FB: Empire 8

[Bombers798891]

I guess we just expected more from AU I guess...

They're the first team ever to run the E8 and go 10-0...

They were run up and down the field on Defense today vs a team from a New England conference.

Here are the last five games pitting the E8 champs vs a NE conference champ:

2013: Ithaca def. Framingham, 20-17
2015: Cortland def. Framingham, 61-49
2016: Alfred def. Husson 35-28; Bridgewater 33-27; WNEC, 30-24

Maybe we should adjust our expectations on how these games are "supposed" to go. I think we've been too quick to decide that Alfred over Maritime in 2010 is the reality of the conferences. Maybe it's not. Maybe the instructive games from our past are actually Curry/Wick and Curry/Ithaca

[Upstate]

I guess we just expected more from AU I guess...

They're the first team ever to run the E8 and go 10-0...

They were run up and down the field on Defense today vs a team from a New England conference.

Here are the last five games pitting the E8 champs vs a NE conference champ:

2013: Ithaca def. Framingham, 20-17
2015: Cortland def. Framingham, 61-49
2016: Alfred def. Husson 35-28; Bridgewater 33-27; WNEC, 30-24

Maybe we should adjust our expectations on how these games are "supposed" to go. I think we've been too quick to decide that Alfred over Maritime in 2010 is the reality of the conferences. Maybe it's not. Maybe the instructive games from our past are actually Curry/Wick and Curry/Ithaca

Not like Curry/Fisher though right?

It's just weird to see a team that, for the most part, ran roughshod over the conference struggle versus teams they're favored against at home...

I know it was 3 years ago but Fisher being a pool C went on the road and held two top 10 teams to 11 points a game in the first two rounds...

This AU team looked way too good vs Fisher a few weeks ago to be squeaking by teams from New England...

[Bombers798891]

I guess we just expected more from AU I guess...

They're the first team ever to run the E8 and go 10-0...

They were run up and down the field on Defense today vs a team from a New England conference.

Here are the last five games pitting the E8 champs vs a NE conference champ:

2013: Ithaca def. Framingham, 20-17
2015: Cortland def. Framingham, 61-49
2016: Alfred def. Husson 35-28; Bridgewater 33-27; WNEC, 30-24

Maybe we should adjust our expectations on how these games are "supposed" to go. I think we've been too quick to decide that Alfred over Maritime in 2010 is the reality of the conferences. Maybe it's not. Maybe the instructive games from our past are actually Curry/Wick and Curry/Ithaca

Not like Curry/Fisher though right?

It's just weird to see a team that, for the most part, ran roughshod over the conference struggle versus teams they're favored against at home...

I know it was 3 years ago but Fisher being a pool C went on the road and held two top 10 teams to 11 points a game in the first two rounds...

This AU team looked way too good vs Fisher a few weeks ago to be squeaking by teams from New England...

Two things:

1. I think your language here is proving my point. You've repeatedly referred to Alfred's opponents as "Teams from New England" as if they're all the same. 

2. This is also an Alfred team that barely beat Husson in Week 1.

[Upstate]

I guess we just expected more from AU I guess...

They're the first team ever to run the E8 and go 10-0...

They were run up and down the field on Defense today vs a team from a New England conference.

Here are the last five games pitting the E8 champs vs a NE conference champ:

2013: Ithaca def. Framingham, 20-17
2015: Cortland def. Framingham, 61-49
2016: Alfred def. Husson 35-28; Bridgewater 33-27; WNEC, 30-24

Maybe we should adjust our expectations on how these games are "supposed" to go. I think we've been too quick to decide that Alfred over Maritime in 2010 is the reality of the conferences. Maybe it's not. Maybe the instructive games from our past are actually Curry/Wick and Curry/Ithaca

Not like Curry/Fisher though right?

It's just weird to see a team that, for the most part, ran roughshod over the conference struggle versus teams they're favored against at home...

I know it was 3 years ago but Fisher being a pool C went on the road and held two top 10 teams to 11 points a game in the first two rounds...

