FB: Empire 8

[saxontad]

Sorry to interrupt the Ithaca, Fisher fest here, but, Pep, do you know if the Frostburg game is going to be streamed?  My memory tells me it was the last time we were down there, but my memory isn't what it used to be.

On Saxon Warriors!!

[Upstate]

So, comparing the two memorable interceptions in the Fisher/Ithaca rivalry; Stepnick's phantom int in 04, and Struzzi's pick 6 in 05, which was the bigger play? I won't argue that Stepnick's was a better play because he didn't actually catch the ball, but for the program at the time the call was a turning point moment. Struzzi's pick may be one of the most memorable plays I have seen anywhere.

So which was the bigger play?

I think Struzzi wins by default because it was a legitimate INT and there was no questions regarding the legality of the ruling. If Stepnick actually caught it I would go with him because the play he made for the ball.

Struzzi, not taking anything away from him, had the ball thrown to him after he made the read on the bubble screen. Suchyna double clutched the ball and hesitated with it because they wanted to hit the inside WR on a slant (Noah was burning them all day on the bubble). When Suchyna saw the inside guy covered he threw the damn bubble which Struzzi had covered.

I still think the RB (I think it was Reihle) had him and didn't need to dive for ankles.

The Stepnick pick was bigger for the program for Fisher than Struzzi pick was for IC though.

[Bombers798891]

So, comparing the two memorable interceptions in the Fisher/Ithaca rivalry; Stepnick's phantom int in 04, and Struzzi's pick 6 in 05, which was the bigger play? I won't argue that Stepnick's was a better play because he didn't actually catch the ball, but for the program at the time the call was a turning point moment. Struzzi's pick may be one of the most memorable plays I have seen anywhere.

So which was the bigger play?

Stepnick and it's not close. That play (I refuse to call it an pick) significantly changed Ithaca's program as well.

I once asked Mike Welch what his best team was. He told me it was 2004. This is a guy who's gone to the third round of the playoffs three times, and qualified for it three other times. And he never hesitated. People forget how dominant that Ithaca team was, in part because Jamie Donovan was, at the time of the Fisher game, still a freshman transfer splitting time with Alex Baez and he spent most of 2005/2006 banged up (though never really injured). But look at his numbers the last six weeks of the season:

At Brockport:           37 carries, 218 yards
vs. Utica:                 20 carries, 170 yards
vs. #20 Springfield:  22 carries, 140 yards
at Alfred                  11 carries, 36 yards
at Cortland              34 carries, 203 yards
vs. U-Mass Dartmouth 29 carries, 165 yards

You have a RB like that, add in Josh Felicetti, who is one of the top QB's in the history of the conference, a first-team All-American tight end (Vince Dargush), WR's who were second and third all-time in catches in Bomber history (Esposito and Welch), a fullback who finished the season with more catches, yards, and yards per catch than that first-team All-American TE (Jamie Free), and an offensive line that allowed 12 sacks all season, and you've got an elite offense.

Seriously, Ithaca's fullback had 46 catches for 535 yards that year.

And the defense? 13.6 PPG, 254 YPG, 30 sacks, and 36 turnovers forced. Fantastic all around.

I mean honestly, how did that team lose two games? I have no idea. If Ithaca makes the playoffs that year, I think they win at least two games. Frankly, I think they could have won the East. And on the heels of the 2001 and 2003 seasons, I think that would have really been significant in keeping Ithaca in the national conversation.

[Jonny Utah]

2004:Fisher gets two one interception from Stepnick.

Are you suggesting that Stepnick's game winning play in overtime was a bad call? Typical Ithaca poster 

Seriously, I don't know what the game lacks other than the teams not being as good as they were a few years back. The games in 04, 05, and 06 felt like they were bigger than they maybe were. Big games, between two top level teams. I feel like we had more people posting as well back then (maninyellowhat, etc.)

Either way, I am going to the game for the 9th straight year. My wife is an IC alum, and we go every year, so it will be a big day for me.

Sometimes this is all you need.

But yeah, me and Johnny are the only two IC posters left.

And I never even played against SJF so it doesn't even mean as much to me.

[fisheralum91]

I will admit that it is pretty awesome to have IC as the underdog year in and year out.
If for anything else, this is what many of the Fisher Faithful begged for!!!

[Bombers798891]

Last night, I sent in a pick-up order for wings at a local Ithaca joint. I get there, and my order isn't ready, but there are a stack of pizzas and other bags of food on the counter. The counter guy starts going "Okay, these are for the linebackers, these are for the offensive line..."

Apparently, I had the misfortune of placing an order five minutes after the football team. I was very hungry. They better win.

[mattvsmith]

Did you guys see the story today about the top 25 and their opponents' records?
It's pretty cool. I was surprised to see how many top teams have so far played mostly teams with losing records. A notable exception was St John Fisher, who is one of the few top 25 teams that has played mostly teams with .500 and above.
I wonder how it will shake out. Will these teams start meeting teams with winning schedules?
And how does a great team in a lousy conference keep themselves up rather than playing down to their peers?
Anyway, I'm curious what others thought of that article.

