East Region Playoff Discussion

[Bombers798891]

Ithaca wins games because their special teams unit is unreal. The Bombers' special teams won three games for them this year and impacted half a dozen. They're NOT very good offensively, but they'll kill other teams on special teams. But this is also a team that has won what, 5 games by less than a touchdown. It would be pretty easy for the team to be 5-5. But amazingly, here they are

[sjfcards]

Ithaca wins games because their special teams unit is unreal. The Bombers' special teams won three games for them this year and impacted half a dozen. They're NOT very good offensively, but they'll kill other teams on special teams. But this is also a team that has won what, 5 games by less than a touchdown. It would be pretty easy for the team to be 5-5. But amazingly, here they are

Hence the nod to Coach Welch and his staff for E8 coach of the year. I don't think anyone can/would argue against that. The team just found ways to win, and the special teams coach should have been the running for the coach of the year by himself.

[Bombers798891]

Ithaca wins games because their special teams unit is unreal. The Bombers' special teams won three games for them this year and impacted half a dozen. They're NOT very good offensively, but they'll kill other teams on special teams. But this is also a team that has won what, 5 games by less than a touchdown. It would be pretty easy for the team to be 5-5. But amazingly, here they are

Hence the nod to Coach Welch and his staff for E8 coach of the year. I don't think anyone can/would argue against that. The team just found ways to win, and the special teams coach should have been the running for the coach of the year by himself.

Mike handles special teams. And he is seriously good at it

[dlippiel]

It really has been quite the run for IC this season right through being down 17-3 to Framingham. They really just find ways to win and obviously the special teams play has been heads and shoulders above everyone else (got rid of their dandruff as well). Wishing the Bombers all the luck in the world come Saturday. Lord knows they'll need it against a very athletic and inspired Wesley team. Go Bombers!!!!!

[wesleydad]

When you look at the stats for Ithaca you have to wonder how they are not a 500 team.  I saw them play Salisbury and was not impressed at all by the offense.  They will have to bring much more than that to defeat Wesley.  The defense was very good and kept them in the game long enough to win the game.  I think they have trouble scoring on Wesley and if they d line does not get pressure on the QB they will have trouble with the receivers.  They had no worries about a passing game against Salisbury, that won't be the case this weekend.  I think Wesley wins this game, easily without any turnovers.

Yea, Ithaca will try to run the ball, and then keep running it again and again even if it isn't working.  Then they will sprinkle some play action in there every now and then.  Then they will run a few concepts/plays that work really well, and make you ask yourself why they don't do those things more often.

I think Ithaca's only chance is if Dempsey has a big day, and they can exploit Wesley's defense with crossing patterns and passes to the backs out of the backfield.  They don't have any superstars on offense, but they do have 7 or 8 guys who can all do the same thing (block well, catch well, and run routes well enough where any one of them can beat you deep if you don't cover them properly).

Utes, if there is one spot Wesley is weak on D it is covering the short underneath stuff, Hopkins had a field day with it.  Looks like Wesley will have to step up on D and take that away.  I still thinks Wesley gets in the 20's and don't see Ithaca doing that.  Now, that is if both teams play a clean game.  Turnovers and special teams can always turn a game around.  That is what happened in the Salisbury game, blocked punt gave Ithaca life.

[sjfcards]

When you look at the stats for Ithaca you have to wonder how they are not a 500 team.  I saw them play Salisbury and was not impressed at all by the offense.  They will have to bring much more than that to defeat Wesley.  The defense was very good and kept them in the game long enough to win the game.  I think they have trouble scoring on Wesley and if they d line does not get pressure on the QB they will have trouble with the receivers.  They had no worries about a passing game against Salisbury, that won't be the case this weekend.  I think Wesley wins this game, easily without any turnovers.

