FB: Empire 8

[AUKaz00]

In my humble opinion,
The Fisher Alfred game decides the E8 and ultimately the region.
If Fisher beats AU in Mayberry, I see smooth sailing til the NCAAs.

Agreed 91. With all of this talk of Fisher going 10-0 I think Alfred has slipped back into the Rodney Dangerfield roll they love so much. They are a solid 5-0, are ranked right behind Fisher in the top 25, and are the defending champs of the E8. And yet, no one is talking about them running the table.

That game has to be the game of the year in the conference. In the East region?

Bingo...was thinkin the exact thing as I was scrolling the last few posts...and bam, there was your post.  AU, the football team, lies in wait for the SJF hype train, just as Pep, Kazoo, and co. are lying silent here, listening to this deserved, but premature hype of the 10-0 season.

Meanwhile, we have Wick this week, which certainly has stung us before, and the last time SJF started a season 6-0.....NORWICH said 'stick that in your pipe and smoke it' as Garcon lie tackled at the 1 yd line...

Didn't you guys hear that the Alfred-Fisher game was cancelled out of fear of what the Cardinals players would do to our facilities...

[AlfredSaxon8]

In my humble opinion,
The Fisher Alfred game decides the E8 and ultimately the region.
If Fisher beats AU in Mayberry, I see smooth sailing til the NCAAs.

Agreed 91. With all of this talk of Fisher going 10-0 I think Alfred has slipped back into the Rodney Dangerfield roll they love so much. They are a solid 5-0, are ranked right behind Fisher in the top 25, and are the defending champs of the E8. And yet, no one is talking about them running the table.

That game has to be the game of the year in the conference. In the East region?

Bingo...was thinkin the exact thing as I was scrolling the last few posts...and bam, there was your post.  AU, the football team, lies in wait for the SJF hype train, just as Pep, Kazoo, and co. are lying silent here, listening to this deserved, but premature hype of the 10-0 season.

Meanwhile, we have Wick this week, which certainly has stung us before, and the last time SJF started a season 6-0.....NORWICH said 'stick that in your pipe and smoke it' as Garcon lie tackled at the 1 yd line...

So, hypothetically speaking of course, if AU beats Fisher but loses to Ithaca, doesn't the tiebreaker go to Ithaca and they take the E8? Each time would have a conference loss...

Anyhow, I think its going to be good to see the SJF and AU matchup.  I haven't had a chance to see them play in person yet this season but one thing does scare me about AU- turnovers.  I backed up Tommy at AU and the kid is without a doubt one of the best talents I've ever played with.  But it seems like he has some turnovers, I'm not sure if they could've been prevented or not, as I didn't see the games, but that's going to be a pivotal part of the game.  No other statistic makes a bigger difference on the outcome of the game than turnovers...

Of course AU will win in my mind.  And as far as the previous posts about best coaches in the E8... I think its Murray hands down.  Look at the facilities AU presents to its recruits vs those of Ithaca and Fisher.  I mean the Library is great Pep but we had outdated fields (until this year), outdated lockerrooms, 1 gym, a weightroom that was merged with the general public, and look at its location... Don't get me wrong, I loved my time there.  But when you are recruiting kids from Long Island and big cities, its a pretty big change... I think he does the best with what he's got and knows how to have players play to their potential better than any other coach.  Plus, his defenses are some of the best in the East and Puccio (who he coached at Cortland) and Rankl have put together one of the most dynamic offenses recently...

[maxpower]

The tiebreaker after head-to-head is record against the worst teams in your conference (!), followed by fewest overall losses, followed by OOC strength of schedule. So, unless both SJF AND Alfred lose twice this year, Ithaca is doomed.


I think all this info is correct.... Pat, whatever happened to the FAQ in the redesign?

[labart96]

It's under the "Contact" drop down

[SJFF82]

Since the IC game is mercifully over for another year, I can root for a 10-0 Fisher to keep a team from being shipped into the East. So, my question is this: Why should I believe in this Fisher team? I say that not derogatorily. I just mean, we've seen talented Fisher teams get tripped up in conference play before--arguably more talented ones. So what's different about this team's makeup?

