FB: Empire 8

[AU52]

Hello everyone, I'm new to posting on the boards, but have been reading them for years.  I'm looking forward to another season of division 3 football, and hopefully another great season for the saxons.

How thankful am I that there isn't an "R. Jackson" wearing 52 on the Saxons?  Welcome to the boards 52.  If you make it out to a game, make sure to stop by the band and introduce yourself.

Will do, I'm hoping to make to the home opener, but we will see.  I use to play for the saxons a handful of years back.

[AUSaxons]

I don't see where you IC guys think all of this offense is going to come from to beat teams like Springfield, AU, Salisbury, Cortland....Zappia and their WR's were their whole offense and nearly all of that is gone. Their defense got abused by AU and Cortland on the ground last year, what happens to change that? They lost 3 starting DLinemen. Yeah they have great linebackers, but honestly AU's will be just as good. Salisbury's will probably be just as good (they had a solid D statistically last year). What stops Dwyer from getting 275 more yards? The fact that it's on grass? What makes IC's offense competent enough to put up points on an AU defense that played very well against Mount Union given the circumstances, that returns 9 of 11 starters. Salisbury played right with 3 NCAA teams (though ultimately lost all 3) and was really fantastic on D last year. How will IC move the ball on them? I understand preseason excitement for sure, but I'd say 7-3 is IC's ceiling this coming year. AU SJF and Salisbury are all probable losses, if you go on who's returning to project next season IMO.

[Old IC Voice]

Zappia and Vossler are both gone, yes, but a large part of the WR core still remains. Dan Ruffrage got a medical hardship waiver, and he's back for another year. If he stays healthy, he becomes one of the top #1 receivers in the conference as long as the QB situation isn't a complete disaster. Also back are Ingrao, Hannon, and Jordan Smith, all of whom have significant game experience. The TE position is a bit of a question mark, with Higgins having been a senior last year, but all in all, the receiving game looks fine to me.

[pg04]

Let me the first to say that the Brockport Golden Eagles will walk out of Butterfield stadium with a win in the first game of the season, thus ruining Ithaca's season and forcing them to close their football operations down forever.  

(Note:  These views are not based on any knowledge of possible team performance.  All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2011.)

[Bombers798891]

I don't see where you IC guys think all of this offense is going to come from to beat teams like Springfield, AU, Salisbury, Cortland....Zappia and their WR's were their whole offense and nearly all of that is gone. Their defense got abused by AU and Cortland on the ground last year, what happens to change that? They lost 3 starting DLinemen. Yeah they have great linebackers, but honestly AU's will be just as good. Salisbury's will probably be just as good (they had a solid D statistically last year). What stops Dwyer from getting 275 more yards? The fact that it's on grass? What makes IC's offense competent enough to put up points on an AU defense that played very well against Mount Union given the circumstances, that returns 9 of 11 starters. Salisbury played right with 3 NCAA teams (though ultimately lost all 3) and was really fantastic on D last year. How will IC move the ball on them? I understand preseason excitement for sure, but I'd say 7-3 is IC's ceiling this coming year. AU SJF and Salisbury are all probable losses, if you go on who's returning to project next season IMO.

So to start you say...

"Their defense got abused by AU and Cortland on the ground last year"

And to end you say...

"AU SJF and Salisbury are all probable losses, if you go on who's returning to project next season IMO."

Based on who was returning last season, who saw Dwyer running for 275 yards, or Autera running for like 250 against IC? So what, people can come out of nowhere to light up the Bombers, but a year later, we're not allowed to project that it may work the other way?

[AUSaxons]

No, you can project whatever you want, this is just my opinion on it. I guess I dont understand what you're saying....AU and Cortland return feature backs who abused IC's run D, and Salisbury was very solid and you have to figure they should put on a good showing with what they have coming back. I think it's reasonable to say that those 3 teams SHOULD be favored over IC.

I don't see where you IC guys think all of this offense is going to come from to beat teams like Springfield, AU, Salisbury, Cortland....Zappia and their WR's were their whole offense and nearly all of that is gone. Their defense got abused by AU and Cortland on the ground last year, what happens to change that? They lost 3 starting DLinemen. Yeah they have great linebackers, but honestly AU's will be just as good. Salisbury's will probably be just as good (they had a solid D statistically last year). What stops Dwyer from getting 275 more yards? The fact that it's on grass? What makes IC's offense competent enough to put up points on an AU defense that played very well against Mount Union given the circumstances, that returns 9 of 11 starters. Salisbury played right with 3 NCAA teams (though ultimately lost all 3) and was really fantastic on D last year. How will IC move the ball on them? I understand preseason excitement for sure, but I'd say 7-3 is IC's ceiling this coming year. AU SJF and Salisbury are all probable losses, if you go on who's returning to project next season IMO.

So to start you say...

"Their defense got abused by AU and Cortland on the ground last year"

And to end you say...

"AU SJF and Salisbury are all probable losses, if you go on who's returning to project next season IMO."

Based on who was returning last season, who saw Dwyer running for 275 yards, or Autera running for like 250 against IC? So what, people can come out of nowhere to light up the Bombers, but a year later, we're not allowed to project that it may work the other way?

[Bombers798891]

No, you can project whatever you want, this is just my opinion on it. I guess I dont understand what you're saying....AU and Cortland return feature backs who abused IC's run D, and Salisbury was very solid and you have to figure they should put on a good showing with what they have coming back. I think it's reasonable to say that those 3 teams SHOULD be favored over IC.

