East Region Playoff Discussion

[Ralph Turner]

I guess it's time to say goodbye to another East Region Playoff
Turn out the lights, the party's over

Haha! The party's not over until Pep has nothing more to say....

Dandy Don Meredith was arguably the best color commentator MNF ever had. Alfred University awarded Dandy Don an honorary doctorate (Pep believes it was in the early 1970s) making him "Dr. Dandy Don"!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/06/don-meredith-passes-at-72/related/

Sadly, Dandy Don is no longer with us. A huge part of the old guys sports experience, with Howard and Frank. RIP

Dallas Cowboy football excitement hit the town in 1966.  Yeah, the Cowboys had gone to the "Playoff Bowl" in Jan 1966, as a 7-7 team, only to be stomped by the Baltimore Colts 35-3.  But, the Cowboys were starting to put it together.

1966 was different.  Bullet Bob Hayes completely changed the face of Pro Football, an Olympic Gold 100 Meter sprinter who could catch a pass.  Meredith finally had the tools around him in 1966, a wide open offense and the "flex defense" that later became the "Doomsday Defense".

Head Scout Gil Brandt was finding great talent in previously undiscovered places like Elizabeth City State NC (Jethro Pugh) and Johnson C Smith NC (Pettis Norman).

The Cowboys lost to the Packers 34-27 in the NFL Championship Game in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day, 1967,  a heartbreaking loss.  With the loss in the Ice Bowl on December 31, 1967 and then the ugly loss to the Browns in 1968 in the first round of the playoffs, the "can't win the big one" moniker was plastered on Meredith, Landry and the Cowboys.  Meredith retired, possibly after one too many concussions.

[phil]

Heard Bob Lily discuss why Meredith retired today. He came out of the hospital for that game against Cleveland and played with a punctured lung, pneumonia and a 103° temperature. Lily said that the entire team played poorly but Meredith was singled out with some particularly hash criticism. He said it broke Meredith's heart and he lost the fire for the game and took advise from his brother, retired and became a stock broker for a year before the Monday Night Football gig.

[JT]

Heard Bob Lily discuss why Meredith retired today. He came out of the hospital for that game against Cleveland and played with a punctured lung, pneumonia and a 103° temperature. Lily said that the entire team played poorly but Meredith was singled out with some particularly hash criticism. He said it broke Meredith's heart and he lost the fire for the game and took advise from his brother, retired and became a stock broker for a year before the Monday Night Football gig.

One of the books I read on vacation was The Ones Who Hit the Hardest: The Steelers, the Cowboys, the '70s, and the Fight for America's Soul by Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne.

A great book for those that remember the era.  Lot of inside material.  Tom Landry doesn't come off very well as person, beginning with Meredith.

[HSCTiger74]

Heard Bob Lily discuss why Meredith retired today. He came out of the hospital for that game against Cleveland and played with a punctured lung, pneumonia and a 103° temperature. Lily said that the entire team played poorly but Meredith was singled out with some particularly hash criticism. He said it broke Meredith's heart and he lost the fire for the game and took advise from his brother, retired and became a stock broker for a year before the Monday Night Football gig.

One of the books I read on vacation was The Ones Who Hit the Hardest: The Steelers, the Cowboys, the '70s, and the Fight for America's Soul by Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne.

A great book for those that remember the era.  Lot of inside material.  Tom Landry doesn't come off very well as person, beginning with Meredith.

What ... you thought the Coach Strother character in North Dallas Forty was totally fictional?

[JT]

Heard Bob Lily discuss why Meredith retired today. He came out of the hospital for that game against Cleveland and played with a punctured lung, pneumonia and a 103° temperature. Lily said that the entire team played poorly but Meredith was singled out with some particularly hash criticism. He said it broke Meredith's heart and he lost the fire for the game and took advise from his brother, retired and became a stock broker for a year before the Monday Night Football gig.

One of the books I read on vacation was The Ones Who Hit the Hardest: The Steelers, the Cowboys, the '70s, and the Fight for America's Soul by Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne.

A great book for those that remember the era.  Lot of inside material.  Tom Landry doesn't come off very well as person, beginning with Meredith.

What ... you thought the Coach Strother character in North Dallas Forty was totally fictional?

As a kid I thought he was very mechanical.  I didn't realize how cold he actually was. 

Noll comes off as very tactical, uninspiring pre-game speech giver, but very decent guy off the field. Rooney's come off as great owners.  Landry was just a jerk. Players were just parts to he and Schramm.

