FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[evacuee]

I wasn't going to kill the positive spirit, but now that Pat has done that, I won't feel as bad.  This same program came to SA in 2004 following a quarterfinal appearance the previous year in the naia playoffs,  Those Tigers gave Azusa a very competitive 30-14 contest.  Yesterday was just a mismatch and azusa came in at 1-8.  It's kind of an indication of how far Trinity has fallen.

[D3_DPUFan]

No trouble for DePauw today - 35-21 win @ BSC. 

Spud 24-31 for 325 with 3TD's and 2 INT's.  Koors 5 for 141 & 2 TD's.  Only 49 rushing yards is a little concerning, especially with the success they had a week ago.

BSC decided to stack the box... 

[DPU3619]

Going to put my coach hat on a little bit, then. 

If there's 8 in the box on every play, your playcalling needs to be way less balanced than 27 runs & 31 passes.  I understand the merit of balance, but if they're loading up on the best QB in the conference with one safety back there, you have to make them get out of it.  I haven't had much negative to say about my friend Coach Ward's playcalling, and I didn't even pay attention to any of the football game - I just saw the box after the fact, but that's just my opinion.  Coach Ward probably thinks I'm full of baloney and I'll gladly accept that.

Even so - with 8 in the box, 1.8 ypc is still awfully poor.

[Tex]

Going to put my coach hat on a little bit, then. 

If there's 8 in the box on every play, your playcalling needs to be way less balanced than 27 runs & 31 passes.  I understand the merit of balance, but if they're loading up on the best QB in the conference with one safety back there, you have to make them get out of it.  I haven't had much negative to say about my friend Coach Ward's playcalling, and I didn't even pay attention to any of the football game - I just saw the box after the fact, but that's just my opinion.  Coach Ward probably thinks I'm full of baloney and I'll gladly accept that.

Even so - with 8 in the box, 1.8 ypc is still awfully poor.

Yeah, it's pretty simple for an offense.  Basically put the ball where they ain't.  If they stack it up in the middle, go to the outside.  If they bring the house, throw the quick slant.  If the put 8 in the box, pass the ball. 

Now, executing the play flawlessly is another matter altogether. 

[rooski]

Going to put my coach hat on a little bit, then. 

If there's 8 in the box on every play, your playcalling needs to be way less balanced than 27 runs & 31 passes.  I understand the merit of balance, but if they're loading up on the best QB in the conference with one safety back there, you have to make them get out of it.  I haven't had much negative to say about my friend Coach Ward's playcalling, and I didn't even pay attention to any of the football game - I just saw the box after the fact, but that's just my opinion.  Coach Ward probably thinks I'm full of baloney and I'll gladly accept that.

Even so - with 8 in the box, 1.8 ypc is still awfully poor.

This may be a slippery slope, but just for fun let's qualify the "best QB in the conference". Please allow me some latitude and I will explain. Spud is certainly an outstanding QB! No doubt about it!! And I don't know why anyone would not want him on their team. If the QB position is only about passing, then he may be the best {see also Chris Graves}. But if you factor rushing skills and blocking duties I think AC's Andy Braly would deserve some props as well. - And believe me, we see our share of loaded boxes.

First let me acknowlegde that the only stat that really matters is wins and losses and we all know that stat. But hey, they keep all these other stats too, so allow me "use" the numbers to demonstrate my bias a little bit. {I am not a mathemetician or an engineer so I accept any corrections that may follow.}

Using the "conference only" stats on the SCAC site, I calcuated the total offense stats to a "yards per play" average for the three leaders in the catagory and it comes out to :

Spud D. - .1285
Chris Graves - .1544
Andy B.  -  .1380

And the "yards per pass" for the same three came to:

Spud - 8.78
Chris - 7.58
Andy - 9.07

Also Spud and Andy are 1st and 2nd respectively in the passing efficiency catagory. But of these three senior QB's only Andy B is listed in total offense, passing AND rushing top ten lists on the site.

Other stats on the sheet show that the Roos can hold their own offensively this year. DPU and AC have very different expectations of their QB position and I believe they both have the right guy for their teams.

Again, don't take this as any disrespect for Spud. He is awesome and has loads of terrific stats and accomplishments. I am excited about seeing him play again. No one appreciates the work of a QB like a QB's dad. Just thought I'd shine a little light on what Andy and the AC offense have done so far this year. I have seen all the AC games this year and I have never left the stadium wishing we had the "other guy" for our QB.  I am partial though. Andy's my son. So I am looking forward to seeing two of the best QB's in the league this weekend.

