FB: Empire 8

[jaypeter]

A couple of thoughts from this OAC'er on conference strength and  a few other threads in this group...

Until Whitewater's recent run of playing in the Stagg Bowl, most folks would have put the OAC as the top conference.  Since Whitewater started being almost as regularly in the Stagg as Mount Union, even a good number of OAC fans will admit that the WIAC is  the toughest conference.  You can count me in that group.  Mount Union has helped to elevate the level of play in the OAC in recent years.  Their conference games have grown more difficult on the whole, and it's not because Mount Union has slipped...it's because teams like Capital and Ohio Northern have raised the level of competition.  Add John Carroll to the mix along with Baldwin-Wallace, and you've got a great conference.  Probably the biggest knock against the OAC is that their bottom teams are worse than other conferences' bottom teams.  Some of that may also come from being a 10 team conference, though. 

Probably one of the strongest cases that can be made for the OAC's strength is that so many of the other teams to make it to the playoffs in recent years haven't had their post-season ended until they met up again with Mount Union.  And with all respect, those games have typically been closer than last year's playoff games against the E-8 (though some of that may also come from the opponents being more familiar with MUC).  But, last year did seem to be a bit of a down year for the OAC with the other teams all seeming to take a step backwards.

I will also admit that the E-8 has been a heck of a conference, especially recently.  The conference champion has been a top-level team, and they always emerge battle-tested because of the level of competition.  This does well to prepare the teams for the rugged post-season run.  Last year, Ithaca scored more points against the Purple Raiders than all but one team and held them to fewer points than all but three teams. 

As for the atmosphere at Mount Union, you're right.  It is quiet.  There isn't much excitement from the fans.  In many ways, there's almost a numbness that has come from Mount Union's accomplishments.  Lawrence Taylor talked about playing the Cowboys in his first couple of years (early 1980's), and how even after a 15 yard run or 20 yard pass, the Dallas fans hardly cheered...they were only seeing what was expected.  There's a bit of that going on in Alliance.  Mount Union won their first championship 15 years ago, and have really held a stranglehold on the competition since then.  It's unfortunate, but success sems to have bred complacency among the fans...thank God it hasn't done that with Larry Kehres!

OK, enough of my rambling.  School needs to get back in session or else I'm never going to get any work done.  But, I'll be travelling up through upstate New York in a week and a half!  I can taste the Zweigles already!

jaypeter

[Pat Coleman]

A couple of thoughts from this OAC'er on conference strength and  a few other threads in this group...

Until Whitewater's recent run of playing in the Stagg Bowl, most folks would have put the OAC as the top conference. 

... though, D3football.com has ranked the WIAC No. 1 for years running.

[DanPadavona]

Edit: Hey Tecmo, Lineback....how bout them Cubbies?

Sweet Lou is welcome back at the Trop anytime he wants another beatdown.  We'll even let him throw second base over the center field wall for old time's sake.

[Ralph Turner]

One team I thought of during the first few moments after hearing about Norwich leaving, that no one seems to be talking about is Lycoming. They already play IC consistently, and they are not a terrible drive for most E8 teams (no worse than Norwich was anyway). Any thoughts?

I just wish the conference would come out with who it is going to be, so we could all know and let the debating begin.

Catching up on the E8 boards...

Lycoming's question is this. Does it wish to leave the MAC/MAC Commonwealth for all sports to join the E8, as Susquehanna did for the non-football Landmark?

I see the E8 contending with the other schools in Pool B in 2010 something doesn't happen by then.  IN 2010, the 8 teams in the SLIAC will have moved to Pool A status.  And, yes, the E8 is stronger than the North Atlantic teams and probably all of the teams in the UMAC (St Scholastica, which has earned Pool B bids in baseball, Crown, Martin Luther, Northwestern MN and Minn-Morris).  I wonder what additional shuffling we will see as the 'weaker" conferences move to Pool A status, decreasing the allocation to Pool B.  This in turn, decreases the Pool B bids.

If I am the UMAC or the North Atlantic, I am moving to Pool A status as quickly as I can.  Then the E8 is fighting for Pool B bids against the UAA schools, Wesley and Salisbury.  If the Northwest Conference, (which has two more national champions in the "Pools era" than the E8) can be left out of the playoffs, the E8 can be left out, too.

[superman57]

I don't see it getting to the point where the e8 is going after a pool b...someone somewhere will want to move to the E8.... I mean they are a top 5 league and if I'm someone like Buff State or Brockport where I can save on my traveling budget I say screw the NJAC....but who knows...the other thing that I would like to see what about UofR coming into the E8, I mean right now they are only LL for football and this would save some significant money on traveling to far away places as the longest trip would be Springfield

[Pat Coleman]

Unfortunately, there will have to be some changes to the message board that will impact this board.

[Ralph Turner]

Unfortunately, there will have to be some changes to the message board that will impact this board.

As discussed on other boards, moving in-game traffic to a separate board as is done by several conferences would help with the maintenance.

[Pat Coleman]

Oh, worry not -- the Empire 8 WILL be using an in-game updates board this season.

['gro]

Oh, worry not -- the Empire 8 WILL be using an in-game updates board this season.

gro has always preferred to continuously edit and expand one post instead of a rapid fire play by play (usually by 4-5 posters at once), but taking them off the main boards is a good step.

[superman57]

Oh, worry not -- the Empire 8 WILL be using an in-game updates board this season.

well, this will be a nice change, this way I don't have to scroll through 50 pages on game days

[fisheralum91]

well put supe,
sunday morning was a chore of reading play by play.
granted i like looking back at some of the banter- but if it can be seperated that would be great.

[boobyhasgameyo]

Well there was that one Springfield poster who pretty much gave every single play last year during the Fisher game.  I like how Pat went all emphatic on us by putting will in CAPS.  Don't worry Pat we'd still do what you ask even without the extra emphasis. 

[fisheralum91]

booby- im guilty as charged as to the during game posting---the mount game especially-
but having an alternative is a good thing.
since i wont be making as many trips back to Roch as i did last year- ill need to follow the alma mater somehow!!

And for those doctors lurking--yes ill be out there just not 5 times!

[AUPepBand]

Pep made it to 11 AU games last fall. Don't know whether he can keep up with that pace in '08. But Pep's Bandwagon is in good form now...294,500 miles and counting!

On Saxon Warriors!

[fisheralum91]

yeah- but did pep have to drive 4 hours there and back to get to said games?