FB: Empire 8

[ITH radio]

Thx.  Missed the LvC at 25, but the more the merrier.  MAC has been whack (as is whacky) this season.

[sjfcards]

Another note from yesterday's game - Fisher fumbled the ball on the Utica 1 yard line in the second half.  Utica recovered and brought it out to the 20.  It could have cost us the game.  Last week at Ithaca, Fisher fumbled the ball at the Ithaca 1 yard line.  Gain that extra yard and Fisher wins that game.  The week before against Salisbury on the first possession of the second half we threw an interception from our own 20 yard line and Salisbury took over in the redzone. 

These types of turnovers are such killers.  Some teams like to have your every day average type of turnover where maybe you do it at midfield.  Not Fisher, we like to make it sting extra hard when we do it.

If it hasn't been undisciplined penalties it's been back breaking turnovers that have plagued Fisher from being a really good team...

They really play too loose at times on both sides of the ball...

If they can run the table they can put up a respectable 8-2 record and an ECAC game. They had a bit of offseason turmoil, had a lot to turnover in the defensive secondary and broke in a new QB, who I think has another year of eligibility...

If Fenti comes back it's not a bad year considering what took place...

I totally agree with this. I would love to see Fenti come back, and if he does I think Fisher would be the team to beat next year. However, this year it has just been one bad decision or turnover after the other. The cortland game come to mind, where Fisher turned it over multiple times and had some really bad penalties but won. Now those mistakes have caught up to them. At this point 8-2 and an ECAC bowl is the goal, and hopefully they can bring back enough for a strong season next year.

[Bengalsrule]

Time for E8 "fact or myth"

1.  SJF does not have the firepower to shock anyone offensively like they usually do.

2.  Ithaca can win next week and 1 or 2 playoff games based on defense and special teams alone.

3.  Alfred has turned their season around and just might be the best team in the league.

4.  Hartwick can beat anyone at home in any given year.

5.  Frostburg State is going to be average for a long time.

6.  Salisbury has lost it's mojo.

7.  Utica has "arrived"

8. Buffalo State has risen from the dead and now can walk on water.

1. Myth. Fisher has the firepower. It's more of a shock if they DON'T put up big numbers.

2. Myth. The Bombers will need the offense to continue its consistent, error-free, clock-killing "little play" point production to earn an NCAA playoff win or two.

3. Myth. AU has matured, for sure, but so has Ithaca, and the Saxons still must prove they're better than Utica and Fisher, no small task.

4. Myth. Any team can have a bad day when playing in a cage hanging on the side of a hill. 

5. Myth. Frostburg State has gone 4-15 in the E8. That's below average.

6. Myth. The Sea Gulls' mojo was neutralized by a potion placed in their food at the Collegiate Restaurant when they dined there Friday night. The potion wears off in about 24 hours.

7. Myth. In the Empire 8, assuming "arrived" means the destination being settling in at the top of the heap, is there really any team that has "arrived"? Pep doesn't think so.

8. Myth. But the Bengals have rebuilt their confidence after back-to-back heart-breakers to Ithaca and Alfred and are not an easy out.

On Saxon Warriors!

No "walking on water" at 1300 Elmwood. Saw Casey yesterday on campus and he was walking around a puddle. Pep is right...confidence is coming back. Opportunity to finish with 4 wins in a row (just like last year). Boyes continues to do what he does best! Alfred and Salisbury are the only 2 teams that we have 2 consecutive loses to.

St Johns Fisher is coming to town this weekend. Fall sports are coming to a close and winter sports are kicking in. Should be a supportive crowd for Saturdays game.

Go BENGALS!!!

[Upstate]

Calling it now...

Fisher (8-2/7-3) vs Rochester (6-3) in an ECAC game...

Just would love to see the UR administration and coaches faces seeing that match up...

[AUKaz00]

Calling it now...

Fisher (8-2/7-3) vs Rochester (6-3) in an ECAC game...

