FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Ron Boerger]

Sorry, DPU, looks like you were penalized for not having that eighth in-region game - what a pity.    Won't be a problem next year at least with BSC's results counting.

[DPU3619]

Boy, that's horribly disappointing.  Got my hopes all up and everything.  Guess they took Wheaton instead. 

Oh well, still have the Bell.  Good enough for me.

EDIT: Did think it was pretty cool that the vast majority of their B-roll was from the Bell game yesterday.  That was at least pretty neat.

[wabashcpa]

Oh well, still have the Bell.  Good enough for me.

This year, OK. 

Next year, even if you win the Bell game, missing the playoffs again cannot be good enough.  Expectations in Greencastle next year should be a conference championship and a playoff run.  With all you have returning, anything short should be considered a disappointment, especially if the Millsaps and Trinity games are at home (which they should be, right?).

[DPU3619]

Correct.  Millsaps, Trinity, Centre, and Wabash all come to Blackstock Stadium.  I can't really disagree with anything you've said, either.

[DPULefty22]

Oh well, still have the Bell.  Good enough for me.

This year, OK. 

Next year, even if you win the Bell game, missing the playoffs again cannot be good enough.  Expectations in Greencastle next year should be a conference championship and a playoff run.  With all you have returning, anything short should be considered a disappointment, especially if the Millsaps and Trinity games are at home (which they should be, right?).

Cosign. The schedule aligns just about perfectly.  Gonna have to find some new bodies in the trenches next year, but man, is there ever a lot of young talent on the defense. 8-2 ain't gonna cut it next year.

[TrickyTroy]

Just be glad your not in the ASC 2 seed vs 3 seed first round

[etg]

(El Tea Gray--re: 2009 Assumptions/Predictions)


Am I correct to "assume" that for TU both Curry and Baer actually will play their "4th year of eligibility" next year (2009)?
If so, then DPU will still not have beaten TU! If not, then the winner could be "slightly" up in the air?
2009 Predictions: Staska (if healthy) finally gets his "3rd year" QB shot; and the Black Flag really does return (think I saw a glimmer towards the end of the AC game)? 


                                                                           

                                                                               

[RooBro]

(El Tea Gray--re: 2009 Assumptions/Predictions)


Am I correct to "assume" that for TU both Curry and Baer actually will play their "4th year of eligibility" next year (2009)?
If so, then DPU will still not have beaten TU! If not, then the winner could be "slightly" up in the air?
2009 Predictions: Staska (if healthy) finally gets his "3rd year" QB shot; and the Black Flag really does return (think I saw a glimmer towards the end of the AC game)? 


                                                                           

                                                                               

What you saw was the yellowflag and I hope AC retuns the favor next year.

[RooBro]

By that I mean the win NOT the officiating

[rooski]

Terrible officiating, but both sides seemed to suffer from it about the same amount.  It's a shame when the officials insert themselves into the game through bad calls and no calls. 

I guess I leave my first year D-3 experience being quite impressed with all the student-athletes in the SCAC and their dedication to play the best game in the world while still keeping up with a full college load in challenging liberal arts schools.  Each team can't win the championship every year, but all these young men will be highly successful in life when they graduate from one of these fine schools. 

My other impression is how incredibly poor the officiating in this conference is.  Every game I saw, home and away.  Worse than what I was used to watching years Texas 5A high school football.  If there was one thing the AD's in the SCAC should do in this off-season, fix this issue somehow.  Maybe pay more to attract the best.... I don't know the answer.  I expect the AD's should have the answers.  It's their jobs. 

Home this evening from the weekend trip to S.A. and to be honest I got very little sleep last night and not from partying. Tex, I very deeply appreciate your comments regarding the TU/AC game. Friends, two people can see a train wreck and describe it differently, but it is still a train wreck. So while Tex and I may describe the events of yesterday a little differently, believe me - this game was an absolute train wreck!! In this case the differences in our descriptions is definitely secondary to the true issue.

It was a fantastic day in S.A. for a football game. The hosts were outstanding. The setting was grand. The guests were happy to be there. Appreciative fans were set to honor the seniors of both teams as they wrapped up their college football careers. And perhaps most of all the teams did all that they could do to have a spirited, hard fought college football game.

