FB: Midwest Conference

[fulbakdad]

The argument that I would have is how can the team the LFC beat, IC, move forward in a threeway tie when they beat them head to head which is the two way tie. But I would be more concerned if I was SNC and they win Sat, then IC goes to the playoffs.....

SNC, this may be the way it always has been, but have there been unbalanced schedules in the past?  That's what created this potential mess.

Does anyone know how they came up with the schedule?  How did they decide who each team didn't play?

[fulbakdad]

Probably shouldn't have read Freakonics this last week.  Keeps making me ask questions why.  Not going over well at work either.  lol

[TitanPride]

The argument that I would have is how can the team the LFC beat, IC, move forward in a threeway tie when they beat them head to head which is the two way tie. But I would be more concerned if I was SNC and they win Sat, then IC goes to the playoffs.....

SNC, this may be the way it always has been, but have there been unbalanced schedules in the past?  That's what created this potential mess.

Does anyone know how they came up with the schedule?  How did they decide who each team didn't play?

I understand what you are saying, but it's not like IC asked to play Beloit over St. Norbert.  If you went with a head2head tiebreaker that awarded the bid to St. Norbert because they went 1-0 vs. Lake Forest's 1-1 and IC's 0-1, do you really think that's fair to both Lake Forest and IC?  Lake Forest would be penalized because they had to play the top teams in the conference, which is a legit big beef IMO.  IC could complain, although without as much merit, that they weren't allowed to play St. Norbert.

With the unbalanced schedule, quarters led at least attempts to give all 3 a fair shot at determining the "best" team from the entire season.  Lake Forest can make things very simple by finishing the job on Saturday and running the table. 

[fulbakdad]

I agree, we can make is easier on everybody.

but if we didn't, go back to what you said about the common opponents.  They would tie again.  SNC would have beaten LFC and IC would have beaten MC. 

[HIT-EM-IN-THE-MOUTH]

LFC can and will take care of business on Saturday. SNC and IC both sit at home hoping for an at large bid. Coming off a bye week playing a good opponent is always tough, but Coach Kat's got these boys with their head on straight thinking all the right things. 1-0 we take care of business. LFC defense is playing lights out with their back against the wall and #6 is starting to look like the #6 of last year, I know it's late in the season, but now is when we start our Stagg run.

[fulbakdad]

hit em, you bang a drum? lol

[Redhawk Sighting]

LFC can and will take care of business on Saturday. SNC and IC both sit at home hoping for an at large bid. Coming off a bye week playing a good opponent is always tough, but Coach Kat's got these boys with their head on straight thinking all the right things. 1-0 we take care of business. LFC defense is playing lights out with their back against the wall and #6 is starting to look like the #6 of last year, I know it's late in the season, but now is when we start our Stagg run.

MWC still not in a place to get the at large.

Now I would like some input from someone that was at the RC/MC game.  I again, wasn't able to make it or watch it, but now wish I would have been.  Did either team put a defense on the field or did they give each Offense 7 downs to score, starting at the opposite 20 yard line?  97 points scored in a game, that's crazy! 

[scottie]

I propose the following:

1. No non-conference game.
2. Top four teams have a playoff for automatic selection.
3. In the event Monmouth is not in the top four, the participants include the top three + Monmouth.

This should make everyone happy.

[HIT-EM-IN-THE-MOUTH]

No, not the little drummer boy.

I know, at the present, the MWC is not in a position to get an at large, that's why I said "hoping". Now, IC does stand a chance because the pollsters love them, they have managed to creep back up receiving votes for the top 25 ahead of LFC.

Let's all be honest here, the only team that stands a chance coming out of the MWC to beat anyone is LFC. They are the most balanced team in the conference this year. IC is a good team, however they are one dimensional on offense requiring the passing game to set up the run, and the defense is mid pack in the conference. SNC has appeared to get a lot of breaks this season, similar to the ones that have cost Monmouth, and shouldn't even be in contention with LFC and IC.

[sncsid]

When the MWC had 12 teams, there were two six-team divisions with a championship game at the end. I know back then there were a lot of teams with 4-1 division records that probably went 1-1 against each other so that tie-breaker has likely been in play at some point.

Everyone should like this...in 2014 the MWC is going to an eight-game conference schedule. Here are SNC's future schedules: http://www.snc.edu/athletics/football/futureschedules.html

[Pat Coleman]

No, not the little drummer boy.