Going into the Fisher/Ithaca game I felt much the same way. In fact, as my wife and I pulled onto the IC campus, she said something about IC winning, and my response was basically "yeah...we'll see". Fast forward a few hours, and I was sitting in the car on the way back trying to figure out how IC had beat Fisher. The D is legit, and the special teams give the offense enough short fields to do some damage. The formula may not make sense to us, but they have won a lot of games this year.

[Bombers798891]

This Ithaca team won't surprise you. They haven't scored more than 26 points in the last 10 weeks. There's no real difference between Dempsy/skea and Neumann/jones. They're a flawed offense, but it's an opportunistic defense however, and, without being hyperbolic, it might be the best special teams unit you'll face all season. Both returnees will burn you, the coverage units will be right there if you muff a punt.

Defensively, there's not much of a pass rush, and big wideouts can hurt them. But they cover and tackle well.

Wesley probably wins comfortably, 34-10 or so. But the Bombers have been playing with house money since beating fisher. They could lose by 70 on Saturday and I wouldn't care. Just a great team to root for and watch.

[Jonny Utah]

This Ithaca team won't surprise you. They haven't scored more than 26 points in the last 10 weeks. There's no real difference between Dempsy/skea and Neumann/jones. They're a flawed offense, but it's an opportunistic defense however, and, without being hyperbolic, it might be the best special teams unit you'll face all season. Both returnees will burn you, the coverage units will be right there if you muff a punt.

Defensively, there's not much of a pass rush, and big wideouts can hurt them. But they cover and tackle well.

Wesley probably wins comfortably, 34-10 or so. But the Bombers have been playing with house money since beating fisher. They could lose by 70 on Saturday and I wouldn't care. Just a great team to root for and watch.

Well Wesley hasn't done too much to impress me this year by just looking at their scores.  They lost to Rowan by a TD, and they beat Salisbury by 3.  I think Ithaca can beat them.

And I'm not a big fan of Delaware either (or Wilmington anyway).  Quick random story for you.

I work in Law enforcement in the Boston area.  I guy who works for the City I work in gets a letter in the mail from the Wilmington, DE police department saying that he owes the City $210 for going though a red light in Wilmington, and there is a photo of a vehicle with Delaware plates driving through a red light.  The guy tells me that he has never been to Delaware, and that the car in the photo is obviously not his (I checked his story, it was legit).  So I call Wilmington PD to see if I can get to the bottom of this.  I leave about 7 messages, with 7 different people in the Wilmington PD with not one return phone call.  Complete BS.

So I call the Delaware RMV and get nowhere.  I ask them how this could even happen, and they tell me that the owner of the car (Delaware resident) signed a statement that this random person from Massachusetts was driving their car (obvious that they just went online and got a random name/address from whitepages.com).  I am then told that there is nothing to do about it except call the police department where the owner lives (not Wilmington but close), and have them follow up.  So I call that local department.  5 messages with 5 different people, no call back again.  Another useless police department.  I can't even believe that this could happen (that a police department can mail a citation to someone just because the owner said they were driving the car), but that is another story.

I then call the City of Wilmington's mayors office and city council members offices.  Nothing again, no call backs, nothing.

Finally I get in touch with the Head Clerk of the Superior Court of Delaware in New Castle County and talk to the nicest person you can imagine.  She gets the info, tells me that the ticket will be voided and the owner of the car investigated.  She then tells me of course that she is a huge Red Sox fan and went to Law School in Boston and how much she loved Boston.  Anyway, after a nice chat justice was served and my negative impression of Delaware was lifted a little.

Go Bombers

[lewdogg11]

This Ithaca team won't surprise you. They haven't scored more than 26 points in the last 10 weeks. There's no real difference between Dempsy/skea and Neumann/jones. They're a flawed offense, but it's an opportunistic defense however, and, without being hyperbolic, it might be the best special teams unit you'll face all season. Both returnees will burn you, the coverage units will be right there if you muff a punt.

Defensively, there's not much of a pass rush, and big wideouts can hurt them. But they cover and tackle well.