[Bombers798891]

Did you guys see the story today about the top 25 and their opponents' records?
It's pretty cool. I was surprised to see how many top teams have so far played mostly teams with losing records. A notable exception was St John Fisher, who is one of the few top 25 teams that has played mostly teams with .500 and above.
I wonder how it will shake out. Will these teams start meeting teams with winning schedules?
And how does a great team in a lousy conference keep themselves up rather than playing down to their peers?
Anyway, I'm curious what others thought of that article.

Some of this stuff is just early season scheduling randomness (Mount comes to mind). But for Fisher, Otterbein will be 3-4 after this week (playing Mount) and Cortland State might be as well (playing TCNJ).

[ExTartanPlayer]

Did you guys see the story today about the top 25 and their opponents' records?
It's pretty cool. I was surprised to see how many top teams have so far played mostly teams with losing records. A notable exception was St John Fisher, who is one of the few top 25 teams that has played mostly teams with .500 and above.
I wonder how it will shake out. Will these teams start meeting teams with winning schedules?
And how does a great team in a lousy conference keep themselves up rather than playing down to their peers?
Anyway, I'm curious what others thought of that article.

Had a brief discussion of this elsewhere.  Combination of a few things at work: I know we're getting later in the season, but you have to remember that Top 25 teams are virtually all undefeated, thus meaning that they have dealt their opponents one loss each, and thusly their opponents really have to be two games over .500 in their other games to have a "winning record" - that matters more in Weeks 3-4-5, but still is a factor. 

Another factor worth mentioning is that a team's record at a given point in the season is just as much a reflection of who they've played to date as it is their actual ability, and this matters when looking at those "opponents' records" too.  There are teams currently 2-4 or 3-3 that really are going to finish 6-4 or 7-3, it just happens that their schedule was frontloaded with good teams (Otterbein is a good example; they're included as a team SJF beat that is "at .500" right now, but they're going to finish over .500, they've just played two of the better OAC teams already).

Another team that isn't currently ranked, but I have pegged as one to watch because of a similar phenomena, is 4-2 WashU.  They have close losses to 6-0 UWW (who has killed everyone since) and 5-1 Coe, plus wins over 5-1 Rhodes and 5-1 Centre (meaning that they've dealt each of those teams their only loss).  Put another way, those four opponents are a combined 19-1 in games against other opponents.  WashU beat two of them and lost competitively to the other two.  The Bears are about to feast on a softer part of their schedule (although I never take any UAA games for granted) and could well roll to an 8-2 finish.

The final and perhaps most important factor, is that many of the teams just happen to have their conference schedules a bit backloaded: it happens that the OAC, CCIW, and WIAC all have three "juggernauts" and none of them have met yet.  The NCAC could say the same.  The MIAC and NWC are two of the only "power" leagues where some of the best teams have already started squaring off.

Edited to add: the point that I really liked about Keith's column was the way he led it off: do you want to be ranked just for the sake of being ranked, or do you actually want to be good enough to earn that ranking in the playoffs?  I like dissecting the rankings but find any real complaining about them silly because everybody's got the chance to prove it as the season goes on and, more importantly, in the playoffs.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Last night, I sent in a pick-up order for wings at a local Ithaca joint. I get there, and my order isn't ready, but there are a stack of pizzas and other bags of food on the counter. The counter guy starts going "Okay, these are for the linebackers, these are for the offensive line..."

Apparently, I had the misfortune of placing an order five minutes after the football team. I was very hungry. They better win.

LOL.  +K for anecdote.  Love it.

[fisheralum91]

Looks like Pat and Keith are picking Fisher to get upset this Saterday.
Lets hope they are wrong!!

[sjfcards]

Looks like Pat and Keith are picking Fisher to get upset this Saterday.
Lets hope they are wrong!!

They are wrong.

[Bombers798891]

Looks like Pat and Keith are picking Fisher to get upset this Saterday.
Lets hope they are wrong!!

Eh, both of them kind of admit this isn't exactly an "upset." Fisher's 25th in the country. Ithaca's got a bad loss, but they're still 5-1. Fisher's looked vulnerable at times on defense, (against Frostburg). The game's at Ithaca, where the Bombers have looked very good this year, and the Bombers can play just a little D.

I mean, yes, Fisher's the better team, but are they really that much better that Ithaca couldn't win say, 21-20 with the help of a big punt return? Sure, there's the whole "Fisher owns Ithaca" angle, but YMMV on that one. I think Fisher will win, but I wouldn't be stunned if Ithaca were to win a close one.

[sjfcards]

Looks like Pat and Keith are picking Fisher to get upset this Saterday.
Lets hope they are wrong!!

Eh, both of them kind of admit this isn't exactly an "upset." Fisher's 25th in the country. Ithaca's got a bad loss, but they're still 5-1. Fisher's looked vulnerable at times on defense, (against Frostburg). The game's at Ithaca, where the Bombers have looked very good this year, and the Bombers can play just a little D.

I mean, yes, Fisher's the better team, but are they really that much better that Ithaca couldn't win say, 21-20 with the help of a big punt return? Sure, there's the whole "Fisher owns Ithaca" angle, but YMMV on that one. I think Fisher will win, but I wouldn't be stunned if Ithaca were to win a close one.

Anyone else going to the game?

[Pat Coleman]

Looks like Pat and Keith are picking Fisher to get upset this Saterday.
Lets hope they are wrong!!

Except, of course, that I don't actually say that.