FB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[D O.C.]

"you are the weakest link. Goodbye!"
Good one! Glad to see you got some sleep and still enjoy this hobby.

OxyFan21 you guys may already have thought of this but spiritof86 (LINFIELD guy) lives in St. Louie as well and you guys can always get together Saturday afternoon.
"and our next bachelor..."
Just a thought you guys.

[scandihoovian]

Thanks Pat, both for your hard work on the d3 sites, for creating a the kind of media outlet that forces the national media to pay more attention to D3, and especially for cutting Liger loose.

I wanted to quickly address this post you made on the NWC strand.  I'm bringing it over here because I think it's more of a SCIAC issue.

Your post read:
"For those bemoaning the two-loss teams getting in and Cal Lu sitting home, Cal Lutheran had the second-worst QOW of any of the teams we looked at for Pool C. You gotta go out and show something -- just beating all the bad teams and losing to one good team isn't enough."

I think the vast majority of Kingsmen backers understand that we had our chance to take care of it on the field and blew our big chance (at Oxy in September).  Having said that I want to make a couple of observations.  The first is in response to the implication that CLU set itself up with an intentionally weak non-conference schedule.  Yes our non-conference schedule turned out to be  weak this year - but, if you assume a 2-3 year lead time for scheduling, PLU, Menlo and Chapman were a combined 16-12 in 2003.

The second observation is in regards to the solid nature of the 8 Kingsmen wins.  The closest a game was to being in doubt was when PLU scored with about 6 minutes left to pull within a touchdown.  CLU responded  with a long drive to kill the clock.  After that, all the Kingsmen wins were decisive - in fact they had an easier time with Whittier, LaVerne, and Redlands than Oxy did (I know - all the more reason they should have played better on September 24th).  Redlands may have had a down year, but they still gave Trinity, TX all they could handle this season.

Finally, I think there are many of us out west are tired of seeing some of the other brackets be blow out fests, only to have the East regional champ come out west and get blown out themselves.  It just makes it a little harder to accept the notion that the NCAA is really interested in finding the top 32 teams. 

I know you have taken exception with the NCAA's pairings, so I'm not calling you a NCAA yes man, just wanted to share some thoughts on a great season for the Kingsmen.

[tigersports]

Oxy fan, the trip to Linfield was on my dime because of technical foul-ups that occurred at the C-M and was entirely my choice.  I never even let them make the decision because I felt guilty.  The other trips on my dime were my choice to, and not the result of turndowns by Oxy.

That said, Oxy's AD has graciously budgeted us for a trip up there.  We'll have the game at www.oxybroadcast.com.  Our "pregame" show will likely start at the usual time -- 11.59.

[Browneagle64]

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

First and foremost, congrats to Oxy on their perfect season and their second outright conference title. It was great to read the little article on sundays LA times about the win at claremont.

Second of all, as i was reading the past post i just couldn't believe that people were just lossing their class. Seems that some people can't just accept the reallity. I know that the brackets did suck, but thats just how things work out. What was even more sad was that people where bickering back and forth about academics, the seeting of the school and owning the conference. This is football. THings happen like this any given saturday. Face the reallity

I know for i fact that i am rooting for the Tigers on this first playoff test. I would of hoped that this game would have occured in so-cal so that i could have hooked up at least an after party at Q's in Old town regardless of the Outcome. (Gosh that place was full after the UCLA game on sat)...I am confident thought that oxy will come out and be more prepaired then ever to beat Linifield on saturday. I expect the tigers to play the game of their lives against a solid Linfield team. I wish i could join them up in Portland, but i am not  rich just yet. I have bills to pay on my new truck and apartment. I do hope though that Tigersports and his people can broadcast the game. (Tigersports---you do a good job broadcasting the games)

As i been mentioning all season long i hope and expect that the tigers leave everything they got on the field on saturday and end up upsetting the cats. (I know i might hear words coming from people about this, but hey, who cares)

Go tigers, best of luck for the rest of the week

Tigers 48- Linfield 45

Moreover,

[Browneagle64]

Awesome----Tigersports do your job.Make the Oxy alumni proud.. Make sure you send a shout out to those that couldn't make it because of budget problems please. I hope that the game turns out to be fun and that you anounce how aweosme oxy will end up doing on saturday.

[beancounter]

Oxybob....while I have to give you props for the use of God's word as part of a d3football.com post (obviously a rarity), you've made an assumption that the Lord will choose to bless Oxy.  Up here in Oregon, we see signs that it will be the other way around  .

I'll post here what I did over on the NWC board regarding Cal Lutheran.  Yeah, it's a tough deal for the Kingsmen....but the lesson is that next time a Linfield or a Willamette calls to schedule a game, the SCIAC folks might want to pick up the phone to take the game as it sure looks like a loss to Linfield or Willamette just might have looked a lot better than some of those wins California Lutheran had to the committee.

[Tezbaseball]

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

First and foremost, congrats to Oxy on their perfect season and their second outright conference title. It was great to read the little article on sundays LA times about the win at claremont.

