FB: Empire 8

[boobyhasgameyo]

My Hobart-SJFC preview is up:

Hobart Homecoming Preview - St John Fisher

Well done TGP.  I was actually looking forward to that.  +k

[fisheralum91]

TGP
Well done!
Plus k

Upstate- I really like the call on am950.
Have been listening to that team for a while and have come to really enjoy it.
Looks like ill listen again on Sat!

[theoriginalupstate]

TGP
Well done!
Plus k

Upstate- I really like the call on am950.
Have been listening to that team for a while and have come to really enjoy it.
Looks like ill listen again on Sat!

I love it too, I turn down the audio on the video feed from the school and turn on 950's internet feed...

I was just kidding about the "flaky" and the "enthusiastic" stuff.  You have to be enthusiastic if you're a play by play guy and the flaky part was just a rib shot at a SJF alum

[labart96]

Hey thx but I think you guys are just giving me k+ b/c I picked the Cardinals

Re audio - WEOS does a great football broadcast - Ted Baker (no relation) is a real pro and is pretty objective.

Dial him up if you want a good audio feed.

[sjfcards]

So is there video of the Fisher Hobart game? I saw the link and assumed it would be online.

[Pat Coleman]

I wonder if SJF sent a video of #12s one handed catch to D3fb.com...

Nope.

Last week we sent email to every SID, this week we sent email to every head coach introducing them to the concept. We also take fan video (one was a runner-up last week) and even if you don't have video, you can definitely suggest a play to us and we will follow up with the school to see if we can get the video. We also solicit suggestions on our Facebook page and send at least one note about Play of the Week out on Twitter while we're compiling nominees.

But it has to be done by Monday. We publish Tuesday afternoon every week -- it's the only real open spot in the calendar.

I'll keep that in mind in the future, you did answer my question via DM on Twitter though about it!

Alright -- I wasn't sure who that was.

[labart96]

So is there video of the Fisher Hobart game? I saw the link and assumed it would be online.

Yes, I believe there is - here's a link from the Hobart Football website:

http://www.hwsathletics.com/showcase/#liveevents

[sjfcards]

Thanks TGP. I still haven't been able to convince Mrs. Cards to go so video may be my only option.

[Bombers798891]

Let's get some chatter going on these boards. Here are my thoughts on the Week 4 games:

Ithaca @ Lycoming: Lycoming is a solid team, and eventually the Bombers will get hurt by their lack of a running game. But not this week. Zappia and his trio of receiving threats (Higgins, Vossler and Ruffrage) will put up the points, and the defense will continue to show their improvement. Bombers win 27-13

Springfield @ Alfred: This strikes me as one of the most compelling games in the E8 this season, because those two schools seem to be the two it's toughest to get a read on. I'm leaning towards the Pride in this one, and I'm not entirely sure why. Alfred is a good team but one that always strikes me as not quite able to play up to their full potential on a year-to-year (and sometimes week to week) basis. Clearly, they've been hanging out with that bad influence over in Ithaca too much. This could be one I regret but: Springfield 33, Alfred 20.

Fisher @ Hobart: I feel this is the one game that could trip up the Cards on their way to 10-0. The Statesman are always a pain to play on the road, although maybe that's the whole turf thing coming from an IC guy. Regardless, Bailey is seriously good, and unless they shoot themselves in the foot, they should continue to put up the points. Fisher 38, Hobart 17.

