FB: Region 4 fan poll

[ExTartanPlayer]

Chicago (2-0)               1 points (10, x, x, x, x, x, x, x)

FYI: Chicago has only played 1 game

Hard to argue with much here.  Will take a little bit for the MIAA teams to shake out, as well as learn whether we can take ONU (10/3 vs. JCU, maybe?) and IWU seriously.

If they are back to their usual standards after last year's poor season, Illinois Wesleyan has a pretty easy path to 7-0. But given that they started last year fairly similarly to this one and then dropped 4 of the next 5 games against Simpson (who didn't win another game), Carthage, Augustana, and Elmhurst before even playing the CCIW's Big Two, color me a little surprised that IWU has already been getting this much poll love.  I suppose it's hard to identify any clearly superior options, but still...

[Mr. Ypsi]

Chicago (2-0)               1 points (10, x, x, x, x, x, x, x)

FYI: Chicago has only played 1 game

Hard to argue with much here.  Will take a little bit for the MIAA teams to shake out, as well as learn whether we can take ONU (10/3 vs. JCU, maybe?) and IWU seriously.

If they are back to their usual standards after last year's poor season, Illinois Wesleyan has a pretty easy path to 7-0. But given that they started last year fairly similarly to this one and then dropped 4 of the next 5 games against Simpson (who didn't win another game), Carthage, Augustana, and Elmhurst before even playing the CCIW's Big Two, color me a little surprised that IWU has already been getting this much poll love.  I suppose it's hard to identify any clearly superior options, but still...

IWU's season was wrecked by Jack Warner getting mono.  (He played against Simpson, but in retrospect I can't help wondering if he was already sick - we should have won that game by several TDs, and instead scored 3 points.)  By game six or seven, we were playing our 4th QB.  Jack is back, and so is IWU.

Of the ranked teams, the so far truly unknown quantities are the bottom three: DePauw's only game is the annihilation of Earlham (which is only a shade better than annihilating Finlandia ); Olivet has also destroyed Earlham and beat Carthage (seemingly destined for last in the CCIW) by 10; ONU beat Utica at home by a single TD, but it has yet to be determined whether that is much of an accomplishment.  (For the record, I had ONU at #8, did not rank either of the others, though they are definitely on my radar.  ONU's ranking was due to Kickoff, since the in-season evidence is so far so incomplete.  My #10 was Adrian's only point - if Wheaton is as good as I think they are (I have them #5 in the national poll), getting blown out by the Thunder is not a deal-breaker to me.)

[wally_wabash]

Chicago (2-0)               1 points (10, x, x, x, x, x, x, x)

FYI: Chicago has only played 1 game

Hard to argue with much here.  Will take a little bit for the MIAA teams to shake out, as well as learn whether we can take ONU (10/3 vs. JCU, maybe?) and IWU seriously.

If they are back to their usual standards after last year's poor season, Illinois Wesleyan has a pretty easy path to 7-0. But given that they started last year fairly similarly to this one and then dropped 4 of the next 5 games against Simpson (who didn't win another game), Carthage, Augustana, and Elmhurst before even playing the CCIW's Big Two, color me a little surprised that IWU has already been getting this much poll love.  I suppose it's hard to identify any clearly superior options, but still...

1-0, 2-0...Chicago probably isn't a North Region team in any case.   

RE: IWU - I still think IWU's win at Franklin is probably the best result in the region so far.  So while we're still guessing with many of the teams after #6, IWU is the only one really that has a really good result (honorable mention to Albion's shootouts). 

Of the ranked teams, the so far truly unknown quantities are the bottom three: DePauw's only game is the annihilation of Earlham (which is only a shade better than annihilating Finlandia );

Earlham vs. Finlandia might be a pick 'em if I were putting a line on it.  Might even have the Lions lay a field goal. 

[Li'l Giant]

Earlham vs. Finlandia might be a pick 'em if I were putting a line on it.  Might even have the Lions lay a field goal.