I don't see where you IC guys think all of this offense is going to come from to beat teams like Springfield, AU, Salisbury, Cortland....Zappia and their WR's were their whole offense and nearly all of that is gone. Their defense got abused by AU and Cortland on the ground last year, what happens to change that? They lost 3 starting DLinemen. Yeah they have great linebackers, but honestly AU's will be just as good. Salisbury's will probably be just as good (they had a solid D statistically last year). What stops Dwyer from getting 275 more yards? The fact that it's on grass? What makes IC's offense competent enough to put up points on an AU defense that played very well against Mount Union given the circumstances, that returns 9 of 11 starters. Salisbury played right with 3 NCAA teams (though ultimately lost all 3) and was really fantastic on D last year. How will IC move the ball on them? I understand preseason excitement for sure, but I'd say 7-3 is IC's ceiling this coming year. AU SJF and Salisbury are all probable losses, if you go on who's returning to project next season IMO.

So to start you say...

"Their defense got abused by AU and Cortland on the ground last year"

And to end you say...

"AU SJF and Salisbury are all probable losses, if you go on who's returning to project next season IMO."

Based on who was returning last season, who saw Dwyer running for 275 yards, or Autera running for like 250 against IC? So what, people can come out of nowhere to light up the Bombers, but a year later, we're not allowed to project that it may work the other way?

The point I was trying to make re: Dwyer and Autera is that guys come in/get better all the time. Projecting is part of what happens.

As for Cortland, despite being the clearly better team last season, they won by all of three points even though Ithaca handed them two scores on special teams. Cortland's favored, but with the exception of 1996 (41-13) there hasn't been a Cortaca game in the last 20 years the Bombers didn't have a great shot to win (There have been several where Cortland got waxed though). I will probably take the Red Dragons to win just to tick off Bomber3, but it's not exactly a stretch to say "Ithaca could win that game."

The Alfred on grass argument is typically the sort of specious logic I hate, but seriously, Alfred has been bringing really good teams to Ithaca for a few years now, and they just play awful here. In 2005, they came up against the worst IC defense I have seen and scored 14 points. In 2007, Ithaca faced an Alfred running back averaging 135 yards a game, and held him to 52, and in 2009, Alfred was unbeaten, playing a 5-3 Bomber team, and they lost by 21 points.

I mean, maybe it's coincidence, but Alfred doesn't play well up here. It happens all the time.

These teams should be favored, and I think everyone agrees they will. I think my statement was "Is 8-2 a possibility?" Which is a totally different animal

[sjfcards]

AU   9-1 loses to SJF
Salisbury  8-2  loses to AU and IC
SC  8-2  loses to AU and UC
IC  7-3 loses to SJF AU SALSBURY
SJF  6-3....loses to SC SALISBURY UR...

....AND WHO CARES AFTER THAT

One note -- SJF would be ahead of IC in league standings if things played out that way.  UR isn't an E8 game.

Also, Springfield plays Salisbury -- and according to this, neither team loses the game :-)

Apparently, going to Salisbury's games will be like going to tee-ball games. No one keeping score, no winners or losers. Also, we're going to go to Pizza Hut after.

I think the real losers will be the fans that have to watch a game with about 4 passes. I don't know who will win the SC/Salisbury game, but the game may be played in about 45 minutes. 

[bomber3]

http://d3football.com/notables/2011/08/cortland-vacates-2009-wins

If IC had lost the jug that year then it would have been the first time the jug would have swapped hands in August.

[Bombers798891]

http://d3football.com/notables/2011/08/cortland-vacates-2009-wins

If IC had lost the jug that year then it would have been the first time the jug would have swapped hands in August.

Any word on who the player was?

[tecmobowler]

Someone made the point a while back about last year seeming like a waste with zapper and I couldn't agree more. If he really was neck in neck with the sophomore, why play the senior, then start all
over the next year?  I thought the very deep wr core bailed him out over and over. He was putrid at Cortland, looked rattled and showed no leadership abilities whatsoever.  Four years, four quarterbacks does not seem to be the way to develop a  great team.

Any specifics about the offense you care to share bombers?  I feel good about the wideouts, comfortable with hendel and still optimistic about ardoin.  The line really needs to be able to create a hole this year though. It was pretty rough last season.

[pg04]

AU   9-1 loses to SJF
Salisbury  8-2  loses to AU and IC
SC  8-2  loses to AU and UC
IC  7-3 loses to SJF AU SALSBURY
SJF  6-3....loses to SC SALISBURY UR...

....AND WHO CARES AFTER THAT

One note -- SJF would be ahead of IC in league standings if things played out that way.  UR isn't an E8 game.

Also, Springfield plays Salisbury -- and according to this, neither team loses the game :-)

Apparently, going to Salisbury's games will be like going to tee-ball games. No one keeping score, no winners or losers. Also, we're going to go to Pizza Hut after.

I think the real losers will be the fans that have to watch a game with about 4 passes. I don't know who will win the SC/Salisbury game, but the game may be played in about 45 minutes. 

Aww come on.  I actually enjoy watching option teams.  Having seen both Salisbury and Springfield at one point of my life, I can't wait to see what happens.

[Bombers798891]

I like the option too...at least in small doses. IDK how I'd feel about watching two teams do nothing but it though. I feel like you'd just kind of get bored. There'd be no interesting plays, nothing where you see a team set something up. Plus, if the weather's bad and not conducive to running...yeesh

[pg04]

I think there definitely will be interesting plays. Of course it's all a matter of opinion. 

[maxpower]

Doesn't this all depend on what their defenses look like? It's not like the two teams will be running the option at each other simultaneously.... although that would be cool.



In other news, I just watched the opening titles for the Bills' first preseason game. And I got depressed.