Wesley probably wins comfortably, 34-10 or so. But the Bombers have been playing with house money since beating fisher. They could lose by 70 on Saturday and I wouldn't care. Just a great team to root for and watch.

Well Wesley hasn't done too much to impress me this year by just looking at their scores.  They lost to Rowan by a TD, and they beat Salisbury by 3.  I think Ithaca can beat them.

And I'm not a big fan of Delaware either (or Wilmington anyway).  Quick random story for you.

I work in Law enforcement in the Boston area.  I guy who works for the City I work in gets a letter in the mail from the Wilmington, DE police department saying that he owes the City $210 for going though a red light in Wilmington, and there is a photo of a vehicle with Delaware plates driving through a red light.  The guy tells me that he has never been to Delaware, and that the car in the photo is obviously not his (I checked his story, it was legit).  So I call Wilmington PD to see if I can get to the bottom of this.  I leave about 7 messages, with 7 different people in the Wilmington PD with not one return phone call.  Complete BS.

So I call the Delaware RMV and get nowhere.  I ask them how this could even happen, and they tell me that the owner of the car (Delaware resident) signed a statement that this random person from Massachusetts was driving their car (obvious that they just went online and got a random name/address from whitepages.com).  I am then told that there is nothing to do about it except call the police department where the owner lives (not Wilmington but close), and have them follow up.  So I call that local department.  5 messages with 5 different people, no call back again.  Another useless police department.  I can't even believe that this could happen (that a police department can mail a citation to someone just because the owner said they were driving the car), but that is another story.

I then call the City of Wilmington's mayors office and city council members offices.  Nothing again, no call backs, nothing.

Finally I get in touch with the Head Clerk of the Superior Court of Delaware in New Castle County and talk to the nicest person you can imagine.  She gets the info, tells me that the ticket will be voided and the owner of the car investigated.  She then tells me of course that she is a huge Red Sox fan and went to Law School in Boston and how much she loved Boston.  Anyway, after a nice chat justice was served and my negative impression of Delaware was lifted a little.

Go Bombers

[Jonny Utah]

Yea, I admit that was a pretty horrible story, but it really is the only thing I ever associate with Delaware. 

[lewdogg11]

Yea, I admit that was a pretty horrible story, but it really is the only thing I ever associate with Delaware.

[sjfcards]

I have a random change of topic for us, but I love the playoffs this year. For years I have felt that the playoffs were fun, but also anticlimactic since we knew only one of two teams could/would win it all. I feel like this year the favorites are still there but this heart he gap has closed so much we don't know who will win the last game (or even be in it).

Just a lot more fun from where I sit.

[Bombers798891]

I have a random change of topic for us, but I love the playoffs this year. For years I have felt that the playoffs were fun, but also anticlimactic since we knew only one of two teams could/would win it all. I feel like this year the favorites are still there but this heart he gap has closed so much we don't know who will win the last game (or even be in it).

Just a lot more fun from where I sit.

I totally agree. Uncertainty is what makes sports great. It's not that mount/whitewater won it every year, it was that it seemed inevitable

[Jonny Utah]

I have a random change of topic for us, but I love the playoffs this year. For years I have felt that the playoffs were fun, but also anticlimactic since we knew only one of two teams could/would win it all. I feel like this year the favorites are still there but this heart he gap has closed so much we don't know who will win the last game (or even be in it).

Just a lot more fun from where I sit.

I totally agree. Uncertainty is what makes sports great. It's not that mount/whitewater won it every year, it was that it seemed inevitable

You also wonder about Kehres retiring from Mt. Union.  Not that his son can't or won't do the job, but all good things come to an end sometime. 

I have to admit though, I love Mt. Union and kind of like seeing then in the Stagg Bowl every year for some reason.  I find myself routing for them no matter who they play (except Ithaca).

[Upstate]

I think UMHB takes it all this year...