I know, at the present, the MWC is not in a position to get an at large, that's why I said "hoping". Now, IC does stand a chance because the pollsters love them, they have managed to creep back up receiving votes for the top 25 ahead of LFC.

The Top 25 has no bearing on the NCAA playoff selection process. You should listen to the Around the Nation podcast to find out what actually does have a bearing on it.

http://www.d3football.com/notables/2012/11/atn-podcast-week-10

[gbpuckfan]

It would be interesting to know what the vote was on the tiebreakers ... what other options were considered ... and if it will be revisited for next season.

All that said, everyone knew the rules going into it. SNC could have taken care of business against Monmouth and we'd be having a different discussion.

And, correct me if I'm wrong, but SNC and IC played the same schedule, right? Both teams faced the other nine conference teams. So, while one could make an argument for using point differential (which I haven't looked up but believe IC would also win) as opposed to quarters led, QL does become and indicator of who 'outplayed' the rest of the conference more substantially. And, does so without encouraging teams to run up the score (if you have any objections to that, which not all do).

I guess what I'm saying is I could think of worse senarios (ie. when the conference didn't have an overtime policy in place for the title game, or having a simple coin flip instead of something game-based).

Meanwhile, our friends in the WIAC will continue to lament that its 2nd place team could likely wax our champion and yet LFC/SNC/IC will be going to the playoffs and UW-Platteville (7-2) won't.

Yes, SNC could come out on the short end of the stick, so to speak. And maybe in a conference that really isn't going to get an at-large bid, playing a closed-loop schedule wouldn't be so bad. But that's a discussion for next year.

Go Knights! Go Pioneers!

Good post, gbpuckfan.  Have you watched any Lake Forest games online?  How is the St. Norbert offense looking?  Besides the games against the conference bottom feeders, it looks like the Knights might struggle to move the ball/score.  Is that accurate?  If so, it is due primarily to line play, QB, lack of weapons?

On the other side of the ball, the box scores seem to indicate that St. Norbert's defense has been outstanding (similar to LF's).  Can you give us a better of idea of their relative strengths and weaknesses -- against the run, pass, etc.?  Lake Forest has been very balanced all season, nothing flashy but very effective.

I have not watched any of LFC online.

This is not SNC's strongest team, especially offensively (Lawrence game excepted, of course). The young QB has gotten better but this is not an offensive juggaurnaut. Of the three in contention, SNC is allowing the fewest yards per game defensively - and is stronger against the run than the pass.

While I certainly would be pleased if SNC wins - and moreso if they make the playoffs - there are certainly more recent teams that I would have been more happy to see in the playoffs. The glass-half-empty part of me worries how SNC would do in the playoffs against, say UWO. But I think just about everyone should have that concern!

[gbpuckfan]

I propose the following:

1. No non-conference game.
2. Top four teams have a playoff for automatic selection.
3. In the event Monmouth is not in the top four, the participants include the top three + Monmouth.

This should make everyone happy.

My take.

1. Fine with me, but some teams with rivalries (ie Coe/Cornell) aren't going to go for it. Neither are those schools who believe a MWC team can get an at-large and schedule a tough non-con opponent.

2. I think you are kidding, but NCAA doesn't allow. If we get to 12, two divisional winners can meet in a title game. Which is what we used to do before Coe and Cornell left.

3. 

[gbpuckfan]

Everyone should like this...in 2014 the MWC is going to an eight-game conference schedule. Here are SNC's future schedules: http://www.snc.edu/athletics/football/futureschedules.html

Thanks for the info.

Hmmm... so instead of not playing one team, it goes to not playing two. Not sure if that's better or worse.

Is there provision (a la the Big Ten with Wis-Minn) to protect rivalries - such as Ripon/Lawrence?

[HIT-EM-IN-THE-MOUTH]

"You should listen to the Around the Nation podcast to find out what actually does have a bearing on it."

I was trying to be sarcastic based on LFC (MWC) getting "no respect" because Monmouth is no longer a front runner.

I do listen to this podcast, I have for quite sometime now, but all that is talked about is the same 3 conferences for 45 minutes and then they quickly touch the surface of the remaining 200+ teams just to say they talked about "teams around the nation". I understand that D3 covers more schools than any other conference, however what should be talked about at large are the teams that are exceeding expectations, those that are causing upsets. Not talking about the same conference for four straight weeks. I would suggest a little more variety.