This AU team looked way too good vs Fisher a few weeks ago to be squeaking by teams from New England...

Two things:

1. I think your language here is proving my point. You've repeatedly referred to Alfred's opponents as "Teams from New England" as if they're all the same. 

2. This is also an Alfred team that barely beat Husson in Week 1.

1) They've proven that they're not very good. Going off the top of my head I'm pretty sure that other than the Wick/Ithaca vs Curry results that the only time any of those conferences get wins in the playoffs is when they're in their own little sub bracket because of travel restrictions.

2) Going by week 1 results I could argue that Fisher > JCU because Fisher beat Olivet by a larger margin than JCU did.

You can't say it hasn't been a let down to see AU sneak past them by the skin of their teeth. I expected this team to contend with UMU and it looks like UMU is going to go to the semi's as they've won on the road vs much better competition than AU has at home.

[pumkinattack]

If your counting cortland who has been in the league all of 2yrs then throw in their 2012 NJAC 20-19 win over Framingham in the playoffs too.  Although I never knew what or who the E8 is.  Is it fair to include Cortland or Salisbury or Springfield.  Obviously as they've all had good years it's easy to include if trying to promote the league but the core is really AU, SJF, IC, Wick and Utica.  And really IC has been trying to leave for 4-5yrs now and is gonzo.  The rest is just backfilling although I suspect the SUNYs aren't going anywhere and it's now and going forward a league of state schools and "relatively cheap" cost of attendance western NY private schools going forward.  This isn't any pejorative attack or anything but a description of the league.  The LL for example has had some interlopers but they know they've got five long time historical relationship at the core of Hobart, SLU, URoch, Union and RPI.  With IC bouncing, and assuming Alfred doesn't go anywhere, which seems 50/50 given the LLs needs for FB, the E8 core is as mentioned above SJF, AU, Wick and Utica mixed w four SUNYs. 

As far as looking at this years AU results.  A. They've won.  B.  This is ignoring how he entire league sucked a** over four ECAC games.  They're the equivalent of early season OOC and if taken into account maybe the league isn't the awesome power that is assumed based on a bit win over Olivet (from a league worse than the NE leagues) and ONU basically.  We will know next Sat but unless AU beats this iteration of MUC it will speak to the fact that Alfred had a terrific year, ran the reg season table and probably deserves a ranking in the 10-20 range (around where they settled in the 13-17 area seems right) but not a top team team who hurdled some fantastic and brutal conference this year.

[AUPepBand]

I guess we just expected more from AU I guess...

They're the first team ever to run the E8 and go 10-0...

They were run up and down the field on Defense today vs a team from a New England conference.

Here are the last five games pitting the E8 champs vs a NE conference champ:

2013: Ithaca def. Framingham, 20-17
2015: Cortland def. Framingham, 61-49
2016: Alfred def. Husson 35-28; Bridgewater 33-27; WNEC, 30-24

Maybe we should adjust our expectations on how these games are "supposed" to go. I think we've been too quick to decide that Alfred over Maritime in 2010 is the reality of the conferences. Maybe it's not. Maybe the instructive games from our past are actually Curry/Wick and Curry/Ithaca

Not like Curry/Fisher though right?

It's just weird to see a team that, for the most part, ran roughshod over the conference struggle versus teams they're favored against at home...

I know it was 3 years ago but Fisher being a pool C went on the road and held two top 10 teams to 11 points a game in the first two rounds...

This AU team looked way too good vs Fisher a few weeks ago to be squeaking by teams from New England...

Two things:

1. I think your language here is proving my point. You've repeatedly referred to Alfred's opponents as "Teams from New England" as if they're all the same. 

2. This is also an Alfred team that barely beat Husson in Week 1.

1) They've proven that they're not very good. Going off the top of my head I'm pretty sure that other than the Wick/Ithaca vs Curry results that the only time any of those conferences get wins in the playoffs is when they're in their own little sub bracket because of travel restrictions.