Wilkes @ Utica: After what Springfield did to Wilkes, the mind shudders to think how many points Utica will hang on them. 75? 213? A billion? Thankfully, the Pioneers will be able to get into the 3rd and 4th stringers and keep the score down. At the end of the day though, it's not pretty. Utica 49, Wilkes 10

One other game that probably only interests me (and Dlip):

Rochester @ Union: Is it astounding to anyone else that Union has only played one game? Don't work yourself too hard boys. But anyway, I want to see how good Union is this year, because hey, the better they are, the better Ithaca looks. I'd say the same thing about Cortland, but A) They're playing Western Connecticut and B) Cortland sucks

[Yanks 99]

Let's get some chatter going on these boards. Here are my thoughts on the Week 4 games:

Ithaca @ Lycoming: Lycoming is a solid team, and eventually the Bombers will get hurt by their lack of a running game. But not this week. Zappia and his trio of receiving threats (Higgins, Vossler and Ruffrage) will put up the points, and the defense will continue to show their improvement. Bombers win 27-13

Springfield @ Alfred: This strikes me as one of the most compelling games in the E8 this season, because those two schools seem to be the two it's toughest to get a read on. I'm leaning towards the Pride in this one, and I'm not entirely sure why. Alfred is a good team but one that always strikes me as not quite able to play up to their full potential on a year-to-year (and sometimes week to week) basis. Clearly, they've been hanging out with that bad influence over in Ithaca too much. This could be one I regret but: Springfield 33, Alfred 20.

Fisher @ Hobart: I feel this is the one game that could trip up the Cards on their way to 10-0. The Statesman are always a pain to play on the road, although maybe that's the whole turf thing coming from an IC guy. Regardless, Bailey is seriously good, and unless they shoot themselves in the foot, they should continue to put up the points. Fisher 38, Hobart 17.

Wilkes @ Utica: After what Springfield did to Wilkes, the mind shudders to think how many points Utica will hang on them. 75? 213? A billion? Thankfully, the Pioneers will be able to get into the 3rd and 4th stringers and keep the score down. At the end of the day though, it's not pretty. Utica 49, Wilkes 10

One other game that probably only interests me (and Dlip):

Rochester @ Union: Is it astounding to anyone else that Union has only played one game? Don't work yourself too hard boys. But anyway, I want to see how good Union is this year, because hey, the better they are, the better Ithaca looks. I'd say the same thing about Cortland, but A) They're playing Western Connecticut and B) Cortland sucks

Glad Wick has a week off to get back to the drawing board...their next four games (3 games in a row, followed by a bye week, and then the fourth game) are ridiculous...Ithaca, Alfred, Fisher, and then Springfield...with only being Alfred at home.

As for your picks...I agree with all of them...

[AUPepBand]

Let's get some chatter going on these boards. Here are my thoughts on the Week 4 games:

Ithaca @ Lycoming: Lycoming is a solid team, and eventually the Bombers will get hurt by their lack of a running game. But not this week. Zappia and his trio of receiving threats (Higgins, Vossler and Ruffrage) will put up the points, and the defense will continue to show their improvement. Bombers win 27-13

Springfield @ Alfred: This strikes me as one of the most compelling games in the E8 this season, because those two schools seem to be the two it's toughest to get a read on. I'm leaning towards the Pride in this one, and I'm not entirely sure why. Alfred is a good team but one that always strikes me as not quite able to play up to their full potential on a year-to-year (and sometimes week to week) basis. Clearly, they've been hanging out with that bad influence over in Ithaca too much. This could be one I regret but: Springfield 33, Alfred 20.

Fisher @ Hobart: I feel this is the one game that could trip up the Cards on their way to 10-0. The Statesman are always a pain to play on the road, although maybe that's the whole turf thing coming from an IC guy. Regardless, Bailey is seriously good, and unless they shoot themselves in the foot, they should continue to put up the points. Fisher 38, Hobart 17.

Wilkes @ Utica: After what Springfield did to Wilkes, the mind shudders to think how many points Utica will hang on them. 75? 213? A billion? Thankfully, the Pioneers will be able to get into the 3rd and 4th stringers and keep the score down. At the end of the day though, it's not pretty. Utica 49, Wilkes 10

One other game that probably only interests me (and Dlip):

Rochester @ Union: Is it astounding to anyone else that Union has only played one game? Don't work yourself too hard boys. But anyway, I want to see how good Union is this year, because hey, the better they are, the better Ithaca looks. I'd say the same thing about Cortland, but A) They're playing Western Connecticut and B) Cortland sucks

Pep is thinking you may be right about the Springfield-Alfred game but is hoping you're wrong. Springfield's offense is no doubt improved from last year as Josh Carter gets even more comfortable and more confident in his decisions. Pep remembers him taking a real beating at Merrill Field last year and expects the AU defense will present his greatest challenge to date. Pep has seen AU victimized at Springfield in the past, but has also seen the Saxon defense rise to the challenge the past three years. Carter's passing (throwing 8-10 times a game this season) may do more damage than the running attack.