I say makeup, because, on some level, I believe that's what it comes down to. In this conference, we've all had games we've lost that we should have won. What's this Fisher team got that say, the 2006-2007 versions don't? Or the 2006 Pride? The 2008 Bombers? 2004 Norwich? (just kidding)

Yeah, this is me being cynical, but if you were a Michigan State fan, you'd understand why talk of possible greatness struggles to impress me

Bombers798891...I posted this the other day on the Fan Poll page...


just 'thinkin' out loud here...and wondering how strong this Fisher team is compared to the 2006 squad that hung within 5 pts until 4 minutes to go against MUC.

I saw several games live that year and 2 so far this year.  In my mind, this present team is at least a 7pt underdog to the 2006 team.  How that equates to the relative strength of the East this year and the rest of the country remains to be seen.

The 2 major differences are the RB and the defense as a whole.  I have seen Borum carry the ball 40 or so times this year, and I cannot recall seeing him break many tackles nor do I recall seeing him getting to the second level on too many runs.  Robinson did that on almost every carry in 2006.  I dont see Borum busting through MUC's defensive line on 4th and goal from the 1 in December like Robby did in '06.  You need that to go deep in December.

Yes their passing game is the 'greatest show on turf' since the Rams of Warner, Faulk, et al, but passing games can become erratic, and good defenses will make you pay for being 1 dimensional.

Their current defense is a far cry from the ball-hawking defense that led them in 06.  Stepnick and Lang were animals.  This defense is very adequate, and even showed some spark against IC this week, but very adequate means you only give up 49 to MUC in December instead of 49 by half time.  And dont tell me about bend dont break defense, because the 06 defense never bent OR broke..well, except the Chris Sharpe debacle, but they were down Stepnick and others that game.

So...being the glass is laying broken on the floor instead of half-full guy that I am....I am going out on a limb and stating that should we make the NCAA's this year, anything less than a 4th quarter show-down with MUC along the way will prove the correctness of the foregoing non-sense.

I kinda see us going down in a shootout with DVC ala 2004...before MUC gets their teeth in us.

Can they run the table in your mind? If not, who trips them up?

I think their defense trips themselves up at some point...

I looked at some of the defensive numbers from 2006 v. 2010

2006

pts against was 12.4 per game in reg season....with 44% of those total pts coming at the hands of Chris Sharpe, ALONE and his 7tds.

4 reg season shut-outs (5 total)

2010 YTD

18 pts per game

zero shut-outs

69% more pts per game avg.

[AlfredSaxon8]

Since the IC game is mercifully over for another year, I can root for a 10-0 Fisher to keep a team from being shipped into the East. So, my question is this: Why should I believe in this Fisher team? I say that not derogatorily. I just mean, we've seen talented Fisher teams get tripped up in conference play before--arguably more talented ones. So what's different about this team's makeup?

I say makeup, because, on some level, I believe that's what it comes down to. In this conference, we've all had games we've lost that we should have won. What's this Fisher team got that say, the 2006-2007 versions don't? Or the 2006 Pride? The 2008 Bombers? 2004 Norwich? (just kidding)

Yeah, this is me being cynical, but if you were a Michigan State fan, you'd understand why talk of possible greatness struggles to impress me

Bombers798891...I posted this the other day on the Fan Poll page...


just 'thinkin' out loud here...and wondering how strong this Fisher team is compared to the 2006 squad that hung within 5 pts until 4 minutes to go against MUC.

I saw several games live that year and 2 so far this year.  In my mind, this present team is at least a 7pt underdog to the 2006 team.  How that equates to the relative strength of the East this year and the rest of the country remains to be seen.

The 2 major differences are the RB and the defense as a whole.  I have seen Borum carry the ball 40 or so times this year, and I cannot recall seeing him break many tackles nor do I recall seeing him getting to the second level on too many runs.  Robinson did that on almost every carry in 2006.  I dont see Borum busting through MUC's defensive line on 4th and goal from the 1 in December like Robby did in '06.  You need that to go deep in December.

