FB: Midwest Conference

[WW]

Getting the W won't change anything for anybody remaining on their schedule. But even if many of the games weren't like to be competitive, they still had value. I would think SNC, 91-0 winners over Grinnell last season, is quite disappointed they won't play Saturday. You get a lot of kids some PT, and a resulting lot of happy parents, not to mention they had Hall of Fame Day going on, according to their schedule. And for all I know they could use another look at their QBs in game action. No one has really laid claim to the wheel there yet.

Grinnell was showing up to games last season with around 30 guys dressed. That's tough. You get to 27 and you might have some guys go both ways. I don't know if that's doable in college football, even if it is D3. Or you might be playing a 180-lb freshman safety/linebacker at guard because you're short on bigs (that's usually where thin rosters suffer most). That's where the injury concern gets really ramped up, IMO, when you give up 100+ lbs to the guy lined up across from you.

Just too bad for everybody. Grinnell isn't far removed from being competitive. Just five years ago they were 3-7 but played almost everybody pretty close. Just a couple years before that they hung one on Monmouth and went 6-4.

[scottie]

Scottie, how are you?

Hey F-Dad. Personally, I'm good but keeping very busy and pulled away from our beloved MWC more than I would like. Regarding today's news, I'm a tad disturbed to say the least.  More thoughts later.

[scottie]

I mean.....

a. Gee whiz, what do you expect, Grinnell, when you have a roster of 39?

b. On the other hand, sometimes players have to play both ways.  (Hey, linebacker, you're now a fullback too.)  "The ol' College Try!"

c. Could this be a millennial thing?  (Asking for a friend.)   

d.  Would they have delayed their decision if they were playing Knox and Beloit over the next two weeks instead of SNC and the Good Guys?

d.  Does the coaching staff still get paid for the rest of the season?  Do they all get fired??  (Seriously)

e. Can this epic fail be used in any way to taunt the GC basketball team after they run up the score against *Add Name Here* Bible College in about a month?

[Pat Coleman]

If the conference wanted to give everyone in the division a conference win, it could do that for conference record-keeping purposes only, but since there haven't been any division games yet, it doesn't seem necessary.

[fulbakdad]

What I will say about Grinnell when they played Lake Forest, their players played as hard as they could to the end of the game.  They at no time took the easy way out and quit.  I would be surprised if the players decided this. 

[scottie]

What I will say about Grinnell when they played Lake Forest, their players played as hard as they could to the end of the game.  They at no time took the easy way out and quit.  I would be surprised if the players decided this.

So, "No tip-toeing " is what you're saying???   

[WW]

I mean.....

a. Gee whiz, what do you expect, Grinnell, when you have a roster of 39?

b. On the other hand, sometimes players have to play both ways.  (Hey, linebacker, you're now a fullback too.)  "The ol' College Try!"

c. Could this be a millennial thing?  (Asking for a friend.)   

d.  Would they have delayed their decision if they were playing Knox and Beloit over the next two weeks instead of SNC and the Good Guys?

d.  Does the coaching staff still get paid for the rest of the season?  Do they all get fired??  (Seriously)

e. Can this epic fail be used in any way to taunt the GC basketball team after they run up the score against *Add Name Here* Bible College in about a month?

a. They've rolled with a sub-40 roster for a few years now. I don't think it's by choice.

b. In high school it happens because you're really good. In this case it's because you're the last-man standing. Ya, suck it up, u-rah-rah, but it's an invitation to injury.

c. Because it's Grinnell? Not following.

d. That's a good point. Kind of wondered if they considered just taking select weeks off. You'd piss off SNC but so what? They're leaving the league anyway.

other d. Also a good question. I don't mean to be harsh but that guy's been in charge 10 years. If there's ever time for a change, this certainly looks to be it.

e. Always good to have some new material.

[SpartanHouse]

should be able to produce a college roster larger than 39 players. this is a recruiting issue.

[scottie]

Very quick counting, so these are approximate roster counts in the MWC:

Beloit 41
Chicago 99
Cornell 55
Grinnell 39
IC 112
Knox 56
Lake Forest 98
Lawrence 49
Macalester 71
Monmouth 113
Ripon 85
SNC 114

AVG = 78  (2 x the GC roster) 

[Pat Coleman]

should be able to produce a college roster larger than 39 players. this is a recruiting issue.

Just to call it a recruiting issue glosses over other potential institutional factors that could contribute to low roster numbers.

[scottie]

should be able to produce a college roster larger than 39 players. this is a recruiting issue.

Just to call it a recruiting issue glosses over other potential institutional factors that could contribute to low roster numbers.

Such as.....?   (And 'high academic standards' is not a recruiting issue.)

[Pat Coleman]

should be able to produce a college roster larger than 39 players. this is a recruiting issue.

Just to call it a recruiting issue glosses over other potential institutional factors that could contribute to low roster numbers.

Such as.....?   (And 'high academic standards' is not a recruiting issue.)

Based on .....? Have you tried to recruit football players to Grinnell? Curious...

[WW]

should be able to produce a college roster larger than 39 players. this is a recruiting issue.

Just to call it a recruiting issue glosses over other potential institutional factors that could contribute to low roster numbers.

Such as.....?   (And 'high academic standards' is not a recruiting issue.)

Based on .....? Have you tried to recruit football players to Grinnell? Curious...

An institutional commitment to athletics/football. Investment in facilities. It's pretty easy to tie athletic success in the MWC or any league to who's got the nicest, newest stuff.

[blue_jays]

should be able to produce a college roster larger than 39 players. this is a recruiting issue.

Just to call it a recruiting issue glosses over other potential institutional factors that could contribute to low roster numbers.

Their baseball team has 44 on the roster currently. There's more to this issue for sure.

[scottie]

Pat, please name one distinctly unique difference/disadvantage that Grinnell College has compared to the wide cross section of institutions in DIII football (aside from being among the wealthiest).