On the other side of the ball, Alfred's offense is not so polished as the 2009 version. Given the "Mandrix Factor" which Pep defines as the Saxons sans playmakers Jared Manzer and Vinson Hendrix, AU's offense appears to still be trying to find itself. This would be an opportune time to do so. Will it happen? Time will tell. Springfield's defense could be improved over last year, which could present a problem for AU. Again, only time will tell.

On Saxon Warriors!

[theoriginalupstate]

Fisher @ Hobart: I feel this is the one game that could trip up the Cards on their way to 10-0. The Statesman are always a pain to play on the road, although maybe that's the whole turf thing coming from an IC guy. Regardless, Bailey is seriously good, and unless they shoot themselves in the foot, they should continue to put up the points. Fisher 38, Hobart 17.

Fisher is going to have to contain Hobart's speedy freshman RB, the speedster averages 9 yards a carry and also returns kicks.  If they can keep him in check and force the Bart QB to make plays they'll be in good shape.  Bart's QB is has a completions percentage just above 50%.  SJF likes to run multiple zone coverages to try and confuse the QB if they continue to have the success they've had this year doing so it could be a long day for the Bart QB.

Offensively for SJF the sooner they get Hobart out of their base 4-4 the better.  Bart likes to bring heat and they like to designate the wide side of the field as their strength.  Look for SJF to run a lot of back side posts and seam routes on the short side of the field to try and take advantage of that.  If they can't get to Bailey he'll pick them apart deep. 

I think Bart keeps it close for a half or so but SJF pulls away late 31-17.

[PrideFan1]

My Week 4:

SC 31 AU 14 - Pride rolls. They finally seem to have defense that doesn't require the offense to win shootouts.

Wilkes 28 Pootica 13 - Can't use the SC game as bench mark. Triple option is really hard to stop especially when its the first time seeing it. A pee wee team could hang 50+ on Becker and Castleton.

Fisher 35 Bart 17- Fisher is Fisher

IC 24 Lycoming 7 - Don't know much about either team. But I give the edge to Coach Welch's gang.

[AUKaz00]

Based on prior discussions we've had on ITH with the head(s) of the NCAA DIII Football Championship Committee, there is some precedent, if not preference to take a 10-0 team over a 9-1 team....

Sorry to bring this discussion back from the dead, but we're a week deeper into the season with the same question lingering.  To add to the intrigue, last year the committee intimated that had there been an undefeated team in the East, Mount Union wouldn't have been moved in.  Now, suppose that not only the ECFC champ is undefeated, but that there isn't another undefeated East team.  Could we possibly have a Norwich bracket?!?  The Norwich/SUNY-Maritime game on 10/30 could actually be for the top seed in the playoffs!

[labart96]

It is an interesting possibility - especially if you read into/take a literal interpretation on the NCAAs/Dr Solomen's comments on the same....

Best DVC can do is a #2 seed given Wesley is considered an in region loss.  I suppose an "undefeated" Curry could be viewed as a possible high / top seed if they run the table in the NEFC given their loss was to an upper division (Stonehill) team...

That said, east fans should be hoping at least one, if not two (e.g., SJFC/IC, Hobart, Montclair/Cortland), teams run the table in their respective conferences.  Likely exit will still be either in Alliance (or maybe Wesley, depending on travel schedules, etc.) anyway but at least it would allow for deeper playoff runs than we've seen in recent years.