Yes their passing game is the 'greatest show on turf' since the Rams of Warner, Faulk, et al, but passing games can become erratic, and good defenses will make you pay for being 1 dimensional.

Their current defense is a far cry from the ball-hawking defense that led them in 06.  Stepnick and Lang were animals.  This defense is very adequate, and even showed some spark against IC this week, but very adequate means you only give up 49 to MUC in December instead of 49 by half time.  And dont tell me about bend dont break defense, because the 06 defense never bent OR broke..well, except the Chris Sharpe debacle, but they were down Stepnick and others that game.

So...being the glass is laying broken on the floor instead of half-full guy that I am....I am going out on a limb and stating that should we make the NCAA's this year, anything less than a 4th quarter show-down with MUC along the way will prove the correctness of the foregoing non-sense.

I kinda see us going down in a shootout with DVC ala 2004...before MUC gets their teeth in us.

Can they run the table in your mind? If not, who trips them up?

I think their defense trips themselves up at some point...

I looked at some of the defensive numbers from 2006 v. 2010

2006

pts against was 12.4 per game in reg season....with 44% of those total pts coming at the hands of Chris Sharpe, ALONE and his 7tds.

4 reg season shut-outs (5 total)

2010 YTD

18 pts per game

zero shut-outs

69% more pts per game avg.

What trips them up?

Thon catching 4 TD passes, Secky posting 285 yards plus, Dwyer going over 100, and Clark and Currier shutting down Fisher's offense...

[Pat Coleman]

The tiebreaker after head-to-head is record against the worst teams in your conference (!), followed by fewest overall losses, followed by OOC strength of schedule. So, unless both SJF AND Alfred lose twice this year, Ithaca is doomed.


I think all this info is correct.... Pat, whatever happened to the FAQ in the redesign?

As TGP said it's under the Contact menu, but we don't have individual conferences' tiebreakers in there. Too many to keep track of.

[fisheralum91]

Saxon 8
thanks for the laugh

[AlfredSaxon8]

Haha of course! I think it will be a good game.  I can't bash Fisher as much as I'd like to because they really are talented so I wouldn't even be able to pull something out of left field.  So I might as well hype up the AU boys cause they could be silent killers... They are very balanced team, similar to the 05 team that beat Fisher at home.  Defense isn't as devastating (that team was absolutely STACKED) but the fact that anyone on offense can carry the load makes them very tough...

[fisheralum91]

Its the E8 game of the year.

[AlfredSaxon8]

Will someone please beat Boise State!!

I am sick of all this hype surrounding them.   So they beat Va Tech and a mediocre Top 25 Oregon State team... Both of whom will probably prove to be less competition than Nevada will at the end of the season...

Alabama has played back to back top 10 teams and that was followed by a top 15 team.  No doubt their loss stings but its a joke that Boise State can even be mentioned as being in the National Championship.  At least when "the U" scheduled teams like McNese State and FIU they would still have to play (although unimpressive) the rest of the ACC.  I still feel as though even in the Big East, Boise State wouldn't go undefeated. 

[lewdogg11]

Will someone please beat Boise State!!

I am sick of all this hype surrounding them.   So they beat Va Tech and a mediocre Top 25 Oregon State team... Both of whom will probably prove to be less competition than Nevada will at the end of the season...

Alabama has played back to back top 10 teams and that was followed by a top 15 team.  No doubt their loss stings but its a joke that Boise State can even be mentioned as being in the National Championship.  At least when "the U" scheduled teams like McNese State and FIU they would still have to play (although unimpressive) the rest of the ACC.  I still feel as though even in the Big East, Boise State wouldn't go undefeated. 

1.  Boise State is good
2.  Blame the cockeyed BCS, not the boys in blue.
3.  Boise St. would run the Big East
4.  Shame on the NCAA for putting Boise St. vs. TCU last year.  Had they both played your typical top teams, we might know 1 way or the other if they belong or not.  Now, we might see a rematch in the National Champ game.

[theoriginalupstate]

Regarding the coach talk each of the top coaches have their own things from an outsiders point of view that make them valuable...