But sadly, almost criminally in my opinion, the game officials utterly destroyed the integrity of the event! I am not a football official, coach, a football player, a sportswriter, athletic director or college administrator. But in my 50 years I have never seen anything like it. And I know that there is nothing we can do about what we saw on the playing field Saturday afternoon. Honestly, I suspect I have not earned the right to add to Tex's earlier specific descriptions on the board - so I will not {though I will gladly converse with ANYONE who wants to know what I would say about what I saw}.

I was literally sick for the young men of Trinity University and Austin College. Particularly for those whose last taste of the college football experience will be from this game. I have tried for more than 24 hours to find the one right word to describe what transpired - looked some up in the dictionary when we got home and so far, have not found one.

I agree 100% with Tex. Based on yesterday if nothing else, something must be done by someone who can to protect the integrity of the schools, the conference and the game.

-- Please forgive me gentlemen if I am out of line. I have tried to speak with passion, but without emotion. Like Tex and TigerDad, I had a son on the field yesterday. So if I cross the line I apologize. I love these athletes and cherrish this game. And I believe the performance and conduct of the game officials at this SCAC game was unconsionable and had to speak up.  -  Sincerely

PS: Tex, your choice of the word "ballistic" was very kind. And please be very clear that I have no issue with the players and fans of Trinity University whatsoever.

[Tex]

For what its worth, I've not seen this crew before this year.  I do not believe the game was skewed to the advantage of either team.  They both got some pretty bad calls go against them.  There was also quite a few "no calls" that hurt both teams. 

And, rooski, no need to apologize to us.   We're both calling it as we saw it.  I personally expect college football officiating to be better than high school.  I've not seen it such, not in san Antone, not in Colorado, not in Birmingham, nor in TN.  It's a SCAC-wide issue IMHO.

[rooski]

Thank you Tex. I am sure that my comments will be percieved by some as "sour grapes" but the bad taste left from this experience is undeniably from the preposterous officiating. While the 'Roo faithful's response was obviously more vehement, we could not help but feel badly for ALL of the young men yesterday.

See ya next fall...

[Josh Bowerman]

As I was covering the Trinity/Austin College game yesterday for d3football.com, I will concur that the officiating was not the best.  There were some questionable calls and no-calls both ways.  But worse than that, the officals, IMO, lost control of the game.

HAVING SAID THAT...

For the first time ever, I was embarassed to be a part of the Austin College family yesterday (yes, I work for the College and you can get my email address from the College's site if you want to discuss these comments personally).  The way the coaches, fans, and especially the players reacted to the officiating was unquestionably WAY OUT OF LINE.

Fans are going to be fans.  I understand that.  But coaches throwing their hats, swearing and jumping up and down in an animated, juvenile way all day is NOT setting a proper example for their players.  Players screaming obscenities at the officials from the sidelines is UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR.  Why the coaches let this behavior go on is beyond me (though it's pretty hard to rein someone in when you're acting like an arse yourself), but it's really bad when I, as the photographer (who has seen and heard it all), have to turn around and tell the kids to shut up and just play football. 

I'm ashamed for all of them, to be quite honest, and if I had been an official, I'd have run about a half-dozen AC players and coaches out of the game for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

I've honestly not witnessed that type of piss-poor behavior from coaches, players and fans like that since I used to haunt Mid-Atlantic Conference games in my Pennsylvania days.  And I'd hope that the schools in the SCAC are a little more concerned with conduct and reputation than some of the second-tier, "we-let-everybody-in-regardless-of-qualifications" schools in that conference.  I'd be hard pressed to say that after yesterday, though.

I am focusing my comments on Austin College because I was covering the game from their sidelines all day.  From another photographer, though, I understand the coach/player conduct wasn't good on the Trinity side, either.  But I can only credibly comment on what I saw and heard personally, and two wrongs certainly still don't make one right.

Don't misunderstand what I'm saying--I wanted the 'Roos to win.  A victory over Trinity would have been HUGE for the program.  But winning and losing with class is just as important as the final score, and I didn't see a lot of that being displayed yesterday.   

[MACCENTRE43]

I haven't been able to post much this fall but congratulations to all the SCAC teams on their seasons.

A special congratulations to Centre on their best year since 2005, first win over Trinity since 2000, and a great finish to the season.  Coach Frye has a young talented group coming back next year and the future looks bright.

[Tex]

josh, I was in the TU stands. The fans booed a few times but I assure you I never heard a lot of cursing, if any. My hearing aids allow me to hear a lot of our coaches. Not surebut didn't seem out if line.