Second of all, as i was reading the past post i just couldn't believe that people were just lossing their class. Seems that some people can't just accept the reallity. I know that the brackets did suck, but thats just how things work out. What was even more sad was that people where bickering back and forth about academics, the seeting of the school and owning the conference. This is football. THings happen like this any given saturday. Face the reallity

I know for i fact that i am rooting for the Tigers on this first playoff test. I would of hoped that this game would have occured in so-cal so that i could have hooked up at least an after party at Q's in Old town regardless of the Outcome. (Gosh that place was full after the UCLA game on sat)...I am confident thought that oxy will come out and be more prepaired then ever to beat Linifield on saturday. I expect the tigers to play the game of their lives against a solid Linfield team. I wish i could join them up in Portland, but i am not  rich just yet. I have bills to pay on my new truck and apartment. I do hope though that Tigersports and his people can broadcast the game. (Tigersports---you do a good job broadcasting the games)

As i been mentioning all season long i hope and expect that the tigers leave everything they got on the field on saturday and end up upsetting the cats. (I know i might hear words coming from people about this, but hey, who cares)

Go tigers, best of luck for the rest of the week

Tigers 48- Linfield 45

Moreover,

There is no way that OXY drops 48 on the 'Cats

[OxyFan21]

TigerSports,
Thanks for clearing that up for me.  You know I will be listening before 11:59 and you can test out the broadcast on me to make sure it works! 

[scandihoovian]

I'll post here what I did over on the NWC board regarding Cal Lutheran.  Yeah, it's a tough deal for the Kingsmen....but the lesson is that next time a Linfield or a Willamette calls to schedule a game, the SCIAC folks might want to pick up the phone to take the game as it sure looks like a loss to Linfield or Willamette just might have looked a lot better than some of those wins California Lutheran had to the committee.

I know you harbor no ill will toward CLU, but I think it's fair to say that by playing PLU year in and year out the Kingsmen show their willingness to play one of the strongest teams historically in the NWC. 

I concede that there are not many SCIAC schools in a big hurry to play Linfield, but the Kingsmen had better results against common opponents than Willamette and about the same results against common opponents as Whitworth.  I don't think there's much to support the contention that the Kingsmen intentionally sought a weak schedule, they just got hurt by Menlo and PLU having down years.

[beancounter]

Scandahoovian.....any ill will I had toward CLU ended in November 1982.....and that was only was because of what happened in November 1977......and times have changed a lot since then and won't get into the story.

I'll get to the bottom line.  The SCIAC were folks who were quite encouraging of the NWC joining d3 more than ten years ago.   NWC schools, particularly Linfield and PLU, paid quite a price to join.....there was a whole new way of doing business in recruiting and other areas in the probationary three year period.  And at the start, it was good....Linfield had a home and home with Redlands...then with Whittier....and another home and home with Redlands.   But for the last few years, no one wants to play Linfield and no one wants to play Willamette in the SCIAC.   And it is frustrating to guys like me who have come to like the d3 model over the NAIA model of yesteryear.   

It was mentioned on this board that schedules are set two or three years in advance.    That isn't the case at Linfield.  In fact, if a SCIAC school called Linfield today, you would get a home and home deal signed right now (all other things being equal) and the Cats would drop Western Oregon like a hot brick.  The SCIAC has an AQ these days and Brett Elliott isn't going to play at Linfield forever....so I can't see the hesitation to play Linfield.   And no one on this board really has an answer (or should be expected to have one....)

[RFB]

I would love to see Redlands schedule Linfield again. It would be a tough matchup for Redlands but to become the best you need to schedule the best. Hopefully it happens again soon.

[scandihoovian]

Fair enough, beancounter.  I would like to see more NWC-SCIAC matchups in the future as well, and you make a good point about the AQ making it easier to schedule Linfield.  

BTW-  I was at both of those Cal Lu - Linfield games, but with a different perspective on the outcomes    The 1977 game still ranks as one of the best I've ever seen.

[D O.C.]

any ill will I had toward CLU ended in November 1982.....and that was only was because of what happened in November 1977......and times have changed a lot since then and won't get into the story.

I'll explain...California Lutheran University,Thousand Oaks, CA, did lay a loss on the 50 straight winning seasons (and counting) program of the NAIA 3 time champion LINFIELD.
For those of you bemoaning 'let's spend all our basketball TV money elsewhere' NCAA playoff brackets learn that those CLU losses were before any trophies for LINFIELD and they must have made them stronger for the experience.

[Pat Coleman]

Your post read:
"For those bemoaning the two-loss teams getting in and Cal Lu sitting home, Cal Lutheran had the second-worst QOW of any of the teams we looked at for Pool C. You gotta go out and show something -- just beating all the bad teams and losing to one good team isn't enough."

I think the vast majority of Kingsmen backers understand that we had our chance to take care of it on the field and blew our big chance (at Oxy in September).  Having said that I want to make a couple of observations.  The first is in response to the implication that CLU set itself up with an intentionally weak non-conference schedule.  Yes our non-conference schedule turned out to be  weak this year - but, if you assume a 2-3 year lead time for scheduling, PLU, Menlo and Chapman were a combined 16-12 in 2003.

I don't think anywhere in there I implied intent. Don't go overboard.

I would say only Pacific Lutheran is a surprise. Menlo's downfall shouldn't be a surprise (get this, Zamir Amin and Nate Jackson no longer play there) and Chapman has never been great.

Finally, I think there are many of us out west are tired of seeing some of the other brackets be blow out fests, only to have the East regional champ come out west and get blown out themselves.  It just makes it a little harder to accept the notion that the NCAA is really interested in finding the top 32 teams. 

They're not, and they never have been. If they were, there would be no automatic bids. They are, however, interested in getting the 11 best at-large bids in, and with one exception (Wilkes instead of Alfred) I believe they did it.

And exactly how many times has the East champ come out West and gotten blown out, once? Twice if you want to take credit for the West No. 1 seed beating the East No. 5 side. Sorry if that's tiresome for you.

[scandihoovian]

Good point, Pat.  When I referred to the East I made sweeping generalizations based on the fact that the East Regional Final last year was a 56-7 rout, and then Rowan came out to McMinnville and got thumped.  I am guilty of turning last year into a trend.

BTW - Chapman was really tough in the mid 1990's, but that's probably too far back to help my case