[Ralph Turner]

I would like for AC and TU to win their games and get Millsaps into the Pool A bid, so UMHB can play Millsaps, and MissCollege can host Huntingdon in the first round.

Good luck!

[TigerDad]

I wasn't going to kill the positive spirit, but now that Pat has done that, I won't feel as bad.
...

It's kind of an indication of how far Trinity has fallen.

TU2698: Oddly, I don't detect any hint of you "feeling bad" to go to the negative side.  Your occasional comments seem to have taken up residence there.  As a father of a current player, I do take offense at your flip reference to the good old days when TU ran the table on lesser opponents.  Perhaps if you are blessed to live to be as old as I am, the taste of the present won't be so bitter compared to your glory days.

This year's edition of the Trinity Tigers comes to play every week ... they gave Azusa Pacific a good game, just spotted them too many points early in the game.  The Tigers played hard and showed great heart by giving a full effort for all four quarters.  Lesser men might have given up, but that's not what I saw.  I was proud of them and shook their hands and told them so on the field afterwards.

I for one am enjoying the "parity" that seems to have come to the SCAC and D3 football in our area.  Every game must be played to the full measure ... hardly any gimmees this year (or last).  Teams who were doormats a few years ago are contenders today.  No disrespect to our S.A. Tigers, but it does appear to me that the other schools have improved more than TU has declined.  Football players across the nation are bigger, faster, stronger, and better-prepared than ten years ago.  Several Trinity athletes in recent years have set school records or appear in the all-time career lists ... Blake Barmore, Dustin Allen, Bryant Wilson, Pete Licalzi, Chris Baer, Caleb Urban, Kyle Trella, and Garrett Biel to name just a few.

I am not a TU alum, but you are.  Maybe you should step back from the edge and choose to support and appreciate your younger band of brothers.  They are no less dedicated or skilled than you or your old teammates.  As academic standards at TU continue to rise, these men still compete well.  A lost game or two does not make a loser of anyone or any team.  Join us as we celebrate the victories past, present, and future.  Someday, perhaps your own son or daughter may need you to encourage them after a tough loss or two ... maybe even speak up for them when old alums pine for days gone by.  Criticism is easy and requires less thought or creativity than uplifting words.

That's my two cents ... I hope you will take them constructively.

[TigerDad]

For those wondering, YES, there's still a big difference between D3 and scholarship football.  We saw it first hand this afternoon.

UW-La Crosse 49, Azusa Pacific 24

I stand corrected.  Let me re-form my comment more specifically:

"For those wondering, YES, there's still a big difference between the academic-oriented non-scholarship D3 Trinity University Tigers from San Antonio and Azusa Pacific Eastern suburban Los Angeles NAIA scholarship football."

They reminded me of the UMHB Crusaders, only bigger and faster.  They seemed hungry for a win (came in 1-7) and got a quick lead which was difficult to overcome ... kind of like their UW-Stevens Point game, in fact.

[pbrooks3]

Probably an abundance of talented Southern Californian kids on that team who were just a step or two away from playing D1 football.

[TigerDad]

Updated after Week 9 results were in ...  

click on thumbnail above to view larger image
(then right-click to save to your computer)

sorry ... lost track of time and skipped a couple weeks there ...

________________

Let me see if I get this right:  thanks for everyone's help ... I've made a few corrections

As has been described earlier, the SCAC championship and playoff picture is still quite complex.

Millsaps has already won a share of the SCAC title again this year ... they have a bye, then BSC (non-counting), so they have already finished at 5-1 in the SCAC, losing only at DPU.  They have to wait on the other games to reveal their fate.

If Centre wins in San Antonio, they also finish 5-1 and co-SCAC (two or three-way, anyone?), but finish in the same position as AC ... .  If DePauw also wins, the Colonels get the Pool A by virtue of their win over DPU.  If DPU loses, Centre's loss at Millsaps looms large and keeps them home.

If Centre loses at TU and DePauw wins over AC, the Indiana Tigers tie with MC at 5-1 but have the edge over them head-to-head and will get the Pool A bid over the Majors.  The Majors have two other losses in region, so would stay home even with a co-title in the SCAC.  DPU's Pool C status will depend upon the results of the Monon Bell game (at DPU this year) and other complications I cannot understand.  Maybe.

If AC wins in Indiana AND beats TU at home, they would finish at 4-2 and tied for second (with somebody).  5-1 and co-SCAC champs but MC would get the Pool A playoff bid by virtue of their 1-point victory in Sherman.  Roos would have pulled off a co-championship, but stay home.

