FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Fripp52]

Regarding the DPU recruits, anyone have any insight to these kids ?  Seems like a large class.  Hope there is quality in there.

[DPU3619]

Mark Kreuzman-Batesville HS, IN (OL)

I didn't even know there was a little Kreuzy.  His brother Scott was in the middle of that pretty good OL a couple years back.

Bear Packnett-John Burroughs HS, MO(RB)

What a great football name, that one there.  I'm already scared of him.

[FerricMajor82]

No real word as to how many Millsaps Freshmen are expected to start.  I simply know it is a the strongest class the college has seen in years.  Like Frank was saying, it will take time for them to adjust to the new offensive and defensive schemes, so I think we could expect those that are good enough to play to immediately start on special teams and then trickle into rotation by the third game or so. 
As far as DePauw's freshemen list goes...DePauw ALWAYS has a good recruiting class and always repalces physical athletes with physical athletes.  They are probably the best in the SCAC at playing pure "smash mouth" football.  Based on my expreience, I would expect DePauw's freshmen class to be pretty strong.

[evacuee]

Frank,

I didn't realize that most of the team was returning, but I had considered that possibility.  Those guys no doubt played their guts out for that championship and may have been playing over their heads a bit.  To bench the returnees would be pretty bad for team morale I think.  If you've got better players, fine.  But normally you don't start looking at the freshmen as starters unless you don't like what you have already.  I don't see how you can say that kind of stuff as a coach until you've seen the guys on the field together.  That's all I was saying.   

[frank_ezelle]

TU2698, I think you and I probably feel the same way and you make some very good points.  I hope that what Millsaps will have is more depth so guys can rotate in and out without a dropoff.  In that situation, the returning players would usually start but the younger guys might get almost as much time if it is deserved.

I think last year the offensive line was the same 5 guys playing just about every play.  That unit loses Connell Phillips at center, a big loss, but the rest return.  It would be nice if those guys got some rest during the game with some additional depth either from the returning group or the incoming group.  The same could be said for most areas on the team.

Of the other seniors from 2006, the biggest loss was obviously Chris Jackson who seems to be making a good impression in the Steeler's mini-camps.  There were 3 or 4 others who played and contributed but most of the key figures will be returning in 2007. 

As for playing over their heads in 2006, I know what you are saying but I would phrase it a little different.  I think they played very well at the right times and I think they benefitted from lower expectations by opposing teams and a very good schedule.  In the case of Centre, DePauw and Trinity, all of the games were played at Millsaps and I think all three teams underestimated Millsaps.  When you look at the 2005 season and the 128 points allowed in the first 3 games, it's easy to understand why.  No one will underestimate Millsaps this year and they will have to be an improved team if they want to repeat.

[evacuee]

Good call. 

[evacuee]

Hey DePauw folk or anyone in Indiana,

I heard on the radio this morning that Peyton Manning was allowed to have his family present at the Colts' Award ceremony but that other players were not and that they are pretty burned up about him getting the preferential treatment.  I can't find any stories about it, though.  Do y'all know anything about this? 

[DPU3619]

I don't believe any of the local media has picked up on that one, TU2698.

[consultant]

Jackson's Clarion-Ledger reports today that Millsaps College will host the New Orleans Saints pre-season camp for the second consecutive year.  Players will report to Millsaps on July 25; first practice is slated for the morning of July 27. 

Although neither Saints officials nor school officials are reporting the terms of the agreement, rest assured that Millsaps is the big winner here.  The lower practice field is currently under renovation and will provide the College with its second NFL quality grass playing surface.  This new field will actually be the third NFL quality field on campus.  The game field is Sprinturf, which is the same surface that the Saints play on in the Dome.  The other grass field is on the upper field, where soccer used to hold their contests.  Soccer matches are now played on Harper Davis field. 

As for the indoor facility, I imagine that a permanent structure will not be built unless the Saints reach a long term deal with Millsaps.  The upper practice field would be an ideal place for it as there is plenty of room.  But it would be a massive project, and the College would need to have some permanent use of the building in the form of a larger recreational facility or maybe an indoor pool.   Plus, baseball and softball could practice indoors on artifical grass during the rainy cold winter.

[Mark Hengel]

So, here is a little food for thought: How might Hendrix College's entry into the SCAC football mix affect things?