2) Going by week 1 results I could argue that Fisher > JCU because Fisher beat Olivet by a larger margin than JCU did.

You can't say it hasn't been a let down to see AU sneak past them by the skin of their teeth. I expected this team to contend with UMU and it looks like UMU is going to go to the semi's as they've won on the road vs much better competition than AU has at home.

And you think it wasn't a letdown for Alfred, who just ran the table in the E8, to see four of its league rivals make a horrific appearance in the ECACs? Sort of makes the accomplishment less than impressive, don't you think?

Frostburg 38, St. John Fisher 14
Westminster 33, Utica 6
Washington & Jefferson (All the Presidents' Men) 38, Brockport 31
Kean 30, Cortland 27

Hey, we can't all be St. Johns Fisher and get a backdoor pass to the dance then upstage a few of the better dancers. Pep has always preferred the Saxons play the role of the underdog. Never dreamed one of the brackets would be "The Alfred Bracket." Don't even care. But any way you look at it, the Saxons have found a way to win every game they've played in the past 13 weeks, overcoming a variety of adversities.

Alex Yunevich didn't like big time college football. He saw first hand how alums, even when the team was winning, would come in and complain to the coaching staff that Purdue wasn't beating teams by as much as other teams. But he found that at Alfred, if you lose, they don't burn you (the coach) in effigy. He stayed for 36 seasons, six of them undefeated. Alfred is not big time college football. There are no athletic scholarships. These are student-athletes. Pep sees them in the library regularly. And Pep celebrates their amazing accomplishments!

Hey, the Saxons are 12-0. They are the first team in Alfred's long history of college football (since 1895) to win 12 games in a single season. It's been a remarkable run. And they're still playing football in December! Amazing!!

And to think this magical season all was preceded by Julio Fuentes, ten years after being told he'd never walk again, getting up from his wheelchair and walking off Merrill Field. Nothing is impossible!! Don't stop believing, Saxons!!

On Saxon Warriors!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Preach, Brother Pep!

I really thought you'd be facing JHU next week (and they certainly raised hopes that that would happen), but despite the unexpectedly close games against the bottom seeds (presumably) I have faith you can monkey-wrench The Machine.

Many teams play up or down to their competition - is Alfred one of them, or is this a too small sample?

[Bartman]

The Alfred team/faithful will have a chance to do something that Hobart failed to do, end a Mount Union playoff run at home.....this Mount team was tied 21-21 in both playoff games deep into the third quarter, so Alfred certainly has the ability to be in a position to win if Hobart and Hopkins were there......so just get it done and the Mayberry paper will have a story for the ages

[wesleydad]

I agree with Bombers here.  Obviously the top teams in the New England leagues are competitive with the top teams in the E8, the proof is in the results.  Some of these teams have shown improvement each year and clearly deserve the respect that the top of other leagues get.

Great post Pep, you are so right, it is always great to be playing football in December and there is a good chance that I will be making the trip this weekend to see you play Mount.  I will be checking with a few of my Mount friends to see if anyone is making the trip.  As long as the weather will be good, cold is not an issue, rain/snow will be I will be making plans to travel since Wesley is out.

[dlippiel]

Congrats to AU on continuing their 2016 winning ways! They have fought hard with their backs against the wall defeating two solid football teams.

dlip can say from first hand knowledge that WNE is a very legit team. Now Alfred may be over-rated, however this week's result does not prove that IDHO. The top tier of New England football has REALLY improved over the past decade or so (starting with Curry and continuing with WNE, Framingham, Husson, Salve, etc.). There has been a renewed focus on football throughout NE. Years ago many NE/NEFC teams didn't even have full time assistants. NE football years back was Springfield. Now the Pride sits on the bottom of (if it is even included) in the NE top ten. There has been tremendous growth. To dlip it's time we acknowledge it.

As far as the Saxons vs. Mount dlip feels the Raiders are the favorite here just like they have been for the first two rounds. Sure this may not be the almighty Mount team of old but they are still Mount and they are still winning (even if they are not blowing teams out). The Saxons went undefeated against some decent E8 competition and may give Mount a run for their money. As of yesterday dlip is a walking Saxon. He may even wear the armor to work tomorrow!

