East Region Playoff Discussion

[HScoach]

^   the Cleveland Browns offset the Mount success and leaves me overall with a very average football fan experience.

[Knightstalker]

^   the Cleveland Browns offset the Mount success and leaves me overall with a very average football fan experience.

+K for that one HS.

[frank uible]

As we all know, in life timing is everything. In my boyhood the Browns were the Genghis Khan of professional football.

[Mr. Ypsi]

As we all know, in life timing is everything. In my boyhood the Browns were the Genghis Khan of professional football.

Yeah, my Lions reign as kings ended 15 years before I moved to Michigan!   Since then, we had Barry Sanders and now Calvin Johnson, but in terms of playoffs we are the Cubs of the NFL.

[Ralph Turner]

As we all know, in life timing is everything. In my boyhood the Browns were the Genghis Khan of professional football.

Yeah, my Lions reign as kings ended 15 years before I moved to Michigan!   Since then, we had Barry Sanders and now Calvin Johnson, but in terms of playoffs we are the Cubs of the NFL.

The 1950's Lions, with a couple of Texans... Bobby Layne, born in Santa Anna TX, and Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker.

[frank uible]

And coached by the Slaton, TX born Buddy Parker.

[DanPadavona]

What I will say for Alliance/Mount Union is that the town absolutely loves and supports its team. They embrace the Purple Raiders just the way that a lot of small towns embrace their high school team. It is rare to see a small college team draw that much community interest, so hats off to them.

As a Cortland fan, I can say with all honesty that most of the town is apathetic to the Red Dragons. You see a core group which is there every game, every season. But there are 6000+ seats, and rarely is the stadium more than 1/3 full. Same for men's lacrosse. You can't ask for a better team to watch than Red Dragon lacrosse - multiple NCAA championship trips, a brutal out of conference schedule, close game after close game. And even on a brilliant sunny spring day, maybe 300 or 400 show up to see Stevenson or R.I.T. or Ithaca come to town. There were less than 800 for the Tufts game in the NCAA semifinals, and that will go down as one of the greatest games I have ever seen.

[AUPepBand]

I never understood the "winning gets boring" mentality.

I think the mentality isn't that winning itself is boring, but that winning when it's essentially a pre-determined blowout nearly every week is, well, a different kind of experience. I mean, I've seen Ithaca win games 66-0, and I've seen them come back in a similar fashion to the way Mount did this week. And while it's always fun to watch a blowout now and again, there's something enjoyable about watching an actual game as opposed to a ritual killing. One where there are momentum swings, and that play, right there, might be a game-changer, a season-changer, not just the first of eight touchdowns on the day, or the 19th of the 48 straight you scored at one point. You probably experienced one or two momentum swings all season. Honestly, while you may think this is sour grapes, and while part of me would love the Bombers to be as good as Mount, I think you're the one missing out.

I'm sure you won't care when you're counting trophy number, 16 in a week, but I think about the two game-winning touchdowns IC scored in the waning seconds against Union and Salisbury, and the goal-line stand against Cortland, and I'd take a season like that over one that features 85% blowouts.

Pep can relate to a point....Pep's Saxons have never won a national title (like the Bombers) but for AU to win the Empire 8 and earn post-season games each of the past ten years has been a delight. And throughout those seasons, there have been those tightly-contested games. Nothing more exciting than pulling out a thriller with a big special teams play or a long drive for the winning kick. Can't imagine experiencing blowouts week in and week out when a team can predetermine how many points it will post on the board.

And perhaps those games are all too frequent for the Saxons, they get a strong alumni and parent following wherever they play. The NCAA game at Cortland on Thanksgiving Weekend 2010, for instance, Dan, seemed as if the Saxons had more fans than the Dragons...."and they've got that pep band over there..."

On Saxon Warriors!

[lewdogg11]

Lewdogg11 is ready to make some bold playoff predictions.  Here goes...

Gallaudet - 7
Hobart - 70
I see this going a lot like Alfred/SUNY Maritime a few years back.  I anticipate Hobart getting up big quick, then calling off the dogs for a late Gallaudet score.

St. John Fisher - 21
John Carroll - 31
I'm pulling hard here for Fisher and I think Fisher, if they put it all together, can pull out an upset.  But being conservative and playing the odds, I think JCU handles them.

Lebanon Valley - 21
Wittenberg - 35
Honestly, I have no idea on this one.  Wittenberg is an unknown for me.  Hobart beat them up last year, and Ali Marpet had a HUGE game and impressed some Whitt fans.  But d3.com thinks pretty highly of these Wittenburgers, so I think they bring the noise.

Framingham St. - 17
Ithaca - 24
This game scares me a little.  I think Framingham got a good matchup here and Ithaca got a bit of a trap game thrown at them again.  I'll say this, I will NOT be surprised if Framingham wins, but my heart tells me Ithaca wins in a monkeystomp.

Endicott - 17
Rowan - 35
Much like above, I think Endicott got a favorable draw with a game where they can compete.  Rowan seems to be bi-polar.  Based on some comparative scores and Endicott's terrible schedule, I think Rowan wins pretty big.

[dlippiel]

Lewdogg11 is ready to make some bold playoff predictions.  Here goes...

Gallaudet - 7
Hobart - 70
I see this going a lot like Alfred/SUNY Maritime a few years back.  I anticipate Hobart getting up big quick, then calling off the dogs for a late Gallaudet score.

St. John Fisher - 21
John Carroll - 31
I'm pulling hard here for Fisher and I think Fisher, if they put it all together, can pull out an upset.  But being conservative and playing the odds, I think JCU handles them.

