FB: Empire 8

[fisheralum91]

upstate- totally agree...
tho if we got someone like Framingham and beat the tar out of them - that would add fuel to the fire that the weak conference auto bids are a joke!

[pg04]

Who put up that poll.  I love it

Especially since you are able to chose both yes and no.

[sjfcards]

Figured Id put it out there....
ECACs it is!

Considering that is almost a lock, should Fisher just start Matt Naton from here on out? I am not arguing that one good game should get him to start, but if the goal was to get into the NCAA this year, and it isn't going to happen, why not get a jump on next year?

[gobombers]

Congrats Bombers!!  Playoff bound!  Now take care of Cortland!

[AUPepBand]

E-8 champs!  Order is restored in the universe!  Woo hoo!

Congrats to the Bombers....so it took getting to the NCAAs to get those fair weather Bomber posters to come out of ancient history to return to the boards? Actually, Pep missed you guys! And there were no signs of a First Down Club at Butterfield during Pep's last visit.

Best of luck to the Bombers in the playoffs....take it deep for the good name of the E8.

[wesleydad]

just got back from the gulls/bombers game.  it was a nice game to watch.  i understand the bombers fans excitement with the win and the trip to the playoffs, but they did get a bit of luck with the missed field goal and then the missed extra point.  the gulls were able to control the ball and move it, albeit 3 yds at a time.  the game changed with the block punt that led to the 10 - 10 tie.  both teams looked rather ordinary on offense, but some of the credit has to go to the defenses, both teams did a nice job today.  the gulls were undisciplined with the personal foul penalties and do not look like the team that I am used to seeing when they play wesley.  there was little emotion on the field or sideline today.  congrats to the bombers on the win.

also, fans travel well.  very loud and enthusiastic following.

[Upstate]

Figured Id put it out there....
ECACs it is!

Considering that is almost a lock, should Fisher just start Matt Naton from here on out? I am not arguing that one good game should get him to start, but if the goal was to get into the NCAA this year, and it isn't going to happen, why not get a jump on next year?

With Fenti's injury history I wonder if he has an extra year as well...

Naton has 3 years left though and he's 6'4", 225. He's got an arm and he had great pocket presence today which is awesome to see from a Freshman with that size...

[Cardinal Pride]

Figured Id put it out there....
ECACs it is!

Considering that is almost a lock, should Fisher just start Matt Naton from here on out? I am not arguing that one good game should get him to start, but if the goal was to get into the NCAA this year, and it isn't going to happen, why not get a jump on next year?

Fenti still has one more year of eligibility.

[AUKaz00]

Reading all the General Board prognostications, the consensus seems to be that the top 6 teams in the East RR would be in via Pool A and B meaning that in all likelihood the winner of the Courage Bowl gets the honor of being passed over 5 times during Pool C selection.  Is it too much to dream that the conventional wisdom might be off and after getting "discussed" and passed on 4 times that the selection committee relents during that 5th selection and gives a nod to the East?  I'd say it's more likely to happen with Fisher as the 8-2 - since they rewarded a similar selection by winning 2 games - than it would be for Alfred (we take our Rodney Dangerfield persona seriously in Mayberry).

[Bombers798891]

just got back from the gulls/bombers game.  it was a nice game to watch.  i understand the bombers fans excitement with the win and the trip to the playoffs, but they did get a bit of luck with the missed field goal and then the missed extra point.

D-III kickers are spotty for the most part. I'll never feel confident if a kick is needed to win a game for a D-III team. Next time, Salisbury should try not to pick up 20 yards in red zone penalties. As for the XP, why a triple option team wouldn't try for two is my question.

[Upstate]

Reading all the General Board prognostications, the consensus seems to be that the top 6 teams in the East RR would be in via Pool A and B meaning that in all likelihood the winner of the Courage Bowl gets the honor of being passed over 5 times during Pool C selection.  Is it too much to dream that the conventional wisdom might be off and after getting "discussed" and passed on 4 times that the selection committee relents during that 5th selection and gives a nod to the East?  I'd say it's more likely to happen with Fisher as the 8-2 - since they rewarded a similar selection by winning 2 games - than it would be for Alfred (we take our Rodney Dangerfield persona seriously in Mayberry).

SJF-  22nd SOS (.568) and 40th OWP (.5753)

AU- 51st SOS (.539) and 93rd OWP (.5205)

If by chance they were to discuss an 8-2 team, which I don't think it has a chance in hell of happening, the numbers from this year would factor into the equation a lot more than the playoff run from 2 years ago.

So it's not that AU would be disrespected at all, their numbers just don't jump out at you.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Re: the dominoes that have to fall for a two-loss team to get in, a couple of things that will help actually happened. 

There will be no three-way tie in the CCIW or OAC, which means their respective runners-up will likely get in but there will be only one 9-1 team on the board from each conference instead of two (Illinois Wesleyan and the Mount/JCU loser).  Both of those teams are virtual locks, IMO, although bleedpurple raised a semi-interesting point that if John Carroll were to beat Mount next week, Mount "on paper" does not have an extremely strong resume since their two best "wins" both lost another game this week and might fall in the RR's (still, I can't imagine a 9-1 defending national champ left out of the playoffs for 8-2 Fisher, there has to be some element of common sense involved instead of blindly looking at SOS rankings).

So that's two spots gone.  The WIAC runner-up (UWP vs UWO winner next week) is a virtual lock as well.  Three spots gone.

Pacific Lutheran is still out there as a respectable one-loss candidate from the West with their sole loss to Linfield (and a respectable one at that).  I think they'll be in.  Four spots gone, one to go.

Concordia-Moorhead would have been a virtual lock...but having lost to St. Thomas, the MIAC's second team will now have two losses (whether that ends up being UST, C-M, or SJU is still up in the air).  Cross off one of the places a 9-1 team would have come from.

Texas Lutheran lost, which increases the likelihood that Framingham will get in via Pool B and thus will not be in competition to be at the top of the East's Pool C board.  That helps.  So we'll take 9-1 Framingham out of the equation for now.

One thing that hurts y'all is that Wabash lost to Wittenberg and becomes a strong 9-1 candidate themselves.  Your remaining likely one-loss candidates that I have not mentioned are Illinois College (MWC); Wabash (NCAC); and Thomas More (PAC).  I think your bigger issue is that even if the committee takes an 8-2 team over these guys, it'll be whichever MIAC team ends up highest on the West board.  SJU would have a strong argument if they were to upset Bethel this week.  If that doesn't happen, I think St. Thomas will probably get in.

[Bengalsrule]

5-5 and another BENGAL season comes to a close. So much hope at the beginning and such a poor effort at the end. Kudos to SJF for a good win. They definitely have a Hugh fan base. I can't remember ever seeing that many fans from a visiting school before

Makes me wonder what our BENGALS men's basketball team will be walking into next Saturday when they open up at Fisher.  Guess I'm gonna have to make that trip to find out!

Go BENGALS!

[Upstate]

I'm definitely thankful to see Kacz graduate...

He was a really good QB and just had a knack for making plays happen with either his arm or his legs that broke defenses back...

[UfanBill]

Figured Id put it out there....
ECACs it is!

I just hope they don't get stuck with a New England team again...

That game was a joke last year...

Looks to me like next weeks STJF vs Alfred winner would be a long shot to get a bid.  Both will in all likelyhood get an ECAC invite.  Framingham is going to win the MASCAC but the second place team, W. Connecticut St. should be ECAC bound.  IMO they would be the strongest New England team STJF or ALF could face. They're a former NJAC team with a very strong running game,re: record breaking rb Octavias McKoy.