FB: Empire 8

[ITH radio]

It would be nice if the E8 and LL had a similar arrangement. I know Cragg has been pushing for it for a few years now.

Nothing stopping Cragg from scheduling Empire 8 teams anyway.

That hasn't been an issue, and unfortunately scheduling isn't his 100% call. Several folks are part of that decision, but I get were you are going with that one.

[Bartman]

Yeah, Fisher won like 4 games in the 1990's.  Everybody got their licks in that decade, up until 2002.

Of the ten games in the 1990's Hobart was 7-3 vs. Fisher (Hobart website is into History!)... adding games of 2000 and 2001, a W/L of 9-3 for Hobart in the 12 games, but the upset in 2002 by Fisher was a great momentum game for the next decade for SJF fans..time for the pendulum to swing back

I think Cragg,etal., should schedule an E8 early in the season like we have in the past, it makes for a great measuring stick (I loved the old Alfred, Ithaca and Fisher games). Probably feels the games in New England may help future regional recruiting ..... and those undefeated seasons look so nice... until the playoffs... 

[thewaterboy]

And in all probability, we've going to see a game that redefines what non-competitive means at this level, which is disappointing given how the last several weeks have gone for multiple teams. I'm not real sure how the game is good for the team, the fans, or D-III football.

I can't imagine fans will enjoy it. I mean I know Wesley fans have seen blowouts, but from what I've read about this team, this isn't the same thing as a small D-II/III school that simply doesn't have great players. This is a team with hand-me-down pads whose coaches work full-time jobs elsewhere. I honestly believe there's going to be a level of play here that we've not really seen.

I think you could just as easily make these claims about teams like Mount playing schools like Wilmington. IMO, its all the same.

[ExTartanPlayer]

And in all probability, we've going to see a game that redefines what non-competitive means at this level, which is disappointing given how the last several weeks have gone for multiple teams. I'm not real sure how the game is good for the team, the fans, or D-III football.

I can't imagine fans will enjoy it. I mean I know Wesley fans have seen blowouts, but from what I've read about this team, this isn't the same thing as a small D-II/III school that simply doesn't have great players. This is a team with hand-me-down pads whose coaches work full-time jobs elsewhere. I honestly believe there's going to be a level of play here that we've not really seen.

I think you could just as easily make these claims about teams like Mount playing schools like Wilmington. IMO, its all the same.

We're splitting hairs between "bad" and "really bad" - but let's just say that at least Wilmington's kids (and other lesser-light programs in Division III) are full-time students with full-time football coaches that practice every day.  COF playing Wesley is going to be like a local semipro team that practices once or twice a week playing the Steelers.

[Bombers798891]

I think you could just as easily make these claims about teams like Mount playing schools like Wilmington. IMO, its all the same.

College of Faith: A 60-student (roughly) online-only religious school that uses hand me down pads and practices on an abandoned middle school field. In its second year of existence, has part-time coaches, and played a club team in late September.

Wilmington: A 1,100-student school that was founded in 1870, has a 3,500-seat stadium, a football program nearly a century old, went 9-1 in 1999 and 7-3 in 2000.

What was I thinking? Of course, they're all the same.

[AUPepBand]

It would be nice if the E8 and LL had a similar arrangement. I know Cragg has been pushing for it for a few years now.

Nothing stopping Cragg from scheduling Empire 8 teams anyway.

That hasn't been an issue, and unfortunately scheduling isn't his 100% call. Several folks are part of that decision, but I get were you are going with that one.

I know for a fact he turned down a game with AU when Murray was seeking a tenth game, Hobart had nine games and they had a common open date. It was 2009, Pep believes.

[Upstate]

Things are getting spicy!!!!

Pep vs ITH...

[jmcozenlaw]

thewaterboy says that College of Faith and Wilmington are the same in his opinion...............

That's why he's the waterboy

[ITH radio]

It would be nice if the E8 and LL had a similar arrangement. I know Cragg has been pushing for it for a few years now.

Nothing stopping Cragg from scheduling Empire 8 teams anyway.

That hasn't been an issue, and unfortunately scheduling isn't his 100% call. Several folks are part of that decision, but I get were you are going with that one.

I know for a fact he turned down a game with AU when Murray was seeking a tenth game, Hobart had nine games and they had a common open date. It was 2009, Pep believes.

Maybe he (if he had sole decision making) didn't see the point after beating the Saxons by 20 just two seasons before

HOB did have 3 OCC games and no bye week until late Oct. Guessing it had more to do with school calendar and other factors than "ducking" Alfred.

