FB: Empire 8

[pg04]

I knew Matt when he was with WBSU and then after that with the Batavia Muckdogs, same with Chuck. A couple of quality guys.

I must say, I'll never forget Matt doing his "Mr. Excitement" routine at Dwyer Stadium. That was one of the highlights of my summer in the NY-Penn League.

Unfortunately I never get to meet you...at least not that I remember, when Matt and I did the broadcasts that season.  I know Cortland was the first game that season. 

[John McGraw]

Hmm, 2003, I'm not sure if I passed through Brockport that season. At the time, I was working on Wilkes football home games with Gordon Mann and didn't see much, if any, upstate New York football.

Actually, I was at the Ithaca-Brockport playoff game in Brockport. Then, the following year I had Brockport against Cortland in Cortland on the opening weekend of the season and then the Fisher-Brockport "Hail Katherine" game. Then I saw Brockport a few times during 2002.

[pg04]

Yeah we were there for the playoff game, obviously...wish I had gotten a chance to meet you face to face.  Broadcasting was more of a fun activity/hobby to me, but Chuck and Matt both did a very nice job...and I had some good times broadcasting with Matt. 

[BobNapoleone]

Anyway, It would have been a much different game if on turf...I can almost guarantee it.  Nevertheless it wasn't and Ithaca won.

Portgrad, I am a big fan of yours, but come on...

There were at least three plays where Sharpe either collided with the fullback on the dive handoff/fake dive handoff or there just wasn't anyone there to take/fake taking a handoff when he spun. I don't remember that happening three times total with previous Springfield QB's.

Sharpe was not good at all at one of the most important aspects of the Springfield offense: the fake handoff on a pass play. Every time it happened it was obvious it was a pass. When Cahill was playing for SC, nobody, but nobody, would have had any idea when it was a pass play.

The moral of the story is that Sharpe was JUST PLAIN UNIMPRESSIVE against IC on Saterday. Also:

Springfield's only three second-half possessions ate up 20:34, gaining 152 yards on 46 plays but produced no points.

That ain't just slop working against them. And even if it was. you're telling me you want to win the East region in November without playing on slop??

IC played their best game of the season, by far, last Saterday. That is why they won. Whether or not they can reproduce it for Alfred and Cortland remains to be seen, but nothing should be taken away from IC for the 28th... Sharpe sucked, Springfield sucked, and IC took advantage. I remember Tecmo turning to me multiple times after the half saying "it's tough for SC to come back from any of this..." doggone it he was right.

Yes I watched the game online, I suppose you are right... Can't I try to be Anti-IC for once!

An excerpt from the Ithacan and SC Coach DeLong:

DeLong denied that the muddy field conditions hurt his team's offense. The unit moved the ball , but just couldn't get it in the end zone. "I think they stopped us, what, four times inside the 20? And we came out with nothing. You've got to finish drives."


Alfred was close, Union was down a couple of guys (Angiletta I think) ...and SJF  was missing some starters....Sharpe is an amazing athlete...but IC forced the ball into the fulllback's hands more than the Pride wanted....


So Everybody has to take care of their business.....

[BobNapoleone]

Don't ANYBODY take Alfred lightly......close w/ Springfiled......had Hobart....

ALFRED this week.........Their isn't any other game to worry about....

and they have that incredibly fast carpet we all love to have our guys play on......

    Does anybody Rep his team/school better than AUPepband???     

[gobombers]

Not to beat to death the field argument, but watching the game, I think IC would have stopped Springfield no matter what surface they were playing on.  The fact is, IC played sound and disciplined defense.  They played the option the way it was supposed to be played, by playing assignment football.  That's how you stop them, and I think they did an awesome job.  Every time Sharpe had the ball, he got hit.  He pitched the ball, he got hit, he kept the ball, he got hit.

IC shut down the outside running game in the first half, so all there was left for Springfield to do was to run it up the gut.

[JQV]

i think we showed we are not the same team that gave up 34 second half points to st john fisher 

Im, sorry but beating springfield on your "field", like you always do, in the slop does not prove you're not the same team....

but if they beat alfred and cort.....they wud be the best team in the east at that point....no argument

Im pretty sure a 10-0 Wilkes team or a 9-0 Hobart team would disagree with that, not to mention the NCAA....

..so its hard for me to sit back and think if we finish 9-1 we are not gettin a playoff bid...so im not too concerned about gettin screwed that way....

Well im sure SJF/SC fans are thinking the same thing, if it does come down to QOWI IC is on the short end, unless the NCAA takes 3.  Which I doubt....

