent, but the success goes to the entire organization, not just one or two key players as is constantly mentioned on this board.

3) Passing Game: Having watched Saturday's game between UR and La Verne, I will say La Verne's passing game and strategy was superior to any SCIAC team I have seen both this year and last. Their QB didn't have a strong arm but he was very accurate and their receivers running in and out of zones, spreading the field, etc, played havic with the UR DB's. If they had the same horsepower in other areas, I think there would have been a big difference in league standings.

4) Comments about Redland's first three games: This is where you OXY fans don't have a clue of what had taken place (because you didn't see the games) yet your opinions and cheap shots are all over this board. The problem with the offense the first three games, in my opinion, is the coaches could not make up their mind on the QB. They screwed around with three guys, passed one game, didn't pass another game, "telling the world they will no longer pass unless absolutely necessary," plus garbage play calling and therefore NO OFFENSE. The coaches displayed no confidence in any QB, therefore the team had no confidense either nor have anyone to rally around or get accustom to.

The fourth game against OXY is when they finally decided on ONE QB so the team could finally get use to him. The OXY game, for all practical purposes, was the UR offenses' preseason (no cheap shots please because if you do, you are totally missing the point I am trying to make). This was the first game for the offense to get use to one QB (and all three QB's who played prior to this are significantly different in their ball handling and passing). Now I know you OXY guys were at this game. Do you remember all the dropped passes by UR?

In any event, UR's offense is very different today than it was during game four. This is why a few comments were made about it being unfortunate this matchup took place when it did.

I feel very sorry for the seniors at UR, particularly the offense. They busted their behinds all summer, had issues beyond their control regarding the management of the team, and then having their FIRST SCIAC GAME dictate a most likely outcome for the remainder of the season. It must be very frustrating for these players.