I would have to watch that if it were on a stream. I wouldn't be able to look away.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Chicago (2-0)               1 points (10, x, x, x, x, x, x, x)

FYI: Chicago has only played 1 game

Hard to argue with much here.  Will take a little bit for the MIAA teams to shake out, as well as learn whether we can take ONU (10/3 vs. JCU, maybe?) and IWU seriously.

If they are back to their usual standards after last year's poor season, Illinois Wesleyan has a pretty easy path to 7-0. But given that they started last year fairly similarly to this one and then dropped 4 of the next 5 games against Simpson (who didn't win another game), Carthage, Augustana, and Elmhurst before even playing the CCIW's Big Two, color me a little surprised that IWU has already been getting this much poll love.  I suppose it's hard to identify any clearly superior options, but still...

1-0, 2-0...Chicago probably isn't a North Region team in any case.   

RE: IWU - I still think IWU's win at Franklin is probably the best result in the region so far.  So while we're still guessing with many of the teams after #6, IWU is the only one really that has a really good result (honorable mention to Albion's shootouts). 

Of the ranked teams, the so far truly unknown quantities are the bottom three: DePauw's only game is the annihilation of Earlham (which is only a shade better than annihilating Finlandia );

Earlham vs. Finlandia might be a pick 'em if I were putting a line on it.  Might even have the Lions lay a field goal.

Per Kickoff, Earlham would cremate Finlandia: #234 vs. #246!  (I can't believe that Finlandia is not last, but Maranatha Baptist is behind them - if that is true, despite the difference between college men and high school boys, Maranatha would not only lose to many HS teams, they would lose to some HS JV teams! )

With a fair amount of confidence, I predict that Finlandia will start the season 0-4, with 0 points scored (their next two games are UWSP and UWW - who should have the decency to leave their first TWO teams at home to study!)  After that they play NOBODY, and will probably score, but are so bad they will probably still go winless.

I'm rooting like crazy for Finlandia (formerly Suomi College) to break through soon, but I have my doubts that that is possible.  Finland is (except for my native country) probably my favorite country on earth (I admire the hell out of their doomed fight against 'Uncle Joe' even though it caused them to be lumped in with the Nazis - one of the most unfair 'lumpings' in world history).  They are one of the most remote d3 outcroppings, with a very low local population, and the number of 'Finnish-Americans' in the UP can be easily exaggerated.  I fear they may never be even decently mediocre, but I'm sure rooting for 'em.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Per Kickoff, Earlham would cremate Finlandia: #234 vs. #246!  (I can't believe that Finlandia is not last, but Maranatha Baptist is behind them - if that is true, despite the difference between college men and high school boys, Maranatha would not only lose to many HS teams, they would lose to some HS JV teams! )

With a fair amount of confidence, I predict that Finlandia will start the season 0-4, with 0 points scored (their next two games are UWSP and UWW - who should have the decency to leave their first TWO teams at home to study!)  After that they play NOBODY, and will probably score, but are so bad they will probably still go winless.

October 3rd: Maranatha Baptist @ Finlandia... that one will probably be on my National Pickem slate. They also face off on Halloween in Wisconsin. Talk about a frightening sight.

[Captain_Joe08]

Per Kickoff, Earlham would cremate Finlandia: #234 vs. #246!  (I can't believe that Finlandia is not last, but Maranatha Baptist is behind them - if that is true, despite the difference between college men and high school boys, Maranatha would not only lose to many HS teams, they would lose to some HS JV teams! )

With a fair amount of confidence, I predict that Finlandia will start the season 0-4, with 0 points scored (their next two games are UWSP and UWW - who should have the decency to leave their first TWO teams at home to study!)  After that they play NOBODY, and will probably score, but are so bad they will probably still go winless.

October 3rd: Maranatha Baptist @ Finlandia... that one will probably be on my National Pickem slate. They also face off on Halloween in Wisconsin. Talk about a frightening sight.

Sadly, I may use the matchup too (They play twice this year).....Kinda scary how a Lawrence team that was dominated by Rockford came out and dominated Maranatha.