Upstate, our boy NorthCountry may have gotten a little carried away but I don't think he is that far off the mark.  I realize, in the three way tie, SC gets the Auto.  However, I think it is not a sure fire thing that Fisher gets the C and IC goes home simply because Fisher beat IC.  I know the committee is supposed to look at the whole resume but, it has been my experience that the "what have you done for me lately" mentality that exists in D1 also affects the committees decision in D3.  I think IC's momentum, should they beat SC then go on the road and beat Alfred and Cortland, carries them in, or at the very least, makes it very close. 

[fan of d3]

BobNapoleone....I think your post confused me, are you saying that SC wins against those teams are almost flukes because those teams were missing people?

[theicdubbz]

HOLY %&(#!!  CORTACA SOLD OUT!!  Last year i think it atleast lasted 2 days!

[JQV]

HOLY %&(#!!  CORTACA SOLD OUT!!  Last year i think it atleast lasted 2 days!

Last year we had to fill the friendly confines with plenty of room for all.  This year there are only the four folding chairs Cortland puts on the visiting side to sell. 

[gobombers]

Just a reminder, and hoping it will keep Pat from pulling his hair out telling people to check the FAQ, here are the criteria for determining at-large bids.  Remember, QOWI and head to head competition ARE NOT the only criteria.

25. How are the at-large bids determined?

These are the selection (and seeding) criteria for 2006:
The following primary criteria (not in priority order) will be reviewed:
• Win-loss percentage against regional opponents
• In-region head-to-head competition
• In-region results against common regional opponents
• In-region results vs. regionally ranked teams.
Opponents are considered ranked only if they are ranked at the time of the ranking or playoff selection process.
• Quality of wins index–only contests versus regional competition (see Quality of Wins on the left-hand rail for most recent calculation)
• Conference postseason contest(s) is included.

If the evaluation of the primary criteria does not result in a decision by the committee, the following secondary criteria (for ranking and selections) will be evaluated:
• Out-of region head-to-head competition.
• Overall Division III won-loss percentage.
• Results versus common non-Division III opponents.
• Results versus Division III teams ranked in other regions.
• Overall win-loss percentage.
• Results versus common out-of region opponents.
• Overall Division III strength of schedule (quoted from championships handbook, but presumably this means "quality of wins")

[theicdubbz]

Cortland students also got the shaft.  "Cortaca sells out in hour & 15"

[JQV]

Just a reminder, and hoping it will keep Pat from pulling his hair out telling people to check the FAQ, here are the criteria for determining at-large bids.  Remember, QOWI and head to head competition ARE NOT the only criteria.

25. How are the at-large bids determined?

These are the selection (and seeding) criteria for 2006:
The following primary criteria (not in priority order) will be reviewed:
• Win-loss percentage against regional opponents
• In-region head-to-head competition
• In-region results against common regional opponents
• In-region results vs. regionally ranked teams.
Opponents are considered ranked only if they are ranked at the time of the ranking or playoff selection process.
• Quality of wins index–only contests versus regional competition (see Quality of Wins on the left-hand rail for most recent calculation)
• Conference postseason contest(s) is included.

If the evaluation of the primary criteria does not result in a decision by the committee, the following secondary criteria (for ranking and selections) will be evaluated:
• Out-of region head-to-head competition.
• Overall Division III won-loss percentage.
• Results versus common non-Division III opponents.
• Results versus Division III teams ranked in other regions.
• Overall win-loss percentage.
• Results versus common out-of region opponents.
• Overall Division III strength of schedule (quoted from championships handbook, but presumably this means "quality of wins")

Good post.  +k

Also, you gotta figure that, despite these stated criteria, human error comes into play.  I think you finish strong you get in.

The obvious counterargument to my point is 2004 when IC finished incredibly strong and was probably playing better than anyone in the East but didn't get an at large when no one from the E8 got a Pool C.

[gobombers]

Well, hopefully this year it's finishing incredibly strong with 1 loss, instead of 2 losses!

[theicdubbz]

• In-region results vs. regionally ranked teams.
Opponents are considered ranked only if they are ranked at the time of the ranking or playoff selection process.
• Quality of wins index–only contests versus regional competition (see Quality of Wins on the left-hand rail for most recent calculation)


If the evaluation of the primary criteria does not result in a decision by the committee, the following secondary criteria (for ranking and selections) will be evaluated:
• Results versus Division III teams ranked in other regions.

all year long we have debated about the polls and how teams should be ranked higher or lower.  All year long constant posters said rankings mean nothing......... well, after reading this it sounds like they mean a whole lot.