Just would love to see the UR administration and coaches faces seeing that match up...

Haha, that would be great.  You could have back-to-back Courage Bowls!

[D3viewer]

Calling it now...

Fisher (8-2/7-3) vs Rochester (6-3) in an ECAC game...

Just would love to see the UR administration and coaches faces seeing that match up...

Brockport could be thrown into that mix...but I know your point was more about UR dropping out of the Courage Bowl.

[dlippiel]

Calling it now...

Fisher (8-2/7-3) vs Rochester (6-3) in an ECAC game...

Just would love to see the UR administration and coaches faces seeing that match up...

Fisher would absolutely hammer them. At least a monkey stomp...at least.

[Upstate]

Calling it now...

Fisher (8-2/7-3) vs Rochester (6-3) in an ECAC game...

Just would love to see the UR administration and coaches faces seeing that match up...

Brockport could be thrown into that mix...but I know your point was more about UR dropping out of the Courage Bowl.

Would love to see Port as well, would love to see another 2003/2004 type game out of those two teams though....

[AUPepBand]

So, some key matchups in the E8 this saterday:

Can the Bombers (7-1, 5-1) make it two in a row over the Sea Gulls (5-3, 4-1) and wrap up the E8 and the AQ at Salisbury State?

Will the Suddenly Successful Saxons (6-2, 4-1) stay in the mix with a win over a dangerous Utica (3-5, 1-4) squad?

Will the Bengals (5-4, 3-3) make it four straight wins to finish the season and perhaps get an ECAC bid or will St. John Fisher (6-2, 3-2) avenge last year's loss?

Will the Hawks (4-4, 1-4) snap their four-game skid and salvage their season against the Bobcats (1-7, 0-5) on the mountain at Frostburg State?

On Saxon Warriors!

[Upstate]

So, some key matchups in the E8 this saterday:

Can the Bombers (7-1, 5-1) make it two in a row over the Sea Gulls (5-3, 4-1) and wrap up the E8 and the AQ at Salisbury State?

Will the Suddenly Successful Saxons (6-2, 4-1) stay in the mix with a win over a dangerous Utica (3-5, 1-4) squad?

Will the Bengals (5-4, 3-3) make it four straight wins to finish the season and perhaps get an ECAC bid or will St. John Fisher (6-2, 3-2) avenge last year's loss?

Will the Hawks (4-4, 1-4) snap their four-game skid and salvage their season against the Bobcats (1-7, 0-5) on the mountain at Frostburg State?

On Saxon Warriors!

I've got the Bombers taking it 24-20 and wrapping up a surprising playoff berth!

I think the Saxons get revenge over last years beat down and improve to 5-1 in the E8 by beating Utica 38-17. They then are in a position to earn a co-championship with a win their last game.

Fisher gets redemption over last years 17-9 loss to Buff State by escaping the Bengals 33-30 in OT.

Frostburg gets their first conference win this year in a shoot out 48-41 over Hartwick!

[Bombers798891]

While we probably all know the scenarios for the various outcomes in the E8, here's my question:

Assuming we put aside allegiances to teams and just hope for the best possible outcome for the conference in the postseason, who should we be rooting for this weekend? Factoring in not just how well a team is playing right now, but possible hosting and seeding possibilities as well.

[AUPepBand]

While we probably all know the scenarios for the various outcomes in the E8, here's my question:

Assuming we put aside allegiances to teams and just hope for the best possible outcome for the conference in the postseason, who should we be rooting for this weekend? Factoring in not just how well a team is playing right now, but possible hosting and seeding possibilities as well.

Well that's easy enough, Bombers....we should all be rooting for the Bombers! But it just ain't gonna happen, friend. In addition to Pep's allegiance to the Saxons, he's suddenly become an overzealous Sea Gull fan! The potion imposed upon the Gulls from their dinner at the Collegiate Restaurant has by now worn off. They are back home now in their friendly confines on the Eastern Shore back to their regular diet...and boy are they hungry!!

