Empire 8

[maxpower]

If we were bitter we'd be playing our ****ty season off on the rationale that the E8 is BETTER this year.

Absolutely, but consider that arguing the converse is the equivalent of telling Alfred and Springfield that they are crappy and their accomplishments this year don't count as much as the Fisher and Ithaca championships of yesteryear.

I think Max is just mad that if Alfred wins their first ever E8 title this year, that Alfred will have exactly as many E8 championships over the last 4 years as Ithaca. 

Yanks, I've been rooting for Alfred all year; I think the AU guys will back me up on this. In fact, I posted numerous times that I wanted them to beat SJF so that an undefeated E8 team would represent in the East.

The basis of my argument is this:

AU barely beat SJF who got smoked by Salisbury. SC got smoked by Alfred. None of this adds up to what I see as what it takes to have an E8 team go into the playoffs like SJF did a couple years back. What it looks like is that SC, SJF, and AU are all at roughly the same level, with AU coming out on top by a small margin. That's what it will look like until AU plays a tougher opponent than SJF, which, sadly, they don't until the playoffs.

That doesn't make me "bitter"; IC doesn't have anyone but themselves to blame for their season this year, none of their losses have been cheap or anything.

Maybe I'm wrong and Alfred will cruise to the regional finals or something. I hope they do!

EDIT: Also, a lot of this changes if Alfred gets healthier.

EDIT 2: Just to further exonerate myself of bitterness, I DO think that this Alfred team is better than any IC team of the last few years, at least back to 2005.

[boobyhasgameyo]

God Dang Fisher didn't get smoked by Salisbury.  Ok fine they lost by 18 lol, but that was a close game well into the 4th with Fisher down one score driving in Salisbury territory before they turned it over and Salisbury also scored a TD at the end of the game to put that one away.  I'm not saying we were going to win it, it just makes me sad and I die a little more inside every time somebody says Fisher got smoked by them or Fisher was destroyed, etc. 


mmmk back to the Alfred discussion! 

[boobyhasgameyo]

Actually my bad Fisher was down 11 when they were making that drive, not 8 like I thought.  But still Salisbury had a touchdown with 19 seconds left to push that margin of victory to 18. 

mmmk back to the Alfred discussion!  Go Saxons!

[Bombers798891]

God Dang Fisher didn't get smoked by Salisbury.  Ok fine they lost by 18 lol, but that was a close game well into the 4th with Fisher down one score driving in Salisbury territory before they turned it over and Salisbury also scored a TD at the end of the game to put that one away.  I'm not saying we were going to win it, it just makes me sad and I die a little more inside every time somebody says Fisher got smoked by them or Fisher was destroyed, etc. 


mmmk back to the Alfred discussion! 

True, they came back, but by that same token, it was 31-6 Salisbury with about 11 minutes to go and still 31-13 with less than 5 minutes to go. Was the outcome ever really in doubt in the 4th quarter?

Just playing devil's advocate

[Upstate]

God Dang Fisher didn't get smoked by Salisbury.  Ok fine they lost by 18 lol, but that was a close game well into the 4th with Fisher down one score driving in Salisbury territory before they turned it over and Salisbury also scored a TD at the end of the game to put that one away.  I'm not saying we were going to win it, it just makes me sad and I die a little more inside every time somebody says Fisher got smoked by them or Fisher was destroyed, etc. 


mmmk back to the Alfred discussion! 

True, they came back, but by that same token, it was 31-6 Salisbury with about 11 minutes to go and still 31-13 with less than 5 minutes to go. Was the outcome ever really in doubt in the 4th quarter?

Just playing devil's advocate

The game was over after the 3rd QTR...

SJF's Possessions in the 3rd QTR ended like such...

1- 3 plays, Punt
2- 4 plays, Turnover on downs
3- 7 plays, Punt
4- 4 plays, INT
5- 3 Plays (end of QTR) then ran 4 more plays and Fumbled

[boobyhasgameyo]

Well I mean Fisher was up at the half, all I am saying is it wasn't this amazing blowout loss.  That's all.  I didn't even mean to make a big thing about it, like I said it just makes my eyes water every time people say we were blown out. 

[Upstate]

Well I mean Fisher was up at the half, all I am saying is it wasn't this amazing blowout loss.  That's all.  I didn't even mean to make a big thing about it, like I said it just makes my eyes water every time people say we were blown out. 

I don't think SJF was blown out either...

It was more of a SJF implosion or a self inflicted gun shot wound to the foot...

Pick either as both apply...

[sjfcards]

Well the SC game was not the best game Fisher ever played, but the issue was not much in doubt in the later part of that game. Fisher just got hit by the turnover bug that game, and SC took advantage.

[tecmobowler]

I think fans of Ithaca, Fisher, Hartwick, and Springfield that have been around for a while would agree that their teams of three or four years ago were much better than their current squad. 

Outside of Alfred (hopefully) this is not a strong year for the E8. 

[sjfcards]

I think fans of Ithaca, Fisher, Hartwick, and Springfield that have been around for a while would agree that their teams of three or four years ago were much better than their current squad. 

Outside of Alfred (hopefully) this is not a strong year for the E8. 

I could not agree more with that statement. This year just seems to be a down year for everyone but Alfred. I hate to take anything away from AU, because I think they have a realy good team this year, and whould be a contender in the E8 on any given year with what they have this year, but the other teams, in my opinion, are clearly not where they were even 2 years ago.

I think the question is what do the teams bring back next year to either start to rebuild, or continue to spiral downward.

[Upstate]

Yes it's a down year for SJF and IC...

But I'm not taking anything away from AU in saying that...

I think this years AU team with a healthy Secky would do very well vs SJF and IC...

AU just went out with their back up QB and RB and beat SJF on the road with little (statistical) production out of Manzer...

That's the sign of a good team right there...

I really think AU makes some noise in the playoffs, until they get to MUC that is...

[maxpower]

Yes it's a down year for SJF and IC...

But I'm not taking anything away from AU in saying that...

I hate to take anything away from AU, because I think they have a realy good team this year, and whould be a contender in the E8 on any given year with what they have this year, but the other teams, in my opinion, are clearly not where they were even 2 years ago. 

I would hate to, ever, channel JT, but enough PCness! Saying "ithaca and SJF are not that good this year" does NOT inherently take away from Alfred. Hell, is there anyone in here NOT rooting for Alfred at this point?

[Upstate]

Yes it's a down year for SJF and IC...

But I'm not taking anything away from AU in saying that...

I hate to take anything away from AU, because I think they have a realy good team this year, and whould be a contender in the E8 on any given year with what they have this year, but the other teams, in my opinion, are clearly not where they were even 2 years ago. 

I would hate to, ever, channel JT, but enough PCness! Saying "ithaca and SJF are not that good this year" does NOT inherently take away from Alfred. Hell, is there anyone in here NOT rooting for Alfred at this point?

I really don't want to saying anything outrageous about AU or anything even remotely insulting because the AU guys here always are level headed and nice...

The passiveness of the AU posters would lead me to believe that we're bigger AU fans than they are 

[AUPepBand]

Gosh, all this AU love is almost embarrassing.....

Pep thinks it's all a ploy to woo the Saxons to sleep so they stumble at Butterfield and blow it against Utica so someone other than Alfred takes that AQ.

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

I really think AU makes some noise in the playoffs, until they get to MUC that is...

AU Pep Band specializes in making NOISE and will be at Butterfield Stadium Saterday...the band's final (regular season) road trip and with, as of today, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, 1 bari sax, 2 drummers and a kazoo...Pep is hoping to make some music as well!