If the "good Tigers" from S.A. beat Centre this week, they go to Sherman with a chance to earn a tie for second place ... as many as three teams (AC, CC, DPU, and TU) could all end up at 4-2, depending upon who beats whom.  Even finishing with two wins, TU is eliminated from any playoff picture at 4-2 with losses at MC and DPU.  If Trinity loses either game, they can finish no better than third in the SCAC.

In an odd twist of scheduling fate, out of seven (eight minus BSC) teams, Austin and Trinity are the only teams in the SCAC with both games that matter in the SCAC with two weeks to go.  And their wins or losses only affect other teams' playoff hopes, not their own.

My head hurts now.  If I got this wrong, it wouldn't surprise me, but somebody please correct as needed.

[Ralph Turner]

Has anyone heard if BSC has completed the re-classification process or is eligible to complete the process a year early?

Thanks

[DPU3619]

Think you've about got it, TigerDad.  The only clarification I'll make is that Centre wins the Pool A with a win this weekend and a DePauw win.  The 3 way tie would be broken with Centre receiving the AQ.  Here's the shorthand:

Centre wins Pool A if Centre & DePauw both win.
DePauw wins Pool A if Centre loses & DePauw wins.
Millsaps wins Pool A if DePauw loses.

EDIT: I'm kinda hoping for the first choice, because I REALLY want that Bell game to be for a playoff spot for both teams.  I guess I'll submit this for group, and mostly Ralph, but do we think the South can get 3 Pool C's (UMHB, W&J, DePauw)?

EDIT #2!: Your chart is right, but you said Austin can go 5-1, which is untrue.  They're 2-2.  No chance of being SCAC co-champs.

[frank_ezelle]

TigerDad, I understand how all of this would make anyone's head hurt.  One big correction--if Austin wins out they would still finish 2nd because they have two losses, the home loss to Millsaps and the road loss to Centre.

Centre and DePauw are the only teams that can tie Millsaps for the SCAC Title. 

[exmajor]

Think you've about got it, TigerDad.  The only clarification I'll make is that Centre wins the Pool A with a win this weekend and a DePauw win.  The 3 way tie would be broken with Centre receiving the AQ.  Here's the shorthand:

Centre wins Pool A if Centre & DePauw both win.
DePauw wins Pool A if Centre loses & DePauw wins.
Millsaps wins Pool A if DePauw loses.

EDIT: I'm kinda hoping for the first choice, because I REALLY want that Bell game to be for a playoff spot for both teams.  I guess I'll submit this for group, and mostly Ralph, but do we think the South can get 3 Pool C's (UMHB, W&J, DePauw)?

EDIT #2!: Your chart is right, but you said Austin can go 5-1, which is untrue.  They're 2-2.  No chance of being SCAC co-champs.

I think it is a good question Wes, but I don't believe the south could get 3 Pool C's, curious as well as to what Ralph, Ron, etc think.  That being said and for selfish reasons, I hope Austin can steal one this weekend and give the Majors the AQ  .  Of course if Centre wins out, Depauw loses this weekend and Millsaps gets the AQ, where does that leave Centre in the Pool C hunt?

[Ron Boerger]

I think it is a good question Wes, but I don't believe the south could get 3 Pool C's, curious as well as to what Ralph, Ron, etc think.  That being said and for selfish reasons, I hope Austin can steal one this weekend and give the Majors the AQ  .  Of course if Centre wins out, Depauw loses this weekend and Millsaps gets the AQ, where does that leave Centre in the Pool C hunt?

I think I've said it before, but a one loss Centre will have a hard time getting a Pool C because they will have beaten basically nobody of consequence in the eyes of the selection committee.   Their best win is against DePauw, but there's no scenario where DPU gets in and the Colonels only have one loss.   And if DPU doesn't get in, they won't be regionally ranked, making the victory less meaningful (it becomes a quality win instead of a win against a regionally ranked opponent).  

As far as whether or not the region can get three C's, it all depends on who the three teams are and what happens elsewhere.  The East may not get any.   If they win out, DPU would have the best shot at a C, because in that scenario they'd have a win against regionally ranked Centre and at least quality wins against Wabash and Millsaps.     edit:  no, Centre beat DPU.  Maybe they get lucky and Wabash stays regionally ranked.

One other team has something to say about who gets in the playoffs ... BSC.  If they should upset Huntingdon, it would put HC's Pool B chances on life support.