On Saxon Warriors!

[ExTartanPlayer]

While we probably all know the scenarios for the various outcomes in the E8, here's my question:

Assuming we put aside allegiances to teams and just hope for the best possible outcome for the conference in the postseason, who should we be rooting for this weekend? Factoring in not just how well a team is playing right now, but possible hosting and seeding possibilities as well.

Ithaca, offensive issues aside, seems like your best chance to host a game and win one or two games, depending on who they get matched with.  With the likelihood (sorry, guys, it's just true) that the Eastern teams will probably end up in a bracket with a North top seed and Hobart as the presumptuous #2 seed in such a bracket, Ithaca seems like your best bet to host and win a game or two, I'd think.  SJF, Salisbury, and Alfred have their respective strengths but they'd be a much lower seed (which may or may not matter, for all we know they'd get rewarded for being the #6 seed with a game at Framingham if they get in, or Gallaudet, or the NJAC rep).  I don't think the E8 gets two teams in no matter what happens.  There's not going to be room for an 8-2 team in Pool C with all the quality 1-loss teams available.

[AUPepBand]

While we probably all know the scenarios for the various outcomes in the E8, here's my question:

Assuming we put aside allegiances to teams and just hope for the best possible outcome for the conference in the postseason, who should we be rooting for this weekend? Factoring in not just how well a team is playing right now, but possible hosting and seeding possibilities as well.

Ithaca, offensive issues aside, seems like your best chance to host a game and win one or two games, depending on who they get matched with.  With the likelihood (sorry, guys, it's just true) that the Eastern teams will probably end up in a bracket with a North top seed and Hobart as the presumptuous #2 seed in such a bracket, Ithaca seems like your best bet to host and win a game or two, I'd think.  SJF, Salisbury, and Alfred have their respective strengths but they'd be a much lower seed (which may or may not matter, for all we know they'd get rewarded for being the #6 seed with a game at Framingham if they get in, or Gallaudet, or the NJAC rep).  I don't think the E8 gets two teams in no matter what happens.  There's not going to be room for an 8-2 team in Pool C with all the quality 1-loss teams available.

Unfortunate that the pep band isn't taken into consideration in the playoff deliberations...Pep is happy to report the AU Pep Band climbed several spots in the national rankings given their performance in the Salisbury game, with Scotty Tuba named to the D3PepBand.com Band of the Week off his tuba solo of the National Anthem. 

[D3MAFAN]

While we probably all know the scenarios for the various outcomes in the E8, here's my question:

Assuming we put aside allegiances to teams and just hope for the best possible outcome for the conference in the postseason, who should we be rooting for this weekend? Factoring in not just how well a team is playing right now, but possible hosting and seeding possibilities as well.

Ithaca, offensive issues aside, seems like your best chance to host a game and win one or two games, depending on who they get matched with.  With the likelihood (sorry, guys, it's just true) that the Eastern teams will probably end up in a bracket with a North top seed and Hobart as the presumptuous #2 seed in such a bracket, Ithaca seems like your best bet to host and win a game or two, I'd think.  SJF, Salisbury, and Alfred have their respective strengths but they'd be a much lower seed (which may or may not matter, for all we know they'd get rewarded for being the #6 seed with a game at Framingham if they get in, or Gallaudet, or the NJAC rep).  I don't think the E8 gets two teams in no matter what happens.  There's not going to be room for an 8-2 team in Pool C with all the quality 1-loss teams available.

Unless the rest of the regions implode over the next coupled of games, we could see it, stranger things have happen in Division III football. Nevertheless, I agree, Ithaca is the best chance at getting two home games then a trip to the beast of the North in round three. However, if another E 8 team gets in (Alfred), I think it is a trip to the NJAC represenative and then a trip to the Beast of the North. I think Gallaudet or Salisbury (if they somehow make it)  get's sent to the Beast of the North first round, while the remaining teams deck it out.