Regarding Maranatha, at least they got some more players out for the team. Their namesake high school (Maranatha Academy) football team plays 8-man football....Ouch.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Per Kickoff, Earlham would cremate Finlandia: #234 vs. #246!  (I can't believe that Finlandia is not last, but Maranatha Baptist is behind them - if that is true, despite the difference between college men and high school boys, Maranatha would not only lose to many HS teams, they would lose to some HS JV teams! )

With a fair amount of confidence, I predict that Finlandia will start the season 0-4, with 0 points scored (their next two games are UWSP and UWW - who should have the decency to leave their first TWO teams at home to study!)  After that they play NOBODY, and will probably score, but are so bad they will probably still go winless.

October 3rd: Maranatha Baptist @ Finlandia... that one will probably be on my National Pickem slate. They also face off on Halloween in Wisconsin. Talk about a frightening sight.

Sadly, I may use the matchup too (They play twice this year).....Kinda scary how a Lawrence team that was dominated by Rockford came out and dominated Maranatha.

Regarding Maranatha, at least they got some more players out for the team. Their namesake high school (Maranatha Academy) football team plays 8-man football....Ouch.

WOW!!  That's gonna be some ugly football!  I suspect I may have to watch it, kinda like how everyone slows to watch a major car crash.

If Finlandia and Maranatha are playing twice in the regular season, why can't UWW and UMU play twice before the Stagg Bowl??!!

[USee]

Two things on IWU: First, keeping them lower this year based on last year's collaps makes no sense. As Wally points out they have a real,result against a fairly well known opponent.  Judge it for what it is.  18 returning starters and a team with a cause.  Second, Ypsi you are delusional if you think IWUs only problem last year was Mono.  That doesn't explain horrific defense and your team captain being suspended for "unknown" reasons.  I am a believer that IWU has righted the ship but last year was much more than just Jack Warner with mono.

I voted Olivet ahead of Albion.

[wally_wabash]

Two things on IWU: First, keeping them lower this year based on last year's collaps makes no sense. As Wally points out they have a real,result against a fairly well known opponent.  Judge it for what it is.  18 returning starters and a team with a cause.  Second, Ypsi you are delusional if you think IWUs only problem last year was Mono.  That doesn't explain horrific defense and your team captain being suspended for "unknown" reasons.  I am a believer that IWU has righted the ship but last year was much more than just Jack Warner with mono.

I voted Olivet ahead of Albion.

I'm the 6 for IWU after having them unranked prior to week 1.  Winning at Franklin is no joke.  List of teams that have won at Franklin since 2007 (when Franklin started owning the HCAC): UW-Whitewater, Butler, Mount Union, MSJ (once in 4 tries), Wheaton, North Central...and now IWU.  So yeah, it's a pretty big deal. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Two things on IWU: First, keeping them lower this year based on last year's collaps makes no sense. As Wally points out they have a real,result against a fairly well known opponent.  Judge it for what it is.  18 returning starters and a team with a cause.  Second, Ypsi you are delusional if you think IWUs only problem last year was Mono.  That doesn't explain horrific defense and your team captain being suspended for "unknown" reasons.  I am a believer that IWU has righted the ship but last year was much more than just Jack Warner with mono.

I voted Olivet ahead of Albion.

I never thought IWU's ONLY problem last season was Jack's mono, but I still believe that was the trigger (especially if I am correct that he already had it against Simpson but it had not yet been diagnosed).  The defense failed partially because there was no QB to keep them off the field enough to catch their breath.

Olivet has beaten Earlham and Carthage.  Albion has beaten UWSP and Augie.  Olivet is on my radar, but I think I'll take Albion!

[Green Jello Shots]

USee - I beg to differ with a couple of points in your post.

IWU's "horrific" defense from last season that you referenced was the #2 scoring defense in the CCIW (behind Wheaton and ahead of North Central). They held your Wheaton squad to their lowest point total of the regular season.

Secondly, last year's IWU captains were Jeff Jerome, Connor Klein, Niall Mulcahy and John Worley. None of them have ever been suspended for any circumstances.

[USee]

USee - I beg to differ with a couple of points in your post.