As a Hendrix grad, I think it's a good idea. However, I know my school doesn't have much of an athletic reputation, so I'm not expecting many conference titles. I think it is interesting that the SCAC is trying to recruit Hendrix as the 10th school to play the sport. Seven schools played last year, and Colorado College and Birmingham Southern will both schlep their programs into the league next season. Based on talks I've had with some friends at Hendrix, neither Oglethorpe or Southwestern want anything to do with football.

I think having 10 teams in a conference will make competition more fun. I'm guessing the league will split into two divisions, which will allow for a title game of some sort, hopefully. I just wanted to see what others had to say. I also like the idea of spending Saturdays watching the Hendrix football team. The school has made a lot of improvements to the campus, and the most noticeable improvements are to athletic facilities. The football team will play on a year-old field turf field that backs up to the nearly-complete Wellness and Activity Center. It's a really nice set up and should lend itself to spectator sports. The field's only downside is the track surrounding it. Tracks are always a bummer because they push spectators away from the action. But oh well, not everything can be perfect.

here's a link to some material Hendrix has posted on its Web site:

http://www.hendrix.edu/eventsnews/eventsnews.aspx?id=10644

The administration is trying to calm Hendrix's notoriously fickle student body. Many of my friends say the students hate the idea of our school returning to the gridiron.

[Ralph Turner]

Welcome to the board, Mark.  Thanks for the Hendrix links.  As we covered earlier on this and other boards, Hendrix is probably needing students.  I have heard that the Walton (Wal Mart family) honors scholarships to UArkansas are really hurting the small lilberal arts colleges in the state.

The division issue is a quirky thing in D3 football.  The regular season is only 11 weeks long.  DePauw has its Monon Bell that weekend and would probably campaign against the vote.

Two five team divisions:

Four intradivisional games.

Who fills the other six weekends?  The practical answer is that you probably end up playing a "SCAC" divisional opponent, whom you would have played anyway.  Which two or three "non-SCAC" teams do you really want to play anyway?  DePauw? The Monon Bell game is most important.

The championship game would likely occur in the 11th week and it would give another in-region loss to a school that has a good chance at a Pool C bid, in turn knocking the Pool C bid chances, probably out of the realm of playoff possiblities.

Losing the 11th week for 8 SCAC schools makes scheduling the 10th game harder.

Good off-season discussion points.  I know that we in the ASC have heard of a investigation for football as Concordia-Austin, that Schreiner played football in the past and that UT-Tyler could start football in a heartbeat.  What that would do to the ASC is anyone's guess.

Any other thoughts?

[Pat Coleman]

There is no 10th game. Like in Division I-A, you need 12 teams in your conference to play a football title game that doesn't count against your limit.

If the SCAC went to a championship game model, member schools could only play nine games, then the championship game.

[Ralph Turner]

There is no 10th game. Like in Division I-A, you need 12 teams in your conference to play a football title game that doesn't count against your limit.

If the SCAC went to a championship game model, member schools could only play nine games, then the championship game.

Thanks!
My bad...  That is why the NEFC works.  They have more than 12.

[frank_ezelle]

I would hate to see Hendrix or OU or SW take up football.  I like the idea that everyone plays everyone to determine the championship and right now that still leaves two slots for other games.  You need those two slots for a rival game plus the opportunity to play one more game that might fit a special need (a travel game, a chance to improve your national recognition, etc.).  While two slots might not be enough in some cases, five slots would be a problem to fill year after year.

Also, in an unrelated subject brought up by Consultant, I drove by the Millsaps lower practice field yesterday and they have it totally covered with sod.  It's amazing how quickly they have done the work on that area and it is a real plus for the Millsaps campus.  After the Saints are gone the softball team will have a much improved playing field (level and vastly improved drainage on the third base side), the students will have a much better area for intramurals and afternoon pickup sports, and it gives Millsaps more flexability in hosting events such as soccer tournaments or all-star games since this gives another full size field. 

[cush]

Yeah, i thought you needed 12 football members to get a champ game that doesn't count against the 10 game regular season. Thus, the only option would be to divide into two 5 team divisions, play the 4 other teams in your divisions, play 1 permanant team from the other division, and 2 rotated teams from the other division, for a total of 7 conference games, thus you could still have 2 non-conference games. Yet, do the SCAC football members that don't get to the champ game want to only play 9 football games per year? The other option would be to just not play one member, 8 conference games and 2 non-conf games, probably be what would happen. The other issue would be the long rumored but never happened departure of Oglethorpe, would they be replaced by a football school? and would that pressure southwestern to add football?