[ITH radio]

Things are getting spicy!!!!

Pep vs ITH...

Who's got the purple drank for dem spicy boyz?!?

Grip an sip

[thewaterboy]

thewaterboy says that College of Faith and Wilmington are the same in his opinion...............

That's why he's the waterboy

They are the same in the sense that Wesley could put up 150 if they wanted to against CoF, and Mount (who for all intents and purposes can be argued as comparable teams) could have done the same to Wilmington last week! It is splitting hairs, but I dont think its necessarily going to redefine non-competitive or be "bad" for Division III football. It's just going to be another game where the players can go against another team, and the 2nd and maybe third teamers can get game experience. I agree that CoF is not that good, but I don't agree in the fact that it will redefine non-competitive or be a lose-lose-lose for everyone involved. Especially when Wesley has D1 Charlotte on Nov. 15.

[AUPepBand]

It would be nice if the E8 and LL had a similar arrangement. I know Cragg has been pushing for it for a few years now.

Nothing stopping Cragg from scheduling Empire 8 teams anyway.

That hasn't been an issue, and unfortunately scheduling isn't his 100% call. Several folks are part of that decision, but I get were you are going with that one.

I know for a fact he turned down a game with AU when Murray was seeking a tenth game, Hobart had nine games and they had a common open date. It was 2009, Pep believes.

Maybe he (if he had sole decision making) didn't see the point after beating the Saxons by 20 just two seasons before

HOB did have 3 OCC games and no bye week until late Oct. Guessing it had more to do with school calendar and other factors than "ducking" Alfred.

Correction #1: Hobart had 2 non-conference games. (Susquehanna was in the LL at that time.)
Correction #2: Hobart and AU had common open date on Oct. 17, which Pep would say is closer to "mid-October" than "late October."
Third: It would have given Hobart a fifth home game and AU a fifth away game, leaving both with 5 home, 5 away.
And yes, the Statesmen slay the Saxons 41-22 in 2007 when AU was 7-0 but facing a back-loaded schedule. IC and Fisher did the same, 42-25 and 39-18 before AU rebounded to clobber UR 49-14 in an ECAC Bowl.

Historically, Hobart is the closest thing to a rival that Alfred has had in 116 seasons of football...'tis a shame the two can't meet, but certainly a non-conference game at Alfred does nothing for recruiting at Hobart. Yet Pep wonders why Alfred was left behind when Hobart, SLU, Union, RPI and Clarkson bolted the old Independent Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC). (Is Pep dating himself here? Anyone on these boards remember the ICAC?)

On Saxons Warriors!

[Saxon73]

I remember the ICAC well.  As a freshman in the fall of 1969 I was all conference in another sport.  Probably the 1st Frosh to win a Varsity letter at Alfred. It was the first year Freshman could compete on Varsity level. 

[SJFF82]

Yeah, Fisher won like 4 games in the 1990's.  Everybody got their licks in that decade, up until 2002.

SJFF went 21-17 from 92-95

....with an asterisk....the 7-3 '95 campaign was wiped out 1 yr later due to an NCAA eligibilty violation

We beat nationally ranked Catholic in 92 and Nationally ranked RPI in 93

Had a nationally ranked defense in '93 and '94

It was the next 4-5 yrs that we won "4 games"....literally

[Pat Coleman]

Catholic was 4-6 in 1992 and was 5-5 the year before that so I can't imagine who would have nationally ranked them.

Catholic came into the 1995 season nationally ranked by SI, I believe.

How bad was Catholic in 1992? They lost to Swarthmore.

So that team went 4-6 and graduated a ton of guys, there were a lot of seniors on that team. I followed the team very closely as the student radio guy (dating me, I know). The next year, with a bunch of unproven guys, I wrote a preview for the student newspaper that said the team was going to struggle. Well, the head coach wasn't very fond of my take and called me and proceeded to rip me a new one for about 20 minutes the day the paper came out.

However, that team went 1-9, only beating Gallaudet, and the team finished the season with 30-some players and the coach was fired. His next call to me was him telling me that he'd been fired. The athletic director was trying to hold the news in because the following day was the last newspaper edition of the fall semester, but I got the story because the coach told me on the record he was canned.

Anyway -- good times, but no way that 1992 team was legitimately ranked. Gotta love the D-III dark ages. Probably Dan & Peggy Shonka's preview or Don Hansen.