Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[dc_has_been]

Even though it has already started, I'm looking forward to a lot of trash talk after this Saturday!  

It's Cincinnati - from jr high to pro levels, do they know anything but?  

at the HS level --- Ohio knows ... at the D3 college level ---- KY knows  


TMC has to get through this week of revenge and then its Bridge Bowl week ---- but as fans, I'm able to look forward to what we are going to do in Delhi next Saturday.  


Its not just me saying it... see below:

That is where the OAC's 9 game conference season schedule hurts them.  They only have 1 chance of out conference to gain some points. 

There is no debate that the strength of the IWU, Wheaton and NCC's schedule is light years ahead of Wittenberg, Case and MSJ.  I'd easily pick a 7-3 CCIW or OAC team against a 10-0 version of those three teams.  Anytime.  Anywhere. 

That is what people were saying last year about Franklin. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Even though it has already started, I'm looking forward to a lot of trash talk after this Saturday!  

It's Cincinnati - from jr high to pro levels, do they know anything but?  

at the HS level --- Ohio knows ... at the D3 college level ---- KY knows  


TMC has to get through this week of revenge and then its Bridge Bowl week ---- but as fans, I'm able to look forward to what we are going to do in Delhi next Saturday.  


Its not just me saying it... see below:

That is where the OAC's 9 game conference season schedule hurts them.  They only have 1 chance of out conference to gain some points. 

There is no debate that the strength of the IWU, Wheaton and NCC's schedule is light years ahead of Wittenberg, Case and MSJ.  I'd easily pick a 7-3 CCIW or OAC team against a 10-0 version of those three teams.  Anytime.  Anywhere. 

That is what people were saying last year about Franklin. 

Especially after they played Wheaton.

[Sorry, too easy! ]

[SaintsFAN]

Even though it has already started, I'm looking forward to a lot of trash talk after this Saturday!  

It's Cincinnati - from jr high to pro levels, do they know anything but?  

at the HS level --- Ohio knows ... at the D3 college level ---- KY knows  


TMC has to get through this week of revenge and then its Bridge Bowl week ---- but as fans, I'm able to look forward to what we are going to do in Delhi next Saturday.  


Its not just me saying it... see below:

That is where the OAC's 9 game conference season schedule hurts them.  They only have 1 chance of out conference to gain some points.  

There is no debate that the strength of the IWU, Wheaton and NCC's schedule is light years ahead of Wittenberg, Case and MSJ.  I'd easily pick a 7-3 CCIW or OAC team against a 10-0 version of those three teams.  Anytime.  Anywhere.  

That is what people were saying last year about Franklin.  

WITH a QB who had led them to the playoffs in 2007.  

THAT Franklin team (last year) is gonna be about the best the HCAC can offer --- I don't think you can compare the two teams.

[altor]

Especially after they played Wheaton.

[Sorry, too easy! ]

They beat a 9-1 OAC team, then beat a 11-0 CCIW team, and you cherry pick the Wheaton game?

[dc_has_been]

Even though it has already started, I'm looking forward to a lot of trash talk after this Saturday!  

It's Cincinnati - from jr high to pro levels, do they know anything but?  

at the HS level --- Ohio knows ... at the D3 college level ---- KY knows  


TMC has to get through this week of revenge and then its Bridge Bowl week ---- but as fans, I'm able to look forward to what we are going to do in Delhi next Saturday.  


Its not just me saying it... see below:

That is where the OAC's 9 game conference season schedule hurts them.  They only have 1 chance of out conference to gain some points. 

There is no debate that the strength of the IWU, Wheaton and NCC's schedule is light years ahead of Wittenberg, Case and MSJ.  I'd easily pick a 7-3 CCIW or OAC team against a 10-0 version of those three teams.  Anytime.  Anywhere. 

That is what people were saying last year about Franklin. 

Especially after they played Wheaton.

[Sorry, too easy! ]
Darn you Ypsi, darn you!

[Adam Sayer]

We've also had a plethora of discussions about the advantages a school like Wheaton has vs a school like MSJ (or most schools in the HCAC for that matter).

Admittedly, schools in the HCAC need to be more than a 1-hit wonder. They need to show they can compete (and beat) those teams on a regular basis. In MSJ's defense, in 2007, they did beat a 6-1 Illinois Wesleyan team who shared the CCIW championship and last year Franklin did beat North Central (the CCIW champ) and came within a mouse fart of beating them the year prior in the playoffs. I realize neither FC or MSJ has fared well against Wheaton, but outside of that, they are 2-2 (a hail mary away from 3-1) against quality teams from the CCIW the past couple of seasons.

