FB: Liberty League

[Pat Coleman]

The committees in all of the sports we cover feel the exact opposite -- part of the thing that they (and we, really) feel makes the tournament special is games against different opponents.

(Can't speak for sports like lacrosse and others. I only know what we observe in football, men's and women's basketball and baseball.)

[unionpalooza]

The committees in all of the sports we cover feel the exact opposite -- part of the thing that they (and we, really) feel makes the tournament special is games against different opponents.

(Can't speak for sports like lacrosse and others. I only know what we observe in football, men's and women's basketball and baseball.)

But in a sport where 70% of games are in conference, that's almost assured to happen anyways in the playoffs.  And the NCAA's cost saving approach to brackets/ pairing almost always runs in the exact opposite direction.

[UfanBill]

Something I found interesting...On another section of these boards you can find a link to the National Confidence Pick'em (click on General Football and you'll see it under Pick-Ems at the top).  Each week fellow D3 fans pick winners from a list of national games. This week Ithaca at RPI is on the list. Ithaca is the choice of 9 of 11 pickers! Why is that? I'd suggest it's due mostly to Ithaca's national profile and reputation. These pickers, almost exclusively from the mid-west and south, have familiarity with the Bombers. This plays into our discussion of the Top 25 Poll. Familiarity with a team, seeing their name week after week, sticks in your mind and prompts you to vote for them... It will be interesting to see what happens with Ithaca RPI and Union in the Top 25 Poll after this week. If Ithaca wins expect them to rightfully move up but what if RPI wins. I'd expect the Engineers could possibly jump into the Top 25 (pending other game results) and Ithaca would fall down. But how far? And what about Union? A 6-0 Union team would undoubtedly gain points but would they stay above RPI? and even Ithaca?   

[Oline89]

Dumping my picks last minute:

Hobart 56 Buff 12
RPI 21 IC 20
Union 42 Roc 6

[unionpalooza]

Something I found interesting...On another section of these boards you can find a link to the National Confidence Pick'em (click on General Football and you'll see it under Pick-Ems at the top).  Each week fellow D3 fans pick winners from a list of national games. This week Ithaca at RPI is on the list. Ithaca is the choice of 9 of 11 pickers! Why is that? I'd suggest it's due mostly to Ithaca's national profile and reputation. These pickers, almost exclusively from the mid-west and south, have familiarity with the Bombers. This plays into our discussion of the Top 25 Poll. Familiarity with a team, seeing their name week after week, sticks in your mind and prompts you to vote for them... It will be interesting to see what happens with Ithaca RPI and Union in the Top 25 Poll after this week. If Ithaca wins expect them to rightfully move up but what if RPI wins. I'd expect the Engineers could possibly jump into the Top 25 (pending other game results) and Ithaca would fall down. But how far? And what about Union? A 6-0 Union team would undoubtedly gain points but would they stay above RPI? and even Ithaca?   

I think if Ithaca wins, they move up a spot or two, not much more.  If they lose, they drop out of the poll and RPI probably appears in 22-25 range.  I think a Union wins see union gain a few more votes, but still outside the Top 25.  Union will not see Top 25 recognition until/unless they beat Ithaca.  Because they started the season unranked, Union and RPI could finish 10-0 and neither would probably break #15 in the poll.  Ithaca probably breaks the top 10 if the run the table and finish 9-1.

[Ice Bear]

RPI offense looked really good on their first scoring drive, really good.

[unionpalooza]

Wow, Rochester still puts their games behind a paywall?  They should be ejected from the LL, and shampoo my crotch.

[Ice Bear]

I may be being a bit of a curmudgeon here but I am very displeased that I have to pay to watch the Union/Rochester game (which I am refusing to do). Almost every d3 school streams for free, some do it beautifully (ex. RPI and Ithaca), and yet Rochester uses Sidearm and charges. If I was the parent of an athlete at U of R and had to pay to watch them, after tuition...I'd be irate.

Myself, I'll pout for a bit, but I'll  survive. Quite annoying. Let's go Union.

[unionpalooza]

RPI offense looked really good on their first scoring drive, really good.

Neither defense looks very good, but are getting bailed out by ugly offensive turnovers. 

[NedM]

Decided to pay and watch the game but after signing up i am not getting video - just play-by-play summary. Anyone else having same problem> Suggestions??

[Ice Bear]

RPI offense looked really good on their first scoring drive, really good.

Neither defense looks very good, but are getting bailed out by ugly offensive turnovers.

I feel like it's hard for both teams to find a rhythm on either side of the ball. Again, I thought RPI's scoring drive was excellent, but there have been many mistakes made before it  and after it by both teams.

Btw, I am really getting old Palooza. I emailed U of R's AD about how disappointed I am that they are still charging to watch. It'd be one thing if the practice of charging was consistent throughout all of d3, but it simply is not. There are so few that still charge. Well, it is what it is.

I'm honestly just enjoying sitting back and watching RPI/IC on RPI's excellent stream through YouTube. I'm going to watch the hockey scrimmage after.

[unionpalooza]

Union trails 3-0 after one.  Defense has been stout and they've been able to run at will, but Pacatte has been ice cold, including a bad pick on the first offensive play of the game.

[Ice Bear]

I'm very surprised by how much Wingfield is running the ball. He is such a tough kid and competitor, but he is running like a running back. Dangerous.

Union down 10-7. Expecting the O to explode soon but it appears that Rochester came to play.

[Ice Bear]

So far the third quarter has been a plethora of offenses that cannot get going.

[unionpalooza]

Rochester scores with 1 second left in the half and takes a 17-14 lead into halftime.  Union shoot itself in the foot left and right.  Poppe has his first real halftime locker room work to do.