IWU's "horrific" defense from last season that you referenced was the #2 scoring defense in the CCIW (behind Wheaton and ahead of North Central). They held your Wheaton squad to their lowest point total of the regular season.

Secondly, last year's IWU captains were Jeff Jerome, Connor Klein, Niall Mulcahy and John Worley. None of them have ever been suspended for any circumstances.

My mistake. I should not have said "captain". He was one of the best players on the team without question though. And you are right, the defense wasn't in the "horrific" category but they were last in the league in defensive 3rd down stops, in the bottom half in run defense and last in penalties. None of those things were on the QB. And as far as the QB and keeping the defense off the field, IWU faced 729 plays last year. Wheaton, the league's #1 defense, faced 799 plays. IWU's defense was in the middle of the pack in # of plays defended.

There were clearly chemistry problems on the IWU team last year. They were much, much more talented than their record indicated. The team that beat Franklin was not the same team that lost to Augie, Elmhurst, NCC and Wheaton in back to back weeks. It seems they have righted the ship thus far.

[Green Jello Shots]

USee - I beg to differ with a couple of points in your post.

IWU's "horrific" defense from last season that you referenced was the #2 scoring defense in the CCIW (behind Wheaton and ahead of North Central). They held your Wheaton squad to their lowest point total of the regular season.

Secondly, last year's IWU captains were Jeff Jerome, Connor Klein, Niall Mulcahy and John Worley. None of them have ever been suspended for any circumstances.

My mistake. I should not have said "captain". He was one of the best players on the team without question though. And you are right, the defense wasn't in the "horrific" category but they were last in the league in defensive 3rd down stops, in the bottom half in run defense and last in penalties. None of those things were on the QB. And as far as the QB and keeping the defense off the field, IWU faced 729 plays last year. Wheaton, the league's #1 defense, faced 799 plays. IWU's defense was in the middle of the pack in # of plays defended.

There were clearly chemistry problems on the IWU team last year. They were much, much more talented than their record indicated. The team that beat Franklin was not the same team that lost to Augie, Elmhurst, NCC and Wheaton in back to back weeks. It seems they have righted the ship thus far.

USee - I don't know if there were chemistry issues (I feel this was a pretty close-knit and hard working team actually), as much as just some snake-bitten circumstances that included a lot injuries/illnesses, with quarterback being at the top of the list. When Warner was named the starting QB, the #2 QB Tyler Hook; quit the team and left school, when Warner developed mono and couldn't play, they then handed the reigns to #3 QB Ty Bolden, who then was hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy, so they turned the reigns over to #4 QB Donovan Laible, who was playing well in relief, but then tore his ACL. Somewhere there was clearly someone sticking pins in a Norm Eash voodoo doll.

Even at full strength this probably wasn't a play-off team, but their strong opening to the season was probably more indicative of this team's talent than their disappointing losses after their players starting dropping like flies.

Finally, I'm sorry to beat a dead horse, but here is what you said on the CCIW Board about IWU's defense last year following the Wheaton game: "IWU played a great game. Their defense was impressive. I knew Worley and Venhuizen were good but the IWU LB's didn't miss many tackles. Klein, Roth and Garvey were outstanding today in limiting a potent Wheaton attack to just 13 points.". Before pinning last year's disappointing season on the defense (and there were certainly games like the NC and Elmhurst games where the D could have performed much better), keep in mind that 3 of their losses last year were by scores of 7-2, 13-3 and 13-7.

I'm not sure if this year's team will have any better luck, since they've already lost 1st Team All-CCIW standout Kyle Venhuizen to a season ending injury, but I do think this year's team has more overall depth than last year's, which should help them as the season progresses.         

[USee]

I did say those things about that game. On here were are talking about an entire season and, while IWU's defense had some great stretches, they couldn't get off the field on 3rd down and weren't very good against the run for a whole season. The offense had 4 different QB's because of various reasons. Jack Warner did play against Wheaton and they scored 7 points.

IWU had a lot of things go wrong last year. It's a new day and they have it going right now. The CCIW as a whole is much better than a year ago in my estimation.