Looks like HSCoach needs to get his sh!t straight and realize that a 7-3 CCIW team would probably not beat a HCAC champion and overall, though a slow process, the HCAC is getting better and the top HCAC teams are starting to compete with the top CCIW teams. This year was a step backwards but still doesn't discredit the multiple steps forward the conference has taken with MSJ and FC in recent years. Does it need to keep happening...of course, but it's not like the HCAC is getting crushed...except when they play Wheaton.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I apologize to all HCAC fans for the cheap shot - but dc just teed it up irresistably!

As an observer (and fan) of all of d3, I think the HCAC is definitely on the rise.

But you've still got a ways to go - and adding Earlham is NOT the answer!  A school whose president sees .500 as the goal!

If paired #1 to #1, #2 to #2, etc., the results would not be pretty against a number of nearby conferences (I'd guess 0 wins against WIAC and probably OAC, maybe 1 or 2 wins against CCIW, 2 to 3 against NCAC, though you might have a winning record against MIAA and NathCon.).

[Adam Sayer]

Unfortunately for us footballers, FB is not the only determining factor in adding a team to a conference. However, if I had my choice, I'd take Wabash (which I thought was a possibility as well). I don't know how good/bad the other sports teams are at either school, but Wabash seems to have more history and they definately have more fan support which leads me to believe their other sports programs are pretty good also. In terms of academia, I honestly believe a degree is a degree. An engineering degree might look better from RHIT than it would MSJ, but overall, that $120,000 piece of paper looks pretty good from any college (maybe not the community colleges or technical colleges you see popping up all over the place).

This is not a knock on Earlham by any means either. Just stating that overall, if Wabash was an option, they were a better option at the time.

[formerd3db]

Good comments Sayer.  I would agree with you on that.  However, unless you and your HCAC colleagues know something that I/we don't (in which speaking strickly for myself, that is definitely a 100% absolute fact i.e. I have no idea or any connenction to any source that would know ) regarding what the "powers that be" were saying/thinking about this, I do not think that Wabash would ever leave the NCAC for the HCAC.  While from some standpoints it would make sense (i.e. the distance/location aspects), there still is the perceived difference by some people of the current power level of the teams in both conferences and...perhaps, unfortunately and wrongly, the academic level as well (many of you have already discussed some of these aspects in the past).  No disrespect to the HCAC is intended here, but while the NCAC has their bottom "rung" less successful teams and some of the HCAC teams are having some pretty down years as well, I still think some people believe that overall the NCAC is a better conference in both categories - the Earlham "philosophy" of its current president regarding what constitutes an acceptable "success" goal to strive for as has been mentioned and discussed here notwithstanding.  As you say and allude to, I think that anyone who attends and graduates from any of the schools in either conference will come away with a very good education (given, of course, that a big portion of that is up to the individual as well i.e. individual responsibility in learning, hard work and dedication in studies, etc., etc. , while the other "half" of that is a student-athlete choosing the right "fit" of a school for them in other aspects, i.e. the specific academic track they want, their "feel" of the campus and surrounding town/community, and even the location, to mention a few).  Anyway, perhaps Earlham may end up doing better in football in the conference that many of us think - assuming they get their act together for the program in recruiting, a new attitude with a new conference, etc., etc.  I hope they do and wish them well as I do for your conference too.  Time will obviously tell.

[cave2bens]

@ formerd3db -

Drive safely up the Pine River road to Alma today.  Five hrs of snooze is short-timing it for the older generation. 

[formerd3db]

@ formerd3db -

Drive safely up the Pine River road to Alma today.  Five hrs of snooze is short-timing it for the older generation. 

You got it, cave2!  Thanks and, I will.  Looks like the weather will be nice - for once!  Sunny, blue skies here right now and the temp is predicted in the '60's.  Have a great Saturday afternoon yourself and talk to you again soon.

[70_dc_alum]

Dc made things a lot closer than most were expecting. MSJ better bring more for the bridge bowl

[SaintsFAN]

Wabash was never an option..

HCAC missed out on having a football power when The Old Hag who is President at MSJ vetoed having the Saints join... All because of "academics", she said.. Which is bunk.. TMC is equal to or better academically than Defiance, Bluffton, Anderson AND her little school, Mount St Joseph.

Sayer you can thank her for that.. Earlham is the best they are gonna get. 

[Adam Sayer]

Dc made things a lot closer than most were expecting. MSJ better bring more for the bridge bowl

Like I told Kevin last week, I think the primary focus of the coaching staff and players this week was on TMC. The scout team may have been running DC's offense and defense, but the focus wasnt on them. The DC game meant absolutely nothing.

[SaintsFAN]

And I'm saying they could have focused on TMC all year which scares me... BC their schedule is awful.  We will see if they are ready for a Top 5 defense in 6 days