Coyne is a Pittsburgh native FWIW. Millman is originally from Chicago.

[DanPadavona]

Mount Union 34 Bethel 7 in the 4th quarter

Once again there appears to be no tangible difference between the East teams and other regions when it comes to their chances of beating Mount Union.  The way it looks to me is Whitewater and MUC are #1 and #1a, and everyone else in the Top 20 is about a 20 to 30 point underdog to them.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Mount Union 34 Bethel 7 in the 4th quarter

Once again there appears to be no tangible difference between the East teams and other regions when it comes to their chances of beating Mount Union.  The way it looks to me is Whitewater and MUC are #1 and #1a, and everyone else in the Top 20 is about a 20 to 30 point underdog to them.

Not quite everybody - NCC led UWW entering the 4th quarter, and only lost by 10.

[phil]

Another Purple v. Purple final. Can't say I'm interested enough to tune in.

[Uncle Rico]

Mount Union 34 Bethel 7 in the 4th quarter

Once again there appears to be no tangible difference between the East teams and other regions when it comes to their chances of beating Mount Union.  The way it looks to me is Whitewater and MUC are #1 and #1a, and everyone else in the Top 20 is about a 20 to 30 point underdog to them.

Trine had them tied in the 4th quarter, turned one over on the UWW goal line late in the game, and lost by 14.   

[108Vincent]

Another Purple v. Purple final. Can't say I'm interested enough to tune in.

Your loss.  Should be an excellent college football game.

[HScoach]

Bethel wasn't any better than Alfred or Del Valley.  Their rush defense was a little better than the East teams, but their offense was horrendous. 

Based solely on seeing the teams against Mount, I'd rank the Mount opponents as follows:
1.  Ohio Northern
2.  Del Valley / Alfred
3.  Alfred / Del Valley
4.  Baldwin Wallace
5.  Bethel
6.  UW-Oshkosh
7.  Otterbein
8.  Capital
9.  Heidelberg
10.  Marietta
11.  John Carroll
12.  St Lawrence
13.  Muskingum
14.  Wilmington

[gordonmann]

Not bad for Del Val, considering they were missing the conference player of the year.  Needless to say, they aren't at Mount Union's level but every year I wonder more and more if anyone besides UW-Whitewater will be any time soon.

I really thought this was Wesley's year to break through.   Having the full complement of players would've helped but Whitewater could say the same about their QB.  It's just a guess, but I don't think Wesley would've beaten Whitewater at full strength.

Maybe Trine or North Central breaks through.  Trine needs to have another playoff run to distinguish themselves from other programs who have had really nice individual seasons.  But They both impressed me with their playoff performance.

[JT]

Another Purple v. Purple final. Can't say I'm interested enough to tune in.

Your loss.  Should be an excellent college football game.

A team in purple wasn't crowned yet?  Thank God, I didn't miss it. 

[Lyco80]

I am heartened to read other posts that indicate others are experiencing the same sort of fatigue I am from the D3 playoff results year after year.

I particularly enjoyed the #1 #1a remark.

It seems that the playoff system is the province of UMU - personally I liked it better as MUU.

What they have accomplished year after year is astounding and hard to find in any other sport at any other level.

That aside, it is dispiriting to see such dominance and I find myself each season hoping that a new Frosty Westerling will emerge so I can at least, for day, become a 'Lutes fan.

Congratulations to both UW-W and UMU, or whatever sequence is the preferred order, on fantastic seasons.

Doesn't the simple fact that Pierre Garcon is a wide receiver for the Colts say something about the talent level in that small town in Ohio?

Is is just me or is there anyone else out there who wonders how teams of this consistent great caliber would do against DII or DI competition?

I suspect they would thrash most competition at the DII level.

Now that would truly be entertaining and worth watching if it would be broadcast.

ATB

[skunks_sidekick]

As I have recently posted on another board, after further review, I truly believe that the East teams were as strong (probably stronger) than Mount's opponent in the semi-final.  I base this not only in regard to scores, but more so watching all the teams perform against Mount.  Del Valley and Alfred were much more balanced, and certainly competed on the defensive side at the same level as Bethel's vaunted defense. 

I truly thought that this year was the year that Mount would/could be knocked out at an earlier time in the play-offs, but in all honesty their defense has improved to an amazing level.  They are playing at such a high level, and the speed on that defense is a sight to see.

Having stated above, I bow to all that is Frank Rossi (and NO....I will NOT join his Rossite cult)!