[AUPepBand]

Congrats to AU on continuing their 2016 winning ways! They have fought hard with their backs against the wall defeating two solid football teams.

dlip can say from first hand knowledge that WNE is a very legit team. Now Alfred may be over-rated, however this week's result does not prove that IDHO. The top tier of New England football has REALLY improved over the past decade or so (starting with Curry and continuing with WNE, Framingham, Husson, Salve, etc.). There has been a renewed focus on football throughout NE. Years ago many NE/NEFC teams didn't even have full time assistants. NE football years back was Springfield. Now the Pride sits on the bottom of (if it is even included) in the NE top ten. There has been tremendous growth. To dlip it's time we acknowledge it.

As far as the Saxons vs. Mount dlip feels the Raiders are the favorite here just like they have been for the first two rounds. Sure this may not be the almighty Mount team of old but they are still Mount and they are still winning (even if they are not blowing teams out). The Saxons went undefeated against some decent E8 competition and may give Mount a run for their money. As of yesterday dlip is a walking Saxon. He may even wear the armor to work tomorrow!

Pep would like to see dlip in Saxon armor! Heck, Pep would love to see dlip show up in Mayberry in full armor this Saterday. Since AU hasn't played Union since 2003, Pep is wondering whether dlip has ever been to a game at Merrill Field/Yunevich Stadium?

[D3viewer]

I thought I kept reading on other threads how weak the E8 was this year. " That is why Alfred was able to go undefeated this year". "If any year was to be the year for an undefeated team in the E8 it would be this year". Not my sentiments but ones I read elsewhere. Now all of a sudden we expect the conf champ from a "down year" Empire 8 to come out and not just win , but win in convincing fashion. I hate to burst any Fisher's fans bubble, but Fisher once again had a very good season (in my mind, maybe not Fisher fan's minds) good for 2nd place in the conf. But  a closer look at their stats , they really aren't that impressive. Middle of the road in total offense and total defense (both good for 5th in the conf). Coon is of course a very good player, but by the end of the season it was easy to pick Frostburg and Alfred to beat them. They just don't have the defense these teams had. Alfred was best in the conf all season and Frostburg is now 9th in the whole country in defense. They were ranked that high going into the ECAC game.
Conversly if you look at the stats of WNE going into the Alfred game they were ranked higher than Alfred nationally in both total offense and defense. You could make the argument Alfred rose up and beat a "better" team even though they were at home.

[boobyhasgameyo]

The discussion is taking a turn into Fisher's season?  Well, after Coon went down it was fairly predictable for me how the remainder of the game against Alfred would go and the next game against Frostburg.  The games proved me right.  Our team flirted with fire every week with our defense and once you lose your game changer on offense then that's all she wrote against the better teams. 

Anyways, enough about that deviation.  I said earlier on another board that the E8 teams aren't as strong as they have been in years past and that Alfred being undefeated might not be a coincidence because of that.  But I didn't say the E8 was crap.  The conference OOC record proves otherwise, even after factoring in the collective no-show in the ECACs (although Brockport and Cortland could have very easily won their games).  What I was implying is that Alfred is not an unstoppable juggernaut to run the gamut; however I still felt like they were a very good team.  Especially after the complete effort I witnessed by them the week before the playoffs began.  Hell, you can also find the quote after the Fisher game where I said they can beat anyone in the playoffs including the purples.  That's how I felt.  That's how solid they looked.  But they've seemed like a different team altogether the first two weeks of the playoffs.  Why is that such an offensive statement?  Why is it so implausible that perhaps Alfred has underperformed in the playoffs thus far?  Never said I expect them to win 60-0.  But they've very nearly lost twice already and both games at home. 

[fisheralum91]

Isnt Alfred playing some team out of Ohio this week?

[AUPepBand]

Isnt Alfred playing some team out of Ohio this week?