Lebanon Valley - 21
Wittenberg - 35
Honestly, I have no idea on this one.  Wittenberg is an unknown for me.  Hobart beat them up last year, and Ali Marpet had a HUGE game and impressed some Whitt fans.  But d3.com thinks pretty highly of these Wittenburgers, so I think they bring the noise.

Framingham St. - 17
Ithaca - 24
This game scare me a little.  I think Framingham got a good matchup here and Ithaca got a bit of a trap game thrown at them again.  I'll say this, I will NOT be surprised if Framingham wins, but my heart tells me Ithaca wins in a monkeystomp.

Endicott - 17
Rowan - 35
Much like above, I think Endicott got a favorable draw with a game where they can compete.  Rowan seems to be bi-polar.  Based on some comparative scores and Endicott's terrible schedule, I think Rowan wins pretty big.

First off nice GWH pic! Love that whole ****ing scene! Secondly dlip thinks your picks are quite good. He can't say he really disagrees with any of them. The one game that scares dlip as well is IC/Framingham. dlip will say this time and again, the loss to a rival in the last week of the season can be incredibly deflating. Dlip thinks FS is a decent squad and with the playoff experience he thinks they will win this one. dlip is really hoping he is wrong here...really.

dlip is also pulling huge...iamhuge...for SJF against Carroll. Seems if if Carroll's O is nasty having given the UMU defense fits (which is basically unheard of). SJF is going to have it's hands full for sure and if Fenti isn't a ****ing monster they will lose.

Endicott/Rowan: if Rowan loses this game than **** them! dlip will be so pissed at this team that each year he picks high and each year he watches them underachieve with a very talented roster.

[ExTartanPlayer]

+K for the Whittenberg reference.  Thanks for the information.

The Ithaca vs. Framingham State game is one of my favorite "fun" first round matchups.  One of the interesting things about the teams below the Top 5-10 in Division III is how different styles and strengths can play off one another.  As has been noted on several threads during the season - Ithaca won the Empire 8 more on the strength of their defense and special teams than their offense and hasn't scored more than 26 points since Week 1.  That can be a winning formula but also leaves you susceptible to close games where one or two fluky plays can turn the tide, and Framingham (despite their conference's history) is somewhat battle-tested (for a MASCAC/NEFC team anyway) having played Cortland tough last year and a competitive game this year against admittedly-bipolar Rowan (Framingham led in the fourth quarter and the game was not iced until the final minute).  Should be fun.

Like all the picks and would agree with each.  I might have given Leb Val more of a chance against Wittenberg until they stubbed their toes against Albright.  But I don't really like the East's chances in either of the inter-regional matchups.

[Bombers798891]

+K for the Whittenberg reference.  Thanks for the information.

The Ithaca vs. Framingham State game is one of my favorite "fun" first round matchups.  One of the interesting things about the teams below the Top 5-10 in Division III is how different styles and strengths can play off one another.  As has been noted on several threads during the season - Ithaca won the Empire 8 more on the strength of their defense and special teams than their offense and hasn't scored more than 26 points since Week 1.  That can be a winning formula but also leaves you susceptible to close games where one or two fluky plays can turn the tide, and Framingham (despite their conference's history) is somewhat battle-tested (for a MASCAC/NEFC team anyway) having played Cortland tough last year and a competitive game this year against admittedly-bipolar Rowan (Framingham led in the fourth quarter and the game was not iced until the final minute).  Should be fun.

Like all the picks and would agree with each.  I might have given Leb Val more of a chance against Wittenberg until they stubbed their toes against Albright.  But I don't really like the East's chances in either of the inter-regional matchups.

The Ithaca game's going to be close. They're too limited offensively to blow out teams with competent offenses. I think the coaching staff isn't going to let this team sleepwalk. In fact, considering they had locked up a playoff bid and Mike Welch's reputation for conservative play, I was actually stunned at how aggressive the game plan was.

[ITH radio]

Enjoyed reading the playoff capsules.  Only beef with Hobart's was the passing yardage allowed in the Utica and UofR games were after the Statesmen had (iam)HUGE leads in the second half (28-7 and 34-13 on Utica in the 3rd and 4th qtr, respectively, and 28-14 and 42-14 in the 3rd and 4th qtrs of the UofR game). 

The point of the team needing to more consistent on offense and not giving up long passes on D was dead on otherwise.  That said I view the latter as being more of teams figuring out how to take advantage of the aggressiveness / over pursuit of DW and TC and taking advantage of Bart's LBs who are younger and may not be as used to having to drop back since they blitz a lot / stack the box.

Hopefully they'll get off to a better start vs. GU than they have in prior games.  The Statesmen O didn't score a TD on UofR until 13:52 to go in the 2nd qtr.  That's not going to cut it if Hobart wants a long playoff run.

[Bombers798891]

I thought the capsule nailed Ithaca well, except for the turning point. The Salisbury game changed on the blocked punt. And I thought the season turned during the Fisher game, when the Bombers used two long kick returns to turn a 7-3 game just before the half into a 12-7 one just after. The Bombers never trailed again in the game, and came through with a win their program needed.

[Upstate]

Gallaudet - 0
Hobart - 41
-Hobart's defense will be so much faster than anything Gallaudet has seen. Webb has a field day to open up the first round for Bart.

St. John Fisher - 37
John Carroll - 31 F/OT
-Huge homer pick and I don't care, Fisher gets a pick 6 in OT to meet up with Hobart in the 2nd round!

Lebanon Valley - 17
Wittenberg - 34
-Was not impressed with the MAC at all this year, I think Witt makes a good impression in their opening game of the tourney.

Framingham St. - 10
Ithaca - 20
-ICs defense and special teams carry the Bombers to the 2nd round!

Endicott - 27
Rowan - 24
-East Region upset of the week, Endicott channels 'Dem Spicy Boyz and gives the NEFC their 3rd win in the NCAAs!