Faggiano can sell a ketchup Popsicle to a woman in white gloves, he's an amazing recruiter and a damn good DC.  I am not surprised by UC's program getting stronger by the year.  They need something else on campus to draw more guys in but he's doing a fine job as is...

Welch has to be given credit for being consistent through the years.  It's one thing to have a stretch of good years but to do it as long as he has is something special.  His system works, it's been proven time and time again. Ithaca isn't beating Fisher and going to the playoffs because a lack of good coaching it's because of a shift in recruiting.  It's there where IC needs to change up it's strategies...

The thing I like about Coach Murray at AU is that when he gets a stud football player, he plays him in any situation he can. Raynor, Brady, Miller (The DT I think) and Manzer were all great football players and could do many different things.  He knows when he has a good thing and isn't afraid to use it as much as possible...

Then from an insiders view of Coach Vos I think he's a great leader.  He knows when to let his assistants do their job and knows when to step in.  He lets the other coaches (OC/DC/Positional) coach and makes sure everyone is on the same page during the week.  When it came to recruiting Faggiano would sell you on the program and the school then Vos did a great job at sealing the deal...

[union89]

Will someone please beat Boise State!!

I am sick of all this hype surrounding them.   So they beat Va Tech and a mediocre Top 25 Oregon State team... Both of whom will probably prove to be less competition than Nevada will at the end of the season...

Alabama has played back to back top 10 teams and that was followed by a top 15 team.  No doubt their loss stings but its a joke that Boise State can even be mentioned as being in the National Championship.  At least when "the U" scheduled teams like McNese State and FIU they would still have to play (although unimpressive) the rest of the ACC.  I still feel as though even in the Big East, Boise State wouldn't go undefeated. 

1.  Boise State is good
2.  Blame the cockeyed BCS, not the boys in blue.
3.  Boise St. would run the Big East
4.  Shame on the NCAA for putting Boise St. vs. TCU last year.  Had they both played your typical top teams, we might know 1 way or the other if they belong or not.  Now, we might see a rematch in the National Champ game.

Agreed on all 4 points....yikes, this is not a good sign.....

[AlfredSaxon8]

Will someone please beat Boise State!!

I am sick of all this hype surrounding them.   So they beat Va Tech and a mediocre Top 25 Oregon State team... Both of whom will probably prove to be less competition than Nevada will at the end of the season...

Alabama has played back to back top 10 teams and that was followed by a top 15 team.  No doubt their loss stings but its a joke that Boise State can even be mentioned as being in the National Championship.  At least when "the U" scheduled teams like McNese State and FIU they would still have to play (although unimpressive) the rest of the ACC.  I still feel as though even in the Big East, Boise State wouldn't go undefeated. 

1.  Boise State is good
2.  Blame the cockeyed BCS, not the boys in blue.
3.  Boise St. would run the Big East
4.  Shame on the NCAA for putting Boise St. vs. TCU last year.  Had they both played your typical top teams, we might know 1 way or the other if they belong or not.  Now, we might see a rematch in the National Champ game.

1.  It's easy to look good when you play not even mediocre teams
2.  The BCS is the only system in which schools will make considerable amount of money so its obviously not going to change (although I agree it should)
3.  Boise State would not run the Big East.  Yes they would probably do well, but to make it through the season unscathed is highly unlikely.
4.  The Boise State/TCU matchup last year was supposed to allow one of the teams to prove that they belonged in a major BCS game by blowing out the other.  It didn't happen.  Both teams were evenly matched and had inflated records that were a poor reflection of how good they actually were.  Try playing in the Big 10 week after week with 4 teams in the top 25, three of them still undefeated.  Try playing in the Pac-10 with Stanford, Oregon and Arizona. Or better yet, try playing in the SEC with LSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas and South Carolina and where a team that hardly wins games like Ole Miss and Kentucky would wipe the blue turf with Boise State.  

Don't blame the boys in Blue? How about they schedule some real opponents.  I'm sure there's plenty of FBS teams out their willing to prove how good they really are.  I would rather be a team like Stanford or Alabama who's only blemish is a loss on an incredibly hard schedule than squeak by teams losing to FCS schools (Insert VA tech)...